hey all... i'm saving my 78 hatch from the derby pit to the racetrack.. and was wondering if you guys could help me out on the best place to get a roll cage kit, racing rims, steel body panels, and some basic set up's for a 3/8 mile high banked dirt track, and a 1/2 mile low banked dirt track. any other info that would benifit me i would appreciate too.. thanks..
If your Pinto is even half way decent, why not use a Mustang for your round track endeavor? They are cheap and in an abundance. The Pinto is almost extinct. If you don't want it, sell it to someone and use the money for another body.
Its your car, do with it what you want; I wish you the best, but I agree with TT too.
If you want to run it BECAUSE its a Pinto, thats one thing, but if you want a competitive car, thats another. I ran a circle track Pinto, and for all my time and effort to get the car to handle about the best it could, it was still not as good as a fox body 'out of the box'.
I have always built my cages, but I have purchased a ton of stuff from Capital Motorsports in MA and have been very happy with them.
I would imagine those tracks will take significantly different settings on the car; maybe different rear gears and/or trannys too. IMHO: If you try to use one set-up, you will suffer a little at each one.
As far as what to do, you need to know what you are allowed to do to the car. Post some of the rules. Also, check out the FAQ section on this site; there are handling tips that work both on the street as well as dirt.
Bill
thats the good part thgouh.. there are no other rwd cars running.. all fwd... and plus i already have the pinto. but anyways.. the rules are pretty basic stock everything racing shocks are allowed, racing springs, racing rims ,dot tires, no tube chassis, weights are allowed, min. 4pt roll cage. pretty basic..
has anybody ran the landrum racing leaf springs?? is so how well do they perform and how durable?
"""has anybody ran the landrum racing leaf springs?? is so how well do they perform and how durable?"""
I had those in the car pictured on my profile as well as the teflon spring sliders with jack bolts on them...worked out great till i ran a mustang with weight jacks and figured thats alot easier!
But i did use Landrum springs and they do come rated, so just figure out the rating you need (dirt or asphalt) and drop em an email....
But be sure if your rules allow it to put the spring sliders in! makes a huge difference!
Quote from: demoiowa89r on October 23, 2008, 05:19:42 PM
hey all... i'm saving my 78 hatch from the derby pit to the racetrack.. and was wondering if you guys could help me out on the best place to get a roll cage kit, racing rims, steel body panels, and some basic set up's for a 3/8 mile high banked dirt track, and a 1/2 mile low banked dirt track. any other info that would benifit me i would appreciate too.. thanks..
hey, I have ran the mini stock class for 10 years (dirt) and a pinto handles better than any 4 banger Ive seen with the exception of a yota but there too expensive for me to run.. your best bet for racing rims would be Bart or areo wheels they are the best I have seen if your mini stock class allows it the bead locks are deffinatly worth the extra money, far as body panels go if they allow you to do it make your doors and fenders out of sheet metal because you have got to face it not that many pintos left nowdays as others have stated, far as set up goes if I were you I would go ahead and get the PRO pinto shocks springs is such a wide range of what rating you need I couldnt tell you there, there is a book out about the ford pinto set up and everything else I cant remember the name of it off the top of my head right now I have searched but can not find it when I find it I will let you know the name of it. Far as your gear set up for the 3/8 track I could tell you the final drive we usually run is around the 7.20s. which Im guessing that your pinto has the 3.40 rear gear so you will need a 2.14 2nd gear ratio transmission and for the 1/2 I myself have never ran a track that big but I would personally go with a 1.96 2nd gear tranny for the 1/2 mile. and for getting a roll cage I would try to find a car that the chassis has been bent that someone will sell you for cheap and cut the cage out of it, or if you cant most places sell roll cage kits. Also for your rearend setup wise I have always ran a 1 inch lowering block on the left and 2 inch on the right which gives you great stagger. If you have any questions along the way feel free to let me know. I hope this has helped you a little.
This may be the book that shotgun63 was thinking of.
Pony Stock Mini Stock Racing Technology
by Steve Smith
ISBN: 0-936834-97-8
http://www.ssapubl.com/product.aspx?nbr=S258
Quote from: oldkayaker on March 07, 2009, 04:40:10 AM
This may be the book that shotgun63 was thinking of.
Pony Stock Mini Stock Racing Technology
by Steve Smith
ISBN: 0-936834-97-8
http://www.ssapubl.com/product.aspx?nbr=S258
thanks, I could not remember the name of that book to save my life but that is the book I was referring to.
i had a pair but never used them , all i ever used was the stock spring's , the landrum spring's the car set to low for 1 , plus on dirt you needed a spring with more arch , with all that said & done we won 6 race's at our home track & was 2nd in point's , then we went to another track 1 night & won the dash the heat race & the a-main , stock spring's will work good on dirt just by some good shock's i use to run afco racing shock's & take the rear spring clamp's off
I can help you out with gearing, you will need a 2.14 2nd gear trans. with a 3.40 rear (make sure you weld the spider gears) also you will need to get atleast 13 x 7 rims if running street tires run the 205/60/13's best place to get them will be pep boys if you really want to get some grip out of them tires since there so hard you need to get to be friends with some kart drivers (they have some kind of solution they soak em in) makes a world of difference also fuel cell wise you need to cut out as much of the trunk as possible so you can drop it down helps with weight distribution, the battery will need to go where the backseat use to be at. Hope everything turns out great for you, dont see many pinto's racin nowdays due to not too many left and alot of drivers dont like em simply bc of there looks and from idiots saying mustangs handle better but i will tell you one thing a mustang dont have nothing on a pinto thats hooked up atleast ive drove both id rather push a pinto round the track anyday of the week