Pinto Car Club of America
Shiny is Good! => Your Project => Topic started by: earlapril on February 15, 2005, 10:51:19 PM
I have wanted one since high school and I finally have one, everyone including my wife thinks I have lost it but I now own my very own PINTO WAGON. I have my work cut out for me on this one. I picked it up at a none profit thrift store for three hundred dollars and it was only running on 3 cylinders but it is all there including all the emblems and it hasn't been butchered. Well my question is I have the 2.0 liter running but it needs a distributor, and I have the chance to get a 2.3 liter motor and transmission out of a 76 pinto wagon. which is the better choice for my pinto? and if the better choice is the 2.3 what else should I pull out to make the swap easier.... Thanks for your help ................. Earl
That depends on what you want there. The 2.0 has a TON of aftermarket support & racing parts ( there are rumors here that someone is building a 200+ hp non turbo 2.0) I'm thinking the '73 will require engine bay mods for a 2.3. I can't off the top of my head remember when they changed the rad. support. (guessing '74) The 2.3 has a ton of late-model factory Hi-Po parts. You can build an old school carbed 2.0 or a hi-tech injected 2.3 With either motor you can go hi boost turbo & smoke the dragstrip in under 12sec.
If i'm wrong about the engine bay & you can easily swap out the 2.3, you need to get the COMPLETE engine & trans from the breather to the exhaust flanges. The basic nature of the Pinto & its wiring tells me that you MAY be able to hook it right up. The trouble may start with the ignition tho if the 2.3 is electronic. it'll require a little rewiring.
Great thanks for you help. I am going to grab the engine and trans since it is free and figure out what to do later once I park it to rebuild. Right now its my only transportation until I get my other car running.
oh yeah.... almost forgot... get the motor mounts & frame stands from the 2.3 car
Quote from: crazyhorse on February 17, 2005, 12:24:40 PM
oh yeah.... almost forgot... get the motor mounts & frame stands from the 2.3 car
Then put in an EFI turbo engine...sorry...I just HAD to say it ::)