Pinto Car Club of America

Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: 2bizze on June 21, 2011, 09:37:21 PM

Title: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: 2bizze on June 21, 2011, 09:37:21 PM
HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?

I need some help. I inherited a Pinto hatchback racecar and know very little about the cars history other than it has been a racecar for over the last ten years. I am guessing the car is early 70's, but that is a completely uneducated guess with nothing to base it on.

I would like to upgrade the front suspension and rotors but have no idea what year the car is.

Any ideas on what suspension parts I could check and find a part number or a dimension on a part that I could measure that might tell me what year the car is?

It seems like there are a big differences in parts from 1973 and earlier compared to 1974 and later.

Thanks for any help you can provide, I would like to order the new parts by Wednesday night if I can find out which bigger brake rotors will fit.
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: phils toys on June 21, 2011, 09:59:10 PM
hi and welcome to the site base on you discription it is imposable to  tell the year. but i will try to help some.
if the bumpers are small it should be a 71-73. if the bumpwer are large an all steel it would be a 74-77, if they are large and alumium 77 or 78 if they are square 79 or 80. that is if they had not been changed  before you got the car.
next 71and 72 share  suspension 73 is for the most par its own, and 74-80 are the eayest to up grade. the swap would include granada rotors and a few gm parts  and a few fab parts,
if you could post a few pic  we would be able to help identify the car better. there are differences in the body as well.  hope this helps some

Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: dga57 on June 22, 2011, 01:13:35 AM
Is the VIN still visible anywhere on the car?  The first digit identifies the year.  For instance, a 1 would signify that it is a 1971 model, whereas a 4 would mean it's a 1974, etc.  Hope this helps.
Dwayne :smile:
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: D.R.Ball on June 22, 2011, 06:25:17 PM
Pictures would help a lot...But  when you open the hood and the radiator support on top is straight you have a 1971-1973 if it's angled out from the front fenders it's a 1974 and above.....Also if  the car has front drum brakes and a 1.6 liter engine, you might have a 1971 -1973...The 2.0 came out a little later...
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: 2bizze on June 22, 2011, 09:24:52 PM
Pic of right hand front suspension.
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: 2bizze on June 22, 2011, 09:28:42 PM
I was very short on time this morning for pics and was able to only get a few quick pics. I will try to get some better ones tomorrow when I have time. I will have to remove the plexiglass window and look under it to see if there is anything left of the vin. As the window is installed there is now way to see if its there. I'm hoping these pics post correctly.

The car currently has a 2.3 and does have front disc brakes.

Thanks again for the assistance.
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: 75bobcatv6 on June 23, 2011, 12:51:56 AM
one of the rotors says 80 Pinto on it correct? if so it might be a 74 and up
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: 2bizze on June 23, 2011, 07:55:43 PM
75bobcatv6, I wish it was that easy, what that rotor really says is "FORD Pinto" From the angle I guess it does look like "80 Pinto"
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: Pangra74 on July 14, 2011, 01:42:55 PM
Based on the steering rack, it is a 74 or later. The early racks don't attach through the frame, aside from the 80 Pinto writing on the rotor.


Joe
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: r4pinto on July 15, 2011, 12:11:14 PM
I would agree that it is 74-80 Pinto. The control arm style is that of the 74-up Pintos
Title: Re: HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO?
Post by: Pangra74 on July 15, 2011, 01:32:58 PM
Interesting how they mounted the shock to the upper control arm....