HELP - WHAT YEAR IS MY PINTO? I think I posted in the wrong section the first time I posted.
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.
i responded to your other post.
Quote from: phils toys on June 21, 2011, 10:12:01 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 bumper 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
Thanks Phil I will post some pictures tomorrow. This car has been extensivly modified for circle track racing, so its hard to say what is orginal. Both bumpers are large aluminum but no telling if they are orginal. The car is quite heavy weighing about 2100 pounds with no driver in the car and the fuel cell having only about 4 gallons in it.
I believe the front suspension is mostly stock other than racing springs and the addition of weight jacks.
I am pulling most of the front suspension apart so I can install Polyurethane bushings in all locations. This will enable me to be able to measure any dimensions that might help me determine the year of the car.
Thanks for your help I really apperciate it.
I'm going to look for part numbers on the rotors tomorrow after I remove them. Hopefully this will narrow down what year the car might be.
I'm hoping its a 1974 thru 1980 as I would like to install the Speedway 10-1/2 Inch Granada Brake Caliper Brackets which are used to mount a GM "Metric" calipers to 1974-1980 Pinto/Mustang II spindles for use with what is basically a "Granada" 10-1/2" brake rotor. Steel, bolt-on design mounts the caliper on the rear side of the front wheel.
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-10-1-2-Inch-Granada-Brake-Caliper-Brackets,6455.html?parentDisplayId=29400
I am hoping there is one front suspension part significantly different than other years that will easily tell me which year the car is.
The rack appears to be a 74+ based on the passenger side mounting bolt, but people have retrofitted 74+ parts to the 71-73 cars before. Below is a link to some dimensions I took a few years ago for comparison. The most conclusive measurement for your purposes would be the spindle measurements.
http://www.fordpinto.com/general-help/early-vs-late-front-suspensions/msg75756/#msg75756 (http://www.fordpinto.com/general-help/early-vs-late-front-suspensions/msg75756/#msg75756)
Definately 1974 to 1980.
Thank you so very much for the replies, I went to order the polyurethane bushings and was easked if the car was manufactured prior to mid year 1976 or after the mid year of 1976.
Huh??? Now I am as confused as was before I figured out my car is at least a 1974.
Thank again for the help as I will always be gratefull.
Joe
From what I can tell after I went back and reread the information on the bushings. The specific part where there is a difference is the rack bushings. The catalog shows before April 1976 anf after April 1976.
Get every thing else or get the kit and buy what you need for the steering rack later. Or when you get the kit remove the steering rack bolts and see what you have....The driver's side door had a vin sticker that had the build date. It looks like the doors are welded shut for racing....Have you taken a look at Racer Walsh they still have race spring etc...
I had completely forgotton about Racer Walsh, they have a great selction of Ford Parts. Are most Mustang II suspension parts interchageable with the 74-80 Pinto? I'm looking at putting much bigger brakes on the car as part of this upgrade.
Thanks