I have found a 79 pinto pony that is pratically rust free but and I am new to pintos so please be patient. I do not prefer the square headlights and I was interested in swapping to a 78 and below frontend. What I am curious about is if the doors bodylines are the same and if the fenders would happen to be along with the hood. From what I have written so far you can tell that I am trying to go the cheapest route since I will be on a budget. I am mainly wandering if you can just change the front bumper, grill, headlights, and front apron below bumper. Also can the rear bumper be exhanged for an older style bumper. ???
as far as i know all the sheetmetal will interchange, as far as the bumpers go i'm not sure if the 71-73 bumpers will go on to a 74-up
just my 2cents :)
I know you can change the front fenders, hood, and grill on a 78 with a 74 :o
But you should be able to easily
Cool, that opens a whole new window for me. Let the hunt for sheet metal begin! 8)
Quote from: 8upwithpinto on October 28, 2003, 04:28:14 PM
Cool, that opens a whole new window for me. Let the hunt for sheet metal begin! 8)
Im planning on using 71-73 fiberglass fenders, hood and bumpers. I hope these parts swap easily. I dont think Ill be getting to it until next summer. :-\
The Escort taillights will be enough this winter.
Brando, I take it that the 78 fenders and hood was different than the 74 ones? I was really interested if I could keep the fenders and hood since they were rust free with only one ding. Also does anyone if the bumpers will interchange so I can switch to 71 to 73 styleor I would be happy with the 74 and up style. Also does anyone know what years the fenders changed. Also I saw this in another post and I thought I would ask, on the 79 and 80 did they change the core support. I do not think they did because it would have cost more money for ford to make more tooling to change it. I just want to make sure all of it is the same underneath before I buy it that way I can change the sheetmetal later.
shoot i cant remember excatly how different they were...
mainly swapped them cause the 78's fender had a huge dent in it where the metal was stretched and it wasnt pretty.
the hood of the 78 and 74, the only difference in them is the placement of the FORD letters on it. ( i think)
All the holes for mounting are the same.
All sheet metal will interchange from 74-78. The body style changed in 79-80 models. You can swap 79-80 for 74-78, it's been done, but the body lines are slightly different. But Pinto people are different anyway so, what the hey!!! :D
WVBobcat77 have you tried putting fenders off of a 74-78 on a 79-80 if so what part of the body lines are different. I am really interested and the sooner you could post something would be helpful because I am going to give the guy the money in the morning if I can swap it over to the round headlight style grille. I am just not to paticular about the square headlights. Also I think that I will just put a different front clip on it so from the doors back what bodylines are different? Please help.
I just thought of this and it may solve the problem. Has anyone ever taken a door from a 79-80 and put it on a 78 and down or the other way around. That would tell if the front sheetmetal is interchagable. Please help I do not know if I should give the guy the money or wait for another one. It is that I hate to pass it up since it is pratically rust free. Another guy is supposed to bring the money for it at the end of the week and he is going to make it into a dirt track stock car. The only catch on this car is it does not have a title the owner passed away and his family has the title. The guy talked to them before and they said that they would give him the title for the tow bill. So someone help me before I wait to long or make a mistake and buy it.
i can't really help you for sure, but as a ford employee i can tell you the underbody (innerfenders, rad craddle) would most likely be the same as they only like to change outer sheetmetal on minor model changes. And with the demise of the Pinto around the corner, (they work on engineering two to three years in advance) they wouldn't have made any major changes on a car that was about to be discontinued as tooling and set up would be too costly. I think the fenders and front would bolt right on....but i wouldn't bet MY life on it.
I keep looking at all of the pictures on here and the doors all look the same! Anyone else?
Hi PintoBean,
There's a guy on one of the other boards (I can't remember which one) who was swapping in an older, 74 I think, front clip on his 79 cause he liked the look of it better, so I know it can be done. The body line change is so subtle that the only ones who would notice, would be die hard Pinto fans. I'd say it's up to you. If you like the look, and have the parts readily available, then go for it. Keep in mind though, you'll have to change the whole front clip for it to look right. Unless, of course, you're fabricating it custom.
Bill in WV :)
Pinto Bean,
I'm pretty sure the pictures of the guy's car are on the Pinto Car Club of America's site. But, for some reason, I can't get into the photo's section to tell you for sure. Maybe you could try. You'd just have to look at all the pictures, and there are tons, to find the right guy. Then I'd email him and find out how the swap went. If you don't have time for him to respond, and you think you can make it work, then I'd go for it.
Bill in WV
Ive been looking at a few pics and it looks like the area around the base of the windshield where the door meets the fender is different. Looks like there is a sharper line that goes from the fender to the back of the door.
OK, I got a strange question for anyone that might have an idea... I got the 78 Wagon (pics on this board) and a friend of mine has an old 79 Mustang... Can ya switch the front clip from the Mustang onto the Pinto, and if ya do, do ya get a Pintang? ::)
I'm bettin the "foxstang" will be a bunch wider than the pinto, besides it wouldn't look that much different.On the other hand a 78 mustangII clip.......... :P