i just got a 79 or 80 pinto cruzin wagon with a good body and i have an 88 bronco wrecked all to hell with great running gear. how about taking the bronco body off, shorting the frame about 8 - 14 inches and puting the pinto on top of it? Ive always wanted a pinto on 36's. If anybody has any ideas or suggestions I would be happy to read them. Thanks!
I have never been fond of 4x4 Pintos on "other" truck frames, and I don't want to start any BAD ideas... BUT.... I did notice that Jeeps used a t-5 some years, and the front "pumpkin" on the Bronco II is on the same side as the Jeep one (drivers), SO.... one might be able to get the transfer case and bolt it to a 2.3 t-5 IF the output case and shaft are the same ot interchange. The T-5 can be bolted to a 2.3 with a bell that uses the Pinto clutch cable. I have a Bronco II (2.9, can you say 'rod-knock') that can donate its axles and the front suspension/steering mounts. Just using the Bronco II engine and tranny might not be a bad idea either, I know they were not the most durable engines made, but they do have some power. All that and a full cage....... This would keep it as much of a Pinto and Ford as you possibly can.
Bill
In 1988 in Plymouth Ma. I saw a 4x4 Pinto wagon at a stop light; I asked the guy to pull over and had to ask how did you make that a 4x4? He said it was easy that a Bronco II chassis bolts straight up to a Pinto station wagon. But he also said that you needed a 6 cylinder motor to pull it down the road. I have never forgotten that and YES one day I will make one! Karen :surprised:
yeah same here, i was always told that a bronco II was a direct bolt up, if not needing very little fabrication.
I have always loved Pinto's I just bought my 8th Pinto from Ebay and can't wait to get it here. There was a station wagon in Ga but the owner would not even look at the undercarriage I guess it did have rust? Now I am wondering if I could use a coupe for a 4x4? Now I'm not sure if I would want 36's I want to have one as high as a normal Bronco / Explorer, if someone could tell me if a Bronco and Explorer are basically the same undercarriage that way I would have a better chance of finding a good one. :text_yb_please: Also if someone could tell me if the wheel base is the same or different between the Pinto coupe and the station wagon I would appreciate it.
As far as the wheelbase, some of the literature states they are the same and some state about a 1/4" difference. I can tell you that if you mount leafs from a wagon in a sedan, the axle will be located correctly, but the springs are much longer.
A Pinto body will not "direct bolt" to ANY truck frame. There are no mount holes in the Pinto for such a thing. You will need to be VERY careful on HOW and WHERE the two are joined. Yes, finding a truck with the same wheelbase is the easy way to go, but I still like the idea of just building the Pinto itself.
Bill
Bill
No I am from Ca now I live in NC, I was on vacation with my ex and two kids I saw that car at a stoplight and told my ex take the kids now please I want to see that car. He laughed at me and said okay, the guy probably thought I was crazy but pulled over we talked about 30 minutes. His car just looked cool it wasn't crazy high just normal Bronco II high.
I have a great mechanic now he is going to pick up my car I just bought. I will be bugging him with questions as soon as it gets here. He is doing a frame off rebuilt to a 67 Camaro so he will understand my craziness. Glen could probably tell me but, how would you build one? About how much would I have to start saving?
My kids are now 25 and 19 so I can start my second childhood. :fastcar:
Thanks, Karen :peace: