Greeting experienced Pinto owners from the newest owner! My name is Billy, and I live in Fort Worth, Texas. I am an elementary school principal, and I currently drive a '66 F100 Ford pick up that's pretty nice, but I'm ready for something different for a change. I read a while back about putting the turbo coupe motor in the pinto, and I was intrigued. So, I set out to fulfil my next "wild hare."
I have finally found the solution to my "Pinto Itch." I picked up a '74 sedan. Baby blue, with dark blue interior, and 68,630 miles, and a darn nice body. I put in a new battery, primed the carburetor and it lit right off. I can't wait to get it up and running. I'm tired of driving a 40 year old truck, so I'm upgrading to a '74 Pinto. (Hey, 8 years newer is still newer, right?) I have a few questions for you guys with more "Pinto-sense" than I. #1 My little Pinto needs a fuel pump. It's a 2.0 and apparently the 2.3 fuel pumps grow in trees in California. Here in Texas, the parts houses can't get one anytime soon. So, any tips on this front? Now, I have an electric one that I'm using, but I like to keep things somewhat factory when possible. Is a '74 2.0 Pinto the only application that is an option or is there another avenue I can pursue? # 2 There is a bracket on the tranny tunnel under the dash and one on the rear of the tunnel just behind the front seats. Did my car have a console at one time? I don't recall ever seeing consoles, but I'm NOT an expert. If so, will I ever find one to replace the missing one? I've been reading where some have found a console out of a Mustang II that seems to work. It looks like I'd have to pull the carpet to cut or unbold the bracket if I don't use a console. What is the common wisdom in this? #3 I want some wheels. I've seen the 4 bolt Mustang II slots on some cars that look pretty good. I'll be driving this daily about 35 miles daily - a mix of freeway driving and city street traffic. So, is there an advantage to smaller less rolling resistance tires or is there an appreciable difference to the larger Mustang wheels? I've been perusing the gallery, and some of you guys have some pretty tough Pintos. My car has disc brakes, so are there limitations? What works, and what doesn't? I just can't go the factory steels and caps - I got to have a little bit of the hot rod look. The factory wheels just look to small. If I go to the larger mustang wheel, is there a ready source of speedo gears to keep the speedo somewhat correct?
I'm sorry for long introductory thread, so I'll quit and soak up your wisdom.
Thank you in advance for the advice and information,
Billy
Welcome Billy!
First off, I have to say that I have a hard time calling a school Principal "Billy", but that's just my upbringing I guess!! ;) I'm not sure why, but I checked on the fuel pump locally (Anaheim, CA) and they're pretty expensive! They are a warehouse item that takes 1-2 days to get and the prices range from $66-$70. I guess it's better than not having them available at all! Also, there's a number of people on this forum that have 2000 engines and may have a good used pump to get you going for the time being.
Starting with '73 or '74, there is a center support on the dashboard. This is covered by a small consolette that is generally colored keyed to the interior. What does the rear bracket that you mention look like? The Mustang II console is a good fit in the Pinto. The relationship between the park brake handle and the trans shifter is the same on the Pinto and Mustang II, but usually the console needs to be modified in the front area for clearance. This console does use a bracket to mount the rear.
I personally like bigger wheels and tires on the Pinto. It makes it more sure footed and it will stop faster because the tires don't slide as easily. I am currently running 15" rims with 205/50-15 tires on the front and 225/50-15 tires on the rear. They are only a little taller than original tires, so it doesn't throw the speedo off too badly.
This is just a bit of my experience. I'm sure there will be others that will have info as well. Good luck with your project!!
fuel pump check this site http://www.advanceautoparts.com/ they start at $23 ships in 1 day also look on ebay
i did see a center counsel on ebay once listed as for a pinto. i understand the tire and rim situation it took me about 9 months to find what i wanted i now have white slots on my white wagon still running the 13" tires