Hey all, a couple of questions. I was wondering if it is possible to put a hitch on the old pinto, to drag a dirtbike or two. Any advice?
I have started general repair on mah baby, and am rebuilding the starter in two days. After that I should have a good running vehicle, but any advice as to other things to rebuild, repair, or replace? I was thinking of rebuilding the carb, but it looks as if that was done fairly recently. I called a parts store, but they said the kit was discontinued. Any good sites, recommendations?
I was also wondering if anyone knows of any, or has a '75 parts cars around the west coast. I want to maybe upgrade my interior, and maybe get a grill. One thing I would really like is a cigarette lighter, did they come in the pinto at all? (sorry for all the dumb questions, dont really have alot of info cause the car is older than me)
I have a 73 sales brochure that says you can tow a 800lb trailer with a 100lb tongue weight. This was with a package that included: extra cooling radiator with shroud, auto trans, 2.0L engine, and disc brakes. I did not see towing mentioned in the 75 sales brochure. None of the hitch web sites I checked listed a hitch for the Pinto anymore. You may have build your own.
I installed an aftermarked hitch on my 71 and reinforced it with several pieces of angle steel to better tie it back into body structure. I use to occasionally tow a light single axle car trailer with surge brakes (about 3600lbs. with car on trailer). It worked mainly because it is mostly flat here. Starting out going up a ramp, I would some times smoke the clutch. I do not recommend towing this heavy a trailer. I suspect a small trailer with a dirt bike would be fine, but you should check the weights.
here are pictures of a hitch from a wagon should be the same
I used to have a 2 place snowmobile trailer I pulled around with my 73 TNT silver bullet snowmobile on it. I also had a 12 foot flat bottom duck boat w/9hp motor I used to pull with the same car... 79 or 80 (to long ago to remember) Pinto wagon with 2.3 ltr - 4spd manual.
many miles and long trips... not gonna suggest it had great pulling power but it got the job done.
The 80 I have now has a hitch and I know I'll be using it ;D
and yes Pinto's did come w/a lighter... fits inside the ash tray.
My 87 Mustang is, mechanically speaking, basically a Pinto with O/D, and I just finished pulling a 8x4 U-Yank trailer from Tucson, AZ to Chattanooga, TN. Granted I didn't use overdrive, and it has 3.73 gearing, but I still got 17mpg overall. I conservatively estimate the weight of that trailer at 1500 pounds. Also, my dad used to pull a truck bed trailer behind our old 78 Pinto, and it has a 4spd w/ highway (very tall) cogs. That trailer weighs about 850 pounds empty.
back in '82, I pulled a 74 Pinto from Florida to Michigan with a 77 Pinto. Sure knew it was there but pulled at 55mph just fine. Before anyone starts in, I was very aware it was (by the book) seriously overloaded and took every precaution I could. New brakes, good tires, keep away from other traffic, ect.....
Here in the Stix we don't have trash pickup. I use a 4x8 utility trailer at least once a week to haul my trash to the dumpsters 3 mi away. I've hauled off washers, dryers, refrigerators, even a riding lawnmower. I've got a homemade receiver hitch I built at work. I'll get pics when I'm not coughing my fool head off. It may be a class I hitch, but it's made from class IV stuff! I bolted it directly to the bumper, not the mounts. Just remember that the previous owner REALLY wanted to prevent an explosion. He reinforced the bumper with 4" channel & replaced the mounts with 4" I beam. All welded to 3/8 plate welded/ bolted to the chassis pan.
That said.... mechanically it pulls up to 500lbs with relative ease.
Joe,
When my kids and I went dirtbike riding We would hook the Pinto to our 6 by 10 single axil tiltbed loaded with four or five Honda MT 250 Elsinores. Ran like a champ with the v6. I expect the v8 will do much better.
High_Horse
I've pulled a short bed stepside pickup bed trailer (made from a 62 chevy truck), with a riding lawn mower in the back of it with my 74 wagon. Its got a 2.3 with a 4 speed and 3.55 gears.