I have a few quick questions here. I've been working on my '71 for about 8-9 months now, and I've finally got it all up and running in it's original condition, but I need some help. I want to keep my car from the notorious gas tank problems and I've been looking into some of the areas of trouble. When I received it I found out it has a bladder installed, but that's about it. Before I go on I should mention I have the 2.3 liter engine with the Cruise-o-matic (SP?) transmission. Also I'm sure these have been all brought up before, but this is honestly the first car I've gone online for help with, so please be patient with me.
I think I should probably buy a new gas tank bladder, and possibly a new gas tank (mines not looking too sharp) and I definitely need to replace the fuel filler hose, but what else can I do to keep this from causing problems? Is it possible to relocate the tank to a safer position? Such as further removed from the bumper/taillight area?Or is it possible to buy a stronger tank? Or possible reinforcing/repositioning of the bumper frame itself? What about other safety concerns as well? Should I reinforce the frame anywhere? Also how bad are problems with rust on the floor boards and frame and what not? I've noticed I need to weld new floor panels in mine due to rust? Is there any tips at all for working on this car you can give? I'll search around the forums for these, but I thought I'd at least throw this all up in one topic. It might even be a good idea for a topic like this for people like me who are new to the Pinto. Thanks in advance.
Welcome to the site. I'll take a stab at some of your questions. If your engine is original, it would not be a 2.3. The 2.3 was an option starting in 1974. It would be a 1.6 or maybe a 2.0.
There was a recall that installed a plastic sheild on the gas tank that stopped the rear axle bolts from puncturing the tank in a rear collision. Do you have that?
To assure that your car is safe, you need to make sure that the tank and related parts are not weak or rotted and that the unibody of the car in not so rotted as to weaken it's structural integrity. This would apply to the safety of any type of car. You say that you have rusty floors. You should carefully inspect the structural condition. You could install a fuel cell if you are very nervous. I would not try to relocate the factory tank. You could re-inforce the rear bumper. There is info if you search the site on improving the gas tank safety. However, if you are highly concerned you may have to rethink your choice of car. The Pinto was designed with a very short rear end that makes the tank vulnerable by design. You can't avoid that.
The later Pintos (post 1974) were "safer" because of their bigger bumpers. The Pinto station wagon is also "safer" because of it's design. Many other makes of cars have the same problems as the Pinto but are not as infamous. Many models of cars will explode if hit in the rear at a high speed. No old car will be as safe as the newer models with air bags etc. There are always safety concerns with old cars that we must factor in if we choose to drive them. I enjoy my Pinto and try not to allow the safety limitations to spoil the fun.
Well, that would make sense that the 2.3 liter isn't the original then. When I bought it the guy I bought it from told me he'd replaced several parts from a '74. But then again, maybe I'm wrong. If I am wrong it's the 2.0 liter in any case, I know it's a '71 though, as I have some (but not all) of the original purchasing paperwork (I'm the second owner actually) and the VIN checks as a '71. I'm gonna go ahead and assume it's a 2.0 liter from here on out.
As for rear axle bolts, Haven't checked yet, but I will as soon as I'm off my computer. Thanks. If they're not installed I'll look around on the site and find where to purchase them.
The tank itself has some minor rusting, and the fuel filler hose needs replaced, but I'm pretty sure that that's chalked up to the fact the old man I purchased it from had it parked for about 3-5 years (He was moving back to California and leaving this behind). I plan on buying a new gas tank because if it's rusted a little on the outside I want to make sure it'll keep its structural integrity.
The unibody itself is in pretty amazing shape. Actually that's the reason I bought the car. The rust itself seems almost exclusive to certain parts of the undercarriage. I've stripped some of the paint (and plan on stripping the rest soon) and found almost no corrosion/rust in other places. It's actually pretty cherry shape overall. I think if it hadn't been parked with all the fluids left in it for years it would have been fine to drive off the property I purchased it on.
As for reinforcing the bumper I was kind of planning on doing that anyway honestly. Due to semi-paranoia.
Thing is I know almost all old cars had these problems, I'm just making sure I don't go up in flames on my maiden voyage. I've always wanted a Pinto, and I'm really glad I got one in decent shape. Some people thinks it's a funny dream car, but there has always been something about the Pinto I liked. That and the '68 Roadrunner, '68 Camaro, and my dads old '66 Barracuda are the cars I've always wanted. So yeah, I plan on fixing this up top notch. The interior is amazingly good and the engine didn't need to much work all things considered, so I count myself lucky.
Also one other thing I've read that the 289/302 V8's can be mounted with little difficulty and no need to change the motor mounts, but what about the transmission? Can it bolt straight on, or will I need to modify/install a new trannie?
I've thought about putting in a larger engine down the road, but for now I'm going original as I can (unless I figure that the engines already been replaced then I'm going with a 302 for sure and immediately). Any thoughts on that? Or should I be asking this in another forum?
Oh and one other thing, when looking up my engine I believe it's a German built engine, if that helps. It was an option engine for sure though, a bigger engine and all. It had most if not all of the options for that year, as far as I can tell. It's a weird little Frankenstein of a car though, I can tell you that.
The 1.6L engine was a push rod design. The other 1971 engine option was a 2.0L German made over head cam design. The 2.3L over head cam engine was made in the US and will not fit on the stock 1971 engine mounts. The 1971 engine mounts can be swapped for the 2.3L mounts with some cutting and welding.
I believe the 289/302 will not fit on the standard 1971 Pinto mounts. The V8 does fit nicely in the engine compartment though.
I have not seen new gas tanks for sale. Several companies do sell generic kits to clean out gas tanks and coat the inside. The plastic shield referred to is a vertical (mostly) piece of black plastic attached to the gas tank mounting straps and is located between the tank and rear end.
If "semi-paranoia" means fear of the trucks, no Pinto (or even modern cars) will survive a semi truck direct hit.
Ok it is a 2.0 liter. Been offline for a couple days. Good to know on the motor mounts. Thanks for all the help. Also that truck bit is not the case. If I should die in my Pinto after being hit by a semi, I think I'll understand. haha.