Okay, I recently acquired a pea-green '75 Pinto wagon. The body is in reasonably good shape (no dents, plenty of rust). I intend to modify it to resemble the "Poison Pinto" die cast Hot Wheels car from the late 1970s (lime green, engine sticking up out of the hood, blanked windows, etc). Unfortunately my job has prevented me from having an opportunity to get the car to my own shade tree, and where it sits I haven't had much of a chance to look over the mechanicals to see what's what.
Soooo....
Although I've rebuilt and replaced engines and transmissions, my "expertise" with auto mechanics is replacing part A with another part A, this is my first attempt at a conversion. Basically, I need to know the following info:
0) Is the Pinto mechanically/structurally any way similar to the Mustang II?
1) What modifications (if any) will I need to make to the front end to support an '85 302? (I did catch the King Cobra mount PNs from another post, thanks!)
2) Will a C5 tranny mount up without major rework or is there a different manual tranny that I should use?
3) Does a 9" rear end bolt right in, or does this require significant modification?
4) What is the easiest 5-hole hub conversion?
Yeah, I realize all these are old-hat mods for some of you, but it will help me significantly to have these main points in one place to refer to.
And, yes, I'll post some before/during/after pics once I get the little gem out of the field where I found it.
Thank you for your time and your help.
Finally.... It's been about a month since I bought my '75 Pinto wagon and today I had the time and assistance to get the vehicle towed home.
I took all sorts of pictures and will post them on the board here in a few days when I have them developed. I'm sure all of you can hardly wait. :P
This is going to be kind of my progress diary, so bear with me.
DAY 1 (May 11, 2004): With assistance, the car gets towed to its new home. The journey was quite "interesting." Only a couple things to say on that:
1) Make sure the car being towed has brakes;
2) Make sure the driver of the vehicle towing the car knows:
a) how to keep tension in the tow strap;
b) the hand signals you will use (especially the one for "SLOW THE @)(*&(#&$ DOWN!";
c) that she needs to pay attention (moreso than usual) to *everything* around her and to quit gawking at the buildings she passes, playing with her hair, and driving 45 mph when the driver of the towed vehicle is signalling to slow down;
d) not to slow down sharply and then veer left on the highway causing the towed vehicle to pass on the right and break the tow strap (thank God it wasn't a chain).
Somehow, the car got onto one of the concrete work pads in my back yard without causing death or injury or even vehicular damage. The tow strap is, um, an unfortunate casualty. I took pictures of the vehicle from straight-on and 3/4 views. Also took pictures of the engine. These will be posted soon (when they're developed).
I jacked the car up onto jack stands and removed the front wheels just as darkness fell.
Regarding the original post of this thread, I know the following from reading the multitude of posts on this site:
0) Yes. Or at least the parts are interchangeable, which is really the main concern.
1) Maybe beefier front springs, but otherwise none.
2) Still curious about what transmission is in the Pinto. Perhaps a C3? Or would it be a C5? I don't know transmission IDs at all. All I know is it's a manual bolted to a 4-banger.
3) I'll probably bolt in an 8" Mustang II rearend.
4) Not going to worry about it. I'll just use the 4-bolt alloy sport rims.
sounds like entertainment! C5 tranny is an automatic, a decendant of the C4. For a 302 you want a T5 standard tranny from a 5 liter mustang, make sure its from a 5 liter when you find one!
Okay. A T5 tranny and 8" rear end from a 5.0L Mustang (Makes note on "To Buy" list).
Side note: the current engine is a 2.3/140 cid.
DAY 2 (May 12, 2004): Only a couple hours between work and dark. Pulled the hood, grill, and both front fenders. (My goodness, how many of those blasted bolts do they need?) One thing's for sure, the car may blow sky high but the front fenders aren't going anywhere!
Next on the "to do" list is to pull the seats and strip the interior. I'm planning to redo the interior in black and reskin the front seats in leather (have I mentioned I have millions to spend on this project? ::)). The back seats aren't going back in...the wells in the floor pan back there look like they'd be a good place to set a couple 18" or 24" subwoofers.... 8)
8 inch rear out of a mustang II ('74 to '78) 5 liter mustangs have 7.5 in earlier '79 to '85 ish later ones '86 to current have 8.8 they are a completely different animal! ;D
Will an 8" M-II be able to handle the torque (I'd think it should, it's only a 302, but what do I know)? Conversely, will an 8.8" bolt into my wagon without chassis mods?
And another question: since I don't plan on racing with the vehicle, would it be better to go with 3.55 or 3.73 rear end ratio? I want to go faster than the local authorities deem proper, but I don't need to go as steep as 4.10 or 4.11.
yes the 8 inch is a stout piece when set up correctly (my buddy tom has run 11's with his 351w and a 4:11 geared 8 inch) the 8.8 should fit, its 1/2 inch wider on each side that the 8 inch, but it was meant for coil springs and a totaly different mounting arrangemeant. You would have to cut off the coil perches and mounting flanges and add on some leaf perches in the proper area. Gears.....depends on what tranny your running and what you wanna be able to do with the car (highway driving, racing, local cruising) if you go with a T5 5 speed you can go with a 4:11 and still be able to cruise out on the highway with ease!
I'm planning on using an M-II 8" rear just for the ease of installation. Thanks for the info on that. I want to use the car as a "daily driver" to and from work (about 30 highway miles one-way). I also want to do some local cruising because this car is intended to be seen (and heard).
DAY 3 (May 14, 2004): Again, because my employer seems to believe that if the sun's up, I should be working for him, I didn't have a lot of time before dark. Still, I easily pulled the seats and factory shag(!) carpet out of the interior.
The headliner is nearly 100% (only a 1/2" tear near the edge over the back seat), so that will stay. The door panels and other interior plastic pieces are also in serviceable condition. Because of this, I'll paint the exposed metal parts of the interior black and the rest will remain its original green. The original car color was T4 (I call it "pea green"). I plan on painting the exterior chartreuse green (the color of the monitor screen icon or IM scroll icon when you're online). I'm hoping it doesn't clash! :P
DAY 4 (May 19): After much poor weather and late hours at work, I get a chance to work on the wagon again. Decide to pull the rear end. Unfortunately, the U-bolts that hold the axle to the springs are bolted on too tight for anything I've got. A good dose of WD-40, followed by a drenching in PB Blaster and still not one will budge. I pulled out the 1/2" breakover drive with a cheater pipe. Nada. So I unbolted the rear spring bracket and pulled the shock on the driver's side. Got to the front spring mount and that bolt didn't budge. :-\
Anybody have a suggestion what I can do to drop the axle? I'm about ready to just cut through the U-bolts. >:(
Soak the threads with penetrating oil and let them sit overnight. It may help to put some heat on the nut with a propane torch before you start to loosen them.
DAY 5 (May 20) Well, I gave the threads another soaking over night (this would make the 3rd night's worth), and hit them with the propane torch...yet again (even though I've repeatedly tried heating/soaking, I still want to thank Boss for the suggestions). No luck. >:( This is what gets me: I work on an oil well service rig. I'm used to dealing with big honking bolts that are rusted from years of exposure (and neglect). I'm used to spraying penetrating oil on the threads and I know all about heating up the threads with a torch (or a hammer). So why I nearly pull the car off its jack stands and can't get a single bolt to give confounds me. I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something else I need to do first. I've never had this much problem with a rear end before.
Anyway, I dropped the rear spring brackets and shocks on both sides. Now all that's left is the front mounts on the springs. :-\ Guess I'll wind up replacing the springs along with the axle.
Just for good measure, I pulled the roof rack. At least I have some feeling of accomplishment for the day. ::)
if they are giving you this much grief....i'd just cut them! Cutting metal with fire always make you feel more manly! ;D
I have a 2" OD pipe that I use on stubburn bolts. It loosens the nut or breaks the bolt. I did have to cut a couple bolts that had rounded heads or nuts.
Oh yeah the pipe is six feet long and fits over a 1/2 " drive perfectly.
Im starting to work on my Pintos rear today. I staeted soaking the bolts a few days ago. I got my springs from JCWhitney for $138.00 shipped in a few days. They look good.
QuoteOh yeah the pipe is six feet long and fits over a 1/2 " drive perfectly.
Yeah, I'll have to get one from work. That's one of the benefits of working where I do...lots of scrap pipe. I did notice that the ends of the U-bolts bend outward right under the plate. Not sure if that's by design or because the springs have sat on the ground/blocks/something hard at some point....
So, anyway. Because I know you've all been waiting with baited breath....
DAY 6 (May 26): Even though I worked from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm, the boss still left me an hour or so of daylight for my own use (how nice of him :P). I needed to drain the gas tank because I am sure the car isn't going to run on what was in it. I decided to pull the tank and fill tube. I drained the tank into an empty gas can so I can dispose of the rusty muck that was in it in our disposal tank at work. Too many cats/dogs/kids around to leave car fluids sitting about. Then there's the environment.
Now there's a bit more room to crawl around under the back end of the car and glare at the stupid, rusty, bent spring bolts. Glaring always helps. Hitting things with heavy objects also helps, but I refrain from that while under the vehicle. So glaring will have to do...until I can get a long-arse cheater pipe from work.
I'll be getting down and dirty, pulling the engine and transmission this weekend (probably Sunday).
Until then, happy motoring.
they can also bend from overtightening! (yes iv'e done it)
Well... I wish I had the ability to cut metal with fire. Instead I had to use an angle grinder with a cut off disk.
I removed the leaf springs with the axle attached last night. The passenger side front bushing bolt would not come out. So I ended up cutting it into 3 pieces. Wow, my plastic garage smelled like burnt rubber after that!
Today I removed the springs from the axle. I had to cut all the u bolts off. They were bent and the plates are bent upward also. The drivers side plate has 2 rips in the oval hole where the bend is. Im going to weld them up.
I just used up another roll of film and hopefully it will get developed on Friday. I have pics of what I described above.
Have fun pulling the engine and trans. My 4 cyl. and 4 speed came out quick and easy.
Keep posting about your progress. ;)
QuoteWell... I wish I had the ability to cut metal with fire. Instead I had to use an angle grinder with a cut off disk.
Me too. I'm going to call a welder to bring his service truck to my house and cut the bolts for me...provided I can't get the front mounts undone.
QuoteI had to cut all the u bolts off. They were bent and the plates are bent upward also.
Hmmm....you sure you're not working on
my car? ;D
DAY 7 (MAY 27): Wow...two days in a row to work on the ol' Pinto! Today's chore was to remove all the interior plastic panels in order to sand and prep the interior steel for a medium gloss black coat of paint. The plastic panels along the back half unscrewed easily, although I must say that whoever tried to put the 9" speakers in the back had to do possibly the worst installation job in the history of the automobile.
Then I moved on to the door panels. Which made the song lyrics "What was I thinking?" keep running through my mind as I wondered who stamped their seal of approval on the door panel design. If you've never removed a Pinto's interior door panels, DON'T! The vinyl is wrapped around a stiff cardboard backing held in place by archaic metal clips in the door. No matter how carefully you attempt to wiggle/slide/pry the door pannel loose, the cardboard tears away. While I can still use my door panels, I'm thinking of alternate solutions because I really don't want to get into dying the vinyl black to match the car's soon-to-be interior color.
After the door panels, I moved on to the dash. I removed the gauges with no problem. I was amused by the "wiring" on the back of the gauges being similar to a computer motherboard. Ooooh, so high tech! I popped out the air duct vents before proceding to the dash pad from underneath the dashboard. The (hidden, barely accessible) locations of a few of these nuts gave me pause to consider the Pinto as Canada's grand joke on the U.S. (mine was manufactured in the Great White North, as I suppose many/most/all were). I managed to get the driver's side half of the dash pad unbolted before it became too dark to find the nuts.
I do plan to post the promised pictures sometime this weekend. And, as I posted yesterday, will pull the engine and tranny Sunday.
Until next time, happy motoring.
PHOTOS!
http://www.geocities.com/mopac_fan/poison_pinto/index.html (http://www.geocities.com/mopac_fan/poison_pinto/index.html)
Not a lot of shine. Plenty of rust.
At least now you have visual reference to what I've been commenting on.
If the "data transfer has been exceeded," sorry. I guess just try again later.... Stupid Yahoo/Geocities. ::)
Until later, happy motoring.
Quote from: Poison Pinto on May 27, 2004, 10:04:42 PM
After the door panels, I moved on to the dash. I removed the gauges with no problem. I was amused by the "wiring" on the back of the gauges being similar to a computer motherboard. Ooooh, so high tech!
Have you seen a newer car's dash wiring? I was kind of surprised how similar the Pinto's dash pack looked to my '95 Probe's.
BTW, is it my imagination, or does the hood show signs of an engine fire?
QuoteBTW, is it my imagination, or does the hood show signs of an engine fire?
Sure looks that way in the photos, so I ran outside just now and looked. I guess it was the lighting/cheapo camera I used that made the one side look so dark. Actually, the underside of the hood has a pretty uniform brownish-rust color. No carbon. A little white towards the back of the hood indicates perhaps some higher-than-normal heat, but I can't see any signs of actual fire anywhere in the engine compartment.
This is a rough (very rough) mock up of what the finished car will look like.
As I've stated earlier, it's based on an old Hot Wheels car. The car will have the alloy 5-spoke factory rims instead of hub caps.
The rust isnt that bad. Looks like the cowl area is in good shape. When the first photos were downloading I started to miss my green 76 MPG wagon. I dont care for the 77 and up front ends too much.
Thanks for the pics it helps put a "face" with the words. Keep up the good work!
DAY 8 (May 30): Disconnected the engine and transmission mounts as well as all the wires, cables, and hoses that run between the car and the engine and transmission. Pulled the engine/transmission forward in the car about 6". The fan is up to the front frame crossmember and the front of the bell housing is up to the axle. It took me about 3 hours to do that, which was good time, in my opinion. I gave it a break at that point because I'm not in any rush to get the engine/tranny back in. It'll be two weeks to a month before I get the T5 tranny that's going in. I'll readjust my hoist chain and pull the engine/transmission out, tilting it back as I go tomorrow.
If you've done an engine swap in a Pinto, this will all sound familiar. If you haven't done one yet, but are planning to do one, this information may be of use for you.
For all the alleged design problems in the back half of Pintos, the front end/engine compartment is remarkably well designed for the shade-tree mechanic. It's almost as if the Ford designers *knew* that the car would be serviced at some point. And worked on in less than ideal conditions, at that. As long as you have the car on jack stands at least a foot off the ground, the bolts are easily accessible—even the bolts for the exhaust pipe at the manifold—something I'm not used to when "under the hood!" While I could have loosened the bottom nut on the exhaust pipe connector at the manifold, I chose to lift the engine and support it with blocks and jacks to gain easier access to this nut.
While speaking of exhaust, my car is a '74 model manufactured in May, 1974. The exhaust line has the factory setup. It does not have a catalytic converter. I relate this information because I read a thread a while back asking about what years had the converters.
This is the first engine pull I've done where I've removed the front fenders. I must say, I like it much better this way! I get in closer to the work, saving my back and being able to apply more torque on the hardware. Plus, when I crawl around underneath, there's more light. Oh, I didn't have nearly as much dirt dropping down into my face, and I didn't knock my noggin once getting under and out from under the car, either. I highly suggest anyone doing an engine pull go ahead and remove the fenders.
The radiator pulls out normally and easily, but to get the A/C cooling grid out required removing the hood latch mechanism and central grille brace, disconnecting the 3/4" nuts on the A/C hoses and sliding the grid down and out under the car. It's not a big deal, and you'll figure that out on your own once you get to that point. It's just that I don't like taking a bunch of extra parts off a car to get to the parts I need to remove. You can disconnect the A/C compressor and it's mounting bracket from the engine block and push it to the side, clearing room to do other chores around the engine block. I also suggest removing the battery seat, taking advantage of the fact it is bolted and not welded on.
Everything else about the engine/tranny pull is extremely straight forward. So, if you've done an engine pull on any rear-wheel-drive (front engine) car, this should be a piece of cake. If you've never done an engine pull before, the Pinto is an excellent car model to cut your teeth on; just find a manual that details the general removal steps and follow them. If you can't find a Pinto (or Mustang II) manual, any Ford manual for vehicles from the 70's and early 80's will have the same steps—even one for F-series trucks (these will be the easiest to locate since the trucks are still common on the road and auto parts stores keep the manuals in stock).
Until next time, happy motoring. 8)
hey poison do i have the hotwheels car of the poison pinto? just wondering...
Quotehey poison do i have the hotwheels car of the poison pinto? just wondering...
Do *you* have it? I honestly can't say.... ;D
However, I have 2 of the Hot Wheels Poison Pintos; one redline and one black wheel. Both are the green car with the yellow graphics. I originally was thinking of blanking out the windows and running the graphics all the way up the side like on the HW car, but decided against it. I'll just heavily tint the back side windows and keep the graphics mainly on the quarter panel.
I do want an engine sticking out of the hood like the HW car. Obviously, it won't be as overstated, but Weiand makes an intake that increases the engine's total height and will give the car the basic look with dual carbs.
I'll take a picture of my HW cars and post them sometime.
HW also made the Poison Pinto casting in a chrome version and in a Marvel Comics scheme that was blue with, I believe, "The Thing" graphics on it.
The Poison Pinto was one of my favorite HW castings from my childhood. When I saw this wagon sitting in a field, I decided to pursue ownership with the intent of customizing it to resemble the HW car.
DAY 9 (May 31): Finished pulling the engine/tranny, which took all of 10 minutes. Did some piddle work readying the car for the next step: bodywork.
As I've said earlier, I won't get much more done mechanically on the wagon until I have some expendable $$$ to pick up the tranny and rear end. So now I'll sand down the interior and exterior in preparation for the new paint job.
DAY 10 (June 2): Got off work early today, so I had plenty of time to tinker with the Pinto. I pulled the exhaust out from the back since it was just lying there after removing the engine. I also pulled off the drive shaft which was also just lying there connected only to the differential.
I attempted to remove the rear-end/springs again, this time using a technique described in the July issue of Car Craft. Using my propane torch to heat the mount bolts as hotly as possible, I then attempted to drip candle wax onto the bolt threads. Supposedly, capilary action will draw the hot wax into the nut. After it cools, the wax will act as a lubricant that will assist in removing the stuck nut. Unfortunately, I couldn't effectively position the lit candle above the nut (located in a very small area between the car body and frame). I don't doubt the technique works...just not for that particular place on a Pinto :'(
If you haven't seen it, the July Car Craft is worth a look (if only at the local library) simply because they outline building an engine and use a 302 for illustration purposes, including some specs for the engine.
After that, I took a putty knife and began removing 30-years worth of grease-oil-dirt cake from the engine compartment and front-end running gear.
Still, I had daylight left (something I'm not used to!), so I sanded down the driver's side of the car using 80 grit sandpaper and a rubber 3M sanding block.
That pretty much completed my day, and even though I only did a few minor things with the car, I can see a big difference in where I am with the progress.
At this point, my goals are to have the car running by the end of summer (I figure it will really be much sooner). The paint and interior work can be done at my leisure once it's running, but I hope before the weather turns cold (and once again, I figure it will really be sooner).
lol... Do i have itlol i didnt even notice that typo lol.... yeah i have both the "thing, and poison pinto, i also have the shutout johnny lightning dragster.. but that one is a new manufactured car.. but i have the 2 old hw's thanx for the info i was ust wondering if u had them lol what other pinto hw were there? were there alot?
Quote from: Poison Pinto on June 02, 2004, 09:53:43 PM
Unfortunately, I couldn't effectively position the lit candle above the nut (located in a very small area between the car body and frame). I don't doubt the technique works...just not for that particular place on a Pinto :'(
Might be a dumb question, but.....Wouldn't it work as well to just put the unlit candle against the hot bolt? I would think the wax would still melt and find it's way into the threads.
When you PM'd me about this technique, this is what I was picturing.
Good luck.
Joe
Quotewhat other pinto hw were there? were there alot?
The panel van Pinto wagon is the only HW casting I'm aware of. And the "Flying Colors" (Green with either redlines or black sidewalls), "Superchromes" (Chrome with black sidewalls and maybe a few with redlines), and "The Thing" (Blue with black sidewalls) are the only releases of that casting I know of.
QuoteWouldn't it work as well to just put the unlit candle against the hot bolt? I would think the wax would still melt and find it's way into the threads.
In most instances it would, but this is the horizontally mounted bolt that runs through the front spring mounting hanger, so it's a looooong bolt and there's the rubber spring mount in there, so I highly doubt it would. I think, in all honesty, now that the entire rear-end and springs are on the ground and connected to the car only by the front spring mounts on either side, I can hacksaw through the top of the U-bolts and use a hammer and chisel to force the cut bolts to the side of the axle and drop them down through the plate.
The bad part about that is that it resigns me to pretty much using the old springs unless I cut through the mounting bolts as Glassman did on his wagon.
DAY 11 (June 4): FINALLY! I decided I had enough looking at the back axle lying on the ground but still connected to the springs, which in turn were still connected to the car. They were taunting me, "You can't get us! You can't get us! Nah nah nee nah nah! You can't get us!"
With trusty hammer and hacksaw in hand, I knocked off the brake drums and sawed through the tops of the U-bolts. After about 5 minutes, the first one popped free with a loud bang. It took about 5 minutes of steady, patient sawing on each bolt. Each one gave with a loud bang, and each one spread about an inch when it gave.
I used the hammer to beat the newly fabricated J-bolts aside. I removed the emergency brake cable from the retainers in the transmission tunnel, and I cut through the hydrolic brake line because I intend on replacing all the brake lines anyway (well, I guess now I have to...at least on the back ;D).
I played around trying to unbolt the rear hatch locking mechanism as suggested in straw boss's door hinge thread. The 7/16" wrench fits the bolts, but it takes a bit of time to work the bolts. I also had to use a larger box wrench with the handle shimmed up on the back bumper in order to lift the rear hatch enough to get my other wrench on the bolts. I loosened the bolts, but felt more like typing an update than spending another hour or so tinkering around. I will probably just play around with them again tomorrow evening.
Until then, happy motoring.
DAY 12 (June 5): Finished unbolting the rear door catch. I pulled out the lock, a simple procedure once the gate is open. Guess it's time to head to the salvage yard to get a working replacement lock with a key. I then pulled the chrome rear bumper shell so I can take it to work and put it on the press to straighten it out. I finished off my "work day" on the car by sanding down the rest of the rear 2/3 of the body work that's up on jackstands. I still need to sand the front fenders, hood and interior.
Took the day off work for a dentist appointment. In the mean time, I went out to the salvage yard to get price quotes on the drive train parts I need (T5 tranny and 8" M-II rear end).
The salvage yard had neither in stock or available through their car parts locating network. :'( Moreover, the salvage yard said a T5 would run $1200 with exchange! :o I checked at the auto parts store. A reman T5 is $1252 with exchange. Hmmm...is it worth an extra $52 for a reman over a salvage yard pull? ::)
Duh! ;D
The salvage yard did have an 8.8" rear end, so I may wind up going that route.
The King Cobra motor mounts are $11 and change each from the parts store, so that's not bad.
I checked into having my seats done up in black leather at an upholstery shop. After the laughter subsided when I told him they were for a '74 Pinto wagon, he dropped a $800 to $900 bombshell. A bit more than I was expecting, but I want the car right. I'll do a bit more price shopping on those....
Hmmmm.... the yard I bought a turbo engine from wanted $450.00 for a T-5.
Go here http://car-part.com/index.htm (http://car-part.com/index.htm) and search for yourself. Thats where I found the 8" Im going to install. Has 3.55 gears even.
i just sold a 5 liter T5 for $400 Canadian, thats about all you get for them here used.
Hmmm...no T-5s close. I could get a rebuilt one in Springfield, MO., for $950. Add $150+ in expenses to go there and back and I *might* save $100. I'll just have to keep checking the site and jump as soon as I find one nearby.
Of course, if I could find a yard that would be willing to ship it to me, I could probably save a bundle, but I don't know if any salvage yards do that.
Oh, yeah, the rear ends on the search are running from $75 to $125. The local yard quoted me $325 to $350. :o
God, I miss being able to go to U-Wrench It in KC! Pay $1 to go in, you pull it yourself, parts are super cheap (i.e. $100 for a complete engine).
Thanks for the web addy.
You might try stangparts.com. They are located in Georgia.
They have a few T5s that range from $300 for a four cylinder trans to $1250 for a brand new trans.
Here's the inspiration for my project: The Hot Wheels "Poison Pinto."
I have both the redline and blackwall versions of the original release casting.
Also, I have updated my photo website http://www.geocities.com/mopac_fan/poison_pinto/index.html (http://www.geocities.com/mopac_fan/poison_pinto/index.html). Just go to the bottom and click on the "Page Two" link.
Another view of the Hot Wheels cars.
(June 12) Not sure whether to count this as a "work" day on my Pinto or not.
Went to the salvage yard to get a starter for my '92 Tempo (with a remarkably familiar 2.3L engine). Casually asked about manual trannys that would bolt up to a 302 besides the T-5. Of course, the guy wanted to know what it was going in. Eventually I explained the project to him. He says, "Oh. We just got a Pinto wagon in a couple days ago. Want to look at it?"
Duh. ::)
It's a '72 blue wagon with a 4-speed manual (I didn't pop the hood, so engine size = unknown). There's a tiny bit of surface rust bubbling, but nothing as major as what's on my car. The grille is shot, the interior's complete, but probably shot, there's a good-size crumple on the rear passenger's corner.
I bought the teardrop mirrors to put on my car. And they told me that I could buy the whole car for $200. They don't figure anyone will want to buy parts off it. In fact they said they joked about that when they picked it up.
Crap. I have the money, but no place to put it. I want the doors and fenders just to minimize the body work I'll have to do on mine. Those parts will cost more than the $200, so I'll probably wind up buying the car and parting what I want.
[Edit] Following the results of my poll (seeing as how the blue wagon's 2.0L engine runs quite nicely), I have decided *not* to part the blue wagon, but rather to keep it in mostly original trim. I'm planning to tint the windows and the interior work won't be NOS or restoration, but the body will maintain the stock wagon appearance...including the roof rack (shudder :-\). I'll repaint it its original metalic blue.
DAY 13 (June 24): After 2 weeks of bad weather followed by a month of a bad back, I finally got back to work on the Pintos. I did mostly cosmetic work on True Blue. I replaced the broken grille with the grille from the '74, put on a few interior knick-knacks such as an interior door latch handle from the '74 and rounded chrome lock caps from my '84 F150. I sprayed all the latches with penetrating spray. Now my doors shut with the flick of a finger and I don't have to do squats to pop the hood. Just a squeeze and it pops open. The "major" work was removing the tail light assembly and beating the dent out of the rear quarter panel. The only downside was that I knocked a Bondo patch loose just above the tailpipe. >:( But that's okay, I can reBondo that. In short, True is ready for a new paint job! Yay!
Next I moved to Poison Pinto. I removed most of the remaining trim pieces. My 2 youngest kids wanted to help, so they got the joyous task of sanding the hood and front fenders with 80 grit paper and sanding blocks (and yes, I did go back and (re)do the sanding after they decided they'd rather search my toolbox and use my tools to dig in the dirt. Good help is so hard to sire :-\ In the end, Poison is also ready for her new paint job.
I played around "test fitting" the 302 in the engine bay to see how much room I'd have for incidentals such as the A/C system. I think there will be plenty of room, especially if I move the battery location to the back. I do know that it won't go in as easily as the 2.3 came out. Specifically, I'll probably not be able to drop in the engine/tranny as an assembly and I'll have to remove the harmonic balancer. I was able to pull the 2.3 and tranny together and didn't have to remove any parts or accessories from the engine to lift it out. Of course, since I'm dealing with a larger engine, that's really no surprise.
While doing so, I took a good look at the engine mounts (the ones bolted to the car frame). With so much discussion of what to use and what's available, I thought I'd take a look at workaround possibilities. Here's what I've discerned: fabricating a bracket that would accept a 302 mount for a Ford F150 (with a "vertical" pin) would be a simple fabrication for those with the ability to cut, bend, drill, and weld metal stock or who know someone who can do those things. I will take some measurements and design a template as soon as I get a chance.
....good help is hard to sire.........Funniest darn line I have heard in years!!!!!!!!
DAY 14 (August 2): Okay, had I worked "straight through" this would be the end of the second week of progress on my car (and I'd probably be farther along than I am, too ;D). As it is, it's been a couple months. Such is the nature of a hobby. I didn't do too much today since it was after a long, hot day at work, but I still did a little.
I disassembled the rear leaf springs so that all that is still hanging ( >:() is the central mounting spring. I found that one of the springs on the driver's side was broken (the "split" one that goes around the grease zerk). The rubber parts were junk. Looks like I'll need to order some new rear spring sets to get the rear end back together.
I sanded and filled the medallion mounting holes, antenna holes, and a few small rust spots with Bondo and then smoothed everything down. I'll use mesh backing on the larger rusted out areas when I Bondo those. I doubt I'll find "stock" panels, so the next step will be to have sheet metal panels fabricated to panel out the back of the wagon. And that'll be it on the body work!
So, "two weeks" in...how far to get back out on the road?
Body:
1) Locate grille (or cast a replica);
2) Bondo rust and mounting holes;
3) Fabricate panels for windows;
4) Sand, primer, and paint.
Interior:
1) Recarpet;
2) Replace small detail parts;
3) Reupholster front seats;
4) Install an aftermarket steering wheel.
Mechanical:
1) Locate transmission;
2) Install fuel cell and remote battery holder in rear of car;
3) Replace leaf springs;
4) Replace brake lines and pads;
5) Install 302, trannsmission; 8" rear end; exhaust.