Well it all started when I went to work on the car to track down belt squeal which turned out to be the alternator belt being loose. After I took care of that I noticed a ticking sound. That turned out to be a warped pulley on the smog pump. Off I went to the local pick-n-pull to find a pulley from an early 2.3L motor. A Mercury Zepher ended up donating the part to my Pinto.
So I wandard about a bit, just looking to see if they had any new Pinto's in the yard, but found none. Coming to the very back of the yard (this slavage yard is a handfull of acres big) along the back of the fence is a car that JUST arrived at the yard, still awaiting a yard number and to be cataloged into their computer system....A 78 Mustang II Fastback!!!
I had doubted I'd ever see on in this yard but there one was, untouched and I got first dibs on what I wanted!
Nothing useful on the outside of the car but on the inside I found some things I had been wanting for some time.
Rally steering wheel (like the Cruising Wagon ones) with the snorting stallion center horn button to!
Turn signal switch assembly with an all chrome shaft and return tabs in one piece
Rubber shift boot identical to my own but without any large tears (even has the steel mounting bezel)
Curved shifer stick (no knob though :()
I'm cleaning up the steering wheel, turn signal assembly and the shifter tonight and hopefully will be putting it all in tomorrow before I have to leave to work.
The one thing I'm curious about is the shifter though. On the MII it bolted down into the transmission with three bolts. Where the screw in retainer is on the Pinto shifter, there is a plate. Also, instead of the rubber boot reverse protection mechanism, it has a heavy gauge spring in place which appears to be stock. I would love to use this shifter in my Pinto but is there any way to swap the bolt down plate for the screw in retainer that the Pinto uses?
As for the shift boot, I hope to send it to a custom boot manufacturer and have them make some leather shift boots for Mustang II and 4-spd Pinto owners that have old torn boots. If nothing else, at least there will be a company out there that can supply people with it.
The only way to use it is with the tranny from the MII. That MII also has the the strait pull bell that will make a T-5 swap easier. If you go back but don't want the bell I am inerested in it.
Did the MII have an 8" rear?
Bill
I will go back tomorrow and check it out for you. I'm not interested in the tranny, but if you would like it let me know and I'll see how much it is.
Just the bell, fork, and fork cover.
(only if you are going back anyway)
Thanks,
Bill
I really don't mind. It's my day off and I'd spend all day at a salvage yard if I could. :)
You are 1 lucky SOB!!! I almost took that steering wheel but fortunately for you I already have one. Thats why the cap was laying on the seat. OK... I lie, I didnt have the tools with me and was to lazy to walk to the front and get them. As for the rear end... its not an 8" but I have a few at a friends house. I may also be able to get a few 4 speed bells and have a T5 laying in the garage if anyone needs a bell.
I think 2point3turbo would be a better way to get a bell from. For me to get the bell from the one at the yard it would cost the price of having them pull it into their garage and then the price of the bell. $150 for labor and $50 for the bell. Then you add in shipping.....Might as well get the whole tranny!
Yeah 2point3turbo, I noticed it way lying on the seat. I didn't have the "correct" tools to pull the wheel, but I made do with a few things. I had an adjustable crescent wrench with me which I used to remove the center nut, then I just pounded on the back of the spokes until it popped out. I did have a screw driver which was handy for removing the turn signal switch assembly. I installed both today and it's so much nicer than the old wheel!
I figured since I was going out there and found an untouched MII, I better take advantage of it and grab anything I could, even if it meant going back to the building and borrowing some of their tools. :P
I still have the shifter and the shift boot which will not be used for my car, but if there is enough demand for re-pro leather boots, I will send it to a place online that I have been chatting with and have them made.
2point3pinto - Do you remember if that MII had the rally rims on it or not? I'm looking for a complete set.
No it did not but I can get you some. Not sure how much but there are a few options that my friend has and I also have some real nice alum mags on my Capri I am going to be swaping out for 16's soon. They are 14's and in NICE condition. I can send you a pic after I clean them up. I am repainting the Capri so they are masked off right now. Email me sometime.
That'd be awesome. Are they MII or Pinto mags? I really want to keep it as stock Pinto/MII (since they are so alike in various ways) as possible.
Does anyone have any good pictures of the Cruising Wagon rally steering wheel button? I'm wondering if it had the black "on" orange snorting stallion on it like this Mustang II one does.
EDIT: Correction. I'm looking around on ebay at things and I'm actually looking for the slotted Mustang II rims, not the regular solid mags.