Hello to all! Longtime Pinto owner, not much of a computer geek though so I just kind of stumbled across this site. I have owned and raced Pintos for 26+ years. I started racing on local dirt tracks in the early 80's. I'm sorry to say I cut up a lot of cars, but back then and through the 90's they were plentiful. At one time I owned 12 parts cars and 2 modified stock cars. I finally gave it up and sold most everything I had. I now have 4, my 71 sedan, and three parts cars, a 71 sedan, a 75 hatch and a 80 sedan. I don't know how to post a picture so I will just have to write about my little 71. (I will try to get my son to help w/ pics.) When I started working at a Ford dealership in '79, there was a little old lady who would bring her Pinto in for service. I told her if she ever wanted to sell it I would buy it. Years past and I lost track of it but one day I got a call from her, she told me it had stopped running and she drifted into Monkey Wards across the street from our dealership, and they couldn't get it started. Four of us went over and pushed it across the street. When I hit the key it just clicked. I figured the starter was bad, but just for the heck of it I put a wrench on the crank bolt and it wouldn't budge. Turned it the other way and it went half a turn and stopped again. I pulled the valve cover and there was a valve missing. It had broken at the keeper and fell into the cylinder. I ended up buying it for $100. I pulled the head expecting the worse, but it really wasn't hurt. I dug through my junk and found a valve, put it back together and fired it up. It had 53,000 miles on it then, today it has 90,000. It has gone through some major changes since then, if anyone is still interested after all this rambling, let me know and I will write some more and try to get some pics on here. It's late, and I've been reading and writing all over this site!! :read:
Hello 71 pintoracer, Glad you found this place! A lot of good info and people here. Please do tell more....I love the story of the $100 Pinto. My parents got a newspaper (Santa Monica Outlook) from the next town over in the 70's 80's that had a "Bargin Box" section. It was for anything $100 and under. I remember seeing Pintos, VWs, Corvairs, and Corollas pop up from time to time. :fastcar: :welcome:
71 Pinto Racer,
Excuse me....but yea!!!! I don't think there is a such thing as rambling about a Pinto experience on here....especially rescues. A big fat Welcome to you and please be a part of FordPinto.com. Yes post some pics of your car\s and be a part of the troubleshooting core (it sounds like you know your stuff)... :)
High_Horse
Quote from: High_Horse on March 22, 2008, 08:02:59 AM
71 Pinto Racer,
Excuse me....but yea!!!! I don't hink there is a such thing as rambling about a Pinto experience on here....especially rescues. A big fat Welcome to you and please be a part of FordPinto.com. Yes post some pics of your car\s and be a part of the troubleshooting core (it sounds like you know your stuff)... :)
High_Horse
:welcome: 71 pintoracer,
Be sure to put your pin in the member map. :2fast4u:
From Pintony
:welcome: :welcome: :welcome:
It's a great site for a car car filled with great people, great info, and even greater stories! I'd love to hear more about your Pintos, a great story is a great story no matter how long it is! :coolrasta:
-beegle55
Thanks everyone for all the kind replys ;D. This is a great site for Pinto lovers and there are a lot of nice cars and good reading all over the site. As soon as my son and I are off work at the same time I will get him to help me with some pics, and for sure I will be glad to try and help anyone with a Pinto problem. Now...back to the story! The lady I bought the car from (Mrs. Griffith) was so worried that her car would end up in the junk yard, she made me promise that I would fix it up. Her late husband bought her the car off the showroom floor at the dealership that I still work at when they first came out.It was a 2.0 automatic with an AM radio. Thats it-no carpet, not even a cigarette lighter. I had taken a break from racing and needed something to play around with. After I got it running, I couldn't resist "tuning" on it a little. After all, I had all those racing parts just sitting around! I put on a 350 holley, a header, and an adjustable cam pulley with the stock cam bumped up 3 degrees. Oh yea, and a glass-pack! As promised, Mrs. Griffith came by to check on "her baby" and she was so happy to see it running and all shined up, I thought she would cry. Over the next three years I worked on building a new engine. It was still internaly stock, but I cut the head .060", put in a bigger cam, a Weiand intake and a Holley 390, a Mallory Unilite distribitor and a NOS nitrous kit with a 50 shot. Over the winter months I dropped in the new engine, switched it over to a 4 speed with a Hurst shifter and put in an 8" with 3:55's and an auburn locker.I drove it like that for about 2 more years. I then stripped the interior and painted it blue, (it was originaly white with a dull blue dash) added gauges and a console for all the toggle switches, and then worked on the body. I painted it a medium blue clearcoat with white ripped scallops that fade to yellow.It has front and rear spoilers and an angled frenched antenna. I also cut a hole in the hood and I have a blower scoop sticking out. I had a set of custom made 4-lug wheels made by Boyd Cottington (RIP) with 195/50/15's on the front and 205/50/15's on the rear. This engine combo has been in for 8 years, it runs 8.40's in the 1/8th mile. This winter I built and installed a new 2.0. It is a lot more radical and may be to much for the street. I am still in the process of getting it tuned so I havent run it hard yet. It has a lightweight scat crank, 2.3 rods with Wisco pistons, ported head cut .080", big valves, and a .280/ .500 Crower cam and valve train. Whew! Thats a lot of huntin' and peckin'!! :lol:
Quote(it sounds like you know your stuff)
............Whew.... :lol:
High_Horse
here are a few pics...
Nice Car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
High_Horse
So what haven't you done to a pinto.........Besides a V-8....What kind of upgrades for handling etc.....
WOWWW!!!!!!! That is one beautiful ride. Grandmas grocery getter has gotten better with age, much better! :hypno:
You have an interesting Pinto past, it makes for good reading, feel free to ramble anytime.
Serious Ride!
Wow!
Thanks to all! I have done a lot of things to Pinto's over the years including a V8 swap, (30 yrs ago!) D.R., there are a lot of handling tricks that can be done to Pintos, The easiest things are lowering, sway bars and wider tires. There is another post on this site with some more detailed tricks as well, worth reading. ;D