Hey all!
ever since I was ten years old and I saw a budget silver pinto in my hot rod magazine I loved those cars! everyone around me forced me into thinking they were uncool. I fell in love for chevelles! My dad owns a 69 dart which is beautiful and my twin brother just came back from Michigan 2 months ago with a 71 valiant he plans to fix up(they are both dodge guys!). The itch has bit me as well now! I am 19 and I am sick of driving my beaten up 200 dollar escort! I want a pinto!
Everyone is telling me to get a chevelle because the pinto will have no resale value and blah blah blah. I say screw that! I want a pinto but I have a few questions. First of all I live in Canada and finding a pinto is hard enough, so I will probably have to go to the states to get a decent one.
now the questions...
I would be doing a 302 swap on this car which I know would be alotttt of work. You guys think it is worth it? this car will be a daily driver only during summer months and occasional use at the track, but that could escalate ;D Are the handling on these cars really as bad they say? All this talk about major accidents and stuff, is that all exaggeration about the handling from people who just hate pintos? or do they really handle that bad? (and no, no turbo v6 here, no matter how fast it is I want a fire breathing v8! ;))
Which pintos are ideal for this swap? the older ones like or the later model ones like 77's and what not? I know the older ones are lighter which could lead to worse handling again. But I like the look of the older ones better.
As far as transmission goes, I do not know too much about ford trannies, what would be a good bet for this prpject. How about the rear end? a 9 inch?
Remember this is just gonna be mainly a street car, although I would love to make it a performance monster, I dont want to shred apart my wallet at the pump and on parts.
I just want pretty much a car to scare off the hondas and a car that I love that will make some noise and go when I give it some gas (although not in the ditch or a pole like some people say these things do.)
YOu guys think it is worth it? any advice?
Thanks alot!
Andrew
Ill admit I dont know much about swapping engines, but I think the later model pintos (74+) are easier. I think it has to do with the shape of the hood? Im not sure... But, I do think that in a few years Pintos will have a better resale value than most people expect.
i have a 77 sadan for-sale im in wa us and can deliver to border i may have a wagon soon if that is more to your taste.
It sounds like the people around you are not Ford guys, so of course the Pinto is lousy, etc. and they probably have not driven one, but know everything about them. You obviously have the bug, and I can tell you my car is very predictable. In turns she sits down and doesn't slide. if I patch out she rights herslf, even when spinning tires while pulling out in a turn. I can tell you she handles a hell of alot better than a chevelle, i had one. they are too heavy and light in the a$$ compared to a Pinto. They can go straight, that's about it. I bought a 77 Pinto with a 302, much like what you are attempting to buy and build. Alot of fun, do not expect good gas mileage, putting a huge engine in a little car does not give it good mileage, the engine still drinks heavily. you may want to look into getting one all ready with a 302, there are plenty out there. That is of course unless you want to do the rebuild. But Ford, just like Chevy and Dodge gives you an unlimited amount of possibilities on tranny's rear ends, engine builds, extras, etc. I am just going to throw this out there and hopefully everyone else feels the same. if you get one, do not throw a Chevy or Dodge engine into a Ford Pinto, that will ruin your resale value. Good luck and welcome brother.
Pinto's are cool! As far as resale, if you really like your Pinto, why worry about resale. The car is what it is worth to you...who cares what anyone else thinks. I have seen Pinto's in every price range and condition. I paid $900 for my 73 wagon, where someone else might have looked at it and said it wasn't worth that much...to me it was a diamond in the rough, so paid the price.
As for the V-8, I hesitate to put the 302 I have in the wagon because of loosing it as an everyday driver. Personal opinion of course. If you think it would work for a daily driver...by all means go for it. Big horses in a small car is alot of fun. Might need lots of suspension work to handle like you want with the added front weight of the V-8. My choice for the 302 would be a wagon after 74 because of the extra weight of the car. Automatics are great in that conversion and there are all kinds of parts that are available with Mustangs having a lot in common.
Main thing is forget what everyone says about the Pinto's and just do it! You won't regret it...I promise or your money back! ;D
Don't listen to him, 302 baby! I drive mine every chance I get. :2fast4u:
Just hope you have gas money :lol:
Become a member of the 100 mile club (that is no more than 100 miles before you should fill up) :devil:
Hey my pinto turned 31 on yesterday on June 2nd, we got a cake!
:happy_bday:
Loosing it as an everyday driver means just that...$4.60+ per gallon and it turns into a very fast money hog and not a daily driver! The 73 currently has a 2000 with Spearco manifold and Holly 390 with a breathable Crower cam, and headers with a 4 speed and will still get over 25 miles per gallon on the road and it has plenty of power to show off with. It is a daily driver. It might not out-run a 302, but it still has lots of scat. Like I said...personal opinion...if you like giving the gas companies a pocket load of cash every 100 miles, by all means...go for the big horse. If you don't mind spending lots on gas and plenty of power, why not just by a Ferrari? :lol:
Start with a 75 and up chassis. This way you can locate motor mounts and tranny cross-member from a 75 to 78 Mustang V8 and things should bolt up without a lot of clearance issues.
If you want to run an automatic transmission, locate a C4 bellhousing for a 75 to 78 Mustang V8.
The V8 engines in Mustang II's are not centered in the engine compartment. I believe the engine is offset to the passenger side by almost 2 inches. This was to allow more room for the driver's feet. The Mustang with a C4 tranny had a unique bellhousing which moved the starter up and toward the passenger side to clear the cross-member.
The oil pan for the Mustang II was unique also. The back of the pan was more rounded to clear the relocated starter and to allow more cross-member clearance.
You can use the more common C4 bellhousing and use a mini-starter. The more common oil pan can have the back half shortened to allow for more cross-member clearance.
Visit: www.mustangii.net for parts and more info
FYI: 75-78 Mustang chassis were based on the Pinto chassis.
Are the 4 and 6 cylinder engines in the Pinto centered?
I don't remember.
Anyone?
Can the fenders and bumpers from 71-73 Pinto's be bolted on to the 74-80 Pinto's?
Hopefully, someone here on the forum can answer that.
Quote from: Yelby on June 03, 2008, 02:52:18 PM
Start with a 75 and up chassis. This way you can locate motor mounts and tranny cross-member from a 75 to 78 Mustang V8 and things should bolt up without a lot of clearance issues.....
......FYI: 75-78 Mustang chassis were based on the Pinto chassis.....
The Pinto and the Mustang II share very little in STRUCTURE (even of the same year), and not many parts other than suspension will DIRECTLY interchange.
Quote from: Yelby on June 03, 2008, 02:52:18 PM...... Are the 4 and 6 cylinder engines in the Pinto centered?....
No.
Quote from: Yelby on June 03, 2008, 02:52:18 PM
.....Can the fenders and bumpers from 71-73 Pinto's be bolted on to the 74-80 Pinto's?....
Not without modification to either the car or the mounts.
Bill
Hey guys!
Thanks for all the help you guys are offering!
Well its funny that most of the answers I get about which years of pintos are better for a V8 swap are the later ones because most pictures of pintos that I see as drag machines are usually the earlier model ones. I know the earlier ones, especially the 71 is very light
as for resale value I didnt really care about that to begin with even though everyone is telling me to care about it. I just wanted to hear your guy's opinions!
I plan on running an auto tranny with a manual valve body so I can shift without clutching (thats what my dad has in his car, or maybe its manual with an auto valve body I cant quite remember now?)
And yes guys.. It is gonna be a V8, it may not be a daily daily driver. But it will be a weekend fun car! (for the summer only that is as I live in Toronto Ontario)
I hear the 302 ford responds well to nitrous. But I just want a mild engine, some nice fat tucked meats in the rear and a loud exhaust system (which I will probably have to fab myself from what you guys are saying) and some power when I step on the gas (to kick my dad, my brother, and everyone elses butt!! ;D)
Thanks for all the help guys!
any more suggestions?
Andrew
Quote from: pintoinyoface on June 03, 2008, 03:53:19 PM
.....any more suggestions?
Andrew
YES!
First, concentrate on SCHOOL!! IF you have spare time then, and ONLY then should you worry about how to modify your car.
Second, be careful of WHERE you get advice/information from. There are folks out there that will be happy to give you an opinion, or even sell you parts, but they might have no clue on the topic at all. Always find out if the person giving the advice or information has FIRST-HAND experience. (this goes for everything, not just cars)
Third, see number one again.
Bill
Yes.. I know there are fools out there.
And yes I am focused on school. This car will only be worked on during summer months after work and on weekends. It will be stored somewhere else in winter (as I do not have enough room at my house for all these cars)
Quote from: 77turbopinto on June 03, 2008, 04:36:00 PM
YES!
First, concentrate on SCHOOL!! IF you have spare time then, and ONLY then should you worry about how to modify your car.
Second, be careful of WHERE you get advice/information from. There are folks out there that will be happy to give you an opinion, or even sell you parts, but they might have no clue on the topic at all. Always find out if the person giving the advice or information has FIRST-HAND experience. (this goes for everything, not just cars)
Third, see number one again.
Bill
Good advice Bill. One up for you :drunk:
Pinto's used to be uncool and a dime a dozen. When I raced modified Pinto's on the local dirt tracks I owned as many as 12 parts cars at one time. Most were free or very cheap. Now look on e-bay. Nice Pinto's sell for far more than they brought new. However, you can still find a fixer-upper for a decent price. As far as handling, a few cheap mods can make them handle very well. Mine is lowered 2", stock bolt in sway bars and these cars just beg for wide low profile tires. They are low and wide and easy to drive, and the rack and pinion steering is great. Above all, they are fun to drive!! I'll bet everyone on this board can tell stories about people stopping them to check out their Pinto.
As far as the V8 swap, the '74 & up seem to be easier. There is info galore on this site (look in FAQ) and I am doing a swap on my '71 and posting it step by step. Check it out in "YOUR PROJECTS" under '71 V8 swap..let the fun begin! Best of all, if you have a question there are people here to help you out. So :welcome: friend, and go gitcha' a Pinto and have some fun! ;D
Thanks for all the help guys!
does anyone have a picture of apinto timeline where it shows each year of pinto and how they look and maybe explain the little differences in each? I had found a site on this a while ago but can't seem to find one again. ANy help?
Andrew
Quote from: pintoinyoface on June 04, 2008, 05:11:12 PMdoes anyone have a picture of apinto timeline where it shows each year of pinto and how they look and maybe explain the little differences in each? I had found a site on this a while ago but can't seem to find one again. ANy help?
check here for more info --> http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1971-1980-ford-pinto.htm
and then some videos to show the different options...
1971 thru 1973 Ford Pinto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_0WEhqBl2A
1974 thru 1976 Ford Pinto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsPrTxDfApY
1977 & 1978 Ford Pinto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tClp_4qsbvA
1979 & 1980 Ford Pinto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWn04WM4AGo
That should keep you busy for the night ;D
some of the better videos I have made are on my cookieboystoys profile at YouTube (see link in my signature) and you can also check out Pintonut for even more than I posted here for ya...