Since I come from a Turbo Coupe background I have become accustom to it's "niceties." One thing that I wanted to retain for the 1973, Turbo Pinto was the stalk mounted wiper control, light control and wheel mounted cruise control.
Initially this looked like an easy task. The lower column support was fixed, but looked near the location needed. The upper support was adjustable. It all seemed easy enough. To connect the column to the rack I would just use the T/C shaft and make the urethane shock disc my connection point - or so I thought. The urethane connection doesn't just slide in on pins as I believed, but it is riveted. Cutting the rivets would melt the urethane - on to plan "B."
In the end I wound up cutting the T/C shaft connector (Picture 3) out of the T/C shaft. I hand ground and filed this remaining small piece to match the rather unique shape of the Pinto shaft connector (Picture 2). I welded onto and lengthened the piece (removing much of the taper) to give additional stability (Picture 3). The "bolt through" hole was elongated to to make it all fit (Picture 3). Since the lower column support was fixed, I slotted the sheet metal support under the dash (Picture 1). I also had to drill a new hole and cut the excess off te lower support. Lastly I had to knock clearance in the inner fender panel for the u-joint (Picture 4).
Sorry I have no pictures of the column in the car, but there is a 4 picture limit.
This was a real "this is related to that" kind of project. It seems like everything I have done has benefited from slotting the mounting points. The steering column was no exception. This is a do at your own risk kind of project, but one I like the benefits of. If you choose to venture into it I would recommend you run a string along the Pinto column and mark a piece of tape attached to the drivers seat. I thought I had things tweaked until I put the original column back in and found that it too was slightly angled. You never notice these kind of things until the replacement piece doesn't seem right.
Tom
Hello. Do you still have a set of photos and more detail to this swap? I am very interested in moving my wiper controls and haveing a cruis control and maybe a tilt stearing? Someone pointed me in the direction of your old thread here. Would love to get more details. Thank you.
You luck day T-man, I only visit about once a week.
I've included a few more pictures. A few of the column installed (notice the T/C seats also) and the couplers. In a sense it is an easy install - for the column itself. As I said above you need to elongate the mount bolt holes a bit. There is also an extension you need to cut off the lower column mount. The upper mount is adjustable (not fixed) and you just bolt it where needed.
The difficulty is the coupling. As you can see in the pictures the Turbo Coupe and the Pinto gave different shapes (pictures 3 and 4 below). What I did was cut off the coupler link from the Turbo Coupe. I then filed/ground the end to match the Pinto steering link. This takes a bit of "craftsmanship" and will become a "one off" item. The other end already (obviously) fits the Turbo Coupe column. I did have to elongate the bolt hole. So, that small piece you see in the upper post (picture 3 above) in essence become an intermediate adapter from the Turbo Coupe column to the Pinto steering link. Picture 2 above shows the cut of piece matched to the Pinto steering link. The end with the elongated hole slides into the Turbo Coupe column and is bolted to hold.
Where previously it was Pinto column (male) in to Pinto link (female) it is now -
- Turbo Coupe female into modified cut off coupler (male - both ends) into Pinto link female.
I have only wired up the turn signals at this point. I highly recommend you get a second Pinto column electrical link (connector and about 6" of wire) from a junkyard. That way you don't butcher up the wiring. The horn and the turn signal can all run through the connector.
Currently I'm still using the stock headlights and wipers on the dash. They and the cruise control are not completely wired in. FYI the only place I found for the cruise control unit was under the fender behind the drivers side headlight.
Sorting the wires out in the column can be a pain. There is really no "this color wire to that" that I can offer you. It took a while. It is doable, but you need to be dedicated and diligent.
Tom
A Ford Granada tilt steering is a direct bolt in. Its all shown on the Mustang II web site.
Hello. Would you have a link to that? Can guests see that? I am obviously not a member there. Thanks.
Mustang II.com
Found it! Try http://www.mustangiitech.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:tilt-steering-column (http://www.mustangiitech.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:tilt-steering-column)- If you get a column out of a floor shift car, you wount have to take it apart, as it will work as is.
that doesn't look too hard but finding that colum would be a pain in the !!! cars here in fl older then a 95 are hard to find let a lone a 75- 80 granda!!
good luck if any one tries it out let me know how it went for ya!! the only thing i worry about is the turn sigal swith and the wiper swith on the colum its self!!!??
thanks
eric
There is a very good web site at Granada.com or something like that. That where I have got them at.
Try American Granada,Monarch & Versailles Registry. Com