Author Topic: My 74 Runabout  (Read 21956 times)

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Offline nnn0wqk

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #30 on: March 26, 2018, 02:08:34 AM »
Found the time today to apply so undercoating to the front fenders and wheel wells while I had easy access. Will hit them again once everything is back on the car.

Offline pinto_one

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #31 on: March 28, 2018, 01:21:32 PM »
if you can you should undercoat inside of the doors if you can , found most doors rust from the inside out , clean them out real good to make sure no road salt is inside and a two part etch primer followed by a good grade under coat , done mine and it also make the car much more quit ,
76 Pinto sedan V6 , 79 pinto cruiser wagon V6 soon to be diesel or 4.0

Offline nnn0wqk

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #32 on: March 28, 2018, 05:17:36 PM »
Thank you. Yes I hope to do that when I get to the doors. Been mostly waiting for the weather to warm up a little to get to those types of projects. The garage will stay at 50, I need to add some sort of heat to be able to get it into the 70's for painting. Just did not have the funds for that this winter. The electrical has been check out. Waiting on a relay for the heated back glass, the timer was gone in the old relay so it would not allow the relay to turn on. Once that arrives I will wrap up the dash area. I am not going to install the instrument cluster until after I get the right door hung. I am adding the sport mirrors to the car and it looks much easier to route the cable and get it into the hole it belongs in with the cluster out of the way. Have replaced all the lights on the cluster and the housing seems to be in great shape yet so lucked out there. Just do not want to stress it anymore than needed by taking it in and out two or three times. The goal is to have the car on the road again by July 2019. That should be when the next class reunion will be and since I bought it the year I graduated from school I am hoping to be able to attend the next reunion in it.

Offline nnn0wqk

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #33 on: June 17, 2018, 10:45:47 AM »
As summer comes upon me I find less time to work on the car. These pictures were actually take last winter probably in March or April. Anyway I am adding the remote mirror to the right door and was wondering which grommet hole was originally used for the cable. Years ago I ran a wiring harness in as you can see if a couple of the pictures. I am a amateur radio operator and have both a hf and 2 meter radio in the car. Plan on putting both back in and actually have the 2 meter mounted now. The hf rig seats in the back of the car. Anyway that is the reason for the extra relay in the engine compartment. My luck and I have a 50% chance is the wiring harness is using the mirror hole. Now would be the time to switch it if I have it wrong. The last picture shows the Stewart Warner mini gauge panel that I installed years ago. Used to be under dash to the right of the steering wheel but had to relocated due to the mirror adjustment knob that will be there now.

Offline Henrius

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #34 on: November 23, 2018, 08:00:56 PM »
I am the original owner of this 1974 Runabout. Car has 229970 miles. I got this the year I graduated from high school. I started to restore it after my 30 year class reunion but as sometimes happens with projects I got side tracked. My stepson graduates this year from high school and needs a senior project. He wants to become a mechanic and last winter we worked on a Toyota Celica for him and installed a motor and transmission. So now he wants to help get the Pinto back on track and going. So only seems fitting to make it a graduation project again. I have most all the original paper work for the car. Only thing missing is the window price sticker. Found the build ticket when I pulled the carpet. Have the original newspaper add it was a weekend special for $3158.58. Regular price was $3569.00. Oh to be able to buy a new car for that price now. Only part that failed during the warrenty period was wiper switch. Out side of brakes once or twice and timing belts every 60000 or so and carb cleaning a couple of times it is as it left the factory. The starter failed the day of the 30th class reunion!! Brush spring broke and would not make contact. Not bad for a cheep car. This is a California emission car out here in Idaho. The neigbors had one that looked the same and was with the exception of the moon roof in theirs. About 100000 difference in serial numbers but also California emission car. Both have the 2.3 engine with 4 speed. I bought it and  plan on using the engine out of it for now. Mine has a burnt exhaust valve. In time I will rebuild mine and reinstall into car, but this will help keep cost down for now. So plans are to rebuild back to stock condition. I am adding factory A/C, heated back glass, and remote mirrors. A/C because I always wanted it, glass and mirrors for safety. One of the items I need to find is a source for seatbelts as my driver belt is bad. I would like to find the body molding that goes in the rear wheel wells. So this will be the winter project with my son. I think we are both looking forward to it. Maybe me more so then he but then I am a ASE tech so know what fun we can have! I am going to farm out the quarter panels for replacement as I just do not have the time right now to do them and we want to start on this before long. The only rust that I could find in the car is back of the rear wheels and when I got it stripped just to the left of the dimmer switch. Floor pans and doors looked very good as did front fenders. If the picture post my car is the one on the right. Left is neigbors. Guess they could be called double trouble. Dennis

Wow, you outdid me! In 1976 my parents bought me a used 1973 for graduation. I've owned it ever since. I disassembled and mothballed it in 1995, but now the restoration is nearly finished. That car gets more attention at car shows than any I have taken!
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline Wittsend

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Re: My 74 Runabout
« Reply #35 on: November 24, 2018, 12:29:29 PM »

...  That car gets more attention at car shows than any I have taken!


Recently I've had similar occur with my '73 wagon.  Somewhere between a driver and a beater it was typically ignored. But the last few trips to Cars & Coffee people with nice cars are noticing and commenting on it!  A lot of them say, "I haven't seen a Pinto in a LONG time."