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Author Topic: need some Help and info on building a 4 cylinder ford pinto dirt track race car  (Read 4504 times)

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Offline newracer

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Hello, I need some help and some tips on building my 4 cylinder class. 2.3 ford pinto 4 speed tranny for a 1/2 mile dirt track high bank.
first off i will post some rules from track and question I have.

SOME RULES:a. Engine must match the year, make and model as well as the VIN designation (No exceptions).
. Engines must remain STOCK. No aftermarket performance parts or modifications whatsoever.
. Stock carburetor / fuel injection system for that make and model only.
. No rotary engines, rear engines, turbo or supercharger engines.
. No adjustable timing components.
. No light weight pulleys.
. OEM production parts only for the year, make and model.
. A/C compressor and power steering pump may be removed.
. Must use stock air cleaner housing. K&N type air filters are allowed. NO RAM AIR, COLD AIR
INTAKES OR COWL INDUCTION SETUPS WILL BE ALLOWED.
. No aftermarket fuel components (pumps, filters or injectors).
. No aftermarket ECM’s, chips, ignition systems or ignition controllers will be allowed.
. All ignition systems must remain stock including spark plug wires, coils, etc…
. Pump gas only. No race fuels or additives of any kind allowed.
5. TRANSMISSION ‐
. Transmission must remain stock for the year, make, model and VIN designation (No exceptions).
. ALL gears must be fully functional.
. No locked differentials or traction devices allowed.
. Stock flywheel, flex plate, clutch or torque converter.
. NO aftermarket clutches or aluminum flywheels.
. Inspection covers MUST be easily removed for inspection.
. BRAKES ‐
. Brake system must remain stock and complete for the year, make, and model of the car.
. All 4 wheels must be fully functional AT ALL TIMES.
. No bias valves or block offs will be allowed.
. No cross drilled, vented or lightened rotors.
. Emergency brake cables and components may be removed.

. SUSPENSION AND STEERING ‐
. Suspension must remain stock for the year, make and model of the car
. All steering and suspension components must remain stock and be bolted in original locations
without alteration.
. Factory replacement shock and struts only. NO aftermarket performance or adjustable parts
allowed.
. Factory springs only. NO cutting, shrinking, aftermarket or coil‐overs will be allowed.
. Suspension adjustments are allowed as long as the components are not modified.
. Stock steering rack and components only.
. TIRES AND WHEELS ‐
. Tires and wheels must match the make and model of the car.
. All four tires and wheels must match in size and offset. Mixing and matching of tire manufacturers
is allowed.
. Alloy wheels are allowed.
Tires may not be any lower profile than a 55 series
.
Questions I have-

what can i do to make the car faster?
what should i do for suspension?
whats the widest and best tires you guys think i can run?
Thanks can't wait for feedback.

   


Offline Srt

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those seem to be some fairly restrictive rules.  :-\   any one else have any ideas ?
the only substitute for cubic inches is BOOST!!!

Offline OhSix9

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Those are some tight azz rules. What year of car are you working with and what are the other guys running ? How can you make the car faster within those rules? Well I guess that depends on your definition of the word "Stock". really two options pick a faster car or massage the legalities a little. according to the rules as I see them slipping in a ranger roller is technically not allowed with the oem parts for that year only rule but meh...  Now having the head milled to erm.... "fix the warpage" seems legit.. and if it ups the c/r a half a point... oops. Getting out the die grinder and port matching everything to the gaskets is also my "interpretation" of a non aftermarket modification. . You said nothing about rear gear rules so find a steep set. i'd guess they tell you that must be stock as well though.. Other than the above somewhat liberal reading of the rules there is the usual gut it, loose the door bars and lighten it up a whole bunch but really you don't have any wiggle room. factory rim sizes will limit your tire choices too.  those are some odd rules since it's not a spec class where everyone has the same car. Plus holding together a year correct collection of engine components in a car meant to be beat on and raced is really weird. My advice judging from those rules is pick a faster car to start with, something easier (more plentiful) in the boneyard seems like a good idea too. 4 banger 5 spd rustangs litter the self serve lots around here and you get efi in the deal which, when compared stock to stock is a better option over the std 5200 and factory intake. they also have a larger more abuse-able clutch  that said if you go efi get out the die grinder and gut the upper n knife edge the lower.. Ask any good crew cheif, They don't cheat it's just how they saw the rules. and with those ones leaving you so restricted it basically says wrecking yard race car so it doesn't make sense to use something hard to get parts for. the heyday of the pinto racer was 15 years ago already.  There is lots of stuff that you can do with a pinto to improve it both on the cheap and using factory supplied parts but not when you are disallowed from doing some model / year mix-n-match.
Modest beginnings start with the single blow of a horn man..    Now when you get through with this thing every dickhead in the world is gonna wanna own it.   Do you know anything at all about the internal combustion engine?

Virgil to Sid

Offline newracer

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Thanks any advice is grateful. Its a 1980 hatchback. Most of the cars at the track are front wheel drives. Neon's,ECT. Not many rear wheel drives. I want to race the pinto I already bought it and I gutted it out. Any advice on more speed and suspension is grateful. Thanks guys looking forward to more of your posts to help me dominant the track. ;D