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Author Topic: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon  (Read 4146 times)

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Offline PBPinto

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New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« on: April 07, 2018, 06:43:45 PM »
I joined this website just over 13 months ago. Earlier this year posted a wanted ad here and on Craigslist and after three bad leads I landed my Pinto wagon...

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Cherry Bomb
1978 Pinto Wagon
Bought with 21,342 original miles
Currently 22,230 miles
Original: 2.3L - C3 Automatic - 6.75" Open Rear
Current: 8" 3:55 Limited Slip
Coming Soon: 302 - C4 Automatic

Caretaker: Paul B.

Offline dga57

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2018, 07:42:01 PM »
Looks like a good one!  Enjoy!


Dwayne :)
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Pinto Car Club of America - Serving the Ford Pinto enthusiast since 1999.

Offline russosborne

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2018, 10:23:23 PM »
Nice car!

What are your plans for it? hint, read my threads and DON'T DO THAT!  ::)

Russ
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In Glendale, Arizona

RIP Casey, Mallory, Abby, and Sadie. We miss you.

79 Pinto ESS fully caged fun car. In progress. 8inch 4.10 gears. 351C and a T5 waiting to go in.

Offline PBPinto

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2018, 10:07:05 AM »
Long term plans are to go BIG...BIG power (SVO/Turbo power)...BIG brakes...BIG wheels (5 lug 15" or 16" rims).

Paint is long term also, the car is a 10 footer, my wagon supposedly has only 22K original miles (it does appear to the have the original exhaust complete with catalytic converter) but the previous owner left the car sitting outside under a cover for 15 years...so the paint is toast (cracked everywhere).

I see Steele Rubber Products sells window seals and windshield gaskets for wagons, so I will probably buy those sooner than later in case they become made of "unobtainium".

Short term, get it running...sinc e it has not been driven in about 6 years. Go through all the systems to make it drivable and dependable, it was parked due to a transmission leak.

Again short term this year, change to the 1974-1975 headlight bezels and grille then tuck the front and rear bumpers in closer, add 2" exhaust and new tires.

Hitting car cruises, hanging out and listening to Pinto jokes this Summer would be my main goal.

Paul


Quote from: russosborne on April 07, 2018, 10:23:23 PM
Nice car!

What are your plans for it? hint, read my threads and DON'T DO THAT!  ::)

Russ
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Cherry Bomb
1978 Pinto Wagon
Bought with 21,342 original miles
Currently 22,230 miles
Original: 2.3L - C3 Automatic - 6.75" Open Rear
Current: 8" 3:55 Limited Slip
Coming Soon: 302 - C4 Automatic

Caretaker: Paul B.

Offline PBPinto

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2018, 10:23:48 AM »
Couple more photos of the car (and parts) safe and sound in my garage and some info...

I bought my wagon off of Craiglist (previous owner answered my wanted ad) and it was only 6 miles from my home for 20 years without me ever seeing it. And my mother-in-law lives just 1/2 mile literally down the road from it...on the same street!

Not much known about the car other than it was a based model with the only option being the automatic transmission.

I am now the 4th owner. The guy I bought it from bought it in 1998 just south of Cincinnati in Kentucky with 18K miles. While in Colorado for work he grabbed a bunch of stuff from a Pinto in a wrecking yard. He added the tachometer, steering wheel, rallye wheels and not on the car yet are sport mirrors which I have.

He also added air conditioning, completely removing the dash and doing an installation that is as close to "factory" as you can get.

He also gathered up all the parts to convert the car to a factory 4-speed...and almost all the parts for a 5-speed Merkur setup .

Paul
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Cherry Bomb
1978 Pinto Wagon
Bought with 21,342 original miles
Currently 22,230 miles
Original: 2.3L - C3 Automatic - 6.75" Open Rear
Current: 8" 3:55 Limited Slip
Coming Soon: 302 - C4 Automatic

Caretaker: Paul B.

Offline russosborne

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2018, 10:32:09 AM »
That really does look good.
How is the underneath, any rust?
Russ
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In Glendale, Arizona

RIP Casey, Mallory, Abby, and Sadie. We miss you.

79 Pinto ESS fully caged fun car. In progress. 8inch 4.10 gears. 351C and a T5 waiting to go in.

Offline PBPinto

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2018, 10:43:57 AM »
Thanks.

The underbody of the car has very little, if any rust, a little surface rust in spots...maybe.

The suspension is lightly rusted all over from sitting outside... starting to get a bit heavy on the rear end and leaf springs.

Not much rust scale or the kind of rust you would expect from a Michigan or Midwest car that is 40 years old.

I got the car just in time, I think in another couple years the car would really be in poor shape sitting out.

The passenger door skin was replaced, repainted and the quarter panel and front fender were paint blended, other that that the car is in original paint.

Paul

Quote from: russosborne on April 08, 2018, 10:32:09 AM
That really does look good.
How is the underneath, any rust?
Russ
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Cherry Bomb
1978 Pinto Wagon
Bought with 21,342 original miles
Currently 22,230 miles
Original: 2.3L - C3 Automatic - 6.75" Open Rear
Current: 8" 3:55 Limited Slip
Coming Soon: 302 - C4 Automatic

Caretaker: Paul B.

Offline Reeves1

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2018, 10:55:28 AM »
Looks good !
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Offline BobcatWagun

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2018, 01:37:43 PM »
Looks like you got a great car and good project! I'm thinking seriously about getting a wagon myself and I was curious about what you said about tucking the bumpers.

I have a '73 that fell under the same rule with the huge bumper and a friend said on his Torino he discarded the plastic extensions, shortened the side lengths of the bumpers, recapped and re-chromed them and drilled holes in the bumper shocks and gently pushed the bumpers in and they didn't expand back out.

Is that sorta what you had planned or something completely different?
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Offline PBPinto

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Re: New to me 1978 Pinto Wagon
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2018, 09:31:25 PM »
I am going to pretty much do the same, switch to a 74 or 75 grille and push the bumpers in front and back. But I am going to leave the side lengths alone...that's too much work.

And I am debating to go small bumper or not go small bumper.

Paul

Quote from: BobcatWagun on April 13, 2018, 01:37:43 PM
...a friend said on his Torino he discarded the plastic extensions, shortened the side lengths of the bumpers, recapped and re-chromed them and drilled holes in the bumper shocks and gently pushed the bumpers in and they didn't expand back out.

Is that sorta what you had planned or something completely different?
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Cherry Bomb
1978 Pinto Wagon
Bought with 21,342 original miles
Currently 22,230 miles
Original: 2.3L - C3 Automatic - 6.75" Open Rear
Current: 8" 3:55 Limited Slip
Coming Soon: 302 - C4 Automatic

Caretaker: Paul B.
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