Author Topic: 73 Pangra Restoration (Read 6977 times)

TurboFreak · « **on:** June 06, 2014, 12:09:05 AM »

Hi,
I'll make this an introduction and the project. My name is Chris. I've been building and tuning Turbo engines for more than a decade now. My obsession with all cars is a little ridiculous. My means of satisfaction seems to be taking cars that were never designed to be fast, and making them worthy of competing against muscle, though I still love rebuilding any 80's production sports cars.
Am a musician....
Love Pink Floyd, old blues....
Ok....enough.. ...., now to the good stuff.

My buddy has had a 73 Pangra stashed away in the back of his body shop. I met him 5 years ago and was looking at all the incredible cars in the shop; 1970 Boss 302, Fire red 60's Pontiac Bonneville convertible, 68 Mustang GT conv., on and on.........beh ind all those.....ther e is a crazy looking Pinto shape with the hood open revealing a decent size Turbo with the carburetor hanging off the front of it??
With my knowledge of Turbo setups, this Pangra was looking to be quite interesting from 1973. The longer I stare at it and see what has been done, the more I see how well this car was modified. By far, this car is a pinnacle beginning to all modern Turbo cars of today, except of coarse for the crazy fuel atomizing... blow torch potential... s.u.c.k-through carb part of the kit. I digress......
T04 Air Research Turbo, Water injection, very nice cast exhaust manifold, big lift cam, Digital tach, nice gauge setup with great looking sporty dash design mod, and so on. Well, he twisted my arm (more like a hand shake) to restore the mechanical on the Pangra, so here I am......

I have some minor issues to tend to.:

-To purchase a rebuild kit for the carb (I haven't looked at the number yet)
-To find or make a cable from the throttle linkage to the carb. Last person that worked on it used a flimsy bicycle brake cable with different attachment hooks welded to it. Throttle hangs....
-Get a vacuum diagram or detailed photos of original routing
and some other items to go through.
Hopefully someone here can help with any of those items.

Here are some photos of the car:

Srt · « **Reply #1 on:** June 06, 2014, 01:35:41 AM »

After a glance under the hood I can't believe how cluttered it looks! I never gave that aspect a second thought 40 years ago.
Where is this car located and how did your friend aquire it? Do you (or does your friend) know who the original owner was?
It appears to be a bit worse for wear & it's plain to see that a bit of body work has been done to the fiberglass. I do notice the headlight doors are unique.
However under the hood seems genuine. Viewing the photos from the screen on my phone leaves a bit to be desired as far as detail goes but my guess is that it is a bone stock Ford Pinto 2.0 that has had an Ak Miller kit applied & that is what was done when the original Pangras were marketed.
I would like to see some more photos.
The interior also looks like standard Pangra issue & that would have been something that (to my knowledge) was not available in any way except from Huntington Ford (perhaps through Freight Container-but I don't think so)
There are others here on the site who have more recent tales to tell concerning these cars & I think that they will chime in with their thoughts as well.
From what I can see it looks genuine but.....

TurboFreak · « **Reply #2 on:** June 06, 2014, 11:16:23 AM »

Hi Srt,
I do not know any of that info from original owner to any info pertaining to history. He has just asked me to make sure I rework the car to original specs which is why it would help if someone chimed in with detailed pictures or diagrams of vacuum, etc....
I was searching for other photos and recognized a couple photos of my buddy's car already posted on this forum back in 2009 from someone passing by his shop which is located here in the Dallas area. Here is the post I found with pictures someone else posted: http://www.fordpinto.com/general-pinto-talk/pinto-pangra-discovered-in-north-texas!!!/

Srt · « **Reply #3 on:** June 06, 2014, 11:36:08 AM »

the two cars look very similar. almost as if they are the same car.

dianne · « **Reply #4 on:** June 06, 2014, 12:41:59 PM »

Quote from: Srt on June 06, 2014, 11:36:08 AM

the two cars look very similar. almost as if they are the same car.

They really do look like the same car!

dga57 · « **Reply #5 on:** June 06, 2014, 01:02:31 PM »

Quote from: dianne on June 06, 2014, 12:41:59 PM

They really do look like the same car!

If you re-read TurboFreak's post, he clearly states that these are old pictures someone else (popbumper) posted of the SAME CAR. Makes sense since Chris (popbumper) lives in the area where the car is being kept in TurboFreak's buddy's shop. Regardless, it is a rare find and should be an amazing project!

Dwayne

Srt · « **Reply #6 on:** June 06, 2014, 02:41:42 PM »

You're right I hadn't noticed the phrasing. That said yep it's a good project. Hope you can find the 'dash cap' that seems to have been removed. As for the carb, if it hasn't been replaced in all those years a kit for a stock 73 pinto should work. Distributers were also stock and the vacuum hose routing should be similar if not the same. Several of these cars in the hands of members here,mike parente has one that is stock, turbopinto72 another though highly modified. Good luck

TurboFreak · « **Reply #7 on:** June 06, 2014, 03:50:48 PM »

I'm quite sure he has all the parts and the dash cap is in the back of the car. Parts are removed for body work and paint prep. The main non-original part we need to work out is the throttle cable extension to the carb. Again, I'm sure we can make something unless someone has already located a good replacement cable that will work which can save us a little time. I can't seem to find any detailed close up pictures of the engine bay on a complete Pangra. It's really not a hard task to troubleshoot and route vacuum lines where they need to go, though I would like to get the routing as original as possible on this particular car.
It is cool to see people have an interest in the history of this machine. This original Ak Miller modifications to these engines are high quality parts.

TurboFreak · « **Reply #8 on:** June 06, 2014, 04:18:08 PM »

Quote from: Srt on June 06, 2014, 02:41:42 PM

You're right I hadn't noticed the phrasing. That said yep it's a good project. Hope you can find the 'dash cap' that seems to have been removed. As for the carb, if it hasn't been replaced in all those years a kit for a stock 73 pinto should work. Distributers were also stock and the vacuum hose routing should be similar if not the same. Several of these cars in the hands of members here,mike parente has one that is stock, turbopinto72 another though highly modified. Good luck

Sorry, I didn't catch the rest of your post. I will study the original vac diagram, though with a turbo setup there should be a few extra vac/psi connection that will not be on a N/A engine. The intake doesn't look like a stock N/A configuration and there is a large fitting for the huge regulator hanging off the side, but I could be wrong without researching a N/A Pinto 2 liter.

Pintopower · « **Reply #9 on:** August 07, 2014, 06:41:57 PM »

I don't think I have ever heard of this Pangra. Amazing to find another. Let me know if you need that missing dash cap. I had a few copied off of my Pangra. Shoot me an email if you need one. Keep us posted on the project.

TurboFreak · « **Reply #10 on:** August 08, 2014, 09:47:04 AM »

He has the original in the back of the car, but not sure of condition. Will you please post

TurboFreak · « **Reply #11 on:** August 11, 2014, 01:35:12 PM »

Just noticed phone didn't send full post. Will you post picture of new pad to show Andy please?

Quote from: TurboFreak on August 08, 2014, 09:47:04 AM

He has the original in the back of the car, but not sure of condition. Will you please post

Pintocrazed · « **Reply #12 on:** October 23, 2014, 06:37:04 AM »

WHAT SIZE TURBO WAS USED ON THE PANGRAS?

Pintopower · « **Reply #13 on:** October 23, 2014, 12:08:48 PM »

Hey Turbofreak, I have the omega Pangra. It was the last one built by Huntington Ford in late 1973 (It is a 74) as verified by the builder (George Davis) and the designer (Jack Stratton). Great to see another one getting put together. Do you know the history of the car? Was the color of the original Pinto the same as the Pangra it was sold as? Very few were.

As for the throttle cable, we had one made for my friends 2.0 Pangra by CableCo in SantaFe Springs, ca. They are also the people that made my headlight cable and remake all of my clutch cables. You just supply them with the original or at least, what the ends look like, and they will make you one. The originals were a mix of the stock cable and I kid you not, a bicycles brake cable. Email me if you have any questions as I don't do car stuff much anymore other than drive them (Most of them are restored now).

Here is a link to my Pangra:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/26161002@N03/sets/72157605568161043/

65ShelbyClone · « **Reply #14 on:** October 28, 2014, 05:30:05 PM »

Quote from: Pintocrazed on October 23, 2014, 06:37:04 AM

WHAT SIZE TURBO WAS USED ON THE PANGRAS?

A size that you would be hard-pressed to locate 40-something years later. They were T4 frame turbos back then with probably N-trim turbines and 0.4X-0.5X A/R housings. I can tell by some photos that they had an AiResearch compresor housing and my guess is some small T04B wheel. The AiResearch brand disappeared by the mid 1980s, BTW.

Aside from nostalgia or originality for restoration, there is no reason to try hard finding one. Wheel profiles, efficiency, response, and compressor maps have improved dramatically since then. Heck, they improved dramatically just from 1973-1983.

Srt · « **Reply #15 on:** October 28, 2014, 05:49:51 PM »

Turbo was as ShelbyClone writes except the turbine was a .69 AR.

Srt · « **Reply #16 on:** October 28, 2014, 08:49:26 PM »

"..The intake doesn't look like a stock N/A configuration. .."

That is a stock Pinto intake on the motor.

Srt · « **Reply #17 on:** October 28, 2014, 09:04:11 PM »

Quote from: 65ShelbyClone on October 28, 2014, 05:30:05 PM

"...Aside from nostalgia or originality for restoration, there is no reason to try hard finding one. Wheel profiles, efficiency, response, and compressor maps have improved dramatically since then. Heck, they improved dramatically just from 1973-1983..."

I agree that technology has tremendously improvedthe options available.
The setup you have though, was quite capable of pumping over 20lbs. of pressure starting at around 2k rpm, (although you had to be on top of it concerning throttle control) with minor tweaks to the original configuration.

I know that now it seems that 30lbs. or greater is the only way to fly; and that's great, but it really isn't necessary for a street car.

If only 'tech' at that time included the options of computerized & programmable ignition systems/fuel delivery & boost control!!!!!!

65ShelbyClone · « **Reply #18 on:** October 30, 2014, 02:54:27 AM »

Quote from: Srt on October 28, 2014, 05:49:51 PM

Turbo was as ShelbyClone writes except the turbine was a .69 AR.

I had a slightly larger one off of a diesel with an o-trim wheel and a 0.58 on-center housing. I couldn't for the life of me figure out anything about the compressor wheel other than the dimensions. What does the compressor housing tag usually say on the Pangra/Ak Miller turbos?

Quote from: Srt on October 28, 2014, 09:04:11 PM

I agree that technology has tremendously improved the options available.
The setup you have though, was quite capable of pumping over 20lbs. of pressure starting at around 2k rpm, (although you had to be on top of it concerning throttle control) with minor tweaks to the original configuration.

I know that now it seems that 30lbs. or greater is the only way to fly; and that's great, but it really isn't necessary for a street car.

If only 'tech' at that time included the options of computerized & programmable ignition systems/fuel delivery & boost control!!!!!!

That's sort of what I mean. My engine came out in '83 with a turbo that was physically smaller (yet regarded as one of the largest production turbos of the era) and could still be wrung out to 280+hp with excellent response and that was a long time ago.

The setup I have was also predated by a factory draw-through carbureted turbo option. If only it had been an option for the '79-80 Pintos, right?

Srt · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2014, 11:40:59 AM »

"...What does the compressor housing tag usually say on the Pangra/Ak Miller turbos?..."
[/size][/color]
[/size][/color]
[/size]That was over 40 years ago and my feeble mind won't cooperate with a lot of things from that far back![/color]

65ShelbyClone · « **Reply #20 on:** October 31, 2014, 06:04:59 PM »

That's alright, the question is open to anybody that has one now.

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Author Topic: 73 Pangra Restoration (Read 6977 times)