Forum > Your Project
Born 1974 - Died 1996 Resurrected 2021-2022?
PintoRoyL:
Hello Pinto friends. I originally found and joined this site a couple of years ago, but was not ready to do a build project on my '74 Runabout. I have owned this car since November 1 of 1981. For the most part, it was a good and reliable vehicle for me. Some time around 83-84 one of the cylinder walls cracked, necessitating an engine replacement. While I was at it, I converted from an automatic to manual transmission. Shortly thereafter, I also had the car painted white, whereas it was originally an avocado green color (seats and headliner remain green to this day). In 1988, I drove from southern California to the area around Seattle, Washington. It burned a piston in 1996 and I pushed it into the garage where it has not moved from until I cleaned the garage last summer. I recently acquired a 2.3L turbo with automatic transmission that I am looking forward to installing. I have never owned a turbo vehicle before, so I will be asking a lot of questions and learning about both turbo chargers and also fuel injection. The engine reportedly came from an 88-89 Tbird. It looks complete, but without wiring harness and computer.
PintoRoyL:
Unable to post/preview photos. I have reduced pics to less than 1mb each. Can someone help me with instructions for attaching photos. Is there a required number of posts before I am able to include photos?
PintoRoyL:
OK, I see that they do not show in preview, even though they are there. Those two pics were from July 3, 2020 when I drug the car out of the garage for the first time in nearly 24 years.
These two are from last week when I started this thread.
Wittsend:
Hello, Welcome. The T-Bird Turbo Coupes were from 1983-88. So, you likely have an 87-88 engine. They were better in that they have bigger injectors, bigger VAM, were intercooled and rated at 190 HP (Manual). They have a smaller turbo (quicker spool up time) but some think it gives up too soon on air. The LA-2, LA-3 were the Manual designated computers for the 87-88 cars (Don't know the Automatics). Unfortunately the 87-88 wiring harness is a total mess. As I recall you can use other harnesses (The Merkur was stand alone) BUT.. ("Warning Will Robinson"), they are NOT pinned the same!!! So, you have to get that right. Remember even the newest Turbo Coupe (88) is now 33 years old and many of these parts aren't so easy to find. Others have used aftermarket computers.
Turbo Ford (if it is still out there), NATO and The Ranger Station are good sites for Turbo stuff. Being your car is a '74 it is a lot easier than a 71-73 fitment wise. I have a 2 part post titled "So you want to build a turbo Pinto" but frankly a lot of it is the difficulties of adapting the 2.3T into a 71-73 car. Regardless http://www.fordpinto.com/general-pinto-talk/so-you-want-to-build-a-turbo-pinto-part-1/msg76893/#msg76893 All the best in your build.
71pintoracer:
There is also a forum here dedicated to turbo swaps. My car has a Ron Francis wiring harness and is way easier than trying to figure out a factory harness.
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