BigMan,
I bought this car in 1988. It had a hole in the side of the 2 liter engine and the back floorboard and spare tire well were full of rainwater. After getting a clear title, the roll cage went in, and I did a few things like putting an 8" rear end in and designing a big brake system for it. My first plan was to build another 2 liter or possibly buy a BDA (actually a 1700cc BDR) engine, but this plan evolved over time to the YB Cosworth engine.
There were times when the car sat for years (once for 3 years in a row) untouched, especially when we were raising our kids and getting them settled in life, etc. The Pinto always was last in line when it came to the budget.
Now, we're empty nesters, and time and money are a little more plentiful, hence the upswing in activity and spending. My wife now wants me to "finish the darned thing", and I'm happy to oblige. It's the Pinto's turn.
Funny thing is, over the years, with the Pinto front end becoming a popular piece for hot rodders who want to put independent front suspensions in, things I never dreamed of are now available: tubular a-arms and brake/hub packages, and nice shocks (although I scored a set of Konis from Racer Walsh years ago), etc. And, with Pintos becoming popular in mini-stock circle track racing, other suspension bits became available.
So, the short answer is the Pinto's been in the family for 24 years but it's resided in a nice dry garage, untouched for many of those years, waiting its turn.
Paul