I'm sorry to hear about your setback. I loved those seats... Hope you can get it fixed up!

Pics of the damage?

Thanks. 2 years ago the engine fire happened but it didn't take out the whole car. Post 8 on page 2 has the damage of the burned parts. I know that once I get the engine in from the 77 I should be able to get the car running. Gotta install wiring harnesses & other parts to it but as long as I have fuel & spark it should fire right up for a test run.

I was cleaning my garage up today so I can get the engine pulled & went ahead & got the right side tires off the 77 Pinto. Got the RF tire on the 80 but couldn't get the RR off the 80. It's on there so tight it wouldn't come off kicked & kicked at it but no dice. Need to get a big hammer to knock that sucker off the car. Went to my workout tonight & when I came home I was gonna pull the starter. Wrong!!! I ran into another problem. I need to get a couple wrenches & sockets from my Dad's house to drop the rack & pinion. Once I do that I can get the starter off & check into the exhaust pipe.

I've changed starters without dropping the rack before.

What's your secret?

Interesting.. I'll just have to see what I can figure out & maybe get lucky. On the rusty 77 I was able to drop the rack to get the starter in & out of the car with little problem. On the 80 it's VERY clean down there thanks to a nice leaky oil pan & rear seal lol. We'll see what happens. Just a little too frustrated to mess with it today.

I know they made several different length starters so maybe you are cursed with a long version.
 
All 3 racks I've pulled have required me to burn the bushings out then slide the rack off & heat the steel sleeve cherry red to get it off the rack bolts.

I guess in some ways I was lucky on the 77 then. A major rust bucket to the point where if I hit a pot hole or speed bump hard enough the RR leaf spring could come separated from the car one of these days, & yet I was able to drop the rack low enough to get the starter off. We'll see what happens when I tackle it next.

I hope you're right Russ.

I gotta get my butt in gear if I'm to make the Ohio meet. Wednesday I'm golfing in the morning but then focusing on getting the engine yanked from the 80 & the engine starting to be yanked from the 77. Let the good times roll.

Looks good, haven't seen one of them in quite some time..

Today I'm gonna have some much needed fun at the Ohio State Fair, and later on I will clean around the car so I can start working on the car. I've got to get her on the road one way or another. I'm gonna yank the engine and transmission as an assembly, and then separate the 80s block from the transmission, before repeating the process on the 77s engine and transmission. I would just drop the assembly from the 77 in to the 80 but the 77 transmission only has 1st & 2nd gear. 3rd decided to go MIA when I was driving the car home from work one day about 3 years ago. Never found the problem but I think the band or clutches went bad. Still shifts good 1-2 but no 2-3 shift. I also will take the radiator from the 77, as the one from the 80 wasn't the right one.  I'm not sure how long the process will take but it will be a learning experience. I've never done an engine swap on my own, let alone on a car that doesn't run due to engine fire. We'll see how it all goes.

Pulling the engine out with the head off is easier, use a short chain that's large enough to put short bolts with washers into the head bolt holes , if you leave the transmission in place bolt in the middle , if you pull trans and engine as one the second to last holes will work, as for not going into high on your transmission you may have a vacuum line problem, make sure the steel line is not clogged up or has a hole in it from rubbing on something or from rust , also the rubber line could be hard and split , these are very common problems, had my share of them ,

VICTORY!!!! Ok, not a big one but victory none the less. I actually got something accomplished. I removed the lower exhaust manifold to catalytic convertor bolt. The top one is being a pain and won't come out too well. Still, progress is progress. This is the first bolt removed from the car in a long long time.

If I ever take out a full set of exhaust studs/bolts without any being messed up that is one huge VICTORY for me, lmao...

Funny you say that, cuz I can't even get a wrench or socket on the top one.

Yep those can be a real pain , even with the right tools they can take time to remove , not counting the busted knuckles and leaving your DNA all over that spot , and since you said you had the head off of it you could remove the pipe from the catalytic converter and slide the whole pipe out from the top, and use a propane torch and heat the nuts up and then spray some Kroll on them ,use a six point scoket, always worked for me , and also you said the bottem of the car is covered with oil. Bet the rubber elbow to the transmission modulator turned to goo, that would give you a no high gear

Well not exactly accurate. I believe I was a little confusing with my previous statement. I should have specified... The engine compartment was what was covered in oil. Underside is actually very clean and dry. Under the hood was very very greasy. I see what you're referring to about the convertor located under the car, and may give that a try before fighting with the part under the hood that I was referring to as the convertor. my 77 has no converor so I dunno what part is what on the 80.

When I had recently gone to the junkyard I found a set of 16" wipers on a 1985 Chevy Cavalier that were just what I was looking for. They were in horrible shape with rubber all dry rotted and the wipers themselves covered in crud & dried moss. Well I put some carwash soap & hot water in my kitchen sink to soak them in & they cleaned up nicely. Now all I need is to find new rubber refills, and they will be ready to put on the car.

Car before new wipers

Seems to have been a worthwhile project!


Dwayne