Author Topic: New project... 1980 Runabout (Read 65397 times)

r4pinto · « **Reply #150 on:** August 19, 2015, 06:20:44 PM »

Here's the pic of the radio I was gonna install, and the radio I am gonna install. Both in the Pinto dash bezel

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #151 on:** August 20, 2015, 07:29:10 AM »

Looks good..

r4pinto · « **Reply #152 on:** August 20, 2015, 07:31:17 AM »

Thanks. I was gonna get the front end jacked up last night so I could unbolt the driveshaft and start demo but then realized I had only one jack stand at my house. Went to my dads and got a second. Car will be in the air soon and might go ahead and jack up the rear as well since I have four stands

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r4pinto · « **Reply #153 on:** September 19, 2015, 09:47:17 AM »

Haven't touched the car. Life has been kicking my butt, preventing me from even touching it. The car is covered in grime inside & out, doesn't run, and my clean floor pans aren't as clean as I originally thought, with the RR floor rusted away. One section rusted not as bad as the 77 with everything rusted. So tired of things not going my way. I really gotta clean this car out. Maybe that'll give me some motivation if it looked better & didn't have junk piled on the roof. Just once I wish things would go my way.

r4pinto · « **Reply #154 on:** October 03, 2015, 01:09:39 PM »

Going to get some insulation for the garage, and hang the cabinets I have. From there I will move the lawn mowers to my shed for the winter so I have room to work. Thank god for thick chain since it has no doors. I can then get the car off the wheels, and on all four jack stands so I can remove the driveshaft, tires, and go from there to pull the engine and transmission.

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #155 on:** October 04, 2015, 07:53:00 AM »

Quote from: r4pinto on September 19, 2015, 09:47:17 AM

So tired of things not going my way. I really gotta clean this car out. Maybe that'll give me some motivation if it looked better & didn't have junk piled on the roof. Just once I wish things would go my way.

Does that ever sound familiar..

r4pinto · « **Reply #156 on:** October 04, 2015, 09:31:39 PM »

Quote from: 74 PintoWagon on October 04, 2015, 07:53:00 AM

Does that ever sound familiar..

Well it looks a little better. I wiped down the windshield but then ran out of paper towels lol. It's got some overspray on it so I gotta get that cleaned off so it's better. Still, some progress better than none

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #157 on:** October 06, 2015, 08:20:28 AM »

Quote from: r4pinto on October 04, 2015, 09:31:39 PM

Still, some progress better than none

That's the way I look at it.

dga57 · « **Reply #158 on:** October 06, 2015, 06:39:32 PM »

Quote from: r4pinto on October 04, 2015, 09:31:39 PM

some progress better than none

Always!

Dwayne

r4pinto · « **Reply #159 on:** October 14, 2015, 05:59:18 PM »

Well it is better than no progress. I was looking at the grille and trying to figure how to attach it to the car. The bottom passenger tab on the grille was broken and the upper on the same side was broken on the headlight bucket with no center bracket which left only the left side of the grille supported. I bent an old shelf bracket for the center and made an extension for the upper passenger side. The grille now is supported ! Will take pics of the work later

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postalpony · « **Reply #160 on:** October 15, 2015, 12:11:24 PM »

Way to go Matt. Don't let the little things stop you. I like the way you solved your grill problems. This what I have done all my life, & It still works.
Good luck! Dick

r4pinto · « **Reply #161 on:** October 15, 2015, 12:22:00 PM »

Thanks Dick, I thought about it and figured why not try it. The car is far from perfect and it got the creative juices flowing. Best part is it used material I already had in the garage

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dga57 · « **Reply #162 on:** October 16, 2015, 01:50:46 AM »

Necessity is the mother of invention. Well done!

Dwayne

r4pinto · « **Reply #163 on:** October 16, 2015, 09:44:10 AM »

So I finally got some pics of the work. I ended up painting the brackets with some flat black paint and they came out ok. I also went ahead & hit the buckets with the flat black as well so they look a little better.

r4pinto · « **Reply #164 on:** October 16, 2015, 09:45:46 AM »

The brackets all painted & installed

r4pinto · « **Reply #165 on:** October 16, 2015, 09:51:12 AM »

Now I will say I DON'T like to make repairs to parts like I did to the headlight bucket, but right now cash is tight, and the cost to fix using the radio bracket was perfect. FREE!!! As for the center bracket, I don't know what the original was like but if I had bought the car I would have never known it wasn't original. Before I painted the center bracket I went ahead & filed down the sharp edges that were left from cutting the bracket. I had a piece of cardboard that I used as a template when the grille was mounted, and then transferred the bend to the shelf bracket using my dad's vice that I "borrowed". Overall I am very pleased with even the little task that was accomplished. The grille is far from perfect but it looks much better than the black grille with the chrome buckets, and I don't like the black look anyway.

r4pinto · « **Reply #166 on:** August 16, 2016, 11:37:50 AM »

The moment I have been both dreading and waiting for. This weekend I will be pulling the engine from the car and installing the one from the 77 this weekend. It's bitter sweet. I've owned the 77 sedan since 2006 and don't want to part with it but the car is unsafe at any speed. Cancer claimed her but she will live on through the 1980. I rebuilt the engine back in 2010 so it's strong. Only exception are the rings. Had great compression so I didn't. While the engine from the 1980 gets rebuilt I will run the car with the 77 engine. My dad and I are going to pull it Saturday. Next in line is the mess of wiring burned in the fire and brake inspection. It will also get the wheels and tires from the 77. Wheel covers are from a 1985 Ford Tempo. With any luck the car will run again very soon.

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dga57 · « **Reply #167 on:** August 16, 2016, 03:22:01 PM »

Quote from: r4pinto on August 16, 2016, 11:37:50 AM

The moment I have been both dreading and waiting for. This weekend I will be pulling the engine from the car and installing the one from the 77 this weekend. It's bitter sweet. I've owned the 77 sedan since 2006 and don't want to part with it but the car is unsafe at any speed. Cancer claimed her but she will live on through the 1980. I rebuilt the engine back in 2010 so it's strong. Only exception are the rings. Had great compression so I didn't. While the engine from the 1980 gets rebuilt I will run the car with the 77 engine. My dad and I are going to pull it Saturday. Next in line is the mess of wiring burned in the fire and brake inspection. It will also get the wheels and tires from the 77. Wheel covers are from a 1985 Ford Tempo. With any luck the car will run again very soon.

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Hope everything goes smoothly!!!

Dwayne

r4pinto · « **Reply #168 on:** August 17, 2016, 08:15:35 AM »

Thanks. I'm having issues with figuring out the wiring as I look at it since the wiring was destroyed in the fire. Parts were fixed in 2012 but I didn't complete it & now have a bad situation since my before fire pics don't show the harness. I don't know why on Earth Ford decided to make wiring changes in 1980 when they were killing off the car but they did. Tonight I'm going to my Dad's house to grab the rear main oil seal from my Dad's house, and will see if I can find the 1980 vacuum & electrical Pinto book. Too late to buy another one off ebay to get it here before the weekend. It's a shame I have a good running 77 but can't use the harness as a template but it is what it is. I will also get the car jacked up tonight & remove at least the front wheels. The rears are 14" rims from a Ford Tempo and don't want to come off. Those will be going on the 77 but only after I file the center hub of the wheel so they go on. that car will never see the road again so doesn't matter much.

r4pinto · « **Reply #169 on:** August 17, 2016, 08:34:47 PM »

Doesn't look too bad now that she isn't covered in junk. A bath will happen as soon as she runs.

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r4pinto · « **Reply #170 on:** August 18, 2016, 07:52:04 PM »

So I went ahead and jacked up the front of the car and got the old oil drained from the engine. Since the car had not had an oil change since I owned it the oil was real nasty. Who knows how long it was before then. While I was under the car I checked the rotors and found the RF wheel to barely turn. I unbolted the wheel and the bearing is almost completely seized. I also noticed the rotor itself is junk. The rotors on the 77 are in much better shape so they will be going on the 1980. I had already replaced the front bearings on the 77 back in 2010 so I know those bearings are good.

I also looked underneath and saw it has a little more rust than I recall but the car sat and appears to be solid. I will be sealing the floor eventually. I also found a nice surprise. I looked at the transmission and noticed the pan looked deeper than the 77's transmission. I counted the bolts. 11 instead of 13. Turns out the 80 has the C4 transmission instead of the C3 like the 77. I'm a happy camper with that find, even with finding the bad brake rotor, and locked up RF wheel

r4pinto · « **Reply #171 on:** August 21, 2016, 08:08:15 AM »

Another update. Engine is out. Gonna do a little cleanup on it before installing the engine. Did notice the car has blue paint inside the bell housing and outside as well. Not sure if that was oem or an indicator of a replaced transmission

r4pinto · « **Reply #172 on:** August 22, 2016, 01:13:43 PM »

Engine compartment is partially degreased. Wanted it to be safe since there was a lot of oil from the massive oil leak.

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r4pinto · « **Reply #173 on:** August 22, 2016, 01:15:37 PM »

Engine from the 77. I will be cleaning it up a bit, which will include fresh paint and new oil pan gasket and rear main seal.

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74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #174 on:** August 23, 2016, 07:27:44 AM »

Amazing what a bath will do, looks pretty good..

r4pinto · « **Reply #175 on:** August 23, 2016, 02:02:21 PM »

Thanks. I got some more scrubbing but it looks good for the most part. I'm glad since I was afraid I wouldn't be able to save any of it. I looked under the car last night & saw the fuel lines & brake lines are badly rusted so they will be changed before starting the car. The first time I run the car I want it to not have a leak. Right now it might. The 77 brake lines were redone in 2007 so I will use them. The fuel lines are in better shape so I might use them also. The sending unit also looks sad so I will change it out as well

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #176 on:** August 24, 2016, 07:52:14 AM »

I've seen a lot worse, you're coming right along keep up the good work..

r4pinto · « **Reply #177 on:** August 24, 2016, 03:39:36 PM »

Quote from: 74 PintoWagon on August 24, 2016, 07:52:14 AM

I've seen a lot worse, you're coming right along keep up the good work..

Thanks. The new motor mounts arrived today so those will be getting installed in the brackets tonight after I clean & paint them up. I might also clean the engine up some. Haven't decided on that yet or not. I also gotta check the threads in the bellhousing. My Dad reminded me the threads may have been stripped, as we found. removing the bolts

74 PintoWagon · « **Reply #178 on:** August 25, 2016, 07:25:57 AM »

May as well put inserts in all of them at one time and be done with it..

r4pinto · « **Reply #179 on:** August 25, 2016, 08:04:16 AM »

Quote from: 74 PintoWagon on August 25, 2016, 07:25:57 AM

May as well put inserts in all of them at one time and be done with it..

I plan to inspect the threads and do just that if they were stripped. My Dad & I have found that the previous owners of this car did some messed up stuff. The starter bolts were out by about 1/4", bellhousing bolts not tight possibly due to stripped threads on the bellhousing, rigged hatch seal, 14" wheels from a Tempo on the rear that had center bores smaller than the hubs- had to beat them off with a sledge hammer. Radio was wired funny when I removed it, holes drilled for various LEDs in the instrument cluster and wood insert above the glove box, messed up wiring under the hood before the fire. Good stuff. At least it's getting fixed right.

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Author Topic: New project... 1980 Runabout (Read 65397 times)