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Author Topic: Please offer ideas.  (Read 11135 times)

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Offline Drexx

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Please offer ideas.
« on: October 03, 2013, 08:32:41 AM »
So let me start by saying I love  Pintos, They are my favorite car. My father and  I built my first one at 15 and I have been in love with them every sense. This is my 5th Pinto to date some were street cars one was a drag car and all were 4 cylinder engines.
So I found this 1980 Pinto recently on Craigs list for 1500 I figured it was a good deal so I bought it. The paint is bad but I can't find any rust on the car other than minimal surface rust here and there. Future paint color is undecided right now but I am leaning toward white with some shelby blue stripes on it. Here are the specs on the car as I know them right now.

2.3 Engine (Stock with No oil Leaks)
4 Speed Trans (I don't like this trans because Reverse is next to 1st and it is way to easy to slip into reverse while going to 1st gear for this reason I am thinking of putting a good T5 in it)
1992 Ranger rear axle with a 3.73 gear.
Front Brakes have been upgraded to 11 inch disk brakes with 5 on 4.5 lug pattern.
14 inch wheels and tires.. (wheels are either weld or Crager. Not sure which brand.)
Steering wheel has been changed to a grant wheel and gauges have been put in the dash.
Headliner is in perfect shape
Exhaust is a combo of 2" to 2.5" with no Cat

I plan on changing the interior to black so I'm going to attempt a spray dye on the headliner. (It would be a shame to rip a perfectly good head liner out.)


Please feel free to offer  suggestions and ideas. I'll keep this thread updated as I do work to the car.





1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline jeremysdad

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2013, 10:01:03 AM »
Looks like a good starting point!

A serious question...did it come with bumpers? lol

Offline JoeBob

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2013, 10:27:22 AM »
I don't understand your shifting issue. In order to shift into reverse one must push down firmly, over and then forward. Perhaps your shifter is not working properly. Every pinto I have driven is the same.
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Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2013, 11:12:35 AM »
yeah it has stock bumpers they just aren't on right now. they are the ones with the flipper things on the end. I would like to put a solid aluminum bumper on i have to find out what year those came on. As for the shifter.. I will check that because it could be a bad shifter.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Fred Morgan

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2013, 12:19:09 PM »
77 and 78 had aluminum bumpers also Bobcat too.  Fred   :)
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Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2013, 01:49:57 PM »
Perfect.. Thanks again. Ill check with my local Pinto Graveyard to see what he has. I'm pretty sure he has some.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #6 on: October 10, 2013, 08:56:01 PM »
Update under the hood.. I had a chance over the past couple of days to start detailing under the hood and cleaning it up. Here are the pics. I'll post more as I make more progress.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2013, 08:49:46 AM »
Looks good.
Art
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Offline ETPinto

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #8 on: October 15, 2013, 09:50:16 PM »
Awesome nice score! Have fun dialing it in!

Offline dianne

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #9 on: October 15, 2013, 09:52:11 PM »
Looks Great!!!
Vehicles:

- 1972 Plymouth Duster (To be a Pro Street)
- 1973 Ford Pinto wagon (registered ride 195)
- 1976 Mustang II mini-stock
- 1978 Mustang King Cobra II
- 1979 Ford Pinto Runabout
- 1986 Chevy K5 Blazer
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Offline Stubby350

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #10 on: October 19, 2013, 01:09:47 PM »
Something to think about when you get to the bumpers. I has a 79 some years back that had the standard ft bumper valance below the ft bumper. I measured and found a mid eighties ft bumper spoiler off a Volvo Sedan (240 through 740, I believe, fits nicely under the stock 79 bumper and looks pretty good. Easy to install and durable-held up for many years on that car... You can probably find one at your local U-pick salvage or online... Good luck with your project.

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #11 on: October 20, 2013, 10:23:49 AM »
I've seen Ford Fairmont bumpers on several Pinto, and they fit very well.
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Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2013, 06:14:34 PM »
Ill  keep that in mind thanks.. that's a great idea ill look at the Volvo valance and the Fairmont bumpers.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2013, 06:22:44 PM »
Ok so I have been in the shop the past two days tinkering on the Beast. I also built myself a nice buffer for making thinks nice and shiny.  To start off I  built a new battery hold down that provides heater hose management. Then I polished up the alternator bracket and clear coated it. I also added a puke tank but haven't got completely plumbed in yet. Let me know what you think.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2013, 09:12:08 PM »
Looks good, kinda cool idea on the battery hold down, just gotta do something about that stud though. :D
Art
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Offline dave1987

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2013, 10:57:12 PM »
As per the shifter, the easy reverse issue is because the rubber spring under the boot has either deteriorated or slipped past the c clip that holds it down. Mine used to do the same thing. One way to fix it, is to put very tight zip tie in the top rib of the rubber spring so it no longer goes past the c clip. That or modify a mustang 2 shifter spring into the shifter so you never have to worry about it again.

Here is the thread I did up to explain the Mustang II and Pinto stock 4spd shifters and how I modified Pinto shifter into a Pinstang hybrid. :)

http://www.fordpinto.com/general-pinto-talk/mustang-ii-to-pinto-shifter-conversion-modification/msg72910/#msg72910
1978 Ford Pinto Sedan - Family owned since new

Remembering Jeff Fitcher with every drive in my 78 Sedan.

I am a Pinto Surgeon. Fixing problems and giving Pintos a chance to live again is more than a hobby, it's a passion!

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2013, 11:06:44 PM »
Yeah I will be changing the hold down rod on the battery that stud sticks up way to far. I'll do that in a few days probably.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2013, 11:13:42 PM »
I will pull the shifter and see if I can fix that issue, I figured it was an internal issue.. Thanks for the info.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #18 on: October 26, 2013, 12:13:37 PM »
As per the shifter, the easy reverse issue is because the rubber spring under the boot has either deteriorated or slipped past the c clip that holds it down. Mine used to do the same thing. One way to fix it, is to put very tight zip tie in the top rib of the rubber spring so it no longer goes past the c clip. That or modify a mustang 2 shifter spring into the shifter so you never have to worry about it again.

Here is the thread I did up to explain the Mustang II and Pinto stock 4spd shifters and how I modified Pinto shifter into a Pinstang hybrid. :)

http://www.fordpinto.com/general-pinto-talk/mustang-ii-to-pinto-shifter-conversion-modification/msg72910/#msg72910

Dave the article you sent me worked well.. My issue was the C clip and the rubber had slipped up however the guy that had it before me had apparently welded a turned back upper shifter shaft. So What I did was headed to the auto store found a good compression style  spring and cut it a quarter inch above the C clip grove. I then ground down the welded knuckle that had been added and opened the center of the washer up to fit over the knuckle. Next i cut a 1 inch pipe cap down to keep the spring from slipping out from under the washer then flattened the top of the PVC pipe cape so the washer would sit flat. Added an E clip and put it back in and it works like a charm. So this is my take on a modified Mustang 2 conversion.. Thanks again for the great Info. If this E clip gives me even the least amount of problem I will machine a two part collar to fit  around that area and or Tack weld it or use a grub screw to hold it in place.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline dave1987

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #19 on: October 27, 2013, 03:27:28 PM »
Looks like a good modification! I will have to try this out on a spare shifter I have lying around!
1978 Ford Pinto Sedan - Family owned since new

Remembering Jeff Fitcher with every drive in my 78 Sedan.

I am a Pinto Surgeon. Fixing problems and giving Pintos a chance to live again is more than a hobby, it's a passion!

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2013, 06:22:45 AM »
I should have my dash finished up in the next week or so. I'm waiting on a few parts but I will post new images later today sometime..
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #21 on: March 10, 2014, 06:06:27 AM »
Sorry it has taken so long to get more pics up. My wife has been sick so I have been per-occupied with her health recently. So I got some parts from Howard recently and have started working on the beast again. I got my Carpet in, The new valve cover stripped, polished, painted and installed and started doing my gauges. Here are some pics of the progress.

1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline amc49

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2014, 02:20:43 AM »
Even though the spinning sprockets look neat, I can attest to the fact that if you run bare with no front cover long enough the sprockets will gradually erode their sharp corners that retain belt teeth. The dust and dirt do it, like throwing sand in the belt path. Cam belts and sprockets don't like that. And when I did it I was always thinking, what if some day going say on gravel drive and you spit up a small amount of rock into the crank pulley? You could easily be walking home in a few seconds. I had impact cuts inside my belt after removing it after no cover running for a while. The sprockets had to be replaced, they SHOULD last forever with a cover over them. Then there's always the crank snout seal, they don't live half as long when exposed to lots of dirt.

I ran with no cover for a solid two years or so, but not wise. The belt erodes quite a bit more. Of course, the flip-flop is that I could change a belt with no cover like that in maybe five minutes, LOL.

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #23 on: March 11, 2014, 07:57:00 AM »
First time I took mine off I was thinking there should be a way to make a 2 piece aluminum cover that would be quick removal..
Art
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Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2014, 12:38:42 PM »
Ok so i was able to find white face gauge kits for the early models but not for the older models. So, i created my own white face gauges. I created a template in Photoshop of the gauge layout the glued thin sheets of sheet styrene plastic to the old gauge face. I then took my gauge layout that i created and printed it off on water slide decal paper like you would use on a model car and applied it to the gauges face. after that I sprayed it with clear coat and added Blue LED lights to the top.. Here is the final product.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #25 on: March 14, 2014, 12:57:18 PM »
Looks great. 8)
Art
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Offline Drexx

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #26 on: March 14, 2014, 07:44:17 PM »
Here the gauges are at night.
1980 Pinto Runabout

Offline ellis

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #27 on: August 13, 2014, 08:49:26 PM »
So its been a while but i have made some progress on the old pinto. I have done a good bit of work on the inside and built a custom console and put seats out of an Integra in it.


Offline ellis

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #28 on: August 13, 2014, 08:53:04 PM »
Here is a look at the new front spoiler i built out of an old file cabinet. Let me know what you think?



Offline dennisofaz

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Re: Please offer ideas.
« Reply #29 on: August 13, 2014, 09:07:16 PM »
That is a good looking air dam, great job!