Boy, it's been a while, but I've seen some sites dedicated to hopping up Pintos; I'll hunt them up. I know I'd love one as a sleeper, and I've heard it said it's a weekend swap to get a Mustang SVO or T-Bird Turbo Coupe 2.3 Turbo in there...I'd love to see the look on some smug BMW driver's face when I whip them IN A PINTO

EDIT: This isn't the site I was originally thinking of, but it might be a good place to start http://www.fordpinto.com/smf/index.php

 

That would be a good idea, a mustang svo turbo motor in a pinto, that would help keep it light and wouldn't be so nose heavy, you could autocross it, bet it would be an awesome canyon carver.

 

We had one about 15 years ago. I can't believe my wife blew it up in the driveway. With the V6 it had it was a fun hatchback to drive.

 

I remember a couple of Pinto's from my youth. I tend to think that the Pinto was a pretty good car that simply got some real bad press. In high school, a pal of mine had a 4 cylinder automatic beater Pinto. He found some 14 inch wheels and mounted snow tires all the way around on it to drive to school and work in the winter time. That thing could follow my '77 F250 4x4 through all but the deepest mud and ruts to get to pretty much anywhere. We got stuck once, and ended up getting it out by having three guys on each side simply picking it up and carrying it out of the mudhole that turned out to be deeper than he thought. He ended up keeping that car for around seven or eight years, driving it around 50 miles per day to work, until it finally rusted away from him. I'm guessing it had probably 300K miles on it by then, since it had like 150K on the odometer when he got it. Nothing mechanical was wrong with it... he had to give it up when the floor pan rusted and the seat mounts gave way underneath him!

The other one was a full-on street/strip hot rod that cruised around the county seat on weekends. It had a blown 302, Hurst 4 speed, full roll cage, big and little tires, metallic paint job... everything except a parachute. The guy who built it used to bring it to town on a trailer before cruising the local square with it. (He claimed that with the 5 gallon fuel cell it had, the thing would run outta gas before he got there from his house). I remember seeing it on our "boondocks" drag strip (read that as "an asphalt county road that had a long straight run and good visibility in case the law showed up") when the guy lit the tires up and ran it against the local Chevy racer, who had a blown small-block Nova. Ended up beating him by about 2 car lengths. I always liked the looks of it. It actually looked like a Hot Wheels car.

 

I drove a friend's Pinto with a manual in the 70's. Not bad for a small car. It was fun, economical and held up well to abuse. Sometime in the early 80's after they were noted for exploding too easily from getting hit in the rear no one wanted them anymore. Maybe that's why they stopped making them. Shortly later the Audi's were getting a bad rap for unintended acceleration and the joke of the day was: You know your having a bad day when you pull up to the toll booth and there's a Pinto in front of you and an Audi behind you.

 

I've probably mentioned it on these boards before, but I still chuckle everytime I remember one that used to run around Manhattan, KS when I lived there. I believe it was a hatchback model, white, with red flames painted on it. The flames came from the back of the car and went forward.

 

I had two that I am trying to forget.

 

smiggs, those tires would require relocating the drivers seat to the middle of the car, and the passenger riding behind. i can only imagine pulling well over 1g of lateral acceleration that much race rubber would have to be good for 1.5g. you would get out of that car permanently cross eyed. Okay i am in, i'll help with the build if somebody else owns it and funds it. i rtemember a feature in hot rod a number of years ago, the guy had a small bumpered pinto with a turbo coupe 2.3 that has seriously worked. it was a ten second car on these tiny little slicks. guys with hot rod pintos aint wired right, where can i join the club.

 

well i been getting a lot of sh"" over my pinto. mostly from my freinds who have rice wings and fart cans.

what should i do 2 the pinto?

1. build the 2.3 that have some of the parts
2. 2.3 turbo buy and build
3. 289 buy and build
4. 302 buy and build
5. 351c buy and build

1. auto
2. 5 speed

 

Passenger? We don't need no stinking passenger! I never even thought of the SVO 2.3L option......naaa screw it, I want a screamin V8! Now all I need is the money, parts, and oh yes the Pinto. ( a Bobcat would work also ).

Once that happens Duster, you're in. Hope you like cold beer!

 

All of the above! It's always nice to have options!

 

5 + 1 + Supercharger = add a little nitrous for the oh ____

 

Well, I had several Pinto's over the years. The best I had was a 1976 with the following.

2.3 no emissions
60 over flat top pistons butterflyed for over sizes valves
Shorter lash ajusters
Roller followers
increased lift cam
Head and blocked decked X/1000 (can't remember how much) each
4bbl carb (rejetted)
5 speed trans

I pushed about 185-200 HP and turned 6500 rpm at every shift
Off the line saw 8000 alot!

I loved the pinto very much. I drove the car like I stole it every day. Yes it broke, but it was easy and cheap to fix. I have had many vehicles after that and each has cost more to keep and was pamppered compaired to the Pinto.

I have thought of finding one and rebuilding it!

Best of fun with your!

Rod

 

You`re getting some slack from ''friends'' who have rice wings and fart cans?
I would take another Pinto over any ricer, I had 3 of them and still miss these neat little cars.

 

here are some pic. of the pinto.

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...ndID=148822091