Wilma, the 79 Pinto...

[reiRei]

So, I'm not going to lie.. I'm a little afraid of going out on a limb here to post a build thread... because:

a) It isn't a honda

and b) it's an old ford.

but, since I've started my Pinto Project, I've been having some fun, and I think it'll be something neat to show off and chronicle as we (husband and I) go through the paces.



This is Wilma, I bought her off of a very nice and chatty man in Enderby, BC.. who said she was in Classic Car condition and took very good care of her.

The paint was very faded, but the interior is immaculate, and the engine isn't going to matter in the next few months.

Did a bit of clay barring and polishing on the paint, and got the car decent enough to show off at a show this past weekend




(Flame-suit on)
Now, here's the question everyone's going to ask:
Doesn't the Pinto explode? Isn't it dangerous? Why the eff would you buy a Pinto?

so.. here we go:

1) Doesn't the Pinto Explode?

The Exploding Pinto was more of an urban legend as far as anything else, most documented cases were extreme situations that would cause the car to explode. The model that I have as it is a 79, has the re-called fuel tank with a protective rubber blanket to prevent any type of "Explodey" situations.

2) Isn't it dangerous?

A Pinto is no more dangerous than any car from that era.

3) Why the eff would you buy a Pinto?

I had the same thought when I first bought the car, but the more I work on it and the more I cruise around in it, I feel like this car is exactly what I was looking for. It's lighter than a Miata, under $2000 dollars, Rear wheel drive, and very... very unique. It's not everyday that a guy in a big muscle car will roll up next to you and say "Holy crap, is that a Pinto?"

The more and more I learn about the car, the more I find out that many people have a connection with the Pinto, and I can't help but enjoy seeing the smiles on people's faces when they see the car and have a fond memory of a first car, or a parents car.. and that really cements the project for me.

... anyways.

tl;dr: This car will be fun, unique and not explode (hopefully!)

Current Plans:
- a Ford 2.3 Turbo engine from a Thunderbird is en route (should be here wednesday)
- A heftier C4 Automatic Transmission
- As well as a bigger rear end to handle more power
- Cragar Wheels are also en route, 4 for the car and 2 for a custom teardrop trailer to be built to match the car.

Thanks for reading my massive post lol!

[OU812]

x2

Good for you doing something original and unique.

Cant wait to see what it becomes

[Abeo]

For a second I thought this was the orange pinto that put down some crazy numbers at the dyno day... what are the chances of two orange turbo pintos in town?

Looks like a clean car to start with

[gretz]

When you figure out a name for it, i'll do you up a couple emblems if you'd like (donation for a fun / different project)... I need to see progress though lol...

[reiRei]

Thanks for the response guys

Abeo - Unless I travel to Calgary, there won't be 2 orange turbo Pintos in town

Gretz - I'll keep you posted on the progress. She has a name already, her name is Wilma (named after Wilma Flintstone, and because my other car's name is Betty)

[gretz]

Originally posted by reiRei
Thanks for the response guys

Abeo - Unless I travel to Calgary, there won't be 2 orange turbo Pintos in town

Gretz - I'll keep you posted on the progress. She has a name already, her name is Wilma (named after Wilma Flintstone, and because my other car's name is Betty)

lol... love the name > if you think of something creative for an emblem/logo for her, let me know...

[masoncgy]

That is awesome! What a great find!

I have always had a thing for the Pinto coupes. They are such a cool looking little car.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Very cool! What axle were you thinking of upgrading to? An 8.8" from a '90-'92 4.0 Ranger should be quite close to the width of the stock Pinto axle, assuming the Pinto's is the same as Mustang II's of a comparable year. The 8.8 should be able to handle anything the 2.3 can throw at it, provided you're not making ridiculous power.

[morpheus256]

What we're ideally looking for is a 8" rear end out of a Pinto, Mercury bobcat, or a Mustang II.

The 8" rear's are strong enough for what we're planning on doing to the car, and they're a direct bolt on. It also allows us to keep the same bolt pattern (4x108) as what we have upfront.

[kvg]

my friend used to have a 351 pinto. cool car

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by morpheus256
What we're ideally looking for is a 8" rear end out of a Pinto, Mercury bobcat, or a Mustang II.

The 8" rear's are strong enough for what we're planning on doing to the car, and they're a direct bolt on. It also allows us to keep the same bolt pattern (4x108) as what we have upfront.

Fair enough! The 8" should be a solid upgrade from the 6 3/4". Keep an eye on the online inventory for the Kelowna Pick 'n' Pull, they usually have a decent number of oldish Mustangs kicking around.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Sweet! Unique build!

[revelations]

Very original.

PS. "Wilma" was the most powerful Atlantic Hurricane on record... haha

[DonJuan]

2.3 Turbo? 302 that at least! Neat car

[reiRei]

Originally posted by DonJuan
2.3 Turbo? 302 that at least! Neat car

Yep, a 2.3L Turbo right out of a Thunderbird. It's more along the lines of what the car is, I've seen the Pintos with the big block swaps, and they're cool.. but I want something that will still be able to handle corners like a go-kart.

With the added weight of a bigger engine, it loads the suspension differently than an engine of an equivalent size. I don't really want to mess with the handling of the car, especially because we have such fun corners to go around in Kelowna

...also, gas isn't cheap (but I'd still have to put premium in the tank with the 2.3 turbo)

[reiRei]

Just a bit of an update!

Got a surprise the other week from my husband, he found a pinto sport steering wheel on ebay.

(sorry about the cell phone pic )

A few weeks ago we managed to fit this in the trunk of my lancer...




the rear end from a Mustang 2 (straight out of Lethbridge) is now sitting in my car port


and then, on the long weekend, we picked up a package from across the border...


1, 2, 3.....

4, 5, 6, 7... Cragar SS rims

.. and then today, I found this on my driveway..


We plan on taking the ThunderChicken apart, parting out the engine to the Pinto and the rear axle to my Husband's mustang project... I'm sure there are other compatible parts, but ultimately the shell will end up at Pick N' Pull..

[D'z Nutz]

That's freakin awesome. Keep the updates coming!

[ianmcc]

Send me a PM once you start parting out the T Bird-interested in the front brake calipers plus some other parts.

[reiRei]

Originally posted by ianmcc
Send me a PM once you start parting out the T Bird-interested in the front brake calipers plus some other parts.

Sounds good, I will let you know for sure

[95teetee]

Originally posted by kvg
my friend used to have a 351 pinto. cool car

weird- I almost built a 351C Pinto back in the '80s. Had the car, the motor, the plan to move the firewall back a foot or so and turn it into a two-seater...just no way to actually do it.


oh, and reiRei-