This pinto started out lif as a cruising wagon powered by a 2.3L 4 cyl. backed by a C3 Automatic trans..Little is know about it until it was given to my uncle in 1989. He yank the 4 banger out and slipped in a 351W with a FMX trans and got it logged. After tha he shut the hood and walked away and went on to other pojects. A few years passed and I needed a car Because the Front sub frame rusted out on my 77Mustang II. My uncle told me that If I could get the engine and tranny out of the pinto then I could have the body....... And the journey began.
In the spring of 93 I pulled the engine and tranny loose in pieces, the engine out firstthen the torque converter, unbolted the bell housing from the trans and pulled the bell out from the top and the trans from the bottom. Rolled the Pinto beside the Mustang and started swapping parts. 302 with 4 barrel holley and the rad4 4-speed manual trans was first. Followed by the 8" rear end with 3.00:1 gear ratio. Pedals, shifter, clutch cable were next. Then the beginning of my young and dumd screw ups by cutting the radiator suport top and bottom to fit the mustang II rad. in front of the suport and did not reconnect the suport. Hooked up the exhaust, mounted the aluminum ET slots (Fats and skiny 13's) and down the road I went.
Drove the car the rest of the summer bought another car for the winter and parked the pinto. Had the big idea that I would change out the rear end to 5 lug and put bigger wheels and tires on to help with the traction Issues I was having. So in with a Maverick 8" rear endand a set of American Racing outlaw II 15 X 10 steel wheels and a set of Mickey Thompson N50 Indy profile tires Air shocks and adjustable shackles. The traction issue was pretty much taken care of with the stock engine. I won afew races and lose a buch the stock engine just wasn't enough... So then came the engine buildI sold the 302 and 4-speed to help fund the project and then realized how much it was going to cost. The build took 4 years to complete ( I got married and devorced in that time spread and the wife hated this car) but the final out come was a '71 351W, '69 Heads, Com Cam, Hooker headers, Offenhauser high rise intake, and C4 tranny with shift kit and Saturday night special converter.
After installing the engine and tranny this time,I took my buddy for a ride, he hounded me to trade for his 87 mustang GT and 83 convertible LX and unfounatly I did. He pulled the engine and tranny and put put them in his 90 Mustang and was running in the high 7's in 1/8th on street tires.
In 2005 I ran into him again and he told me he never did any thing with the body and I could have it back if I wanted it. So I went and got it and the front sheet metal was gone frame rails were bent (I guess he wrecked it before he pulled the drivetrain)and interior was pretty much gone.
Now it's 2008 and time to bring it back too life
The following are pics of the donor car and the cruzeras we bring it back to life, beginning with the parts car.
Here's an update it's now DEC. 8th 2008 Pulled the car to my buddies work (Slightly headed) garage. 32 deg's outside 50 deg's inside. We installed the engine and trans. got a little better pictures of the body workI'm trying to do / repair.
