Vipers on Track

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:
Vipers on Track
R
Speed World
Challenge Car
I esPe k·
Hill Climb Coverage
Volume 20 • Number 7
November 2003
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The Pinto Was the
Blue Oval's Under­
rated Challenger in
the Conlpact Banles
of the Earlv 1910s
T
he Ford Pinro has bee n put down and
mocked (sometim es deserved ly so)
plenry of ri mes. Mocked and vilified
in its da y, the lowly Pinro broke new ground
at Ford and proved ro be a better ca r than mosr
remember. If yo u're expecting explosion jokes,
this Story wi ll disappoinr you. Now ir's time ro
ralk about the many good poinrs of Ford's first
answe r ro VW, Toyota, Honda and Datsun.
Yes, the Pimo has good points, and quite a
few of them: a bulletprooF overhead-cam engine,
optional disc brakes, nin1ble rack-and -pin ion steer­
ing and srrong, light construction For starte rs.
These qua lities add up ro a car that handily
outclassed and outso ld its dom estic com peti­
tion and conrrib uted ro some of Ford's best
sales years. I n addition, its low weight and
easi ly modified engine provided surprising
abi liti es on the track.
Ford's Import Fighter
The order For the ca r that became the Pimo
came first from Lee lacocca. When ir came to
small cars, lacocca saw the handwriring on the
wall ea rl y. Between 1962 and 1968, th e sales
of imported cars in the U. S. doubled, Fueled
photo
(ourt~e~_~~
SY ford
_ __ _ _ _ _ _
--~---~--~-------~,
his sma ll er ,
record time
about two 1
September;
and COSt $ [ '
Two Enl
BRA E
LU
ICATION
There are two basic disc brake pad
designs, non-shimmed and shimmed
pads. Each pad type requires a dif­
ferent chemical application to
reduce noises, ensure pl'Oper per­
formance and minimize the risk of
comebacks.
Non-Shimmed pads require the
use of traditional Di c Brake
Quiet1'M (DBQ). available from Re
in polymer compound and aerosol
form. Simply apply the DBQ to the
back of the pads, let dry for 5-10
minutes and install pads.
Shimmed pads require the use of
e Re's Synthetic Caliper Grease
(SCG). Apply SCG to all contact
points on the back of the pads, all
caliper metal-to-metal contact
points and mounting hardware.
RC's SCG is a high-temp synthet­
ic grea -e that does not contain
petroleum or silicone bases. It will
not damage plastic or rubb T com­
ponents, burn up or washout, like
silicone-based greases can.
Drum brak es also r quire lubrica­
tion on all shoe landings, metal-to­
metal contact points and hardware.
Again, CRe's Synthetic Caliper
Grease is ideal in this application
because of its high temperature
and long lasting properties.
CRC' SCG should be used with
every di c and drum brake job
performed. Additionally eRC's
Brakleen®, Disc Brake Quiet and
Synthetic Caliper Grease gener­
ate add-on sales with all brake
parts sold.
eRe Industries, Inc.
885 Louis Dr.
Warm..inster, FA 18974
www.crcindustries.com
800.272.8963
Grassroots Motorsports
102
Many people associate Lee lacocca (left)
with the Ford Mustang, but the Pinto
was also his baby. He saw Ford's need
for an inexpensive, fuel-efficient car to
hold off the imports.
order for
the car that
became the
Pinto came
first from Lee
lacocca. When
it came to small
cars, lacocca
saw the hand­
writing on the
wall early."
~~The
mainly by the
Vol kswagen Beetle and steadily
growing numbets ofToyotas and Datsuns.
laco cca insisted chat Ford wou ld need co
expand its ptesence in the sma ll- car marker.
He proposed an all- new subcompact, smallet
than the M averick a nd priced ro co mpeee w ieh
Toyoea, Datsun and VW.
I n add ieion to offe ring a domestic aleerna­
ti ve CO the im pores, the new car w ould help
Fo rd meet the gover nm en t fuel- eco nomy
stan datd s looming on the ho rizon . A ll thi s
h a rdly sounds lik e the genesis of a decent
SpOrts car, but bear with us .
In reerospec t, ehe plan co produce a smal l and
more affordable car so unds like a no-braine r, but
if Henry Ford II had gocren his way, the Pinto
never wou ld h ave ha ppened. Mr. Ford simp ly
wasn' t intereseed in small ca rs and saw no reason
fo r his compa ny co sell them. Case in point:
While the sales of smal l, fu el-efficient imports
ba llooned co more than a m illion by 1969, the
once-sve lee Museang had eurned into a big,
heavy boulevard cruise r. Th e res t of the Ford
lineup grew similarly. Obviou sly, fuel econo m y
was th e last thing on the corporate mind.
lacocca persisted , though, and in the end his
scubbo rn reso lve won ou t. The Pinto received
th e go -ah ead, wi th some c hallenging objectives.
The new car had to be a true subcompact in
size and weight, yet wieh a mo re comforta ble
interior and ride th an the spa rtan comp eei tion.
It had co be inexpens ive co buy, own and dri ve,
so fuel economy and re lia bility were paramount.
lacocca wanted a car chat weighed less tha n 2000
pounds and would cose less than $2000. Consid­
e ring the cars co ming out of Dearborn in 1970,
ie seemed like an impossible dream.
T ypicall y, in a car's journey from d rawing
bo ard to sn eet, everyth ing goes a ll wro ng.
Goals are co mpro mised, obj ecrives are ch anged
to mee t financial demands, and ultim a tely a
no ble project is all but ruined by th e bean­
co unte rs and n aysayers.
This d idn't happen with the Pinto. In fac t,
thanks to ex te nsive use of pa rts -b in compo­
n e nts from ehe U.S. and Euro pe, Iacocca got
Two diff
initi ally ava
displacemcn
The 1. 6 wa.
Cortina pOl
the famou s
goo d for ab
t h a nks to i'
ca tb . Reliabi
had been an
been worke.
was seriousl
Th at's pr
with the Ge
This four- b,
Ford Capri.
engi ne for rI
omycar.Ac
cross Aow he
intake and I
ing. As For,
engine) it "
po rts were r
bolt-on desi
ea rly OHC
and a cast c
2.0-liter Pin
freeway mar
A Weber
eq uipm ent.
liter SOH C
rpm and t:
which was
Consi d er rI
h eavier Iv! (
horsepown
an 11.4-sea
Pinto whilt
reaching 80
Two trat
taken from
m anual was
V6-equippe
C4 three-spl
Ameri can <;
than capable
and mod est
stick was ar
was standar
Rack-a
The Pin
A nimble I
borrowed f
U.S.-built ,
eeste rs fou o
although ic
qu alities of
Buile to
Pimo was
considerec
suspen sion
unequal-leT
to the low
O ut bad
mencw;tS II
and no ami·
seeel wheels
his smaller, smarrer, berter subcompact in
record time, with development only taking
about two years. The Pinto went on sale in
September of 1970. It weighed 1949 pounds
and cost $1919. Amazing.
Torsen D@ren~ials, 6­
Speed Transnzissions, Big Brake
Kiu
Two Engines Available Two different four-cylinder engines were
initially available, either I.G or 2.0 liters in
displacement, with both sourced from Europe.
The I.G was based on the British Anglia and
Cortina powerplants. Although it saw duty in
the famous Lorus-Conina, the I.G was on ly
good for about 75 horsepower in Pinto trim
thanks to its aging design and single-barre l
carbo Reliability wasn't a problem, as the e ngi ne
had been around since 19GG and the kinks had
been worked our. Power, on th e other hand,
was seriously lacking.
That's probably w h)' most Pinros were so ld
with the German-built overhead-cam 2.0 liter.
This four-banger also saw use in the German
Ford Capri. It was a surprisin gly sop histi ca ted
engine for rh e rim e, especially for a lowly econ­
omy car. A cast-iron block was mated ro an iron
cross Aow head featuring big valves ( I. G5-inch
intake and lA 2- inch exhaust) for good breath­
ing. As Ford's first production overhead-cam
engine, it was built for durability. Cam sup­
pons were parr of th e head cas ting, unlike the
bolt-on design used by General Morors for its
ea rl y OHC engines. The engine used steel rods
and a cas t crank wi th five main bearings. The
2.0-liter PintO also had a shon stroke for better
freeway manners.
A Weber 285 cfm carburetor was standard
equipment. With 9.0: I compression, the 2.0­
liter SOHC put out 100 horsepower at 5GOO
rpm and 120 Ib.-fr. of torque at 3GOO rpm,
which was plenty for the diminutive Pinto.
Consider this comparison: The 220-pound­
heavier MGB GT made do with five fewer
horsepower (at best). Road & Track recorded
an I lA-second zeto-tO-GO run in a 2.0-equipped
PintO while noting that the 1.G had trouble
reaching 80 mph.
Two transmissions were offered, both also
taken from Ford's pans bins. The four-speed
manual was anorher German unit, designed for
VG -equipped cars ovcrs('as, while the optional
C4 three-speed autOmatic was one used on larger
American cars. Both transmissions were more
than capable ofhandling the Pinto's light weight
and modest horsepower demands, although the
stick was arg uably more fun. A 3.55: I rear end
was standard equipment.
PHDTE6E: A ll years including
Pro~ege5.
1.5, 1.8, 2.0 engines and
I:rans~issions~
5 lug conversions~
Su..pension and Body par~s.
Since 1980 Large
selec~ion
ofMillenia Engine,
Larges~ selec~ion, rnos~ knoUlledg­
Transnzission and Body Par~s.
able -<raffand ~he absolu~e leader in ~he Mazda used paru field. 4917 Nezu
Peachrree Road
Adan~a, GA
30341
ZDDIII ZDDHII
1-800.221.5156
Rack-and-Pinion Surprise
The Pinto suspens ion also held surprises.
A nimble rack-and -pinion stcering unit was
borrowed from the Capri, making it the only
U.S .-built car so equipped at the time . Road
testers found the Pinto to be a dece nt handler,
al though it lacked some of the "fun to drive"
qualities of the imports.
Built to mainsrream American tastes, the
Pinto was a bit tOO soft in stock trim to be
considered a seriou s spores car. The front
suspension was independ ent and consisted of
unequal-length arms. The springs were mounted
to the lower arms.
Out back, a conventional leaf spri ng arrange­
ment was used , with a live axle, staggered shocks
and no anti-roll b3.!s. The Pinto rode on 13x4-inch
steel wheels, while slightly wider five-inch wheels
Grassroots Motorsports
103
harchback called me Runabou r added 38 cubic feer
of cargo space and joined rhe lineup midyear.
The New Model T
Shordy afrer its 1970 imrodu crion, Henry
Ford II was quored as saying rhe Pinto was rhe
"new Model T' rhanks to irs simple construcrion
and reli ability, which may have been overstating
rhe case jus r a li[[1e bir. Bur ir is rrue rhar the
Pimo was a good deal simpler than rhe common
car ar rhe ti me, having about 1700 parts as com­
pared to rhe average of more rh an 2000.
Fres h ou t of th e box, rhe Pin to proved very
popular, wirh Ford selling its firsr 100,000 copi es
in a lirde more rhan 100 days. Even an early recall
for engine fires (caused by a badly design ed air
cleaner, which cou ld collecr gas vapors) didn 'r
dem rhi s popul arity.
Jr's nor hard ro see why rhe Pimo racked up
sales reco rds at rhe starr. Ir compered wirh rhe VW
Beede, Chevroler Vega, AMC Gremlin , Darsun
1200, T oyora CoroJla and Opel Kaden. Aga insr
this grou p, the Pimo was mu ch more civilized
chan mosr of me imports, and was eve n consid ered
Whether dressed up
in sporty mags or
plain hubcaps, the
Pinto had some cool
features, including
a sizable interior,
choice of available
engines (the 2.0­
liter four is shown)
and independent
front suspension.
The Pinto engines
became wildly pop­
ular in motorsports,
while the front
suspension can be
found grafted to
many hotrods and
kit cars.
To ng can I
a V8hicle s
lubricalion ~
sho~e n a '.1
slra nded. 11
developed 10
overhealing
heat related
THfNf
Call
I
for a To
kits mi
therml
impact
paintin
were available as an oprion. Also oprional were from disc brake"
whose 9.3-inch rorors made a world ofdifference over rh e nine­
inch drums rhar were sCJndard. Road eft" Track reporred "neurral"
handling and praised rh e disc brakes, which made rhe Pimo
considerably more drivable.
ro rd's smallest producr ro date came wrapped in an all-new
unibody. Th e Pinro was a long-nosed, fastback coupe with a
1970s space-pod look that managed ro be cute wirhout being
as awl0"vard or outre as simil ar atrempts from AMC.
The Pinto was longer, lower and wide r rhan rh e Corolla
an d Beede, but its 94-inch wheelb ase and \63-in ch overall
len!,;rh were hardly rh e sruff of the average Yank Tank. To
keep rh e weighr down, rhe Pimo fearured a one- piece "halo"
roof cons rru ction wi rh srrong supporrs around rhe sides and
a thinner rop panel. It improved headroom, roo.
Simplicity was emphasizcd. Publicity comesrs showed how
e l.lY ir was to perform romine mainrenance, as well as di:;assemble
and reassemble Pinro components. Road & Track cal led rhe Pimo
"rord's besr design since rhe 1961 Cominemal-bom handsome
and rational." Plus, ir looked cool with the oprional roof rack. A
Grassroots Motorsports
104
install!
3M'" i
(most
plusher rh an the Vega, which was more expensive and imended
to compete wirh the larger Mave ri ck anyway. Comparisons ro
the Vega also showed thar rhe Pinro's SOHC engine was qui­
erer rhan Chevy's aluminum-block engine, plus less expensive
and more rei iable. The base-model 1600 gor good marks for
besting the Vega's fuel economy and reli abiliry.
The Pinto boos red Ford's sales to rh eir highesr level
since [h e Musrang's second year. Tn \ 97 L Pinto produc­
rion ropp ed 352,000; ir wou ld conrinu e ro rise for rh e
nexr roree years .
A handsom e f\vo-door wagon was added to the lineup in
1972. Ten inches longer th an rh e coupes, rhis Pimo wago n
could swallow 60.5 cubi c feer of sruff and had a 900-pound
ca rgo ca pacity. The 2.0-lirer engine and disc brakes were
srand ard on rh e wagons, and they quickly became famili ar
sighrs in rhe suburbs. A woodie Squire model also joined
Ford 's larger wagons in rhe showroom. (Coll ectors will nore
(har there were a few woodie co upes as well. ) Run about and
ships I
yours
Potent Pinto
wagon models outsold h
the Pinto 's life cycle.
t e Coupes for the rest of
Longrime GRM readets may have seen Brian Walsh's 1971 Pinto beFore , as ir has
been around rhe block- and rrack-a Few rimes. This car has been a racer since day one,
participating in the IMSA Baby Grand Series From 1971 ro '73 with Brian 's dad, Jerry
Walsh , at the wheel. In 1973 the car was sold to Lee Wiese, who ran it until 1990, when
Brian broughr ir back intO the Family.
Brian has been running it at SCCA Regional and SVRA vintage events ever since, and the
Walsh PintO is still pretty much as it was when it was swapping paint wirh Gremlins and
Vegas back in the early 1970s. AFre r running a 2.3-lirer engine for a while and compering
in rhe GT3 class ar SCCA events until rubeFrame cars outclassed ir, the Pinto now has a 2.0
back under the hood, making ir legal For F Producrion.
Going to less displacement doesn't mean less perFormance. The 2.0 has an Isky 505b
camshaFt, Ferrea oversized valves and Aatrop Wiseco pisrons with Total Seal rings. Crower
Sporrsman rods are srock length, and the crank is also srock. There's a Kenr Cams adjustable
cam sprocket, along with a Four-inch crank pulley From Racer Walsh. The head has been
ported and polish ed by Paul Bond.
Fuel is mixed by a pait of 45 DCOE side-draft Webers and a TWM intake maniFold. Down
below, a seven-quart oil pan From C-Line improves cooling, as does the Griffin radiaror. Walsh
has updated rhe electronics as well, with MSD plug wires, coil and an MSD 6AL ignirion.
Even though the Pinro has been a racer all oFirs liFe, the chassis contains a surprising number
of srock Ford partS. The eight-inch rear is a direcr bolt-in From a Mustang rr. Brian says that
both eighr-inch and nine-inch Ford rears can be swapped in, with a variety of inrerchangeable
ratios available. The Pinro's original 6 3/4-inch rear en d is not as adaptable.
Brian 's car uses ea rly Pinro disc brakes and calipers in the Front, and thanks ro its relarively
light weighr, he has no rrouble wirh Fading. Pinro wagon drums have been ins railed in rhe rear
because they're wider than the coupe's drums and are finned For bener cooling.
The chrome-moly roll cage stiFFens the car enough that Few suspension modifications are
necessary. Brian doesn't run a rear anti-roll bar. A one-inch Front bar and urethane bushings
are rhe only modificarions above srock. The PintO has 700 Ibs.lin. coils in the Front and srock
leaves in rhe rear. With 13x7-inch wheels, the Pinro is serio usly over-tired For irs one-ron
weight, so grip is never a problem.
A 22-gal lon Fuel cell is original 1970s-vintage race equipment. The hardesr part abour
running rhe PintO is finding body parts , Brian says , so he has a co llec tion of donor cars
in rhe garage.
Brian compares the handling ro thar of an AlFa GTV. Both cars handle "like overgrown go­
kam-rhey go where yo u point 'e m," he says. The Pinto's indestructible engine and "rocker
box" transmission serve it well on rhe vintage circuit, where it can outlast the comperirion
that it can't ourrun.
Smog EDters the Picture
fn 1973 ncw cr,\·1
d'
b "
"
. ,S I test an emissions standard,
e"an ro take rhel[ roll on the US
' d
.
and I'k
I
.. auto In ustr}'
.
'
'1, PI e Ot ler .small cars ' the I'l'ntosu firrere d might
I}. OWer ratlllgs For the 2.0-liter SOHC
.­
dropped from 10() h .
" engllle
orsepower to 86 in 1973
h
tanks
to lowered c o m '
,
sions r c '
pression ro meet emis­
gu/atlOns. The unpopular I 6 , .
·
d Isappeared in 1'}73'b
. engllle
hav~ b
b
.
,POSSI Iy because it would
, cen a our as p
• fi I
I
the tim' F d
. ower u as a awnrnower by
· c or gor It smogged.
In /[s place a d ' II
liter SO ~ ,' . omestlca y rnanuf.1Crured 2.3­
I
HCenglllC]olned the2.0in 1974 It .'
tha n rhe 2.0 and fiue/ .
. waf'
r.eS5 powerful
d
'
economy su ­
ere.' too. Automaric-equipped Pinros
. kl
acqUirFed a. reputation For nor being ab/(~~c y
our 0 rhelr own way.
get
To further muddy the waters, a 2.8-/iter V
option was offered in 1975 Th 97 h .
6
.
. h .
.
e , - orsepower
SIX, WI[
ItS two-barrel carb and add"
I
weight, was launched righr into the r~~~~na .
a fuel cmlS, and available only in the stario~~
wagon ~v/[h an automatic. Pcrforrnan
'
ImpreSSive. The V6
'd
ce wasn t
.
provt. almOSt as unpopular
as rh e anemic 1.6 had bcen .
. ~ornpounding the pOWn r bl
nSlng weight Th P'
P 0 ern was
fi
.
e IntO grew sh elf-like
ve-mph bumpas in 1974
d'
.
Its weight
b a II oone d by 345 pound ' F ,an
. d to draw
·
s. ord tne
Jt:e~tlon away from the lirrle car's declining
perrOI mance by pun ·1 .
b
II h
c ling up rhe optiom
~J[ a . I' C comfort and luxury items dro~~
t e weight even higher By 1974 h 'P'
,
'.
F' . '
)t
e
In to ~
~1::I~enln"~d ~rd s lIlexpensive, lighr and simple
e
rorgorten .
E~d of theliDe
d e b·ac Ie t h at created rhe
p' rhe, eXl)losion
t
h 1Il~0 S ~lfortunare legacy was rhe firsr and
ar esr. ow of the one-two-three unch
rhat ultimately
rook th", P'111[0 out Pf
.
0
the
gal11.e permancn rly.
P' Simply pur, crashing inro rhe rear of
10[0 prodllced ~pecracu/ar and often deadl ~
results. ThiS was due to the COIIIb'
.
f}
.
lOatlon 0 a
rear- mo ulltc.d fud tank, a badly located fill
n~ck and a differential who e boil'S could r~r
t .eI rank Wide open in a crash
C,0111 b'InedP
< ••
Wit 1 a passe.nger comparrmenr whose Aoo
r
~ou/d spllrIn a rear impact, rlw Pinto was
our
wheels
f
' on the way t 0 a d'Isaster.
" nex~/lCably, Ford stubbo rnly dra ed
/[s feet 10 a~know/edging rhat there g\~as
a senous safety probl em Th.
,­
II d
.
e company s
\ eg~. reluctance to spend money ro fix
~ r Into placed a big red t<lrget on the
car s back, even though dI e J>illto cou e
and Runabout weren't the only
p
h .
cars ar
~ ~. ~I~ e whose gas tanks were mounted
e 110 [he rcar axle and rhus vu/nerabJe
to rear· Impa'r
C onsuiller safery advo­
C s.
cates lumped into the fray . d
ex I d'
p'
,an Soon
A po Ing .ntos wne narional news.
1977 Nfother jone,. arricle by Mark
DOWie rook Ford harshly to r ·k
..
h "
as , sug­
f!;e~[Ing I' at r~e borrol11 line ruled, and
Illh a:nmable ,:lI1tOS kept rolling our of
t e .actoncs.
\Vherher Dowie was righr .
o I
'.
01 nor.
P pu ar OpllllOn leaned in the
.
d' "
same
IrCUlon , and Ford's sales skidded
not lusr For the Pinto , bLlr ,cross
a
t he'
e.
$CoH r. 'eat photos
p/1<)lo (Durtesy for!!
AVE
S
ROI
(Sa
I.
Toward the end of
the model run, the
Pinto had put on
some weight as
the options were
piled on to distract
buyers from its
deteriorating per­
formance. Today,
the cars can be
found circling the
track in both his­
toric and modem
racing.
board. After a drastic 21-percem sales drop , Ford quietly inrroduced an
inexpens ive plastic baffle ro pro tect th~ Pimo's gas tank in 1977, followed
by a recall of Pimo gas tanks in 1978. But it was far too li[[ie, far roo
late. Public-interest grou ps were now howling for Iacocca ro do tim e for
"co nsum er homicide."
T he second blow ro the Pinro's surv ival came in the form of improved
co mpeti tion, not only from other manu fac turers bur from with in as
well-the Pin to's position as Ford's economical, ye t sporry, little car was
taken over by th e Mustang II in J 974, and the imported Fiesta's arrival
in 1977 further diluted the Pinro's appeal.
Meanwhile, the newly imroduced Chevroler C heverre was providing much
sriffer competirion than [he Vega had offered, and the imporrs from Japan had
gorren betrer as well, wirh Honda joining rhe fray. A face-lift in 1977 gave the
Pinro a softer, shapel ier nose and there was now a cool all-glass hatchback on
the Runabour, but neither cosmetic did anyrhing ro im prove sales. Nor did a
new insrrument panel or a rev ised fro nt suspension ro improve handli ng.
The year 1977 was also the first year for Co rporate Average Fuel Econ­
omy (CAFE) srandards, which was the Pinto's deathbl ow-although after
the gas-rank debacle, it could beseen as mo reof a mercy killing. Ford had
a new subcompact in the wurb- · the Escort- which had been designed
ro help th e company meet CAFE standard s, so as th e Esco rt's 1981
int roduction date approached , the Pinto received onl y detail changes. A
second sheet m eta.l redesign in 1979 gave the Pinro a square, ugly face,
and the unloved V6 was dropped. Sales enjoyed a slighr upward twirch,
bur ir was n' t nearly enough ro keep the model going.
By the time rhe Pi mo disap peared in 1980, ir had strayed far from
its original mi ss ion. Even rhe most stripped-down Pinro coupe weighed
abo ur 2400 pounds by then, an d th e price had swo llen to $3781, a far
cry from Iacocca's 2000-po und , $2000 vision .
F urth ermore, rh e Pinro had received no su b­
stantia l mecha nical changes during its 10-yea r
run , so by J 980 it was ho pelessly o utdated. The
explosio n debacle pur rhe name Pinro on ly a
slot above Edsel on the li st of nameplates li kely
ro be revived by Ford. Top execut ives brea thed
a sigh of reli ef whe n the Escort "world car"
made irs deb ur in J 9R l.
It's easy ro forget the good things abour rhe
Pinto, in light of rhe rear-impacr da nge r and rhe
porky, sl uggish latc cars. Bur the simple and reli­
able coupes were in rac t good cars, so long as they
weren ' r trying to be luxury auromo biles. Besides,
a Pimo is srrong, cheap, eminen tly modifiable
and easy ro work on. How could you ask for a
more perfeCT startin g poi nt for a race car)
rQZ rosintoski photo
Grassroots Motorsports
108
lefs Go Racing
N ot many pe op le seem ro remember that th e Pin[Q actual ly
enjoyed a moderately successful racing career. Although not par­
tic ularly sp orty cars [Q begin wi th, their reliability a nd simplicity
se rved them we ll on th e trac k.
Because th e Pinto entered the market at the same time as Chevro let's
spOrty Vega, the old Ford-Chevy rivalry naturally pitted the two small
cars aga inst one another. Borh competed in IMSA 's Baby Grand series
for low- bu dget racers and in other small-bore racing classes.
Pintos cropped up in rop-l 0 and rop-20 fin ishes in the SCCA Trans­
Am's under-two-liter class throughour the early 7 0s. IMSA had its share of
Ford's lirrle ponies as wel l, wirh class-winning Pintos mal<ing appearances.
5. FOI
Thi~
EN·
BIG PI(
1i
Contaci
1135 R
F
Pall
Dr
Undc
Dr
CAUCIOB4
Thanks to a light­
weight shell and
rear-drive layout, the
Pinto became a pop­
ular starting point
for many hotrod
projects. Jimmy
Trevarthen bolted a
1952 flat-head Mer­
cury V8 into a 1979
Pinto wagon. His
wife, Bobbie, runs
Bayside II, special­
izing in used parts
for older cars.
I'ttVIIlfIl 81
8portE.gi•••
4 Cyllnder
2200 HiFio ST Sport ..... .. .... ..( 155 HP) ...... ... $ ~495
24(l(11 Hf"l o ST Sport... . ... ...( 170 HP) ........... $4995
6 Cylinder
3500 HiFio ST Sport ............. .. 1260 HP) ... ........$4995
"00 HiFlo ST SpOIL.... .. .. .. ..(170 HP)..... ..... .55995
39()() l /il- 0 ST Spon
.. .(28i HP)..... .. .. . $x495
Baby Six
2900 HiFlo ST Eoa . J2J i E<orly ..( 190 liP) .... ..... $499 5 2900 l-liFlo ST 125i. 3 231 Laoc ..(105 HP) ........ .'14995 M3
2400 HiFlo ST......... ...... .......... (210 HPJ ...... .... $5995
.. ....... (2 35 HPI ........ ..57495
2500 HiHo 5T..
M5&M6
37()() HiFioST... . .
J 900 HiFio ST...
....... 0 10111') ........ .. lI4 95
.. .. D'\O lfPJ . .. .....5 10995
Race reportS from Lime Rock and Watkins Glen
show Pintos coming nome ahead ofAlfa GTAs and
Datsun 51 Os, A Pimo fini sned 38th at the 1975 12
Hours of Sebring in the under-rwo-liter class,
Pintos proved even more popular with drag
racers and in regional ministock oval-track classes,
where their lignt weight and robust construction
gave tnem an advantage over contemporary
impom, A legion ofcnopped-up, dirt-track Pintos
carried che racing flag cnroughout the 1980s, Far
outnumbering tnose seen in road racing,
Now tnar tney' re eligible for vi ntage racing, a
few road-racing Pintos are resurfacing, If prop­
erly cared for, they' re jusr as competitive as they
were when new, able to keep up witn contempo­
rary Alfa Romeos and orner small sedans.
light weignt made it popular for ministock racing,
wnich means thac a lot of Pintos nad cheir front
ends chopped off and their bodies gutted to
become super-modified stockers, Divide that by
the number of cars tnat have rusted into oblivion
and it adds up to OEM body pans for PintOs
being pretty scarce, However, many body bits are
available from tne growing cadre of Pinto racers,
wno quickly learn tnat it's a good idea to keep a
parts car or tnree around.
The good news is tnat mecnanical pieces are
considerably more durable and generally not at all
nard to find, Engine components for tne 2.3 are
cnorough.ly common, as Ford's Fairmont, Ranger,
Must ang/Capr i (including Muscang SVO),
Tnunderbird Turbo Coupe and tne hoc German
M erkut all used versions of the engine, openi ng the
door for 200-norsepower Pintos wirn little invest­
Tnanks to tneir economy-car status, many
ment. Conversions to later engines wicn fuel injec­
(if not mosr) Pintos were more or less driven
tion and even the turbocnarged powerplants are
to deatn. More seem to nave survived tnan did
almosr bolr-in swaps, Suspension components are
contemporalY Vegas, Corollas or Cnevettes, but
similarly plentiful. Racers will nore that 1971-'73
a cherty Pinto is a rare animal indeed,
Pinros use smaller spindJes, calipers and conrrol
In addition, tne Pinto's arms than rhe larer cars.
In 1974, the Pinto began
sharing more robusr
components witn rne
Musrang II,
~
".
. estreetsbetwecn 1972 andl ?75,
Tnose wno rnink
A number ofspeCIal edlt10ns h~~ (h ka', es and did not offer addluonal
d
. \ .. peanddecal pac g
of rne Pinto only
These were simp y t.1.
f' terest to collectors to ay,
.
as a four-wneeled
erformance, although they are 0 m S finc stripe package was avall­
incendiary device will
p In 1972, tne red, white and blue , P, k ' The later Stallion was nd Mavenc s,
.
be surprised to lear n
able un PintOS, IM ustangs ,a
d Mu ·tang with a more aggreSSiVe
'h h ' Mavenck an
s
,
rhar go-faster parts
Wit
t
e
,
I
raphl'cs
shared
also
,
.
, ' b ld specla g '
abound
for Ford 's
black and silver pamt)~ al
was an attempt to cash tn on
little pony. Tnanks
The 1977-' 80 Cru1S1ngdWbalgokn d-uut rear panels with groovy
d feature
an e to rhe ubiquicy of
che van craze, an
'Id
e stripes,
tne Ford 2,0- and
shaped windows as well as W,I ~ap d rhe European SportS Sedan
2.3 -engines, cne
n
the
Pinto's
final
years,
It s adreG
da
The
ESS
featured
I
F'
n t an
rana,
Pinto is as em i­
moniker wich the <llrmo ' I ortS interior with exrra gauges
nenrly modiftable
blacked-out trim and ~ specla ~p as any Civi c. Even
and a chree-spoke steenng whee , tn e lowl y 1,6-licer
engine can be tuned
photo courtesy ford
to Lotus-Cortina
specs, if one is so
inclined,
Hotrodded
Pin cos
were
common in the
'70s, and the tricks
rney used are still
applicable tOday,
CAR Corpora­
rion offered a
turbocnarger kir
fo r the 2,O-lirer
engine caJled che
Boss Pinto tnat
Buving One Todav
c"a.~i6l1 ~"i'i""~
U lljro Ul~
1.1 2.4 Sp lluil "1fJ .
VltimalC 241. ~ Sp '77 "1" .. .,....
Ultima", 245, 5 5 1' 'SU - 'H2 ..
4
Ultilnalc 140. 5 Sp 'S3 on ..
MM S""" OlD 5 Sp 'HO Oil
'y linder UI.l imale Transmissions
Ultima •• 262, 0\ Sp - "1 9...
. ...... 5 1295
UIL 26S. 5 ' p'SO -'R2. 'RS, ~11 .. .
........ ........ \ 1995
.. .. .................. .$ 1K?)
UI. 260, 5 Sp '83 - ' ~4.. .. .. . ...
~:: ~,~~ Sf;~~~ R,;; ,~
MM Sport 100.\ Sp
'xu on ,~
Grossroots Motorspor/s
.
M:\... .
110
. li rg;
.. . ... ...$2695
claimed 110 H
Pangra was am
that offered StJJ
fixture in VW,
founding £uhe
to Pinto peefol
Companie
California's I
making Pintr
Esslinger will
liter engine 0 1
Want mol'<
302,351 or c
it inro a drag­
conversion ki
PintO perfom
Snowcase at
Tn e weigh t •
Pinto a diffici
Tne Pinto'
department \\
ening lip for
and ncavy an
Ford offere
as a dealer-ins
absorbers, a fr,
and leaves ror (
kepc the open
as both tires sr:
sion unloaded.
suspension in
the Pinto's atti
resulring in COl
Mulholland 0
Tnese day:
made for tne
category as to.
APinto 1
Wh.ile the
popular cars i
are now beco
of performan
lng racing p(
$1919 when
be co nsider<
American au
•
•
•
•
Refreshes old dry tires
Extends tire life
For slicks and DOT tires
Keeps ti res sticky until
___~the rubber is gone
The ford PInto
www.peocities.com/MmorCItyI
S~126"11
Pinto information
The Ford Pinto Showcase
www.bob2000.com/pinto2.htm
Pinto information
Race Engineering
(561) 533-5500
www.raceeng.com
performance parts
Racer Walsh Co
(800) 334-0151
www.racerwolsh .com
Ford performance
<\llv4CI'Il
(
<\UTc)"'c)TlV~NC.
-F"
3712 Hillview St.
McKeesport, PA 15132
(412) 754-4444
Other Dealers:
claimed 110 horsepower at the wheels. Mini Car's
Pangra was anorher turbocharged, body-kirred Pinto
that offered srarr.ling performance. Before becoming a
fixture in VWand Honda tuning circles, Neuspeed's
founding father, Bil! Neuman, also was no manger
to Pinto perfurmance some 30 years ago.
Companies like Racer Walsh in Florida and
California 's Esslinger Engineering have been
making Pinws go faster since the 1970s. Dan
Esslinger wi ll even build you a brand-new 2.3­
liter engine out of aluminum, if you'd like.
Want more than that? It's possible ro dwp a
302,351 or eve n a 460 V8 into a Pinw w rurn
it into a drag-s trip cruise missile. Mowr mount
conversion kits can be found through li nks on
Pinto performance Web sites like the Ford Pinto
Showcase at www.bob2000.com/pinro2.htm.
Tne weignt of tne V8 teportedly makes tne
Pinw a d ifficulr sneet driver, nowever.
Tne Pinto 's biggest weakness in tne hand ling
department was a sq uasny suspension, but tight­
ening up for track duty is easy. Stiffer sp rings
and neavy anti-roll bats definitely help.
Ford offered a heavy-duty suspension package
as a dealer-installed option that added new shock
absorbers, a front anti-roil bar and additional coils
and leaves for the suspension. The improved traction
kept the open differential happy during cornering,
as botn tires stayed on the ground wnen the suspen­
sion unloaded. Car andDriver tested the heavy-duty
suspension in J 974 and teponed that jt improved
the Pinto's attitude but made the car a bit rail-happy,
resulting in controllable driErs. Spearco and Interpart
Mulholland offered aftermarket pam.
These days, most Pinto suspension parts are
made for tne later cars, and fall under the same
category as Mustang II modifications.
APinto for Youil
While tne Pinro was once one of the most
popular cars in the country, nice, clean examples
are now becoming a little rare. It's a car witn lots
of performance potential, plus it has an interes r­
ing racing pedigree. And at 1949 pounds and
$1919 wnen introduced in 1970, it can also
be considered a milesro ne for the
American automotive industry.
TMS: 916-638-7223
Pegasus: 800-688-6946
Ikke Sa Hurtig: 913-827-5143
Jeg's: 800-345-4545
Racer Parts Wholesale: 800-397-7815
Tri County Buggy: 866-800-6002
American Power Sports: 440-564-8100
JC Specialty: 570-837-0042
So uthern Auto: 336-373-1151
Extinguishing Systems
for all types of raCing
• DOTfTe apprOYed cyInders
•Pull. push ()( pnamalic actuation
• Halon or F500 ex1ilgulshing agent
•LigI1t weight carbon Tiber cylnders available
•3, 5, 10 and 20 pound systems
• Rre protedion systems can be either B
removable type of extilguishef or an
installed svstem thai can protect all
vital areas of !he car. Installed systems
have the ac1uation method mounted
directly on the seat
• SFI Approved
Hand Held
Extinguishers
'1.25 & 2.5 pound Halon
extinsuiShers with aJurnirom
or stainless steel cylinders
•Bile! heads and brackets available
•Available in many
colors
•Styles for all
ITlOklrSpot1s
•Custom
~vaIIabIe
I www.safecraft.com ..4!riWl.hI:I.I.lt.I.ti..te1l
Grassroots Motorsporls
III
The Pinto's legacy: Its Engine
The only ignition sy tern to provide
apowerful econd park
throughout the entire RPM range!
Grassroots Motorsports
The Ford Pinto may not be a common sight th ese days, but the engine that moved the car is
still prevalent in motorsportS. Ir ca n be found powering everything from SCCA road racers to
oval-track stock ca rs ro dune buggies.
While the original 197 1 Pinto was powered by the I GOOcc British-built Kent engine- rhe bas is
for a wide range of Locus-tuned powerplants as well as the sta ndard requiremen t for Formula Ford
racing-ir was eventually replaced by 2.0- and 2.3-lirer offerings.
Available in th e Pinto from 197 1 rhrough '74, the German-built, X-code 2.0-liter engine was
joined by the 2.3- lirer for the 1974 model year. The 2.0-liter engine was also co mmonly called
rhe "OHC" or "P into" engine; thanks to a 9.0:1 compression rario, the 1971 version produced
100 horsepower in facrory trim. An S.2: I com p[(.:~s ion ratio eventually became standard, however,
knocking horsepower down ro SG . The 2.0-liter Pinro engine is still required for SCCA Formula
Continental and SportS 2000 cars, althougbt partS are getting harder ro find these days. Pegasus
Racing is reproducing heads and other sroc k pieces using the original Fo rd casrings.
Eventually, U.S . emissions laws caugh r up with the 2.0, and something a litde bigger was needed
ro cope: hence, the U.S.-built 2300cc engine. 'While the engines are si milar in design, nothing
interdla nges between them. Thanks ro more displacement and large r production numbers, the
2.3-liter engine remains popular in many mororsportS circles. If racing rules don't require the
2.0-liter engine, then go with th e 2.3.
Since its original showing in the 1974 Pinto, the 2300 has appea red in millions ofFord vehicles,
including the Mustang II, 1979-'93 Mustang and Fairmont. Ford also used wrbocharged versions
of the 2300 in the Thunderbird, Merkur XR4 Ti, 1979-'S2 Mustang and Mercury Ca pri. T he
high-wate r mark for the factory-tuned engine was the turbocharged, intercooled Mustang SVO.
The 2.0 and 2300 engines look si milar ro th e casual viewer, making sa lvage-yard shopping a
bit tricky. "The 2.0-liter just looks smaller," says Pinro racer Brian Walsh. However, Walsh says
that pulling the va lve cover and counting the cam towers is a good way to tell the engi nes apart:
the 2.0 has rhree cam towers, while the 2300 has four.
The Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz were also powered by a 2.3-liter Ford engine, but the
design is rotally different, removing them from the donor list. Their pushrod-equipped "HSC"
(high-swirl combustion chamber) engines have little, if any, perfotmance potential.
A healthy aftermarker allows today's enthusiasts to
build the 2300 ro nearly any scate, \\~th [he engines
particularly common in minisrock oval-track racing.
Different formL~as are required depending on the series
n~es, and prices can range accordingly. Ford perfor­
mance house Racer Walsh offers the 2.3-li rer engi ne in
different levels of rune, with several shorrblocks retail­
ing from $1250 to a lirtle more tban $2000.
An honest I GO- ro 190-horsepower 2300 race
engine---ou pan ro valve cover-can r'Un abour $3400,
whiJe a good 140-horsepower srreet engine builr with
name-brand pans wiU run close ro $2000.
Esslinger Engineering also builds rhe 2.3-lirer
Ford for mororsportS use, usi ng modifi ed origi­
nal-equipment pieces as well as rheir own cus rom
For more than 30 years, the Pinto has
aluminum blocks and heads. "If rhey weren't
donated engines for nearly everything
resrricred by rh e rules, I'd slap on an aluminum
from hot street cars to open-wheel racers.
head," advises rhe com pany's Cary Maruyama ,
explai ning how rhar's an easy way ro add 35 to 50 horsepower. Esslinger Eng ineering offers several
different CNC-machined aluminum heads available wirh borh Rar rapper or roller rockers; figure
abour $2000 for the Rar tapp er head or around $2500 for rhe roller model.
\Xiirhou r resorting ro tu rbochargers, Esslinger has produced more rhan 400 horsepower from tne
2.3-lirer Ford engine, wirh turbocharged versions surpassing rhe 1000-horsepower mark.
\Vhile pro-builr powerplanes are priced accordingly- budger abour $15,000 for a 270-horsepower
2.3-lirer Esslinger engine suirable for the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series-low-buck options
definirely exisr. Used engines can eas ily be found in rhe $100 price range, alrhough somerimes ir's jusr
easier and cheaper to buy the entire donor caL (Finding a 19S0s-vintage four-cylinder Musrang for less
rhan $500 isn'r rhat hard, whi le the rurbocharged Merkur XR4Ti can also be a great project donoL)
If the srock Ford head needs ro be run , rnen Matuyama recommends the oval-port mod els
used in rhe pre-'SO 2.3-liter PintOs. For modified applications, he'd go wirh a D-porr cylinder
head found on 19S0 and larer Ford producrs. The Ford Ranger came wirh a 2.5-lirer version of
this engine, and Maruyama says that running rhe tru ck's stroker crankshafr ca n be a low-buck
way ro build more rorque.-David S. \X/allens
112
gbrdon I. jolley photo