Pinto Or Not To Pinto - That Is The Question!

[Guest beaker]

Hi Folks

 

 

Right, im considering building my first kit which is probably going to be the ZERO. Im hoping to build one with a Pinto lump as from my younger days I remember that you could tune them quite well. Even on a tight budget which I will be. What I want to know is in time if i wanted to swap to a ZETEC or Duratec will it be possible or is the exhaust etc all going to be on the wrong sides etc.

 

Also whats the difference in Pinto blocks as I keep seeing mentioned 205 Pinto blocks?

 

Any pointers appreciated

 

Craig

[Guest steve775]

The exhaust is on the opposite side on a zetec compared to a pinto , why not go for a 2.0 twin cam out of a newer sierra then in time you could change to a zetec or an RS200 lump as budget allows , the twin cam sierra bottom end is very similar to the RS block.

Hope to see you as a member of the looney house soon

[agent_zed]

Hi,

you may actually find that pintos are getting a little more difficult to get hold of. There are plenty of zetecs about from mondeos, escorts and fiestas but the pinto stopped at the seirra. They might be a bit more fiddly than a pinto though.

 

The 205 block is the later pinto block which is stronger than the earlier block. Its easy to see as it is embossed in big numbers on the exhaust side of the engine.

 

From what ive heard people say though the pinto is more fun to drive as its a bit more of a brute than the zetec which some people prefer.

 

hth

[Guest djs dad]

whist i can see the obvious advantage of using a newer style engine such as the zetec, my reason for running the pinto is because thats what i grew up with, i love the old fashioned simplicity of the engine.

[Guest Stuartl]

whist i can see the obvious advantage of using a newer style engine such as the zetec, my reason for running the pinto is because thats what i grew up with, i love the old fashioned simplicity of the engine.

 

Kevin I tend to agree with you. The reason I liked my old x-flow Sylva Striker was that is was so simple as the engine was older than me.

 

 

Ok, you dont get quite the performance, the smooth running and the bhp but you DO get something that is relatively easy to keep going without the aid of a laptop and for me that is ideal.

 

I love looking and listening to the cars with more complex setups but as I have neither the time, knowledge or money to do it suits me well to have an old fashioned Pinto!

[MarkBzero]

Hi Craig,

 

I am going to use a old crossflow three main reasons it was in the donor vehicle, its cheap to maintain and easy to tune. So far I have not had any problems getting parts.

 

Its not necessarily speed or power I want but a enjoyable build, ability to cruise and meet other RHOCAR members.

 

Mark

[Guest beaker]

Thanks for all the replies.

I totally agree with the last few comments as I too grew up with Pinto's, x-flows and Essex engines. So I feel, I guess more confidant, using what I know to produce a decent kit. Its not going to be a road rocket just a leisure device to get away from 'er in doors!!

 

I to grew up tinkering with X-flows Pintos and Essex lumps as a spotty teenager. So I guess it may be better to stick to what i know i can maintain and rebuild myself. I mean if I really get the bug for it I can always build another......

[Guest sadjagboy]

A Pinto and a Duratec have their exhausts on the same side, but it may be that a Duratec needs an MT75 gearbox rather than a type 9. There is an odd ball engine, I think out of an ST170, that is badged as a duratec but infact has more in common with a zetec, so it exhausts on the passenger side. Duratecs are still a bit pricey and there are not that many going second hand, but are I believe all Alloy, so there is the potential of a weight saving to be had. I've currently got a 1.8 pinto, so once I have the car on the road (!) I will be looking into changing the engine, finances permiting, but not sure which way I'll go.

 

Regards

 

Angus

[agent_zed]

Hi

just to add to my earlier post which seemed heavily against pinto's, i also agree with what is being said in the later posts which is why iam still running a 19yr old one in my 2b BUT if i was starting now and had to find a donor car and spares etc i'd think quite hard about the ease of getting parts now and in the future. I know that i'd be able to walk into our local breakers and get zetec bits and pieces but if i want any pinto parts its a definite internet search required and a wait for things to be posted. And in 5 years time it will be even harder to get spares.

 

thats just my practical head talking though, as i do love the sound and feel of my pinto and she is still a good old engine

 

let us know how you get on.

[Guest Stuartl]

Hi

just to add to my earlier post which seemed heavily against pinto's, i also agree with what is being said in the later posts which is why iam still running a 19yr old one in my 2b BUT if i was starting now and had to find a donor car and spares etc i'd think quite hard about the ease of getting parts now and in the future. I know that i'd be able to walk into our local breakers and get zetec bits and pieces but if i want any pinto parts its a definite internet search required and a wait for things to be posted. And in 5 years time it will be even harder to get spares.

 

thats just my practical head talking though, as i do love the sound and feel of my pinto and she is still a good old engine

 

let us know how you get on.

 

I agree with that Dan, I know when my Striker was built they aere giving Mk2 Escorts away so they were an ideal donor car but they command silly money now. Even Pintos arent cheap anymore as you say. It makes you wonder about the kit car scene in even ten years time when we will be looking towards cars that are nearly new now as potential donors.

[Snapperpaul]

While Burton Performance are Still around getting Pinto bits will not be a problem.

The injection Pinto is the one to go for as the injection rods are the best standard Pinto rods you can get,

They will take 7000rpm most of the time and the Injection head is worth close to 10bhp over the non injection head.

130bhp is easy and cheap, 150bhp is about the limit before the Zetec becomes a better more cost effective solution.

The Duratec will fit a type 9 with a bell housing from Rally Design, however the Type 9 will be at it's limit, the MT75 whilst stronger has less favourable ratios.

So your gearbox options are a BGH or Quaife Type9 or a Cosworth T5

Edited July 5, 2010 by Snapperpaul

[Adrian]

just to add, i have a 2litre pinto, when i built the car i decided on this engine as its simple. can do anything with spanners and screwdriver if it breaks down, no electronics to be a nightmare,simple like me!!!

just as an aside, one of my local scrap yards i was in last week has at least 10 pintos complete in a container, gent says that all the stock car drivers are using them, he wanted £100 for a complete engine, with alternaters etc all on.I was thinking about getting one for a spare.there is also a scrappie in queensbury, bradford, who advertisies in the mags, they buy and strip fords for kitcars, always have pintos, etc in.

so they are around