On Sept.20 I answered an ad for a 1980 Pinto Hatchback with 87k mi. 4cyl. 4 sp. $1000 OBO. I was looking for a daily driver that I can toss my 86 302/ C4 combo in & still use daily. What I found was a factory black w/gold stripes car & a flawless black & gold interior. The exhaust was rusted off & the floor pans behind the seats are soft(have yet to find one that wasnt) & it had an old '79 Mustang bolt on fake hood scoop. The battery was dead from sitting in the garage for the last 6 years so he popped the hood to jump it. I wasnt paying much attention other than looking for rust in the engine compartment. It fired right up & purred like a kitten & whistled? Thats when I spotted the turbo! The guy goes "oh yea, the previous owner had a wrecked '79 Mustang Pace Car so he rebuilt the engine & stuck it in here." Theres 25K on the rebuild.
I didnt even argue on the price.
Question is....Are these carburated draw through turbo motors worth messing with? Is it reliable enough to drive or am I going to spend every spare minute keeping it running? Do I sell the motor & trans to somebody who is restoring a Turbo Mustang & stick my V8 in here? Im looking for both opinions & answers. All the body needs is paint (no rust) so do I paint it & sell it & find a '71 sedan which is what I really want anyway?
I figure this is a Mustang question since it concerns the engine which may be either worthless or it belongs in the hands of someone with a Mustang Turbo to restore.
What would you do with it? Please no scrap it, its only a Pinto jokes.
Happen to stumble on this. The draw thru had problem from what I read on turboford.net and 4 eyepride. Since it started that easy. I would do a tuneup, fuel filter etc, and drive it and see. I would have bought it also. I would concentrate on floorboards etc. and see what happens. May want to join a Pinto forum. No joking from me on Pinto. Lot of the turboford people looking for Pintos for dragracing. Maurice
Thanks. Thats the plan for now. As long as I dont spend every weekend under the hood I think Ill just enjoy it for now. I cant find much on these engines. If it gives me trouble Ill toss the 302 in it.
Go to foureyepride.com [search in the library] and Turboford.net and search should help. Also can join turboford.net and ask questions. One warning use search or get flamed. Nice people but way they are. Maurice
Thanks. Im gona have to try that. I really cant find anything on this engine. Even photos are rare. The turbo lag is rediculous & I really need to find a fix as well as vacuum line routing.
what a find...oh yea btw its turboed...who does that happen to...not me...=(
anyways yea id def fix it up. i probably wont take much. the guys on foureyedpride know their stuff. i lurk over there often. <3 four eyes. parts are cheap labor is cheap cuz you can do it all yourself. should be a breeze.
wanna throw up some pics?
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"A honda isnt a racecar, its like a race to work car" -My Girlfriend
1993 2.3 lx auto dd
mpg:20city,29.98 highway(so far)
1979 Mustang Pace Car 2.3L Turbo in a Pinto? 
