The Ford Pinto That Took on IMSA Back in the 1970s

[@seanmakesthings]

Finally got my 1973 Pinto up and running and am SO stoked to get it registered and on the track!

[@johnshaft5613]

I remember watching IMSA "RS" races in the late '70s. I saw Pintos racing on occasion, no idea if this was one of them. IMHO IMSA RS was great racing, far better than anything we can see today. More technology does not necessarily make better racing.

[@kennethhummel4409]

My wife and father in law approve of this video. LeRoy was a huge pinto fanatic, he owned 10 of them! He bought new/old stock parts from the dealerships picking up any spares that the dealerships were dropping from stocks. He had 6 new transmissions and 4 spare engines of a couple of types that were for Pintos. He had a barn full of misc car parts at the end, he donated a lot of his specialty tools and parts inventory to the LeMay museum 20 years ago. The city ordinances made him get rid of his pintos 2 Oldsmobiles and 1 pickup truck. He kept 2 keeps one built by Ford and the other by willeys.

[@jesscneal]

I raced a 71 Pinto on a 1/4 mile circle track here in Idaho. Had a Racer Walsh cam in it. Won the class championship in 2002!

[@LockedAndLoaded4x4]

Awesome to see Brian get some exposure, my Pops Barry Streets and my 2 Uncles Mike Streets and Dan Pellow all ran Pintos suscessfully in SCCA ITB and Solo I from 86-2004, I currently Drive my Father's old 1974 Pinto in SCCA ITB, my Pops used to buy parts from Jerry (Brian's Father) and I do the same now with Brian. The Pinyo was a seriously underrated platform for racing, great car, amazing brakes even stock, for itxs time with Rack and Pinion steering stock and a workable suspenssion with amazing fenderwells almost made for racing it honestly was a great Sport Compact Sedan.

[@beyond_the_infinite2098]

I loved driving my friends Pinto. Small, easy to drive. Went around turns OK. With the manual steering and 4-speed you could pretend you were going fast.

[@datsunmadman]

I started with 1971 Datsun 510 I like the Pinto too

[@lejeffe1663]

miss mine!!! thanx for sharing

[@Majorrogerragland48]

I bought many parts from Racer Walsh, campaigning my own 73 Pinto in both IMSA RS and SCCA B Sedan SE Division, I won the B Sedan SE Region Championship in 1974 racing at PBIR and Gainsville. Though I did not run the entire IMSA series, Just Daytona, Sebring I did have great fun and a bit of success though never a win, I did have some good finishes. I sold the car to a pair of gents in San Antonio TX in 78, who campaigned it several more years in Club racing.

[@RalphTempleton-vr6xs]

The pinto wasn't a bad design. If you eliminate the explosive hazard with a fuel cell and squeeze all the juice out of the four-banger, it might even push you back in the seat just a bit. They cornered fairly well, brakes were so-so.

[@geraldscott4302]

There was no explosive hazard, at least no more than any other car of that era.

[@1161byron]

Back in high school,me and my buddy could load a lot of beer in the back of a pinto wagon.

[@douglasjames1538]

Had a few . A lot of fun. Last one was a 72 2.0 liter with RacerWaldh cam ported head 4bbl manifold with 600 vacuum secondary . Had Weber side drafts but they were too fussy. 8 inch 1st gen mustang diff fit right in. Ran 14.10 at Englishtown on tiny radials shifting at 10,000. Rpm . Would out run most cars in 1980. Lot of fun

[@3ducs]

That is a serious cage in that car! I remember seeing a Pinto racing at Summit Point over 25 years ago, it did pretty well, maybe it was this car.

[@geraldscott4302]

Pintos have been used in many different types of racing and autocrossing. I drag race my V8 powered '72. Runs in the mid twelves. Despite the fact that they made three million of them, there are almost none left, and almost no parts are available. And that includes body parts and glass.

[@deansapp4635]

Summit Point is my home track. They used to have a Pinto class race their decades ago

[@jamessimms415]

Only thing missing are the flames coming from the back forward & not from the hood toward the back

[@andykerr3803]

That 2.3 can be modified nicely... Mild or 3 liter full aluminum turbo. Very nice to work on and reliable.

[@bmepdoc9675]

Very, VERY, familiar with the Pinto as well as it's platform offspring... the 'Pangra'. Esslinger was an essential ingredient in the evolution of the powerplant for these types of events. Perhaps still is.

[@nutandboltguy3720]

I love my 78 Pinto sedan with 2.3 and 4 speed. No power anything.

[@alking4083]

At Nelson Ledges track in Ohio I saw a pinto win against the whole bad ass pack.....it rained and the pinto won🙂🐾🐾🐾🐾😎

[@stevesummers1354]

Please Do one on the Gremlin. Raced by Rubright and Jenkins I believe.

[@PhilStewart-xf9rp]

I used race pinto/bobcat on 1/2 mile and shorter tracks asphalt and dirt. Had to "stock" Ford parts. Used to kill imports and g.m.'s, mustangs. And couldn't kill it. LOTS OF THINGS YOU COULD DO. AND STAY WITHIN "STOCK" RULES. 2.5 EFI LOWER PLENUM WITH a 500 cfm motorcraft carb😮, 95 ranger exhaust manifold (header) etc.

[@murphystreeter]

Aside from the fact that it's a leaf spring car, yes....I'd drive the heck outta that thing. The leaf springs make them pretty loose in the back end.

[@ostrand11]

Saw it at Daytona!

[@deansapp4635]

That looks like a 500 cfm 2bbl

[@anakina1]

Got a lot of mileage passing that fastback Mustang.

[@maxskullic9879]

My dad was the 1st to put a mustang fox body on a pinto drivetrain for dirt track racing, after he did it, everybody started doing it! The mustangs were not great for dirt oval track but the pintos were! Why have a pinto body when a mustang fox body fits on it so nicely!

[@mazyata9958]

That looks great too. The stance is nice. Everyone now is putting stupid big wheels with stupid airbags 👎

[@clintonlamar1503]

I've been told with proper balance you can exceed 10,000 rpm. Can someone verify that? Or is it complete hooey? I loved my daily driver. All 3 of them.