Pinto Yo - Help

[sierraman]

Fit a VW 2.0TDi to your Ferrari Testarossa while you're at it.

Not really. A VW TDI isn’t an improvement on a 12 cylinder Ferrari unit.

 

It’s a suggestion, you would still retain the old car feel but it would be more useable that’s all. Hence me not suggesting you fit a 2.0 or something.

[cort16]

Well it is as it's more reliable, does better mpg and is easier to service.

 

I'm all for fitting more modern motors to stuff that's been already chopped around. My Cortina had a 1.3 now has a 2.0 pinto so fitting a zetec would be no great loss.

 

This is original so it seems a shame to change it to such a fundamental degree. When you go to shows there are so many Cortina's, escorts and Fiesta's with zetecs in them it's actually more of

a rarity to see something with the original engine.

[sierraman]

It’s an engine.

[Tamworthbay]

It’s a car, so buy a modern instead?

[sierraman]

It wouldn’t be Ford Sierra shaped. It was only a suggestion, it’s not like I’ve suggested sawing it in half and painting it pink.

[fordperv]

I suppose while he is at it he can lower it to make it handle more modern as well, fit wider wheels so it grips better maybe also fit some hug you tight recaros and bigger brakes to stop quicker, yes those mods would improve the car but also would lose the ethos and identity of this car the charm of the base is that it has survived without performance mods and is a standard example (Well except for that rear bumper)

[cort16]

It’s an engine.

That just tells me you think of a car as just a car. That’s fair enough . I don’t. I like the story of an old car. It’s more than just a load of pressed metal panels for transporting me to Tesco’s.

[sierraman]

So I’ll pencil you in for a ‘maybe’.

[cort16]

Only if it’s a vtec

[garbaldy]

It wouldn’t be Ford Sierra shaped. It was only a suggestion, it’s not like I’ve suggested sawing it in half and painting it pink.

 

Haha I just knew this would happen when you mentioned modifying as exact same thing happened when I wanted a bit more from my old Sierra.

[sierraman]

Have you had it confiscated by the originality police?

[theorganist]

Well it is as it's more reliable, does better mpg and is easier to service.

 

I'm all for fitting more modern motors to stuff that's been already chopped around. My Cortina had a 1.3 now has a 2.0 pinto so fitting a zetec would be no great loss.

 

This is original so it seems a shame to change it to such a fundamental degree. When you go to shows there are so many Cortina's, escorts and Fiesta's with zetecs in them it's actually more of

a rarity to see something with the original engine.

 

Exactly, it shows an element of original thinking to actually leave certain cars like a Sierra in original condition, especially this one which is very rare now. Even when I briefly had the mark 3 Fiesta people kept saying "you should stick a Zetec in that M8" it got tiresome and apparently my Horizon would have been great with a Red Top which I was told was an engine after I said that painting the roof red wouldn't have been a good look!

 

For me the part of a cars character is the sound and feel of it's engine and it is nice to hear old engines rather than the anodyne sounds of most modern engines.

[Mally]

I thought Born was the originality police.

He needs to have a word with himself

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

The 2.0 cam has a better profile and was used in the 1600GT units.  If you were fitting a new cam anyway, a 2.0 one would give a small but useful boost in bhp - probably 5 bhp or something.

 

This car has been on the road since Kadgagoogoo were a new thing and the Pinto's been in there all those years. They're a perfectly good engine.

[fordperv]

Haha I just knew this would happen when you mentioned modifying as exact same thing happened when I wanted a bit more from my old Sierra.

See I havnt had that, I've had positive words about my modified mk1 base from everyone on here, I like modifying but I don't think anything should be modified on the AS holy grail

[Guest Hooli]

I find that with cars or bikes that have survived as standard long enough it feels wrong to modify them, where as those abused years ago are fair game to carry on turning into the car/bike you want.

 

I know it doesn't make sense really, but it's how it works for me.

[fordperv]

I find that with cars or bikes that have survived as standard long enough it feels wrong to modify them, where as those abused years ago are fair game to carry on turning into the car/bike you want.

 

I know it doesn't make sense really, but it's how it works for me.

That's how my head works as well and it's is the reason my mk1 is how it is, alot of the time it's the only way cars/bikes can get saved

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

If you want a fast car, go and buy one. You go and spend shitoads building a Zetec powered Sierra, I'll pay 800 quid for an old C280 Merc and shit all over you. With the aircon on.

[sierraman]

But then a Merc 280 would get pissed all over by something like a Vectra SRI 1.9 150. Figure that if you will.

[cort1977]

I find that with cars or bikes that have survived as standard long enough it feels wrong to modify them, where as those abused years ago are fair game to carry on turning into the car/bike you want.

 

I know it doesn't make sense really, but it's how it works for me.

Yep, agree with this, if it's already been fiddled with then by all means carry on but with something that's remained standard for so long then a little effort to keep it original-ish is worth it.

[sierraman]

Getting impression it’s not a popular decision then...

 

I’m only going on what I would probably do in your shoes, you have your own mind to do what you want.

[BorniteIdentity]

What they all said!^

 

Personally, I’d stick with your 1600 head. Remove it from the car and simply rebuild that and while your at it send it off to get hardened valve seats machined in for unleaded. It’s all dead easy and doesn’t take long if you’ve got all the bits you need ready to go. I stripped mine off the Capri and did all the work and had it back on the car running well inside a day. The only hold up was getting the unleaded valve seats done.

Isn’t the Sierra off the road currently anyway? If so then it’s not going to matter about keeping the car mobile.

It matters enough because of the geography of my driveway. It helps massively if it’s not right at the back, which means it’s helpful if it’s easy to move. It’s also shingle making pushing it alone a ball ache.

 

Thanks for all of the intel. I think we will abandon work on this head and see if we can’t go flat out on the existing head in a day.

[BorniteIdentity]

The 2.0 head was never sought as an improvement or modification - a friend of Alf’s had a spare head and it seemed much easier to work on an ‘exchange’ basis as his house is 30 miles from mine and the mot is expired on the car.

 

I think we will have to think again - perhaps start early one morning and see if we can turn it around in a day.

[DodgeRover]

Are you having hardend seats fitted or just new stem seals?

[BorniteIdentity]

Are you having hardend seats fitted or just new stem seals?

New seals.

[Guest Hooli]

New seals.

 

Doddle in a day then, provided you've got a spring compressor that fits.

 

I'd suggest not regrinding the valves while in there, you'll remove the lead that's built up in them over the years from what I've read else where. Will be worth cleaning the stems though as they'll be crusty with burnt oil.

[DodgeRover]

You don't even need to remove the head in that case, you can buy the tool to remove the collets in situ, should be easily doable in much less than a day.

[cort16]

I don't fancy hardened seats the ones in it aren't that comfy to start with.

[fordperv]

You don't even need to remove the head in that case, you can buy the tool to remove the collets in situ, should be easily doable in much less than a day.

Don't buy the cheaper tool though they bend, fit cvh valve stem seals while your there, it's a really easy job in situ, I don't use a compressor fitting on the spark plug hole then fill with air to keep the valves up, I use a length of rope and wind the piston up the bore

 

This is the tool to go for

 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/VS168-Sealey-Valve-Spring-Compressor-Lever-Type-OHV-OHC-Engine/182876195685?epid=1625137720&hash=item2a94454b65:g:rSEAAOSwqsxbnLok

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

But then a Merc 280 would get pissed all over by something like a Vectra SRI 1.9 150. Figure that if you will.

The Merc has 193 bhp.