Pinto into A60? Doable or waste of time?

[Lankytim]

Considering sticking a pinto and 5 speed box into my Oxford. Surely this has been done many many times before. I could pick up a decent pinto and 5 speed box for next to nothing (or nothing!) Would this make it more usable every day and cut down on servicing intervals give a bit more "drivability" especially on the motorway, or is it a total waste of time?

[briandamaged]

It's viable, but the main problem with the A60 is the 4.3 diff (just be grateful you don't have an estate, they had a 4.6). Even allowing for the Type 9's 0.85 top gear it's still only going to act like a 4-speed with a 3.7 diff. Admittedly you'd have 90-odd BHP to play with (which would mean you'd surely have to do a disc conversion on the front brakes) instead of 60.

According to Seth the best bet would be a 3.9 diff out of a banjo-axle (ie: pre-'65) MGB. That way you could keep the stock 1622 and it would be a bit better on the motorway.

Mine sits comfortably at 65, how fast do you want to go with drum front brakes??

All that work.....if I was going to go to that trouble the new lump would have eight cylinders in a 'V' and have a name starting and finishing with the letter 'R'

[bryn]

Surely there are far better engines around these days for next to nothing that could do the job? A Pinto would be pretty much off my list of choice engines for anything other than weighing in.

Your choice of course, and I know budget is an obvious constraint. But hey that's what I think...

[jizzy gillespie]

a pal of mine ran a rs2000 pinto in his cambridge and it went really well. he had a type 9 and an mgb back axle IIRC.

[v8lee]

There have been one or two on ebay in the past so it defo can be done.
There must be a few banger racers who have done it!

[akku]

I thought everything that got bangered had a Pinto in it. Isn't that the law?

Some kind of O series / T series T16 transplant is what you want IMO. Keep it family

[evilged]

Mine sits comfortably at 65, how fast do you want to go with drum front brakes??

hey, nothing wrong with drum brakes that a clean pair of undies won't sort out. my old midget powered moggy was good for a genuine 105mph on drummies. ok if they are looked after properly

[garethj]

evilged said:

my old midget powered moggy was good for a genuine 105mph on drummies.

But a Minor is quite a lot lighter than an A60, and weight is the issue with brakes because that's what causes the heat (and speed of course ;D)

How about a Ford rear axle? Better choice of diff ratios, could there be one with the right track?

[keithyboy]

How about a 2,0 twin cam out of a late sierra? Bit more poke and nowhere near as curse word as people think.

[sav]

I used my 16/60 as my only daily driver for a couple of years, and as has been mentioned the main bugbear is really the gearing if you're wanting a more relaxed cruise.

My mates were always suggesting various engine swaps but none of them seemed convincing enough to me.
For sure, if major surgery was called for then Rover V8 would be my choice of motivation.
Some of the suggestions/ideas at the time included the Pinto, Fiat TC, a Datsun 160JSSS lump!, some Isuzu engine from a Bedford (KB?), a diesel of some sort, and probably a few more that I can't remember.
Not sure which swap would be the least involved though, best do a bit of measuring up and see what's what.

[Lankytim]

There are better engines that could be transplanted but pintos are plentyful and simple to work on. I wouldnt want to go crazy with the power, remember its got cart springs, a narrow track and anti-roll bars that look like paperclips..... not to mention the brakes. Servos look pretty easy to fit though.

Maybe its best if I leave well alone and maximise the 1622cc B series engine thats in it. It has a big end rattle on start up and seems to be leaking oil from the rear main oil seal so sooner or later the engine will have to come out again though.

Ive got 2 Triumph 6 cylinder engines behind my garage... It would sound nice with one of those in!

[Pid363!]

It all depends how much work you want to do, how much you want to spend,if you can weld etc. Seen lots of bangers with pintos in but they never worry about neatness. Ive got a set of engine mounts that a friend made up some where. As Seth has said the best place to start is a 3.9 diff or mgb axle, I know some one who put a mk2 escort axle in an A60 apart from the shock mounts i think it bolted straight in. I run a Magnette every day with B lump 3.9 diff and overdrive box and that goes well enough.

[xbo11ox]

What about a Montego TD engine and rover 5-speed box? That would be freakin ace.

[Robinxr4i]

keithyboy said:

How about a 2,0 twin cam out of a late sierra? Bit more poke and nowhere near as curse word as people think.

Like the man said the I4 engine is not nearly as curse word as everyone makes out. Plus it makes more power in carb and inj than a standard 2.0 pinto, its better on fuel as well.

Twink sierra's are more plentiful in the breakers yard too and you don't have to fight the kit car boy to a decent one as for the logistics of the swap I don't know!

[popuptoaster]

a zetec would go straight onto a type 9 and be better, lighter and more pokey than a pinto or an I4 twin cam, even better if you want a good cheap engine is the mondeo's 2 litre duratec, its lighter than an X flow, wont fit a standarf ford box though it will bolt to an MX-5 box.

50 quid from a breakers, good for 200000 miles if serviced (ask an AA man how many duratecs he sees on the side of the road) aftermarket ecu and throttle bodies will see em over 150bhp so should easily be sufficient on a carb.

i like pintos, but they have had there day as an engine to put in things.

[Lankytim]

popuptoaster said:

a zetec would go straight onto a type 9 and be better,
I like pintos, but they have had there day as an engine to put in things.

True, didnt think of it that way. I like the idea of a "period" modification. I don't want a too modern engine under the bonnet. Ford twin cams are a good engine, I had a granada with one and it was excellent (by far the best part of the car) Its one to consider atleast.

I can do heavy welding no problem, its car bodies I struggle with so fabricating mounts wouldnt be a problem.

The monty TD engine and 5 speed box is something I hadnt considered. There was a Triumph 2000 with this conversion on egay a while back and at the time I thought WTF is the point in that, but the more I thought about it the more it made sense.

I'm just concerntrating on getting the thing MOTd at the minute, but after that, they skys the limit!.... subjct to financial constraints of course.

[CR500Dom]

Nice Piazza Turbo engine and 5 speed box here

Loads of torque, as its a 2.0 8valve really nice engine not like a turbo at all

Its actually still sitting on a complete front crossmember with double wishbones and vented discs as well ;D

[anthonyg]

What about an 1800 B series? - there are enough rotten MGBs about.

It certainly frightened the period road testers when they put it in the Marina TC!

[MrT]

cr500dom said:

Nice Piazza Turbo engine and 5 speed box here

Loads of torque, as its a 2.0 8valve really nice engine not like a turbo at all

Its actually still sitting on a complete front crossmember with double wishbones and vented discs as well ;D

Where's 'here' then?
Is that carbed or injected?
Complete?
What side's the turbo on?

[CR500Dom]

mrt said:

Where's 'here' then?
Is that carbed or injected?
Complete?
What side's the turbo on?

"Here" is just up the road from you in Southam

Injected and intercooled too

Complete with Box and even got the front section of prop somewhere too, loom, ecus and everything

Even got the Piazza Tunnel section to weld in too ;D

Turbo is Left side (Nearside) ;D