Pinto Powered Mustang Roadster

[dga57]

I can't wait to see the finished product!!!


Dwayne

[rob289c]

The driveshaft is going to be quite short...18" at the most.  Does anyone have any expertise in driveshaft lengths and what are the limits in shortness?  I don't want this trike to be very long so it's got to be short.  The aircraft tow tractors I worked on in the Navy had very short driveshafts but I don't remember the exact length.  This is going to keep me awake at night until I find out what the limits are.  Any advice on the driveshaft  and anything else that pertains to my project will be appreciated.  I hope no one is upset that the Pinto is a doner...it's too rotted to ever see the road.  Sometimes you have to know when to say that something has seen its better days. It's getting a second life in a cool project that is going to be my retirement toy.  My Mustang and Harley will stay in the stable but this trike ids going to be cool!

[rob289c]

About 10 years ago I dragged the rear half of a 67 Mustang coupe home with the intention of making a trailer out of it to tow behind my 67 Fastback.  My kids were young and if we went anywhere for more than a day trip, there was no cargo space in the Fastback trunk.  The trailer was to provide additional cargo space.  I never made the trailer.  I thought about making a smoker out of it but that never happened either.  I work 60-70 hours a week so my project time is limited.  About 7 years ago I decided I would make a trike out of it and wanted to use a 2.3 Pinto motor as the power plant.  As I've stated, I had 3 Pintos between 1983-89 and always liked them and the 2.3 engine.  I looked for a Pinto and as you know, they aren't cheap and aren't plentiful.  I found the 1980 orange one 5 years ago but couldn't make the deal.  I waited 2 years, called again and this time I got for less than I originally offered.  I dragged it home but it had to wait its turn as I had other projects in front of it.  Last Fall I started doing the body work on the Mustang.  It was a rust bucket and should have gone to scrap but I like to make something useful out of junk.  I cut both quarters off, welded in new rear frame rails, new trunk floor, wheel houses, quarter panel skins, taillight panel.  When I got the Mustang to build the trailer, I didn't want the roof.  Once I started on the trike project, I realized the roof would be nice.  I contacted the guy I got it from and he still had the roof.  I acquired it last November, cut it down, and welded it back onto its original body.  That was a chore...the lead in that area made it challenging to weld it back on.  After the roof was tacked on, I put it away for the Winter and resumed in the Spring.  I sold the 82 EXP I restored between 2014-2017 that my son had no interest in so it freed up floor space now it was the Pinto's turn.  I got it to run, now the engine is out.  Next is to fab a frame and mount the Pinto Power Plant onto the frame, then resume body work.  If I can fab the frame, get the engine/tranny on the frame and get the body in epoxy primer, I will feel that I got a lot done this year.  My outdoor and garage projects end in November.  I am in the heating business so it's 7 days a week/70 hours until late March.  Here are a few pics so you can see what I'm up to...