Pinto Engine Conversion Reversal?

I am in the "buy it if the price is right, then drive it the way it is" camp. Then prepare for the switch as time and finances permit. You may just love it the way it is.
 
I once had a 28 roadster pick up. When I purchased it had a pinto engine and it had an adapter to use the stock ******. All I changed was installing a model A muffler. If the hood was down it sounded pretty much like stock. I always figured on someday getting a stock engine but she drove so nice I wasn't in a hurry. I eventually sold her (big mistake) and the man that bought her was just as happy with the pinto (he also told me eventually he would change her back to stock) and would drive her as is. I often wonder where she is and if she still runs on a pinto.
 
Sometimes you see a running frame on here that some hot rodder has taken the body off of at around $2,000 + If you factor that amount in and it still seems cheap go for it .
If it has juice brakes that can be a sink hole there are a lot of parts in a Model brake system !!! Someone will count them all just for kicks!!
Good Luck
John
 
I like it too and concur with leave it as is.

Buy it and drive, then find a guy with a flathead 40 HP stockie and swap cars for a weekend.

I will bet you want yours back real quick.
 
Don't buy it; walk away NOW before you get in over your head. And......would you please send me the sellers name, number, and the location of the car? Thanks.
Really, if the price is right I think you'll be fine no matter which way you go with it.
 
You say it's priced right,so the price must make YOU happy.You will get a dozen people telling you that you paid too much for a modified car,and another dozen telling you that you got a bargain.As much as I like stock configured cars,I might be tempted to leave that one as is for a while.Collect up the parts to do it over,when you have enough go to it.In car form,depending on what the engine came out of,it could have 60-80 HP.The earlier ones may have had more.The smogged Pontiac Sunbirds had about 60,the AMC Concords?? had about 80.It's been 35 years since I worked on them.I kept three marine versions around for 20 years,thinking I might do something like that.Those are 120 HP.I finally woke up last summer and realized it ain't gonna happen.I got rid of them.At the junkyard in the mid 70's we never bothered to save them out of the Novas,nobody would buy them no matter how good they ran.They went right into the frag pile.
 
I also have to agree that if it runs, run it until you are sure you have all the parts necessary to complete the change over. I have never heard of a "kit" for such a conversion. Only a hands on inspection will tell what's truly involved to reverse.
 
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Rusty 12. Like the others, I'd sure like to see more photos of your engine, transmission, drive shaft, rear end, etc. That is one nice looking installation.
 
We love our stock A's but someone put a lot of work and money into that conversion. I think it is pretty safe to say you would probably be able to sell that car for a higher price now than after converting it back to stock.
 
It would look a lot better if you painted the engine Ford Green (that is what I did with the one in my '32). I also added an aluminum valve cover, side plate and intake manifold (sort of looks like a Model B with a Cragar to the average guy on the street)

Charlie Stephens
 
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