Pinto to Zetec...it runs.........

[Rosco]

After a month of Saturdays, the moment finally came to see if it would all come together...... would the Zetec start & move after being transplanted into the locost...

After a while cranking, (had to use the tin top to give it a bit of boost) I finally got a short fire, a fiddle on the choke and throttle, and more cranking and a few seconds of running,  a bit more tweaking,  and it finally runs, feels a bit lumpy but runs.....

So here are the costs:-

Basic Engine.
1.6 Zetec engine from a fiesta si  (cost £45 from Ebay) The fiesta Zetec is often over looked in favour of a 2.0 litre, but comes as standard with the correct water pump and the thermostat outlet points to the side rather than the rear.

Fueling.
I reused my pinto's Weber 32/26 DGAV, I sourced a inlet manifold to mate this to a ford OHV block (£25 from Ebay) and used an adaptor plate to mount it to the Zetec block (£20 from Ebay) this is standard method of fueling a zetec in the banger racing world.

Electric fuel pump (cost £10 from Ebay)

Clutch.
I re-drilled my flywheel to accept the pinto clutch which I took off of my old pinto engine (measure lots, drill once),  I attempted this as if it went very wrong I could always buy a pre-drilled one from retro ford, so nothing to lose. Cost £0

Gearbox spigot bearing (£4.50 from ebay)

Starter motor,
I had to track down a lucas lrs707, (£35 from a online part finder)

Ignition.
I am using an old 'ESC' ignition pack from a late escort/orion.  This was the late model which used a coil pack and a carb.  (£25 from locost builders forum )

Exhaust.
I tried to work out lots of ways to do this, in the end I gave in and purchased the exhaust manifold from 'great British sports cars' (£145)

Home made.
The engine to gearbox sandwich plate is made from a off cut of aluminium which was left over from when I built the car (cost £0)
The engine mountings are home made from scrap metal I had in the garage. (cost £0)
New alternator bracket is home made from scrap (cost £0),

Alternator bits
I reused my old alternator, which I originally got from a small Nissan.  This originally had a mutli-v pulley which I put back on. (cost £0)

New alternator belt (£5 from local motor factors)

I re-used many of my original coolant hoses, but did have to lengthen some, so used aluminium tubing (cost £9 from Ebay)

So all in, this conversion has cost me about £320 plus a few quid here and there for the odd aerosol etc.....

Offset this against what I sold many of my old pinto parts for (exhaust manifold, engine mountings, shortened sump, modified cam cover, distributor and ignition module etc) so the conversion came in for around £200

So, it took me longer to source all of the bits, than actually do the conversion,

SO winter evenings shall be doing minor cosmetics, painting the cam cover etc.

So I am a happy boy, bring on the summer......

[foggy]

That made interesting reading-well done mate.

['The Gaffer']

Excellent work Rosco, got any pics?

[paintman]

That's the way to do it.....doesn't have to cost "a arm and a leg" as you proved.

I would love to do convert mine to a Zetec but I thought it would cost at least £1000 and a lot of hassle ...... might think about it next year.

  Tony

[YellaBelly]

Nice one Rosco

It is obviously true wht they say then? The car is never really 'finished'

I will be really glad when I get mine at least IVA'd and driveable.

As already been said, where's the pics?

John

[Rosco]

For those of you who have been following my pinto to zetec conversion, you will know that I got I running, but it was very lumpy......

Mechanically the engine sounds great when it's running. So it had to be a 'sparky' problem.

So in the spirit or locost & self sacrifice, I started the engine, and pulled off the plug leads in turn......

The one which didn't electrocute me had to be the dud.....

Found it (the third one, so was only electrocuted twice), new set of leads & plugs.

Runs like a dream........

I could have gone straight to a new set of plugs and leads, but where's the fun in that 

I'll do some pics this week end.

['The Gaffer']

Great news, can you include some pics with your hair standing on end from the 50,000 volts