Two Average Americans and Their Typical 160-MPH Stocker
Article as written in April 1978 issue of Car Craft
Magazine
The Ford Pinto arrived late in 1970, long before small cars became both
fashionable and necessary. Glidden arrived somewhat later, making his
professional racing debut in a Pinto Pro Stock at the '72 Supernationals. The
passing years have treated both well: the Pinto became the premier domestic
subcompact, and Bob Glidden became the scourge of Pro Stock. From its humble
beginnings as a $2000, 2000lb. mini-car, the Pinto has grown plusher, heavier
and more expensive with the passage of time. Glidden's rides have become leaner,
lighter, faster--and also more expensive.
In the beginning, Pro cars and
their street-bound counterparts shared a common ancestry on the assembly lines.
It was not unheard of for a future race car to be driven home from a dealership
before its transformation. But like gas wars and free love, that is buried in
the past. The only parts which interchange between Glidden's racer and the Ford
Public Relations' Pinto are a few sheet metal panels, some safety glass and the
parking lamp bezels. The new wave of Pro cars are single thickness panels draped
over a prefabricated tube frame. If you are an aspiring Pro Stock star, you call
Don Hardy Race Cars down in Floydada, Texas, and he hangs the panels of your
choice on one of his tube chassis. Vega, Monza, Mustang II, Pinto -- take your
choice. If your heart is set on a Camaro, Don will splice a few extra inches
into the wheelbase.
With a curb weight of 2602 pounds, the '78 production
Pinto is nearly a quarter of a ton heavier than the original models. Increases
in engine displacement have helped offset the added burden of mandated bumpers,
air conditioning and a catalogful of options. The original English-built 1600cc
four gave way to a 2000cc German-made four, which in turn has been replaced by a
2300cc American inline four-cylinder engine. It was this last powerplant, with
its single overhead cam and crossflow cylinder head, which we subjected to
Glidden's onslaught. (A 2800cc V-6 is available, but only with an automatic
trans. Since Glidden doesn't get to shift his Lenco-equipped Pro car anymore we
figured the least we could do was provide a proper four-speed for his driving
pleasure.)
While FoMoCo adopted larger engine displacements to keep the
Pinto's performance level up, Glidden's motors are going down in size to achieve
the same end. Instead of the 366 and 355ci engines which once filled the Pro
Pinto's engine bay, Bob arrived at our test session with a 343ci Boss Ford. The
automakers know that there's no substitute for cubic inches to provide a little
more torque for on ramps and custody fights over the fast lane. No substitute,
that is, but one: volumetric efficiency. That, coupled with money, hard work,
and more money, is why Bob Glidden is running 8.50's. Cylinder heads which flow
enough air for a 355ci engine are too much for a 343. And in the world of Pro
Stock racers, too much is just about right.
The Pinto was conceived as a
"basic car." It's a little hard to find the original concept under all the
accouterments of our '78 sports package: tape stripes, blacked-out trim, dual
sport mirrors and a chin spoiler. There are enough upgraded underpinnings to
warrant ordering the "sports handling group" including a front sway bar and a
3.18:1 rear axle (in place of the standard 2.73:1). A readable, responsive gauge
cluster incorporating a tachometer, temperature gauge and ammeter provides a
wealth of operating information, and a leather wrapped steering wheel helps
dispel the economy car image. Coupled with Ford's excellent two speaker
Aeroneutronic FM multiplex radio, these options transfrom a standard Pinto into
a spirited mini-GT.
Look to Glidden's racer to take the low-level
approach to interior appointments. The dashboard is a fraud, with a painted
speedometer and replica radio, mere shadows of the genuine articles. A few
shards of vinyl preserve the memory of the factory appointments. A sound system
would be a superfluous addition; the sewer-sized header collectore terminating
under the floorboards provide all the noise that is endurable. Although
Glidden's Pinto lacks the leather-covered shift knob of the street car, it does
have four shifter levers, which should count for something.
Crawling
around under the two cars is both instructive and dirty. The factory's regard
for simplicity and light weight is as apparent as Glidden's need for unadorned
strength. The stock Pinto relies on five-leaf rear springs rated at 112 lb-in to
locate and control a 6 3/4-inch rearend. The racer's 9 1/4-inch rearend is
suspended by coilover shocks and 36-inch-long ladder bars. In this Age of the
Ultra-Adjustable Pro Car, Glidden's traction system is staggeringly simple:
there is exactly one front pivot point per side. Glidden is not one to squander
his time on chassis tuning.
In fact, Glidden is not one to waste his time
on anything, save an occasional basketball game to keep himself in fighting
trim. And so it was with some trepidation that we approached him about this drag
test business. But Glidden is a racer, which means that the hint of competition
is lure enough. And after years of racing a Pinto, Glidden was curious about how
a "real" Pinto drove. "Shoot, I don't even have a car," he admitted. "All I get
to drive is the shop truck."
The driver we wanted to pit against Glidden
had to be a man of consummate skill, total dedication, and photon-quick
reflexes. We chose Competition Editor Jon Asher instead, figuring that he would
at least turn the stock car over and provide some good photo material. But Asher
rose to the occasion, surprising all in attendance by recording a top speed at
73.05 mph. He complained of blurred vision and headaches at such terminal
velocities, but these adverse effects were eliminated by loosening his helmet
strap.
Predictably, Glidden coaxed low e.t. out of the car. With a time
of 18.27, the ride was a tidy 10 seconds longer than a Pro car pass. The
17-second barrier could have fallen before the two drivers' onslaught. "That
thing would have run if we'd messed with it," Glidden reported, "but Jon was
afraid he'd have to walk home." It was general consensus that a long walk
wouldn't have hurt him, but we didn't relish returning a broken car. The
warranty adjustment would have been a classic: "Vehicle examination reveals
flagrant driver abuse, including clutchless shifting, disregard for engine
redline and accelerated wear of rear tires." But that's all standard equipment
when you order the Pro Stock option.
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