If you’re in the market for something that’s entirely unique to go racing with, boy, do we have just the ticket for you!
For sale over on Craigsist this week is, of all things, a 1980 Ford Pinto that’s been given the old school Gasser treatment — jacked up in the air well higher than it has any business being. Of course, in this case, that’s partially by necessity, as under the hood rests a 390 cubic inch Ford small-block V8. Its size, with the headers installs, takes up much of what would normally be the front wheel wells, and thus, comes it’s ride height that’s dipping closer to a mud truck than a drag car.
The small-block has a 750cfm 4-barrel Holley carburetor on top of an Edelbrock intake, Powermaster alternator, MSD ignition, customer headers and Flowmaster mufflers, and all sorts of high performance goods, which push it up to 450 horsepower, per the owner’s dyno records. That’s certainly not earth-turning power, but it does reportedly run in the low 12s.
Inside and underneath, this thing is all Gasser: a full roll cage, a 4-inch dropped straight front axle with spindles and king pins from Mr. Roadster. In the rear is a shortened 9-inch Ford with Moser axles and Richmond gears.
Truly, the parts and pieces are there to go a little quicker and faster, perhaps with the aid of nitrous oxide or a little more love and money shown to the small-block mill. Or, because this car is in fact street legal, it could just be left entirely alone and appreciated for what it is: one individuals’ unorthodox but enjoyably unique approach to car customization — with a vehicle many folks wouldn’t give any attention to.