Pangra
Pangra | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Production | 1972–1973 |
Body and chassis | |
Related | Ford Pinto |
The Pangra is an American kit car based on the Ford Pinto and produced from 1972–1973. The Pangra is the brainchild of Jack Stratton, then general sales manager at Huntington Ford in Arcadia, California. Production estimates vary but somewhere in the range of 20–50 complete cars were built, although many partial kits were sold as well, with estimates for those hovering in the hundreds.[1]
History
The Pangra was based on the
Variants
The Pangra could either be had as one of 4 different kits or it could be bought as a complete car from Huntington Ford with all of the equipment already installed. Kit 1 included the distinctive fiberglass front end with a revised hood, grill, fenders and hidden headlights operated by a lever in the interior.
Performance
The Kit 4 Pangras are powered by the carbureted 2.0 liter SOHC 4 cylinder used in the Pinto but have been modified with 7:1 compression, water injection, revised header pipe, crossover intake, an O-ringed head and the aforementioned AK Miller turbocharger kit. The Pangra reportedly did 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 7.5 seconds and made around 175 bhp (130 kW) at around 10 pounds of boost, giving it 1.42 horsepower per cubic inch.[6] The car also could pull 0.74g on track thanks to its upgraded suspension, with Motor Trend saying the car "clings like Saran wrap".[4] The Pangra was an early adopter of turbocharging, lacking an intercooler or any sort of device to control boost. Instead, boost was regulated by welding a washer into the exhaust to limit the amount of air which could come through. Due to this, long term reliability of these engines suffered according to accounts from owners.
References
- ^ "Pangra!". hemmings.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
- ^ "Pangra - Jack Stratton". fordpinto.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
- ^ "Random Car Review: The 1973 Ford Pinto Pangra – The Hot Pinto Before The Pinto Caught Fire". Retrieved 2018-02-18.
- ^ a b "1971-1980 Ford Pinto". HowStuffWorks. 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
- ^ "Rare Pantera-Inspired Turbo Special: 1973 Ford Pinto Pangra". The best vintage and classic cars for sale online | Bring a Trailer. 2018-09-19. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
- ^ "Pangra: The Original Hot Hatch – Hoonable". hoonable.com. Retrieved 2018-02-18.