Pinto Zetec parity in NWFC (everyone is welcome to weigh in)

For those who have followed along on Apexspeed.com, or for those who have been to a race featuring both pinto’s and zetec’s, it has become apparent that the two packages are no longer equal. It was revealed on Apexspeed that the zetec package now has 5-6 hp more at peak power than the pinto. Coupling this with its higher torque curve and flatter powerband, the package has the advantage in every area. Over the past two months we have heard from both pinto and zetec owners who want something to be done to bring the two packages back to parity. Those who recently bought zetec’s did so because of the cost savings of running 93 octane pump fuel and a longer rebuild cycle, not because they wanted to run away from every pinto out there. They want people to race with. The pinto on the other hand offers a lower entry cost to this group, however, if they are not equal in power to the zetec’s then entry to the group becomes much less desirable. It is the plan of NWFC to bring these two packages back to equality. A few of the proposed options are:



Weight penalty for zetecs (probably around 50 lbs, simplest solution)



Upgraded carb for Pinto’s (may be equal at first, development could lead to pinto dominance though)



Upgraded cam for Pinto’s (Same reasoning as carb)



Remapping/restrictor change of Zetec ( a little bit of cost to competitor, testing needed to prove equality, future adjustments possibly necessary)





There are other options out there than this. If you have any suggestions, please submit them.



Regardless of what happens with SCCA we will do something to bring the two packages together for our group. The zetec owners in the group who I have talked to so far are in favor of scaling back their zetecs via restrictor, which is the lowest cost option for the group, however if the group wants to go in a different direction we can pursue that as well.