Thursday, November 16, 2023

a longtime fan of Bob Glidden built a street legal tribute to Glidden’s famous Pinto (thanks Mike!)



Randy Irwin of Apopka, Florida, that’s how he’s spent most of his spare time during the past four years. When not working at Real Deal Steel in Sanford making reproduction steel bodies for Tri-Five Chevys, Camaros and 1966-1967 Chevy II Novas, Randy was researching, parts hunting, and building one of the best replicas of the Glidden Pinto

the original Glidden Pinto that was sold at the January 2020 Mecum Auction in Kissimmee. The car was on display in Kissimmee for several days before it crossed the auction block, giving Randy and a friend time to crawl around the car, taking photos and making measurements.

In addition to measuring the exact placement of all the sponsor decals, finding those original decals, or reproductions of them, proved difficult or impossible. A friend with a vinyl graphics business duplicated the missing stickers, Randy says.

The 351 Cleveland V8 in Randy’s car isn’t quite as strong as Glidden’s original engine, but it still produces 500 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque. Visually, the powerplant looks like the original, complete with the correct tunnel-ram intake, twin 700cfm Holley four-barrel carbs, MSD ignition components, and chrome Moroso valve covers.

Glidden was in the low 8s, Irwin is in the low 11s with the tribute, but it's street legal



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