Ford will sell you and new Pinto for around $2000. For another $23,000, you can make a Pro Stocker out of it. Bill Jenkins set the stage for the mini-car/small-block Pro Stocker with his revolutionary Vega/331. After almost two years of domination it now appears that the Ford teams have got their kit together and are at the head of the pack.

    Among the fastest and quickest of the Pinto Pro Stocks are those belonging to the team of Gapp & Roush, operators of G & R High Performance, Livonia, Mich. Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush have run legal 9.01's with their diminutive Runabout. Construction of their latest effort uses the newest Pro Stock technology, incorporating a complete steel tube chassis, coil-over suspension, and a Lenco gearbox. A tremendous expense is incurred when building a Pro Stock because virtually every part of the car must be modified or fabricated to yield the maximum performance for the weight of the car. This involves time, and you know what they say about time and money.

getting' on the Gapp & Roush Pro Stock Pinto usually means e.t. In the low 9's MIII is an outa sight '73 Cleveland, with just the kind of stuff you think it has!

    G & R did much of the construction of the car themselves at their shop, starting with the new Pinto “body-in-white.” A body-in-white is a basic body shell that can be ordered new from Ford, without sound deadener, undercoat, engine or driveline components. The floor is then cut out of the car and a complete tube frame/roll cage by Tom Smith of Wolverine Chassis Co. is built to support the acid dipped body, rear suspension is Monroe coil-over shock by Wolverine and G & H that hangs a big Ford rear end, narrowed and stuffed with Strange Engineering axles, 5.57 Schiefer cogs, and Pennzoil lube, Strange Engineering disk brakes retard giant Goodyears on Motor Wheel hoops. Rounding out the front end are Pinto spindles, A-arms, rack and pinion steering, and Monroe shocks.

Partner Wayne Gapp lifts 'glass deck lid to expose twin batteries, stock Pinto gas tank, coil-overs.

    A Lakewood scattershield, and a Buco helmet and harness contribute to safety, sharing interior space with upholstered buckets, Lenco “batch-o-levers” shifter, and aluminum paneling by Wolverine.

Lenco shifter has three levers for forward speeds, one for reverse, mechanical tach and Stewart-Warner dials monitor potent 351 Cleveland.

    A Potent '73 351Cleveland, built by Gapp & Roush, is responsible for those incredible nine-ohs. G & R-prepared crank and rods swing 13:1Brooks aluminum pistons and Seal Power rings. Heads Ported and polished by G & R contains Ford stainless valves actuated by a General Kinetics cam, G & R lifters, and Ford pushrods. A Weiand High Ram and Twin 660 Holleys handle the plumbing.

Accel, Weiand, Holly equipment boost output of small-block. All front inner paneling has been replaced with aluminum by Wolverine and front fenders are A & A 'glass.

    An Accel BEI sparker and wires Light Champion plugs before spent gasses are sent through J.R. Headers, 30 ins. Long, 2 & 1/8-in. O.D. A g & R dry sump oil systems allows extremely low front end height. Power is sent through Savage clutch components, and on to a Lenco “automatic” 4-speed.

Husky late Ford rear is narrowed extensively to keep giant donuts inside fenderwells. Visible are adjustable suspension units, pump.

    Gapp & Roush have another Pro Stock Pinto identical to the one shown here. Their new race car shop is busy round the clock building cars for other racers. It looks like a good year for Wayne Gapp and Jack Roush... and Ford.

Wayne (left) and Jack are joined by Ford engineers Al Buckmaster and and Bill Jameson in their effort, Team is inching toward eights, 150 mph. Car is also set up for match races.