I first crawled under my Dad's Pontiac with him in 1966 when i was 7.He stayed a GM guy untill 72 when they pissed him off with quality and fuel mileage.He bought a B210,then my mother bought a 710 Wagon,then i got a Z....(you can see where this is going:D)
Although it seems like a good idea,the Z manifold"cut-down" isn't.The ports(runners) are too big.One of the most important things in an L-20B is having good port velocity.
Fact:
1)With over 2 million Pintos made,their"flammability"ratio was in line with other car models of all makes.
2)The car that started all the media "hype"was stationary on the side of the road and was rear-ended at 50+ MPH.Almost any car of the day would get BBQ'd if rear-ended at 50+.
3) This car also had no gas cap.It had a rag stuck in the filler neck.
Sorry,but there are details you or i donj't know.But the Pinto thing as a whole was fabricated by the media.Just like the GM truck saddle tanks.Just like the Firestone tire thing with the Explorer.