The Pinto was a cute looking car. Vulnerable gas tanks aside, they were cheap buys in the 70s and more than a few enterprising people dropped in 302s, but at least you could do that sort of thing in those days because the Pinto was rear drive. Cars like the Monza, AMC Hornet, Gremlin could all take V8s because although they were small they happened to be rear drive.
Legend has it that when the V8 became available in the AMC Gremlin in 1972 (304 V8) one dealer offered a swap package that replaced the 304 with the big 401 (6.6 liters!!), and that car did 12 second 1/4 mile out of the box as an automatic. In the dying days of the Yenko operation they offered the little Chevy Vega with the Camaro Z/28's 350 engine (1971/72), before government authorities found out.
A smallish, affordable rear drive coupe with a normally aspirated V8 would be a fun alternative to the turbo imports, easier to hot up too.