The pinto used the 1600/2000 block originaly used in the English Fords first the Anglica and later the Cortina.
This was a workhorse engine that was the basis performance cars such as the Lotus Morgans, ect. It was later used in the Mercury Capris here in the US.
I'm not sure if souping up the pinto version to put in a 914 would be worth the effort but it's an intersting concept.
In the early 70's I shared a house with three other sports car guys . 1 had a Lotus Cortina, 1 had an Alfa Spyder( he was way to rich
,1 had a 914 and I had a MGB. We all would "rat race" around the backroads of Central Florida, often times switching cars. That cortina, with its "pinto" engine ( with double overhead cams and webbers) was rocket fast off the line and in mid speed corners with lots of torgue. It also had the major advange of being almost invisible to cops.
If you would like more info on the pinto/ford engine check out
http://www.team.net/www/morgan/history/kenteng.html