Any Ford Pinto fans?

[SA-708]

Simple drivelines, no computers, single barrel carbs, simple to maintain and except for the Gremlin actually were pretty good in snow b/c they were anemic and had smallish tires.

Our '72 Runabout spent its first 5 years in South Dakota. Dad kept two cardboard boxes of cinderblocks in the garage, to load in the hatch over the rear axle when it snowed.

I remember Dad and I went to basketball game the night of a blizzard, the winter of 76/77. The visiting team and the refs made it into town before the snow started, so they went ahead and played while it was snowing 6 inches an hour in a 50 mph wind. After the game, we made it a half-block from our house, when we hit a 6 foot tall snowdrift. We were halfway in with our hazards on, figuring out our options, when someone with a 4WD pickup came behind us and gently pushed us through.

Did the '72s come with a smaller engine than the 2 liter? I could swear ours was a 1600cc engine. In the flatlands of South Dakota there wasn't much call for hill-climbing power.

 

[Fedallah]

If we could do something about building a car without 500lbs of electronics and other emission stuff hanging on the car and go back to basics for such as these I think the car companies would be in better shape.

I think you just described most of the European car market. Sounds a lot like my '98 Ford Escort, too (although that still has power windows, locks, mirrors, etc.)

 

[Brian]

Well, getting buried in a 6 foot snowdrift will just about stop anything. I have a couple of bags of kitty litter I put in the trunk of the Volvo 940 in the winter to shift some of the weight over to the rear end. Does help.

 

[pbda]

My mother had a Pinto Squire (white wagon with the plastic woodgrain--a mini Country Squire) in the mid-seventies...I fondly recall a long road trip in it with my Dad to visit colleges in the summer of '76.

Auto transmission and a four cylinder engine made for terrible acceleration. Mom got rid of it the following year and bought a Volvo wagon, but I have warm memories of the Pinto.

 

[arrow 68]

True enough, Brian.

And lets not forget the Chevy Chevette too. Aside from a bit too strong an appetite for brakes, these were damn solid little cars.

I remember jockeying cars one summer at a Chevy dealer, and we (the car Jockey crew) were given a four speed Chevette as a beater to runs errands with, having replaced a Cutlass that finally died. We were so offended at having been given a Chevette, we decided that we would kill it. So, four, young, stupid hard driving kids kicked the crap out of it for four weeks. Did everything to it that we were always told never to do to a car. At the end of the four weeks, we gave up. The Chevette just took all of our abuse and kept running!

You didn't abuse it for long. They have Aluminum Blocks, and you have to raise the engine to replace the starter. I had one. Pure garbage!

 

[Bigerik]

You didn't abuse it for long. They have Aluminum Blocks, and you have to raise the engine to replace the starter. I had one. Pure garbage!

We kicked the crap out of it. Every shift to the redline (or at least where we thought it was) and then power shifting all the way, foot to the floor. Shifting without the clutch. Banging it off curbs. That thing earned my respect!

 

[goraman]

Myself and 2 freinds drove a Chevy Chevett from here in California to Albany N.Y. I was tired and saw a nice old Packerd and woke up my freind to point it out driveing along side it on I 70. I wasent watching the road and on the left side of the freeway I went right down the side! a 45 degree slope down about 15feet.I saw the pillors of a road sighn comming toward me fast and in a with in a second decided to try to get back up to the freeway before hitting the road sighn.
When I got to the top still doing around 75 to 80 mph. The front wheels hit the asvault and being a
fwd the back slid hard trying to right it's self,We spun a full 360 and clipped the front fender of the Packard with the bumper of the Chevett.Then flew down the other side backwards 15 feet and came to rest in a clearing.With in a few seconds the guy driveing the Packered was walking down to us NOT VERY HAPPY I gave him $200.00 to get his fender repainted and pulled the car back on to the freeway after I was shure there wasent another car for miles.In Wyoming during 1985 there wasent alot of traffic and I hit the only other car for miles,can you belive it?The cheap crome bumper on the Chevett was ok I just had to rub the black paint off with rubbing compound we just touched while in a spin but looking into the grill of that Packered in a 70+mile per hour 360 still haunts me.

 

[arrow 68]

How many American 4 Bangers from the 80's do you still see? I guess this is subjective to area. It would take much convincing to make me like the Chevette. Every one that I knew that had one died around 75K. And mine was poop. And it was bought new by my Mother. I would take the Pinto.
And our experiences vary. There is know way I will try to convince anybody of anything. But again, driving a car for a couple months doesn't mean much.

 

[dokblues]

Heck I always thought that the humble Pinto was good for only one thing,stuff a 302 or a 351 into it do some traction and frame mods, set back and reach for the sky. As that was all you were going to see the first time you really stood on one. Built about 6 of those for different friends. If you could keep it straight they were blindingly FAST!!

 

[Bigerik]

How many American 4 Bangers from the 80's do you still see? I guess this is subjective to area. It would take much convincing to make me like the Chevette. Every one that I knew that had one died around 75K. And mine was poop. And it was bought new by my Mother. I would take the Pinto.
And our experiences vary. There is know way I will try to convince anybody of anything. But again, driving a car for a couple months doesn't mean much.

Not gonna try to convince you of anything. I also never said I liked it. It did earn my respect as a tough little bugger. I know of 4 in my circle of acquaintance that did what they were meant to do: provide years of cheap transportation.
To be honest, I wouldn't want any of the econo boxes of the 70's or into the mid 80's, domestic or Japanese.
well, one of these I wouldn't mind:

 

[stuartk]

Well, the competition wasn't that great either:

AMC Gremlin:


Chevy Vega:


Toyota Corona anyone?

The Gremlin was kind of so-so. It was no more ugly than the Pacer or Matador. AMC was just kind of different.

The Vega had a problem with the engines, but once you put an iron sleeve in they ran quite well.

The Corona was actually a good car. The engines ran forever.

 

[stuartk]

Not gonna try to convince you of anything. I also never said I liked it. It did earn my respect as a tough little bugger. I know of 4 in my circle of acquaintance that did what they were meant to do: provide years of cheap transportation.
To be honest, I wouldn't want any of the econo boxes of the 70's or into the mid 80's, domestic or Japanese.
well, one of these I wouldn't mind:

The Cosworth Vega was an interesting car.

You could also take a Mercury Capri and make quite a sports car out of it too.

I also remember seeing pictures of a Ford Festiva that someone had souped-up. I think they put a Lotus top-end on the engine.

 

[rickr15]

How many American 4 Bangers from the 80's do you still see? I guess this is subjective to area. It would take much convincing to make me like the Chevette. Every one that I knew that had one died around 75K. And mine was poop. And it was bought new by my Mother. I would take the Pinto.
And our experiences vary. There is know way I will try to convince anybody of anything. But again, driving a car for a couple months doesn't mean much.

FWIW those Chevettes weren't American 4 bangers. The engines both gas and diesel were built by Isuzu.
As for the Pinto's anyone who goes to the stock car tracks can probably tell you why you don't see those on the roads anymore. They mostly got used up in the mini stock classes in the 80's and 90's.

 

[arrow 68]

The Gremlin was kind of so-so. It was no more ugly than the Pacer or Matador. AMC was just kind of different.

The Vega had a problem with the engines, but once you put an iron sleeve in they ran quite well.

The Corona was actually a good car. The engines ran forever

.

Yep. First the 20R, and then the engine that was a stalwart in many Toyota's of the 80's into the early 90's. The 22R, and 22RE.

 

[Bigerik]

FWIW those Chevettes weren't American 4 bangers. The engines both gas and diesel were built by Isuzu.

Interesting stuff.
I thought that only the Diesels were built for them by Isuzu.
Thanks

 

[enjoythemusic]

Best Pinto... ever!
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0-60mph in about 3 seconds. 100mph to 0 in about 80 feet. Pulls 3+Gs during turns. Faster than a Viper, Ferrari or Corvette on twisty tracks
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And yes i am serious about the above figures.
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Technically, it IS Pinto powered (old 2L engine Pinto/Kent engine with Webber 32/36 carb.
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.
.
.
wait for it
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Oh, and i won the SCCA's Driver's Championship in her this year
More pics and details at www.enjoythetrack.com
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.
.

 

[electronjohn]

In the early 70s the SCCA debuted the Showroom Stock class...all you could do was bolt in a roll bar and mess with different tires (had to be stock size, though). Pintos were reasonably competitive in the class since they were fairly well-balanced and one of the few small cars on the market at the time with rack & pinion steering. Datsun 510s did well, too...fully independent suspension all around. (Kinda like a Japanese BMW 2002) The king of the class was, of course, the Opel Manta. I have the distinct "honor" of having bought both a Vega and a Chevette brand new. The Vega was a POS...every piece of plastic broke within 6 months, and the carb had a nasty habit of shaking itself apart and spewing raw gas all over the engine compartment. Loctite on all the screws put an end to that. The Chevette, on the other hand, was a damn good car. Essentially an Opel design...and the engine was a design from GM do Brasil. My ex got it and ended up putting 140K on it with nothing more than brake jobs and one timing belt.

 

[Brian]

The late Vegas finally got the engine and drivetrains right. We used to sell manifolds for dual webers for the engines as well as other bolt on goodies such as decent headers and exhaust systems. Add a Mallory dual point distributor and coil and it had potential. There was a small cult following in the USAF at Pease AFB for the late Vegas and the guys would dress them up from simple chrome bolt ons to full leather interiors. Chevettes did not seem to garner much attention with the guys.

 

[onepixel]

Best Pinto... ever!
.
.
0-60mph in about 3 seconds. 100mph to 0 in about 80 feet. Pulls 3+Gs during turns. Faster than a Viper, Ferrari or Corvette on twisty tracks
.
.
.
And yes i am serious about the above figures.
.
.
.
Technically, it IS Pinto powered (old 2L engine Pinto/Kent engine with Webber 32/36 carb.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
wait for it
.
.
.
Oh, and i won the SCCA's Driver's Championship in her this year
More pics and details at www.enjoythetrack.com
.
.
.
.

That's just down right sick! :thmbsp:

 

[elseed]

Best Pinto... ever!
Oh, and i won the SCCA's Driver's Championship in her this year

OK, that's cool.

When I was in high school in the 80s, my father (the car nut) was struggling to find a reliable preferred marque replacing his ever present Volvos (544s, 445s, 122s, loads of 'em). He settled on Toyotas, but in between we got a Chevette (lemony) and a Pinto (very used). The Pinto became my sisters' teen driver car. Three clear memories:

- It would consume a minimum quart of transmission fluid and oil each per week.
- On cold nights the horn would sometimes go off - metal contracting or something? :scratch2:
- A neighbor had one too and put a huge "FLAMMABLE!" sticker on the back (a la tanker trucks) shortly after the fire hazard story.