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Author Topic: Early pinto club  (Read 3012 times)

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Offline A Alves

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Early pinto club
« on: June 02, 2014, 12:54:00 AM »
Does anyone from the So.Cal. area remember a Pinto club called the Stone Pony's? Started back in 72-73'.
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Offline Srt

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2014, 03:38:22 AM »
Does anyone from the So.Cal. area remember a Pinto club called the Stone Pony's? Started back in 72-73'.


I do!  What do you need to know?
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Offline A Alves

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2014, 08:08:04 AM »
I was also a member and remember some good times. The pizza nights and a trip we made to moro bay with the vegabonds. The nicest pinto I remember was the wagon with the panel with to pony express mural. That was my inspiration to buy the 77 crusin wagon later. I'm trying to find the pictures from those days. My own was a 73 dark blue wagon. My wife still has her club jacket.
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72 Pinto wagon 2.3 turbo 5 spd 4:11 8" rear current drive
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Offline A Alves

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #3 on: June 02, 2014, 08:10:25 AM »
What ever became of the gang?
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15 50th Aniversary Mustang GT current drive when the wife lets me

Offline dick1172762

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #4 on: June 02, 2014, 08:53:08 AM »
Take a look at http://www.superstreetonline.com/eventcoverage2/20325/ to see the good ole days in Calif. Not a Pinto club but the ones who started it all. Look at the first picture on the right to see a Pinto.
Its better to be a has-been, than a never was.

Offline Srt

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2014, 09:59:31 AM »
What ever became of the gang?


 :o



That was over 40 years ago in the early 1970's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



in summer of '71 i was cruising thru downey past the stonewood shopping center and noticed 3 guys with 3 pintos in the lot off firestone so i pulled in & started to get to know them.


one guy john gunther had a pale metallic green 2 door, another guy steve sisson, had a hatch car , dark green i think and the other guy/car i can't remember. well over 40 years ago & the memories start to fade.


we hung around downey usually in the lot there every weekend before taking of to find some pizza & beer and just started picking up members meeting them the same way i met those 3 guys. 


shortly after that 1st meeting, john gunther printed up a flyer and posted some around town. 


there were about 10 to 15 members shortly after that and we would take once a month road trips all over so cal but usually up the coast to the gaviota area or down & inland to the mountains inland from escondido and into julian then down into the desert before heading back home.  those were overnight trips.


we made many trips to the drag races and even more trips to road races at riverside for weekends when a big event was happening out there.


there were many trips to the san fernando valley to take in 'fun runs' or, as they were called then 'navigatioanl rallyes'.   where time, direction and navigation were important.  those were a lot of fun with the group.


the names i can remember are (mine of course-steve thomsen) john gunther, steve sisson, joe ballistrea, blackie kintigh, ralph bruner, gary kuhns and roy dimsay. my girlfriend also bought one in 1973 & joined in the fun also.


i ran across john gunther in newport beach about 25 or so years ago (haven't seen or heard from him since) and just reconnected with joe ballistrea last week.  it's tough when we were just a bunch of kids with dreams and getting older jobs school and interests changed they way s we could interact and newer people stepping up to fill the ranks.


i'm glad the club got bigger.  wish the cars were still around too!


if any of you old members happen across this post & don't see your name i apologize!  give me a shout if this rings a bell in your distant past.


at the time all were sedans with one them a hatch car and (at that time) only one wagon which was ralphs and he had some panels made to turn into a sedan delivery.


my car was dark green metallic with stock (but widened to 7") wheels with dog dish hubcaps and a turbo. lowered to the ground. 


all the other cars for the most part stock. 


i remember the weekly meetings at Shakeys. it was on alondra or something wasn't it.


i became much less active in the club in 1973 & started going my own way and that was before anyone sprung the cash for jackets.  all i have is an old t-shirt!


If you can find those photos I would really love a chance to go through them.
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Offline Pintosopher

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #6 on: June 02, 2014, 10:22:59 AM »
Steve,
 Amazing how our memories fade with time and circumstance. I can still remember the search I had for a SCCA Pinto in the Napa area in '84. My wife's "74 hatch was on it's last leg and I wanted an early car to Autocross. My leads took me to a Car Quest Auto parts store and I found out that the guy who was a partner in that car had taken it to the Limit and even acid dipped the shell before the cage was put in. Sadly the car had been stripped and Scrapped , but that same lead took me to what must have been Pinto/Capri/ M2 heaven in a place called California Pinto Parts in Napa ( I still have the Ball cap) .  Gordon Stanley, the owner and Prolific SCCA racer was quick to point out that he could find me an early car to build. While talking in the back shop , I saw a Fully prepped GT4 Mk1 Lotus Cortina Shell with a serious cage installed.  Later the call came about a San Diego car built around my needs, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. It fit my needs but there's more to that story too. For the first 3 years I drove it on the street, it looked much like your ride with the 7.5 wide steelies and dog dish caps and lowered too. I still have this toy and I keep checking my old noggin for an occasional gap in the history, So far So good!  ??? ;D

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Offline dick1172762

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2014, 10:56:12 AM »
BETTER TO BE A "HAS BEEN", THAN A "NEVER WAS". Ole Pinto race cars rock!
Its better to be a has-been, than a never was.

Offline 74 PintoWagon

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2014, 09:50:55 PM »
BETTER TO BE A "HAS BEEN", THAN A "NEVER WAS". Ole Pinto race cars rock!
Ain't that the truth.. :D
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Offline A Alves

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #9 on: June 03, 2014, 08:19:41 AM »
Yes SRT your right it was Shakeys with those old b/w videos.  :) I was the only one on that Moro bay trip to break down because on a bad plug wire but still hung in. Wonder if we got enough responses to put together a reunion? I am still in the So Cal area.
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Offline blupinto

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #10 on: June 21, 2014, 08:44:16 PM »
That sounded like an awesome club! I was just a baby then, and in San Diego... so there was no way I could've been in it... but I wish I did!

One can never have too many Pintos!

Offline Srt

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #11 on: June 21, 2014, 09:04:44 PM »
It was a ton of fun that's for sure Becky.
A.Alves, did you ever find any of those photos from back in the day?
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Offline Srt

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Re: Early pinto club
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2014, 04:01:21 AM »
Pintosopher... ..


great back story...


i need to get out more often i'd love to come up and have a beer or two
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