PINTO CAR CLUB of AMERICA
Shiny is Good! => General Pinto Talk => Topic started by: 71pintoracer on April 23, 2020, 05:17:50 PM
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i like both of them . ;D
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For Real?
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I did see the same picture recently
Is it true
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No there will never be another Ford vehicle named Pinto. This is actually a Mustang and it is total electric and AWD like a Tesla. And it is slated to go into production. But it sure does look like a Pinto!
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No there will never be another Ford vehicle named Pinto. This is actually a Mustang and it is total electric and AWD like a Tesla. And it is slated to go into production. But it sure does look like a Pinto!
Because it got such a bad rep?
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Yep exactly. I work for Ford and that’s the word. Everyone relates the Pinto as the car that “blows up.” With all of the retro stuff that goes on they would love to have a new Pinto because people loved them but it just can’t happen. They want the Pinto swept under the rug and forgotten about.
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I have an old Pinto wagon. And I also have a 2016 Ford Fiesta, which I think is a Pinto in spirit. It's small basic, cheap (subjective) with a small engine and limited options. isn't that what a Pinto in the 1970's was??
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Yes it is and had it not been for the bad rep it may very well been called Pinto. However, l can't think of another new Ford car that had the same fanfare that came after the Pinto. lt was the first American subcompact, it was inexpensive, light, low and wide. The seats were low like a sports car, it handled well and the steering was tight and quick thanks to the rack and pinion steering. The body was pattered after the other pony cars, Mustang and Falcon, with a long nose and short deck, and the angled sides and flared fenders were an instant hit. The 1.6 and 2.0 engines came from Formula Ford racing and they were bullet-poof. Even with only 75 hp the 1.6 was a zippy little engine that you could rev the daylights out of and thanks to a close-ratio 4 speed and decent gearing it moved along pretty good! The 2.0 had a cool 100 hp! It didn't take the aftermarket long to notice the Pinto. Body kits, mag wheels, spoilers and performance parts! For a Pinto? Really? Yep. Cams, carbs, headers......M y oldest bother bought a '71 Runabout and of course we added all of the above. ;D Offenhouser intake, 390 Holley, Isky cam and a Hooker header on a 2.0. And of course a glasspack lol!!! The dragstrips were all 1/4 mile then and let me tell you, quite a few V8 cars got embarrassed by a Pinto!! That dude was screaming with 8000 rpm shifts! So who knows? Would the Pinto still be around today? Maybe. I kind of think it may have gone bye-bye for a while and then very well came back. Maybe it would have been the Fiesta platform. l read an article about the Pinto back in the early 70's about the popularity of them, it stated that the owners of these little cars actually honk, wave and give thumbs up to each other when they pass on the road. Guess what? We as Pinto owners still get that today from people driving anything! Haha! Can you tell that l like Pintos? ;D
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I agree that we're not liable to see a new Pinto come out of Ford Motor Company within our lifetimes, but I think it bears mentioning that Ford's attitude toward the Pinto has softened in recent years. In fact, owners of Pintos have even been invited to participate in Ford's annual car show and Ford Racing officials have actually graced us with their presence at Pinto meets. While the "exploding gas tank" myth is still alive and well, there is now information (besides the PCCA's) online now disputing it and placing the blame squarely where it belongs, with Mother Earth News. Ford recently resurrected one of its oldest car names to grace its newest Lincoln: Corsair. For those who don't know, or don't remember, Corsair was an Edsel model more than sixty years ago. I'm sure no one who knows anything about cars ever thought an Edsel name would be revived! Give it another 20 -30 years and I think it's conceivable that something could possibly come out of Ford bearing the Pinto moniker; it makes as much sense as spreading the Mustang name across a line of crossovers and station wagons that couldn't be further from the heart and soul of Ford Mustang. Personally, I'd buy one. Like you, I like Pintos. My very first car EVER was a brand new Pinto Runabout when I was sixteen and I've owned a few since, two of which still remain. I wouldn't hesitate to add a brand new one to the stable if it paid any homage at all to its roots.
Dwayne :)
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Yep exactly. I work for Ford and that’s the word. Everyone relates the Pinto as the car that “blows up.” With all of the retro stuff that goes on they would love to have a new Pinto because people loved them but it just can’t happen. They want the Pinto swept under the rug and forgotten about.
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Isn't it funny how people remember the Pinto for its exploding gas tank, but the Chevy square body pickup gets overlooked. Nobody mentions our trucks with the saddle type gas tank mounted outside the frame. Even though fire deaths surpassed the Pinto by more than twenty times. They didn't get the label like the Pinto. I like my Pinto. It hasn't been assembled in 3 years but I keep it... for now.
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Hey Matt! Good to have you back! Hope all is well!
Dwayne :)
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Isn't it funny how people remember the Pinto for its exploding gas tank, but the Chevy square body pickup gets overlooked. Nobody mentions our trucks with the saddle type gas tank mounted outside the frame. Even though fire deaths surpassed the Pinto by more than twenty times. They didn't get the label like the Pinto. I like my Pinto. It hasn't been assembled in 3 years but I keep it... for now.
Yep exactly. There are quite a few others with issues that never got any press. I had a '70 Chevy c10 stepside that had the gas tank behind the seat in the cab!! It smelled like gas fumes all the time
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Ok....I want one.
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Yep exactly. I work for Ford and that’s the word. Everyone relates the Pinto as the car that “blows up.” With all of the retro stuff that goes on they would love to have a new Pinto because people loved them but it just can’t happen. They want the Pinto swept under the rug and forgotten about.
I trust your word and I hope they never do, we with the original cars have something special, to bring the name back on some new platform would cheapen it and make me angry.
71v8Pinto
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I have an old Pinto wagon. And I also have a 2016 Ford Fiesta, which I think is a Pinto in spirit. It's small basic, cheap (subjective) with a small engine and limited options. isn't that what a Pinto in the 1970's was??
Wasn't the Focus the successor to the Escort, which was the successor to the Pinto?
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bring back the rear wheel drive compact platform. might not be time yet for the Pinto name, but a great time to bring back the Mercury division. rear drive compact, intermediate, and full size sedans. and a coupe in there somewhere as well. the Bobcat, Monarch, Gran Marquis, Marauder, Montego, and the Cougar. the reason nobody is buying sedans anymore is because they're boring or not advertised. anyone see commercials for chevy's SS full size sedan? v8 power with either automatic or stick available. even though it was a rebadged Holden Commodore shipped over from Australia, it seems like an exciting car to me. but nobody knew about them. because they weren't advertised.
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I can't figure out why the hatchback seemed to disappear. There are still a few "sorta, kinda" but no, not really (more wagon-esk). 40 years ago when I moved out of the home I borrowed my brothers Pinto to move my stuff. I've hauled 350 Chevy engines in the back of my Mazda 323 and a couple of inline 6 engines in the rear of my 240Z. They were, "The truck that wasn't."
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As per the Chevy gas tank a news crew tried to cause one to blow and they had to rig a torch to it to make it happen, and got caught! Just as the Pinto on Top Gear they had to ignite it to blow, and it did not anyway! The media is for sensationalism not facts. I get told by people, when is it going to blow up?! (Have a 1980 Bobcat)
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I'd tell them, "when it happens you will invite them to the BBQ." But then add, "don't expect and invite any time soon." ;D
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That is a good idea. Do you know some people won't even go near the car for fear it will go up any second! The power of the media!
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I had an Audi 5000 turbo (unintended acceleration), have a Corvair (roll over) and a Pinto (explosive). I guess I have a Death Wish. ;D
Charles Bronson use to be my favorite actor. An old girlfriends brother was his wife's horse trainer. I actually went to his house once but he didn't answer the door when we picked her brother up. :(
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I am an old guy so I remember when Corvairs were common. The major problem with them, by lots of folks I know, was some type of seal in the engine going and putting fumes into the car. That is about it! The flipping over thing at least here was not a problem I do not remember any flipping over!
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What I'm finding (contrary to Hagerty articles) is the Corvair is NOT a cheap car - at least parts wise. $150 for main bearings, $100 for rod bearings. Early rear wheel bearings are hard to find and $250-$300 each. They may not have water pumps and radiators but there are many pricy aspects to what it takes to air cool the car. And apparently a tossed fan belt can overheat the car quickly and the end result of that is valve seats that come loose. The remedy for that ("deep seats") with a full head (2) rebuild is is over $1,500!
So, the Pinto by comparison is still quite reasonable. Sadly it doesn't have the parts following that the Corvair does even though they had a similar build run.