Hello Pinto folks. Scott from SSC Enterprises here. This is my first post as Im new to your forums here. Some of you may have heard that the Mustang IIs will soon have a reproduction dash pad available. I have been in contact with the manufacturer and have just recently sent them a Mustang II console lid for them to look into reproducing. Well yesterday I got a call from them saying that they had the first prototype ready for test fit and were sending it to me. I had only sent the lid about 3 weeks ago to them. WOW. Now getting to the subject of Pintos which of course is what you folks are interested in.....I have an NOS dashpad for a 73 Pinto. Am I correct in saying it will fit 71-78 Pintos? Is there a demand for these dashpads? Can you folks prove that demand. I am willing to work with the manufacturer to supply them with this NOS dashpad for the sake of having them reproduced for the Pintos. I have already asked them if they have an interest. They will certainly look into it if there is a demand. Im putting the ball in your court to somehow prove a demand and get them made. I will help in any way I can. Its taking me awhile to get used to navigating this website so I apologize if I dont respond to this post alot. But put your heads together and see what you think is the best way to prove demand. I dont want an e-mail blitz on myself or the manufacturer at this point. Just see what you can come up with. Maybe toss around and come up with a workable price that you would pay for the pad but you have to be realistic. They will have alot of time,money and effort into making the tooling for a dashpad. Its alot harder to make than a console lid. Work your magic folks!
Yes, you are correct that it will fit the 71-78 Pintos. It will also fir the 79-80 with the ralley package. I dunno how to prove there is a demand for the dash pad reproductions but any Pinto owners that don't want a hard, plastic cap to go over the old dash would more than likely be interested.
I concur, the 71-78 dashpad is the same.
I know that I probably speak for most of us in saying that a NOS style dashpad (as opposed to the plastic cover) would be nice to have available. I probably speak for several of us though in saying that right now, price is more important than ever. I wouldn't have the funds to purchase a $300-400 dash pad anytime in the near future (that's about how much I spend on everthing except gas and insurance on my car for a year).
Chuck :afro:
P.S. Keep up the great work Scott, the parts I got from you fit and work great! :)
Exactly my point Chuck!! Who wants a hard plastic cover when you could have a more plush dash pad itself. I do agree $300-400 would be over the top for most of us Pinto owners.
Yeah I would certainly hope the pricing would not be anywhere near the $300-$400 range. I really feel your pain for finding Pinto parts. All my cars are Mustang IIs and I know what a hard time it has been finding parts for these but they have the Mustang name to help them along. I just have a chance here to help you guys and I dont want to waste the opportunity. The next time I talk to my rep after I get the console lid and give them feedback I will see what he wants to see in the way of proving demand. The Mustang II people started an e-mail blitz and must have really blasted them with e-mails. I dont want to do that to them right at this point but if that is what it takes then we will certainly go that route. But not yet please. Another company is developing gas tanks for the Mustang IIs and I helped them with fuel sender samples. I just shipped them off this past Friday. They couldnt find good samples so they werent developing them. They should have the samples by next week. One of them was an NOS sender. But they should have everything they need to make senders for the Mustang IIs. And of course Im sure you folks know that those 2 style tanks and the fuel senders will also work on your 75-80? Pinto coupes and hatchbacks. Unfortunately not station wagons. So Im trying to help things along for the Mustang IIs and at the same time if I get a chance to help you guys I will. I just dont have alot of monetary resources to help but I can help with samples or info from time to time. Since Im laid off work I have time on my hands to help out.
Trust me, $300-$400 would be over the top for Mustang II owners as well. :laugh:
i could do 75-100 bucks for a New dash pad for my bobcata. Id love to get one. do we get Color Choice with this ?
I would pay $50 for one. Hopefully you can reproduce them in those classic colors like avocado green and saddle (my '74 has saddle interior and I swear it has a metallic sheen in the vinyl. Thank you Scott!
P.S. It is my fondest hope that I can rescue a '74 Mustang II. I've always loved those too. ;D
Scott, Great to see you abord our site it has been a pleasure getting and helping others get parts from you . thank you for the opertunity to get even more parts in the works. if it would help reduce the cost i am sure many of us could supply a core for the dash pad. i do have the plastic cap and it is ok but i would much rather have a more original pad. once again price being the issue i have seen companies that redo dash pads but they start around $300 and go up closer to $700 the plastic cap was about $75 so i would expect the cost to a bit more but hope fully not a great deal more. if it would help any i can supply a steal frame for the tooling ( then maybe the would not have to destroy your pad)
phils toys.
I would definately be interested in a real dash pad as mine is toast being an AZ car. If possible I would like to find out when those gas tanks and senders would be ready? I have a 75 runabout. :smile:
jim
Im gonna be honest and say I dont see dashpads happening for under $100. If I had to guess I would think in the $200 range but cant even say that for sure. We still have not even gotten the pricing on the Mustang II dashpad as they are still working out the final product. Once they get it perfected then they have to make a full day run of it and see what they have in labor/materials,etc and then factor in the tooling costs. There can be quite an expense in tooling. In the Mustang II dashpad they have plastic and metal inserts and tooling has to be made up for each of those. Most likely black would be the color to start with or a neutral gray so it can be dyed. They would have to see how many they can run in a full day and then they need to see that many commitments to any given color to be able to run them. They have to have a full day run to make it worthwhile.
As far as the fuel tanks and senders....the last I heard they just said the tanks should be ready "within a few months". Thats it. Nothing specific. I hope they can work on the senders as soon as they receive them but I just checked tracking and they havent gotten them yet. If we are lucky they will have the senders ready when the gas tanks are released.
All:
I spoke with Scott recently and tipped him off about the dashpads. I wanted to understake the effort myself and work with him to do it but he chose to drive this effort direct to the group here.
I concur that there is no way these will be done for under $100, it simply is not possible. A $50 offer won't cut it. I think one of the greatest challenges to Pinto repro parts manufacturing is twofold: one, there's not enough interest, and two, people don't want to spend the money.
Please step up and be heard. If we don't collectively make an effort, parts won't get made. Cars are disappearing at a record rate, and even moreso, because they are being used as parts resources, making the restoration pool even smaller. Support the manufacturers that are making the effort, because there are not many of them.
Chris
Good afternoon folks,
A supplier for the dash pads is a most welcomed person. I've looked at alot of Pintos with the idea of buying them,but the interior/engine compartments are a deal breaker for me. If the dash is shot(and they usually are)most upholstery shops really can't do a good job of recovering the dash pad. Pricing is important but the supplier can't lose money...$150.00 to $200.00 is a fair price. Scott welcome to our web site. Hope you keep us informed on your plans!
When they do decide to market dashpads, I will definately Chip that 200 if thats what it costs, but I have to be able to pick color. thats all i ask for. =) and Gas tanks would be freaking awesome I need a new one.
Gas tanks will definitely be a reality along with the fuel senders for those 2 Mustang II style tanks. As mentioned before, between the 2 styles of tanks, they should fit 75-79. And Im assuming that since they fit 79 that they should fit 80. Is that right? My parts books are from 73-79. But 75-79 or 80 non station wagon Pintos.
As far as the dashpads, its up to us to somehow prove a demand and I mean serious demand. You have to somehow get as many Pinto guys together on this one and heed what Chris(popbumper) said. Its not often we'll have a chance like this. And again, just like with the Mustang II dashpad, once they are made there will have to be enough demand of an individual color for them to make a full days run of it. This is the big business of manufacturing. They cant just make 1 or 2 of a color. It has to be a full day run to be worthwhile. For the Mustang II dash they were guessing around 15-20 of a single color. And that may change because as of right now they still havent gotten the Mustang II dash finalized and test fit to make an actual production run of it. Again, I am not familiar with all the Pinto forums to know where to find all the Pinto owners. Thats why Im looking to you folks. Now is the time to try and make something happen. I have the NOS dashpad for them to use. They will only work with a good NOS unit.
Well now that sounds like a great thing to be happening!
I have to say Thanks A Bunch!
Ive had the hard plastic cap on my car for about 15 years and its been great. However i can say that im kind of a purist when it comes to certian parts for my car. So if i could find an original nos cap id spend at least 150 for it. That is whats reasonable. Lets face it guys i know that our pintos are "cheap cars" and they were ment to fall apart after 5 years. So to expect reproduction parts to cost relative to the type of car we have is unrealistic. Our cars are a limited interest and i like that however a pain to deal with.
Back to the topic at hand. I saw about 2 years ago a Black NOS dash pad on ebay that went for if i remember over $400. I bid what i could afford and was outbid very fast. Is it worth that in todays bad economy market?? I dont know.
I do know that you can have your original dash redone perfect by some recovering company that literally rebuilds it to as new conditon. However they are seriously expensive. I think in the 1000 range.
So to recap id feel that 150 for a good quality made in USA rebop cap is waaaay cheap and id buy one when i could afford to get one. Realisticaly id say that near 200 is more likely.
I just checked California Mustang and they have caps that are anywhere from 200 to over 400. So id say that your supplier is going to know that and say , "200??? youd better have an order for 500 of em!!"
Heres hoping!!
Oh and when is someone going to make the side quarter window and back window sedan rubber seals.. God i want some new ones. Mine are only 40 years old LOL!!
I have another 300 that id spend on those. Again when i could get the money together. Not if id want to spend the money.
Spoke with Scott 'sscmustang' today on the phone- his resource could be a winner for us all with our dash pads. I have pledged FordPinto.com's help in generating 'noise' toward the manufacture so we can assist Scott in getting these to market.
Post your support here as we join in this endeavor...
Let me know about what we talked about on the phone Scott, I stand ready,
If ever there were a part...
The dashpad is it.
Every Pinto I've gotten close to needed one. I recovered mine with vinyl while I worked at the upholstery shop. My boss said he would charge $250-300 for that if he had to pull the pad and re-install it, or about $150-200 if it was out of the car (he based his removal labor on the fact that I got my dashpad out in less than 1/2 hour, of course I've had practice disassembling Pintos). This doesn't duplicate a factory pad, me and Chris (popbumper) have talked about this. I think if a new one came in at $200 it would be reasonable. I saw a NOS blue one on e-bay last year that went for over $400. They don't come up for sale often. Keep in mind that it's NOS, meaning New Old Stock. That means an original wouldn't benefit from new tech in plastics regarding U/V protection. Your NOS pad could be trash in 5 years if left in the sun on a regular basis. As far as color, neutral grey for an easy dye job seems ideal.
Chuck :afro:
I have the go ahead to "set the hounds loose". :) Step up and be heard. If you want to see dashpads reproduced for 71-78 Pintos then send an e-mail to dashes@dashesdirect.com with "Pinto dashpad" in the subject line and tell them you want to see them made. This is your chance. I have e-mailed Scott H. directly as well and he is gonna use his resources to get the word out there. I cant stress enough that this is your chance. The company is fully willing to develop them if there is demand. And please only e-mail them if you are willing to pay a fair price for one. I can tell you it wont happen for the $50-$100 range. So please only e-mail them if you are serious about purchasing a repro pad. Good luck guys. I really want to see this happen for you guys if you truly want it. Heres your chance. I have done all I can do. Its your turn to be heard. MAKE SOME NOISE!
The picture (if this works) is a sample of the awesome Mustang II console lid that they just sent me to test fit. Its a winner the first time. Just wanted to show you what they are capable of. I have alot more pics if interested. Just e-mail me.
Thanks for the email address. I have done my part by emailing them, and hope everyone else on here will do the same to show how desperately needed this part is.
Houston, we have a problem!!!!
The email I sent just bounced back. "This address no longer accepts mail." was the message I got back. I tried it twice & it did the same exact thing. ???
ounced back here also.
check out this i found.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/095/RipOff0095681.htm
Hmm.. Looking into this...
OK, guys.. let me contact Scott Cluck...
I don't see an issue with one bad report however.. any vendor will get a couple if not a few...
Lets keep an open mind here...
Stave off the emails currently... I'm pulling the banner News on the front page- while I'm doing an upgrade of the site...
Will post here when I know more...
Thanks,
Thanks for the update Scott.
I agree with you that any vendor will have atleast one complaint. It's always said that you can't please everybody. Especially since that complaint was from 2004. Only thing I know of is the emails & that is an issue.
Trust me. This is not a second rate company. No matter what company out there does any business at all there is gonna be one guy who has a bad experience. Im telling you that seeing this console lid firsthand I can attest to their product. And this is the first prototype. The Mustang II dashpad that was sent out was actually pretty much okayed by the tester they sent it to,but they werent happy with it and are making changes to make it better. This is a good outfit. Do you think Ford would trust them with all their old tooling for the older Mustang dashes if they werent a respectable company? These guys know their business.
How long was it taking for e-mails to kick back? I sent one but so far nothing came back.
I sent two emails & they both came back in a matter of seconds when I refreshed outlook express
Quote from: sscmustang on July 07, 2009, 08:40:33 PM
Trust me. This is not a second rate company. No matter what company out there does any business at all there is gonna be one guy who has a bad experience. Im telling you that seeing this console lid firsthand I can attest to their product. And this is the first prototype. The Mustang II dashpad that was sent out was actually pretty much okayed by the tester they sent it to,but they werent happy with it and are making changes to make it better. This is a good outfit. Do you think Ford would trust them with all their old tooling for the older Mustang dashes if they werent a respectable company? These guys know their business.
I actually did some looking after reading of the complaint & to one complaint there were many more compliments. I'd feel comfortable with a dash from them knowing that.
My e-mail still didnt kick back and I keep scanning for new e-mails. Let me know if you continue to have problems. I know their website had crashed awhile back and they were getting a new company to re-do it. But to my knowledge their e-mail hasnt been affected as I have been in constant contact with them thru e-mail. But again, let me know if you keep having trouble and I will check into it.
Well i sent off my email. Hope this works out!
Why, yes....I'd demand a 71-78 Pinto dashpad! Thanks for asking!
I posted a new topic but also wanted to post here as well. THIS IS IMPORTANT! Dashes Direct is having trouble with their website and it is affecting incoming e-mails at the address I posted earlier. Even if you already sent an e-mail to the other address, please do so again to damiang@dashesdirect.com and put "Pinto dashpad" in the subject line. They have not received any e-mails at this point to the other e-mail address. The damiang@dashesdirect.com definitely works. SO RE-SEND THOSE E-MAILS AND LETS MAKE IT HAPPEN!
We'll see what happens. Just sent it to that new address & so far, no bouncy bounce
goo dill be mailing mine in tonight when i get home
Ok, yes, there is a demand BUT people are CHEAP! The only people that ever spend money are Corvette people, mustang people and, well, that's about it. I have been selling Fiat, Renault, and Pinto parts for years and have discovered one thing: No one will pay anything for anything! Example, I made factory replacement transmission cooler lines for the 2.3 Auto pintos. They are 316L Stainless steel. They work perfect! I have them on two of my Pintos and a couple NON-cheepo buddies of mine have them on theirs. My cost is $360 a set and I sell them for $400. How many have I sold? Zero. Why? well, Pinto, Fiat, MG, Vega, Corvair, etc people would rather use a chunk of 5/16 hose to patch their trans lines together instead of replacing the line. Period. There have been dash pads available forever from Just Dashes. I had the one on my Fiat 131 done ($1200) and the one on my pangra done ($400). If this company makes the dash, much like... say... Dearborn Classics, the dash, which is about 40% smaller than a 72 Ranchero dash should cost about 40% less, right? Well, a dash for a 72 Ranchero there was about 650 when Lovepants72 bought it for his 72 ranchero. PLUS shipping. Well, knock %40 percent off that and you know what you have? A price that 3 people will spend and thats it. There is no need to have them made, because they already are! No one will pay and that's it. People want to spend $100 bucks on one, not what they really will cost to make. Sorry if I am being a pessimist, but I have been there people. I have tons of remade parts for the pintos, my fleet is FULL of new pipes, trim, SS screw kits, etc., and all I ever get when someone calls is "Oh, really? $65 for a (BRAND NEW, mandrill bent stainless steel) V6 heater pipe? Well, i'll just duct tape mine together."
So, my thought? Demand? YES!
Will any one buy one? NO.
So, my thought? Demand? YES!
Will any one buy one? NO.
[/quote]
I warned Scott of this principle - when people start stepping up and saying "I'll pay $50 for one", it sure takes the "wind out of the sails" in the effort. For better or worse, restoration costs real MONEY. I know, because I feel like I have ALREADY spent too much money on my car. It does not matter - I'm not doing it for a Jackson-Barrett auction, or a Concours judging effort; I am doing it because I want it to be as perfect as it can be.
People ARE cheap. Pintos are SCARCE. That formula alone means that a parts repro groundswell for Pintos will never truly get going as much as, like stated, Mustangs, Tri-fives or Corvettes. I am >not< discouraging the effort at all, just being real. I don't think you are a pessimist at all.
Chris
Well, I can tell you first hand that I'm almost as cheap as they come. It is hard to justify spending $400 on a dashpad for a car that 'blue books' at $600-3,000. I only paid $300 for the car (remember that was 6 years ago), so most of the money went to running gear. You have to want it bad and know you'll get the pleasure from owning and driving your car and not resale. Hopefully the interest is there, and they'll be made. What kind of quantity should be necessary to keep the price between $200-250? I'm afraid if it goes over that, people will continue to make do with the molded plastic cover at $75. We have over 5000 members, it seems like you should be able to sell at least 500 pads (10% of members)? In my experience, this isn't a commonly available 'perfect' used part at any junkyard, and restoration attempts don't always pan out.
Just my $.02 :)
Chuck :afro:
P.S. I've run the gamot of import and cheap domestic cars too. Alot of us don't adjust for inflation and increased demand as the cars get older, meaning I still think I should be paying 1994 prices for parts and cars. A clutch kit for an 82 Peugeot cost $300, Pinto's is 1/3 of that. 20-25 year old cars that are of 'particular interest' but not mainstream hot-rod material often get owned by 'cheapskates' because we don't want a $400 car payment every month either. :drunk:
Excuse me...
I you folks think I'm cheap so be it. I made the suggestion of $50 because THAT'S ALL I CAN AFFORD for something that's purely aesthetics. I'm sorry if I'm a cheapo to you all, but I just took another hit in the paycheck thanks to bodybuilder-turned actor who doesn't belong in politics Arnold S. The economy is crap. Don't you think some of us "cheapos" would love to have $200 or $400 to spend on a dashpad!? I was asked for my opinion and I gave it, not thinking I'd be called names. Whatever.
Holy cow Becky! :hypno:
I'm so sorry! :embarassed: :embarassed: :embarassed: :embarassed:
I thought I started that out with something like this:
Quote from: discolives78 on July 09, 2009, 12:53:12 PM
Well, I can tell you first hand that I'm almost as cheap as they come.
I'm living on $200 in foodstamps and no other assistance. I have dog food to scrounge up as well as smokes, gas, insurance, etc.
I have to sell my favorite car ever and use the money very frugally so I can come up with my own computer, another car and 6 mos of car insurance. This so I can endure the next 3-4 months until I
may get general assistance of $170 per month to last until I
may get disability in aproximately a year according to my attorney. We've all been hit hard, I'm afraid. :-\
Chuck :afro: :coolrasta:
P.S. I drive a Pinto partly because I don't want to pay $300 for a clutch and $200 for alternators and starters. That's for Mercedes, Peug and Volvo owners. :rolleye: (not that there's anything wrong with that, no eurobashing intended, just the way it is. :drunk:
Howdy all,
I'm not here to stand in judgement of anyone or their opinion. Let's just let the facts of free market economics decide how the laws of supply and demand work here. If we as a group of special interest car owners , can't find replacement parts, Someone will find a price point at which the part can be sold at a reasonable profit REGARDLESS of who or where it's made.
Would you buy a DASH Pad from CHINA? Does it offend you that the outsourcing of manufacturing is costing us jobs in the U.S.? VW owners know all about this!
If your personal financial situation is Dire (Mine is too!) , you do what you must to survive and THEN YOU GO VOTE UNTIL YOU CORRECT THE PROBLEM!
I feel for Becky and any dutiful public employee here in CA , but my car stays pickled until this insanity releases its stranglehold on employment. If it weren't for the fact that I can't justify the expense of Light rail passes ($100 per person a month for me, free to state workers in Sacto)I would pickle my Truck and GTI and laugh at Arnold and Boxer and Pelosi and their Greening of California.
I won't bitch if a real businessperson can't operate in CA , and I'll buy my tires online and a bunch more. But I also won't complain about the pricepoint of parts for rare cars. Face it , we are a bunch of budding car collectors that haven't reached our full income potential, and we suffer until the real economy can return.
My two cents, worthless due to "stimulus"
Pintosopher
No, Chuck. You weren't the one who blasted my suggestion and indirectly called me cheap. I'm a survivor. ;)
1up 'osopher.
what he said. :)
Chuck :afro:
Quote from: blupinto on July 09, 2009, 05:22:27 PM
No, Chuck. You weren't the one who blasted my suggestion and indirectly called me cheap. I'm a survivor. ;)
Becky, if you were referring to my post, there was nothing meant by it. I did not call you out by name, and I am not calling anyone anything indirectly. I am under an impression we are here for a common cause, though opinions and realities differ. You cannot help your $50 budget as much as I cannot afford a $600 "Just for Dashes" restoration of a pad, which, there is some guy here on the board who spent just that. Good for him - do you think that by mentioning it I am doing him a disservice in any way? I hope not, that's ridiculous.
Chris
Please folks also keep in mind that this isnt necessarily what you can AFFORD right now, but what you would be willing to pay when the time came to possibly purchase a repro dashpad. This doesnt have to be right now. Im sure hoping that things will turn around for everyone in the next year. Sooner would be better. But everyone isnt gonna purchase a dashpad right away if they were made available. Just think what you would realistically be willing to pay if you had the funds or could save them up and purchase one.
I think we are all in the same boat as far as the economy goes, everyone I know has taken a hit, me included. I get paid flat rate, meaning I get paid when I fix a car, not when I walk in the door and punch the clock. No cars to fix, no pay. :(
That being said, a $200.00 dash pad is something I would like to have, but I can live without it. However, it would make a nice Christmas present!! ;D
The other side of the coin is, these are and were cheap cars. Although the value of a pristine Pinto is pretty good, you can still pick up a cheap Pinto. I paid 100 bucks for my '71, and I got my cruiser free, for fixing an a/c on an s-10. What I'm saying is, $200.00 for a dash pad on a '70 Boss 302 Mustang is a drop in the bucket for someone restoring one, whereas on a Pinto, it may be a luxury item. But it would still be nice to have, and well worth 200 bucks. My .02 :D
(BTW Chuck, love the pic of the cruiser in your posts, just put it on my desktop! :laugh:)
I agree it would be nice to have a replacement dash but as with most all of us we are on limited funds. that is why i started with the capret cover for my dash then replaced it with the plastic cap. for a good replacement $150-200 is closest to a price i can live with . but would have to save up for an expense like that. befor i put the cap on i would have jumped quick at the replacement pad but now it is closer to the bottem of replacement parts . Carpet and door seals (all of them) are closer to the top for me it is just a toy and everyday life comes first. YES mine is mostly for shows
Doing research an original back in 1980 would have been $90.40 from a dealer. now they are way over $400
if you can find one.
Have to say a few last things on this cost issue.
I cannot "afford" anything for my car. I have to sacrifice to pay for things that i don't really need. Its a hobby and its what helps keep my sanity, or whats left of it.
When i look at a dash pad replacement and it says $250 i say "wow someone is making parts for our unloved cars! YAHHOOO!!" then i just say "when i can, i will". I need some rear seals for the rear windows. No one makes those and i tell u if someone did Id buy those also. Id pay a reasonable price for those as well. I figure that they would run about 350 for all three. Probably 150 for the rear window and 100 a piece for the sides.
We need to stop complaining about price when we are restoring our cars. Restoration is very expensive because the manufactures aren't making 1,000,000 of said parts. They will probably make a couple hundred and hope they sell. Then if they don't? Guess what, no one will follow suit on other parts for our cars. "well those parts didn't sell and we lost our @#$%)* . SO don't bother with your parts." etc.
I fully understand the love of the pinto and the cheap cost of getting a "running" car that someone is off loading. But you cant really expect any parts for our rides to be cheap to restore said car.
Having said that some stuff goes out of sight on ebay ill admit. But its all about supply and demand the only reason that 71-73 NOS grills were going for near $200 was because there were a few people wanted to pay that and that NOS stuff wont be made again.
Well thought out, well said, and within reason. RESTORATION, as you say, costs money. Restoration parts like this are never going to be within everyone's reach - it's just a fact.
Chris
I objected to the name-calling and thinly veiled insults. I will probably never be able to blow that kind of money on a dash pad. My own Pintos both need new paint jobs and weatherstripping LONG before I get a dashpad- I'd rather have a cracked dashpad than a rusty car! Again, I alone pay the bills at Crackerbox Palace and the $50 was a guess, not a dictation of what the DPs should cost. Anyway I'll say no more about it (unless the insults fly again).
Quote from: blupinto on July 11, 2009, 07:30:49 PM
I objected to the name-calling and thinly veiled insults. I will probably never be able to blow that kind of money on a dash pad. My own Pintos both need new paint jobs and weatherstripping LONG before I get a dashpad- I'd rather have a cracked dashpad than a rusty car! Again, I alone pay the bills at Crackerbox Palace and the $50 was a guess, not a dictation of what the DPs should cost. Anyway I'll say no more about it (unless the insults fly again).
I completely agree. After the insulting started I chose to keep my mouth shut. Didn't wanna say something I would regret. Heck, if I had money I wouldn't be fixing up my rust bucket but would have bought a Pinto worth fixing, instead of one that has some serious cancer.
These are all good talking points. I guess that's how decisions are made and demand/price are set. Hopefully, the usual 'trickle-down' thing will work and a thou or two pads will be made, and if they all don't sell, we'll see some of them on e-bay and get a chance at a bargain in a couple years.( ;D)
Chuck :afro:
P.S. Thanks Dwayne :) sending a pm with bigger pic of that car
I'd pay 200-250 for one i'm just not ready right now. in a year or 2 I'd be ready.
Send those emails guys-
Weather or not you believe they will sell or not, lets get these to market so that some can buy them now and they will be available for all of us in the future.
Maybe the prices will be driven down as demand and other manufactures play, but we will never know unless we all get our feet wet.
Scott feet are Very wet at this point for me, Seeing as ive sent a couple mails now. End of the week I might send another. (I hope they dont mind that )
Hi guys I work for a company called Thunderbird Headquarters we sell parts for 1955-1966 T-Birds. We have been dealing with Universal Urethane (Dashes Direct) for years. They make our 58-63 dashes they fit well and look great. I will give our rep a call and see if we can get anywhere with our Pinto dashes I do have samples to send if need be. I'll keep you informed.
Paul
Well, I would gladly tell them I would buy one, but since I own a '79 and they aren't going to make one to fit my car, there is no point. :-(
Plus, for me as well as others, there are a lot of things I would be buying if I had any extra money before I would buy a dash pad. That would be one of the last things on my wish list right now.
What is that old saying? Something about putting diamonds on a pig, or something. :-)
Russ
Id probably pay around $100 for a dashpad.Mine is pretty good although it has one hole that was filled in.People are paying around $120-#150 for a 71-73 mustang dash and theyre bigger than the pinto dash.I hate those dash covers they have for covering pinto dashes.Doesnt matter how you glue em,they still come peeling off around the speedometer bezel.Go ahead,make a repro dash for a pinto,send it to me in any color and i'll paint it myself.God i love my pinto.
I couldn't get e-mail link to work ??? it let me complete the message but said there was an 'error in sending'
What I'd like to know is if this company does decide to produce dash pads what will the approx. retail cost be? Reason being try not to take offense here as I would be in the same bucket here unless I was doing a restoration. Most Pinto owners I know arent going to spending $400 on a dash pad any time soon. Still Just dashes will do a excellent rebuild on using your core for $350 to $400. For example even on my 71 half hatch which is a pretty nice low mileage car, a $60 dash cap off ebay would be a great option for me and would most likely be my choice.
Here's something to chew on as well. This ebay auction closed just today for an NOS dash pad:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160349687272&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AUS%3A1123 (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160349687272&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AUS%3A1123)
With that I'd say it's to say that $225 is about all people would be willing to pay. It's seems that time and time again I continue to see a $30 carpet dash cover on most cracked dashes. Don't get me wrong I'd love to see parts reproduced too.
Quote from: discolives78 on July 09, 2009, 12:53:12 PM
Well, I can tell you first hand that I'm almost as cheap as they come. It is hard to justify spending $400 on a dashpad for a car that 'blue books' at $600-3,000. I only paid $300 for the car (remember that was 6 years ago), so most of the money went to running gear. You have to want it bad and know you'll get the pleasure from owning and driving your car and not resale. Hopefully the interest is there, and they'll be made. What kind of quantity should be necessary to keep the price between $200-250? I'm afraid if it goes over that, people will continue to make do with the molded plastic cover at $75. We have over 5000 members, it seems like you should be able to sell at least 500 pads (10% of members)? In my experience, this isn't a commonly available 'perfect' used part at any junkyard, and restoration attempts don't always pan out.
Just my $.02 :)
Chuck :afro:
I think a lot of us think that... :)
Quote from: sscmustang on July 01, 2009, 08:38:27 PM
Hello Pinto folks. Scott from SSC Enterprises here. This is my first post as Im new to your forums here. Some of you may have heard that the Mustang IIs will soon have a reproduction dash pad available. I have been in contact with the manufacturer and have just recently sent them a Mustang II console lid for them to look into reproducing. Well yesterday I got a call from them saying that they had the first prototype ready for test fit and were sending it to me. I had only sent the lid about 3 weeks ago to them. WOW. Now getting to the subject of Pintos which of course is what you folks are interested in.....I have an NOS dashpad for a 73 Pinto. Am I correct in saying it will fit 71-78 Pintos? Is there a demand for these dashpads? Can you folks prove that demand. I am willing to work with the manufacturer to supply them with this NOS dashpad for the sake of having them reproduced for the Pintos. I have already asked them if they have an interest. They will certainly look into it if there is a demand. Im putting the ball in your court to somehow prove a demand and get them made. I will help in any way I can. Its taking me awhile to get used to navigating this website so I apologize if I dont respond to this post alot. But put your heads together and see what you think is the best way to prove demand. I dont want an e-mail blitz on myself or the manufacturer at this point. Just see what you can come up with. Maybe toss around and come up with a workable price that you would pay for the pad but you have to be realistic. They will have alot of time,money and effort into making the tooling for a dashpad. Its alot harder to make than a console lid. Work your magic folks!
:o
SSC Mustang,
Thanks for your work on our behaff. I will send an e-mail to them after I finish this post. A couple inputs:
First, those glove box lids look sweet! Would it be possible to get one in a real shiny, almost metalic gold color? I have a 78 Ghia, dark blue w/ gold roof and interior. I am also looking for the vinyl for the roof.
Second, Gas tanks. I had a guy that wanted to buy one of mine for his 79 but all I had was 71-77. In 78 they changed slightly. On the early models the seam was flat with the top of half of the tank and the sender was flat on the front of the tank I think. The 78-80 has the seam below the top of the top half, meaning there is a rounded rise to the top half, and the sender was on a 45 degree plane. I don't have the pictures any more but if you put the two next to each other you can see it. But like I told him, the hangers could be modified and unless the Pinto Club adopts MCA judging rules, no one would know but you.
P
A new dash pad?? With todays techknowledgy? SOLD!!! Cost...well we'll figure that out on next months credit card bill!
Email sent!
BTW, Becky, you shouldn't "keep your mouth shut". IMHO, the thread was started to see what people were willing to pay. You spoke your mind, and thats what you were willing to pay. Good for you! Would I, personally, be willing to spend more....well, possibly, but thats not you, and I respect the fact that you would only be willing to pay $XX.xx. Thats the point of getting opinions. And for anyone who shunned you, well, shame on them.
Anyway, back to point, yes, Id be interested !
Wow. Didn't see that one coming... thank you Crazybry! I'm sorry I did sound like I had a meltdown of sorts but I didn't like being accused of lowballing or being cheap (I prefer thrifty!) Thank you for those who aren't so hard on me. Sadly now I have both my beloved Pintos down and have no cash to get 'em fixed- and one's fixing might be under $50. When it rains it pours... :-\
I would have said the same but i didnt want to sound cheap. I want a quality part so im willing to pay whats needed for it. If i have the cash maybe i can swing a little your way to help (if i am able)
Becky,
I knew about the rear-end problem with the wagon. What happened to Wildfire?
Dwayne :smile:
Yes there is I am in need of new one for 1974 Pinto wagon. need a quote for how much thank you.
Silvercat,
Nobody has a quote, this is something that was/is being pursued, don't know if it's a dead issue or not, I hope not. Has anyone heard any update on this?
Count me in for one. I will email them today
The effort on repro dash pads at SSCEnterprises is dead. Scott sold me his "master" NOS unit a few months back. He stopped the effort on account of spotty/low interest and problems with his manufacturer.
Whether or not this will ever be done is not known, but it won't be done there.
Chris
I think there is a big demand. You cant hardly find a pad in good shape. I need two! Also folks on ebay would pay good money for them.
i maybe able to find one nos one or two what color
Just dashes still will rebuild your dash pad and install a 3 gauge pod on top, if anyone will ask them. They also do the same for late model Mustangs etc....
You know it seems the issue with Pinto parts is that many people say they need them, but when push comes to shove not many folks step up to the plate. I've taken this approach with my car (78 Cruising Wagon): I want it to be as close to new as what I can get it, without losing my ever-loving mind or my retirement. D & D Restorations in Covington, Ohio is about nine miles from my house. They could rebuild any car in the world to showroom new and gave me a rough estimate to do that very thing to both my old Mustang II and my Cruising Wagon. Each one would have come in around $50,000 total. If I had the money I'd do it. It might be crazy, but what the heck, if you have it, use it. In the meantime though, I can't spend crazy/stupid money on my car. But cars are like season tickets, if you want more or better, you have to pay for it. The triple stripe package for the cruising wagon (Hockey sticks some folks call them) is going to set me back about $1,000 including installation. After that, the pattern is something I can use to sell to other folks if I desire. The problem is not that I won't spend the money to do it, I know right now that I will as soon as the car is ready. The problem is that enough people have to be willing to do so, and someone has to be first. In this case, I will be.
I need floor pans, so I'm making my own. I bought a welder and a bead roller, and tomorrow I'm off looking at other things I'm going to need. I'm going to make patterns, and if someone wants a set, I'll make them a set and sell them to them for a reasonable price. But reasonable covers my investment, which at this point is $600 for the welder and bead roller, plus materials and my time, not to mention any other tools I'll need. I could go to someone else for this, but I need to learn, and then I'll never be looking for metal parts again. The same goes for battery trays. I need one good one, after that it becomes a pattern and some time and materials. Right now, how many folks would line up to buy floor pans and battery trays? Those two items come up frequently on this board.
What do you want, and what are you willing to pay? I can and will make both of them. If it becomes a case of making twenty-five, they would be less expensive. If it is a case of making one every other week, the per unit cost will go up.
We have 5,000 members on here, everyone wants the Pinto magazine, and I have 19 subscribers. It costs almost $800 to do the layout and printing. I'm so far in the hole it isn't even funny, but I love doing the magazine. But people need to step up. Manufacturers won't spend their money and time on design and tooling work if they can't make a profit on their efforts. When my dashpad needs redone, and it almost certainly will, I'll pay the extra money to have it done professionally because there isn't much other choice. If I could buy one off the shelf I would, but that isn't an option.
I apologize for rambling a bit (pain meds from surgery...) but as a group or club, we need to support the people who are willing to make parts for our cars (or publish magazines) or else we're all going to have to buy Mustangs and Camaros so we can have parts.
I agree if you have it, use it. Unfortunately some of us are stuck "window shopping" for a myriad of reasons. I would have loved to have the red led display am/fm/8 track on ebay, but I didn't have $70 to drop, so I ended up with a salvage yard GM/Delco unit because I did have $20 to blow. sometimes we can't be too picky or blow it all on one part...
The other side of the coin is that these aren't Mach I's or Camaros, they're Pintos. It would be fine to throw $500 on a dashpad if the car fetched $50,000 on Barrett Jackson, but that just isn't happening.
Some of us love the cars because they were basic and inexpensive. That was the basis of it's conception, and that's how I use mine. It's not how fast, comfortable and shiny you go that matters. It's that you can go that matters. It was the concept behind Ford's first production car, the Tin Lizzy, and it should be true of modern cars too.
Don't call me butter :nocool:
I agree. I've been known to drop ridiculous amounts of money on cars in the past, but that was never my intention with my Pinto. It appeals to me from a standpoint of nostalgia (my very first car was a Pinto) and, as Chuck pointed out, because of its simplicity. I personally fing it amazing that its tiny 1600 cc powerplant has been propelling that tough little car around for 38 years! Yeah, I want it to look decent when I go out for a ride, but it doesn't have to be perfect... it's never going to cross the block at Barrett-Jackson!
As for the Pinto Times, I am perplexed by the low number of subscribers. I know the economy is tough right now, but I would have expected no less than 10 - 20 percent of the members to subscribe. It is certainly priced right, executed beautifully, and should be of interest to anyone and everyone who has an interest in these cars. I would certainly encourage EVERYONE here to subscribe... it is well worth the cost.
Dwayne :smile:
I wear my heart on my sleeve, not my wallet. 8)
:afro:
Disco,
I get the idea that these are basic cars and will never fetch the big $$$ at an auction. But like dga57, my first car was a Bobcat and my second a Pinto Cruising Wagon, that's why I am restoring those cars. Figuring that I'm going to keep them for several years the investments aren't all that bad. And these cars, though relatively basic transportation (some of them were more basic than others) are pretty rare nowadays, so it is to be expected that things for them will be a) A little hard to come by; and b) A little more expensive because these cars are currently not highly sought after. If I were looking for cheap day to day transportation a Pinto would certainly work, it's just not why I have them. I love the fact that I can pop the hood and actually work on the engine without feeling like I need a degree from MIT to understand what I'm seeing. There is a lot to be said for being able to change your own water pump, not to mention a certain amount of pride going along with the achievement. Sometimes you can't spend the money you want to spend on the parts you need, that situation comes and goes for all of us. But when resources become available for something so many people say they need, and then so few people will actually make the commitment that the opportunity is lost to everyone, it's frustrating. Especially when invariably people will then bemoan the fact that the parts aren't available, when they could have possibly done something to help change the circumstances.
You'll have to explain a couple of things to me. "Don't call me butter." I don't get that one at all. Not entirely certain about wearing your heart on your sleeve and not your wallet, either. If, by chance, you mean you won't spend money to be supportive of something you are in favor of because of financial circumstances, I understand.
dga57,
I received the final proofs last night, it looks pretty good. It should be on the way to the printer now, and if our luck holds out, it will be in the mail to everyone Saturday. Possibly Monday if they can't work the job in, but either way, it will be out soon.
Matthew
I just mean by "don't call me butter" that our diversity in the club is like the number of products referred to as "butter". It's an old song lyric by one of those grunge bands "Don't call me butter, my name's Parkay"
Sure, I would love a repro pad, but my 'solution' will have to do. There are alternatives to every need or want. I plan on keeping my car too, but it will never be a concours car. I've been driving Pinto's since I was 18, and now am 37. If you recall, I tried to sell my car last summer, It failed to fetch $1200 (my bottom line). NADA values my car between $638 and $1338 (as of last Feb.) If I had $500 to spend, I'd have an nos carb, new exhaust, new carpet and one of those plastic dash caps from ebay. Yep, and it would still be worth between $638 and $1338.
Don't ever assume we're not buying parts simply because we don't want to. I promise not to stop you from spending your money on your car. For all I care, you can get your hood gold plated if you want. Where I live, if it's too nice, it disappears. I don't agree that parts should necessarily skyrocket just because they're old. If that is the common complaint among owners and they aren't resourceful enough to shop around or get creative, then by all means they deserve a dashpad that costs near the value of their entire car.
There is a real world difference between old and classic. That's coupled with an economic crisis which left many with no job and no house. The market is awash with project cars that ran out of money.
If wishes were horses, there'd be at least two ponies in my driveway too. was that one too cloudy for you to follow?
Do what you will, dashpad is off my list.
Don't lose any sleep over your decision.
Welcome to the Pinto Country Club of America!
Grunge was never my thing, but I do remember Parkay, being as I'm closing in on 50. I know you're right about the value of the cars, though I don't remember seeing yours for sale. I wasn't in the market, so I wasn't looking. You're right, there isn't much we do that will increase the value of our cars, but that was never the point. Not for me anyway. I never said people don't buy parts because they don't want to, I said people want the parts and then don't want to pay for them when they have a chance to get them, and then complain when the parts aren't available. It isn't the same thing. The idea that parts won't become more expensive because of low availability and increased demand is simply wrong, it is basic economics. Ten fenders can fetch $100 each, but a thousand fenders won't come anywhere near that value. That being said, Pinto parts will never be truly outrageous themselves, but having someone restore them or fabricate them from scratch could easily be very expensive. Again, supply and demand will drive market value.
Our cars are not classic, they are old. That does make a difference. Maybe some day they will be more appreciated, but the vast numbers produced and the history of them tends to leave them a little overshadowed, even if there aren't that many remaining. But then, not many thirty to forty year old cars are exceptionally valuable anyway. And you are correct, if someone is without a job and has lost their home, putting money into refurbishing a car is crazy, other than keeping it on the road to find work. If where someone lives is not conducive to keeping nice things, then again, not the best idea.
I do get the ponies quote, though there isn't a need to be snippy about it.
You're right about another thing as well, our club is very diverse. Lots of folks come and go, though the core tends to stay solid. A lot of good information out there. Hopefully some day you will find the part you seek at a price you are comfortable with.
I have four cars, two Pintos and a pair of Bobcats. The Cruising Wagon and the 74 Pinto hatchback have pretty decent dashpads, as I recall. I don't know about the Bobcats. What color did you need? When all this shakes out I intend to only have two cars, the Cruising Wagon and a Bobcat. One of the Bobcats is intended to be a parts car for the other, and I'm selling the 74 Pinto (11,000 original miles). I think the dashpads on the Bobcats are black, though one of them may be red.
I'm also going to interview a guy who owns a car lot that has three or four Pintos sitting on it. We may be working a deal with another guy to do some horsetrading (Pinto's a horse you know...) for parts. Let me know what year and color pad you need, and if he has one I'll grab it for you if you want me to do it. Just let me know what you're comfortable with price wise. If now isn't a good time, but I can get the part, I'll gladly hold it for you.
Hey Guys,
This is a real touchy subject, but it's kinda llike religion & politics.. you must have latitude for the others perceptions, or we wind up at War !
We in this group love our Pintos, but not always for the same reasons. But we all Spend the same currency for our projects, in spite of perceived value of parts. If we can't pony (pun intended) the bucks for a new repro part, who's fault is that? Why do we have a Tax Burden that's out of control? Why isn't your total tax burden less than 2% of your gross income? As it was in 1948!
We can debate living within our means or we can debate why our incomes are depleted. If you think our Pintos are not worth the expense of Repro by a U.S. company, try owning cars in the state of CA! We would pay to not get hit with a Constant $80 to 100 bucks a year for a 25 year old car. It's not just restoration ,it's economic survival if you want to stay off the mass transit grid!
Count your blessings, And think hard about not paying fair prices for US made goods. Or keep shopping at Walmart &Target, and wonder if you'll ever get that New dash pad.
My 2 cents..
Pintosopher... Not union made, but US Sovereign...
I'm sorry and a bit embarrassed. I suppose I got too emotional (snippy) there. I don't want to be at war. I only joined the club to find others like me (with Pintos) and make friends.
I am sorry that I may have taken your situaton for granted and you may have not known mine.
I'm sorry that I made personal commitments that I later wasn't able to keep. It sucks to tell people you're broke.
I'm sorry if I seem bitter sometimes. That isn't what I was trying to get across. I have been trying , perhaps too hard at times and not hard enough at other times, to participate. Just to offer insight and food for thought.
I spoke here at first in support of repopping the pads. I had recent experience with this item as well as pertinent prices for every option out there.
Somehow we few have gotten way off target by talking of price and forgetting about the part. Perhaps that is my fault too for bringing up. I ask for your foregiveness if that is the case.
I think this wouldn't be our topic if we were out in the driveway with the hoods up.
If we met, you would see that I love and apreciate my car and others like it for so many reasons. I wish they were truly apreciated by everyone. Nostalgia is a powerful force, no doubt. One lesson I have learned from the Pinto experience is that mistakes will be made, and they may be forgiven, but are seldom forgotten.
I am thankful at this point that I can drive at all. I see people with more and less than me all the time. I agree, count your blessings, and I will continue to count mine.
Chuck
sorry no smileys, using a wii
please read as humble and sincere.
Chuck, don't ever apologize for speaking your mind... I don't... that's why we live in this great country. For now, at least, we're free to speak our opinions. :D
You are correct. There is WAY too much name-calling concerning this subject, and I guess the name-call-ees may not understand the situation people like me are in...I do understand a little of where they're coming from (supporting a business that reproduces these hard-to-find parts so the business can continue to do so... but that give nobody license to be insulting or snotty. But then, they're free to voice their opinions too. But let's please not drag people down with names like cheapo and stuff. We're family here.
Agreed, blu, family.
Further clarification to previous comments:
Heart on sleeve: emotion is visible.
Wallet on sleeve: money is visible.
Heart is never worn on wallet.
Don't call me butter: a twisted memory based on me and friends 'wierd al'-ing Don't call me daughter IIRC by Pearl Jam.
Pintosopher: I understand about supporting American business and the degradation of our manufacture based economy, at least in my lifetime. I'm scared to death of what the future may hold for us as Americans, and as humans. I'm a big fan of the 70's Show. I remember the episode when PriceMart came to town and Bargain Bob's went under. The topic was $14 toasters, he couldn't buy them for that let alone sell them for that.
Some of us would like an American made toaster, but would also like bread to put in it.
I've lived under $30k my whole 20 years of working. I would have liked to make more than that, but that's as high as my talent and ambition took me. If you deliver pizza, you shop at Walmart so you can have a toaster and bread.
Please lets drop the namecalling as far as what we can spend. My situation: I'm out of work due to my health. For others, it's the economy. Right now, I have to stretch my gov't stipend of $450 as far as it will. I know others may disagree with me taking the money, but I did pay in involuntarily with the promise made that it would be there if and when I needed it. Well, I need it.
If you're uncomfortable with that and would like to do something to help, PM me and I'll give you my address and you can write me a check to help. I'm not asking for money, but...
Chuck
disco,
As far as I'm concerned, everything is cool, I don't call folks names or attempt to degrade them with my posts. I just didn't understand the response my comments generated, or the situation behind them. Sorry things are going rough for you right now, but hopefully they will get better. Keep plugging away, it's really about the only choice we have. And don't think it necessary to justify receiving help when you need it from a system designed to provide that help with money you paid into it, it's absolutely unnecessary.
I would definitely buy one. Unless I can find one, I am planning to have mine re-done at www.justdashes.com (http://www.justdashes.com). They have an amazing process that makes your existing dash like new. However, it's not cheap: $425 for the dash itself and another $250 if you want them to take it out and re-install.
I also have a 1972 Karmann Ghia. A manufacturer called KPGR starting re-making the dashes for just over $200. Of course, there are many more Ghia's out there than Pintos, I believe.
Just dashes is the place to go. I had my Fiat 131 dash redone. 425 is a bargain for the Pinto dash. It cost me 1200 for the 131 but it is a huge and complex unit. There is zero market for a Pinto dash re-pop. A quality one will cost just as much as the just dashes one and no one will pay except for the very few that want it right.
This whole thing left a bad taste in my mouth. Did anyone tally votes?
Chuck
I have just finished reading this thread, We, Angie and myself have started on a resto project. we have the dash pad off and the dash ripped apart. Ours is in preemo shape. however, we are doing a custom interior on our car build. On a different thread I posted a question asking if all pads are the same size for years and was/have been told that 71-78 are all the same.
Now that we have our pad off we are going to be making a "custom" sewn aphostery cover. The reason I am posting into this thread is because she and I have talked over the thoughts of making custom pads for sale. She has many fine talents and one of them is "custom" work on both her industrial sewing machines. (I can post links to her work from one of her main specialties... custom tire covers) What we want to do is make a couple extra covers as we make ours and give them away to one or two people on this web site to try them. to test them and to see how they like them. We were going to surprise you guys & gals when they were completed, however, now that I have found this thread I was compelled to write in here.
I will keep you posted as the project gets started. I have seen the high end fabric that she got today for them WOW... and what we were hoping to do was get a high quality "custom" pad cover made and sent out the door for about $70-75 + shipping.
With ours still being in perfect shape we can make a very good pattern. We have talked about how the best way for others to install them on there cars and figure(d) that the test person(s) will need to be a bit mechanically enclined to be able to glue and bolt the pad back into place on the car.
I see demand is here and it comes down to price.
cheers and will keep you informed. casey (if interest is here to see her other work let me know and I can post stuff)
A little off topic, but following the debate above about Pinto as classic...yes or no...
I live in Hollywood and work in the film business. My friends and employees drive Porshe's, BMW's and other expensive cars. When they see the Pinto Runabout, they get a huge smile on their faces. Everyone has a memory to share about a Pinto in their family. Seeing a Pinto makes them happy. Isn't that what life is about? It's called "follow your heart".
Collectively, we all do this because it brings us joy, mostly I'm guessing, because hearing a Pinto start up, shifting the gears, and "participating" in driving, rather than having 100 mini-computers do it for you is FUN.
Is the Pinto a classic? In my mind, yes. I believe values will go up. If they don't, I'm left with the joy I've experienced on this board and driving my Pony.
No regrets!
Isn't that what life is about?
Quote from: beicholz on June 03, 2010, 04:02:17 AM
A little off topic, but following the debate above about Pinto as classic...yes or no...
I live in Hollywood and work in the film business. My friends and employees drive Porshe's, BMW's and other expensive cars. When they see the Pinto Runabout, they get a huge smile on their faces. Everyone has a memory to share about a Pinto in their family. Seeing a Pinto makes them happy. Isn't that what life is about? It's called "follow your heart".
Collectively, we all do this because it brings us joy, mostly I'm guessing, because hearing a Pinto start up, shifting the gears, and "participating" in driving, rather than having 100 mini-computers do it for you is FUN.
Is the Pinto a classic? In my mind, yes. I believe values will go up. If they don't, I'm left with the joy I've experienced on this board and driving my Pony.
No regrets!
Isn't that what life is about?
Extremely well said.
Dwayne :smile:
I second that! Or is it third that!? lol.
Alberto, I think we all want our dash pads done right... not a very few of us. However, we shouldn't have to take out a second mortgage to get one "done right".
Like Chuck, this subject has left a bad taste in my mouth. I hear what one side says, but I and a lot of others are faced with stark reality: priorities. I want us to have no hard feelings towards one another because we all can't support a particular project. Sometimes we simply can't. Just the same, I'll stand my ground but I'll still call you family. ;D
Wow, quite a thread.
As a guy who went from telling the wife a few years ago (before things went in the toilet) "..it's only money, I'll always make more.." to spending the last year (the is the anniversary of my last real check) pretty much unemployed, I can see both sides of this.
Best of luck to all of us in these trying times.
All we can do is love our little Pintos, and do what we can, when we can.
70-75 bucks out the door is a great deal for a custom cover in my opinion, and would probably suit most people here. Unless you are doing an original resto, most just want something that looks nice and not "tacky". Face it, although we love our Pinto's, they are not high end and highly sought after collectibles. $450 is more than a lot of us paid for the entire car to begin with, (me included) and while I fully understand supply and demand, that much money for a dash pad is out of my reach. 75 bucks? That I can handle! Thanks 78_Starsky, and keep us updated. :)
Scott,
I currently own 4 early Pintos. They all need dash pads which I would glad buy for all 4 cars if they were reasonably priced. So is there a demad for dash pads. Absolutley! Thanks - Dave
Would definitely be interested in a replacement for my dash. Will try the email as well.