I know some of us started threads about Pinto sightings. I didn't want to hijack their threads so I thought I'd start one where we can all post Pinto sightings. ;D
Last Sunday a friend and I were driving along the Carlsbad (CA) coast in the southbound lane and in the north-bound lane I spied with my beady eyes a red '77-'78 Runabout with the white partial vinyl-top driven by a little older man with white hair. My dog-park friend Patty said she saw one just like that months ago, so I'm sure this is the same one. When I saw the car go by I cheered and stuck my thumb up! My friend Dave must've thought I was nuts. That's alright. He's a Mazda nut. :)
"Mazda nuts" don't count! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Dwayne :smile:
Another Pinto sighting! In beautiful Oceanside, California! I went to fuel my Green Meanie at the Chevron a mile west of my house and my eyes caught a familiar car-shape. I did a double-take and sure enough it's a brown Pinto wagon. Well, I can't let this one get away without saying hello. I never peeled out of a gas station as fast as I did. I pulled beside them in the Wal-Mart parking lot and introduced myself. They were two middle-age guys named Jim (his Pinto) and Wayne. Their wagon is a '73 with automatic and deluxe interior, sport mirrors, bodyside moldings, etc. Naturally I showed them the PCCA sticker on Meanie's window, so maybe you'll see them here. The wagon's color is the shade of Wildfire but it didn't look metallic. Is that Ginger Glo? It was too light a shade to be Medium Brown Metallic. Her paint might've been dulled, as it looked original. I wished I had a camera to take a picture of the two Pinto Sisters parked side-by-side. I gotta start bringing my camera everywhere. You never know when a sighting might occur. I was so excited to see that wagon across the way I nearly squealed like a girl. What...? I'm allowed. I'm a girl after all... ;D
I'm beginning to wish I lived in California... I NEVER see any Pintos here!
Dwayne :(
I always spot the same 3 Pinto's.....one's in my garage, the other two are in the backyard!! :lol:
Quote from: Pinto Pro on November 02, 2009, 12:04:44 AM
I always spot the same 3 Pinto's.....one's in my garage, the other two are in the backyard!! :lol:
I can say that too... but it really thrills me to see other Pintos... especially ones still on the road! :)
Spotted a decent daily driner in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Driven by a little old Italian Guy, said hi, said i liked his car. Asked him if he wanted to sell it and without hesitation or asking how much, he just said "NO!". Gotta love that.
Lucky you to be able to actually talk to them!!!! I see them now and again, but never get to talk to them!! It would be nice if they joined PCCA!!!
You mean you didn't ask if they wanted to trade their Auto for your Manual??? LOL
Quote from: rear ended on November 02, 2009, 04:08:28 PM
Spotted a decent daily driner in Long Island City, Queens, New York. Driven by a little old Italian Guy, said hi, said i liked his car. Asked him if he wanted to sell it and without hesitation or asking how much, he just said "NO!". Gotta love that.
Cool! Did you catch what year it was? :)
It was a 1974 and here is a pic. it had the custom aluminum slot rims with the Pinto center caps. nice. Interior needed a little work, body was solid, a few minor dents, but putting along nicely.
Is that a vinyl-top I spy? What a gorgeous car! Gotta love putting along nicely! :)
Quote from: dga57 on November 01, 2009, 09:45:34 PM
I'm beginning to wish I lived in California... I NEVER see any Pintos here!
Dwayne :(
That is because Pintogirl and Fred has them all!!!
Quote from: Carolina Boy on November 02, 2009, 08:41:40 PM
That is because Pintogirl and Fred has them all!!!
:lol: :lol: ;D ;D
Quote from: Carolina Boy on November 02, 2009, 08:41:40 PM
That is because Pintogirl and Fred has them all!!!
Yeah, and if I'm not careful, I'll be joining their ranks! lol. :lol:
'74 wagon right up the street from me (about 200 yards) in a driveway (she won't sell) & another red wagon, year unknown, covered with weeds/trees/bushes about 2 miles away. both 'squire' models. haven't approached that 'owner' yet
Quote from: Carolina Boy on November 02, 2009, 08:41:40 PM
That is because Pintogirl and Fred has them all!!!
Ain't THAT the truth!!!
Dwayne :smile:
SRT, Why not?????
Quote from: Carolina Boy on November 04, 2009, 12:22:07 AM
SRT, Why not?????
seems whenever i think about stopping by i'm always on my way to work or on my way home from work. Darn work. Always gettin' in the way!
...what SRT siad. Darn work, getting in the way ::). Yup, VERY happy to be working, but never seems enough time off - ESPECIALLY when the weather is IDEAL, like this week!!!!
OK, no pity, I AM taking this Friday off ;D
Chris
Im in Eastern Canada and there is NOT any kind of a pinto to be seen except for mine in my garage.Next year im gonna show mine off as much as i can.Man i love pintos.The only way i get to see any is if i watch old shows like hawaii 5-0 or Chips or something like that.I had one when i was 17(brand new) and the one i restored is almost the very same car i had back then.I should get a personalized license plate that says 17again lol
Why not!? We not only celebrate Pintos we celebrate US too! :)
For the past couple of weeks I've been on a quest to find/purchase a nice Lincoln Mark VIII. Last evening my wife and I drove to a town about 70 miles north of us to look at one advertised there. It was just another disappointment :(. Because it was still 83 degrees at 6:00 p.m. however, we decided to put the top down on our convertible and forego the Interstate in favor of tooling homeward along Route 11 down through the Shenandoah Valley. Approximately twenty minutes into this drive, we met coming from the opposite direction, a 1974-75 Pinto Station Wagon! Interesting color... too orange to be red and too red to be orange... surely not an original color, although appeared faded enough that it was definitely not a new paint job. Appeared to be solid. The occupants appeared to be middle-aged, like us. ::)
This may not sound like anything unusual (especially to residents of sunny California) but it is my first sighting of a running, driving Pinto on a Virginia highway in probably 10-15 years! :surprised: I was so excited, I nearly ran into a parked car!
Interesting how that one little old car turned an otherwise disappointing evening into a memorable event!
Dwayne :smile:
You and your Lincolns! lol.
Now if you and Gloria were in your Pinto (I know, I know...it's not "fit " to be seen in public. :rolleye:) the other couple might've made a U-turn and pulled you guys over and you could've had a Natter Of The Pinto Kind...and made new friends. Just an observation... ;D
Quote from: blupinto on May 01, 2010, 02:07:19 PM
You and your Lincolns! lol.
Now if you and Gloria were in your Pinto (I know, I know...it's not "fit " to be seen in public. :rolleye:) the other couple might've made a U-turn and pulled you guys over and you could've had a Natter Of The Pinto Kind...and made new friends. Just an observation... ;D
Very true... I'd already thought of that! Just for the record, the Mark VIII we drove 140 miles round-trip to look at wasn't fit to be seen in public either!
Dwayne :smile:
Dwayne, you're too much! :lol: If I relied on your eye on perfection in cars I would have to shanks mare to go anywhere! :lol: There's an old saying you don't see every day! ;D
Quote from: blupinto on May 01, 2010, 04:33:47 PM
Dwayne, you're too much! :lol: If I relied on your eye on perfection in cars I would have to shanks mare to go anywhere! :lol: There's an old saying you don't see every day! ;D
Nah... none of your cars are so far gone that my opinion of them would set you to walking! :lol: Despite what you think, I'm not looking for perfection; I just want my ride to look good enough to detract people's attention away from the fact that I don't look so good myself. The Mark VIII's I've looked so far at have been priced between $3500 and $6500... I think that's a high enough outlay of cash that one shouldn't expect ripped headliners, torn seats, dents, etc. I especially resent finding that after being assured over the phone that, "it's a real creampuff" or, "you won't find one any nicer" and then driving hundreds of miles because of that endorsement. I'm honest with them... I tell them I'm picky and I want a really nice car. Why can't they just be honest and say, "I don't think this one would suit you"? It would save us both time and trouble! >:(
Dwayne :smile:
True... but then you wouldn't have had a nice drive with your honey and had a rare Pinto sighting... rare meaning how rare is it to see another Pinto on the road alive and well!? And anyway, there's only a small ding or two that I saw on your '72... Green Meanie's dented fender is WAY more noticeable, and her headliner is nothing to brag about, not to mention her crumbling steering wheel! By George I'll drive her anyway! I still get thumbs-ups and compliments. I don't even think of my looks, and neither should you! ;D
thats why you needa be me! Im so sexy i can drive a 1986 ford festiva and still be awesome! LOL :lol:
Quote from: Bigtimmay on May 01, 2010, 07:48:12 PM
thats why you needa be me! Im so sexy i can drive a 1986 ford festiva and still be awesome! LOL :lol:
Some folks are just blessed that way :rolleye:
Dwayne :smile:
plus it helps i dont care what people think yall better hope i never make it out for any show you guys are at ill have yall embarrassed lol :P
Quote from: blupinto on May 01, 2010, 07:34:04 PM
True... but then you wouldn't have had a nice drive with your honey and had a rare Pinto sighting... rare meaning how rare is it to see another Pinto on the road alive and well!? And anyway, there's only a small ding or two that I saw on your '72... Green Meanie's dented fender is WAY more noticeable, and her headliner is nothing to brag about, not to mention her crumbling steering wheel! By George I'll drive her anyway! I still get thumbs-ups and compliments. I don't even think of my looks, and neither should you! ;D
The Pinto sighting was the highlight of my day! Although it was a beautiful day for a ride with the top down, I could have done without it considering I only slept about 2 1/2 hours after coming in from work Friday morning. Other than for the Pinto, I would have rather put the top down and driven with my honey to our favorite seafood restaurant (about 2 miles) for dinner... which was our plan until I stumbled onto the Mark VIII we went to look at. Seeing the Pinto sort of made up for that sorry-arsed Lincoln!
Dwayne :smile:
Quote from: Bigtimmay on May 01, 2010, 07:53:34 PM
plus it helps i dont care what people think yall better hope i never make it out for any show you guys are at ill have yall embarrassed lol :P
You wouldn't embarrass me! Believe it or not, as picky as I am about what
I drive, what someone else chooses to drive doesn't bother me at all. I have a deep appreciation for "less than perfect" cars... I just prefer to drive ones that look nice. And it's not really because I care what anybody else thinks... it's because of what
I think. Can't help it, it's just the way I am!
Dwayne :smile:
LOL i wouldnt embarrass you from what i was driving cause im prolly 100x more picky in cars then you lol i spent 9 hours underneath the driftcar cleaning/painting the bottom side just cause i didnt like it being dirty and not fresh. You ever notice i never showed the interior of my bobcat yet? Thats because its not up to par by the time its all said and done itll have a fiberglass dash cap and i might just glass the door panels too all the plastics repainted from red to black or any other color then red new racing seats installed and prolly the rear seat removed and aluminum tread plate covering most of the rear of the car.
Id embarass yall from the stupid stuff id end up doing LOL
Quote from: Bigtimmay on May 01, 2010, 08:17:34 PM
LOL i wouldnt embarrass you from what i was driving cause im prolly 100x more picky in cars then you lol i spent 9 hours underneath the driftcar cleaning/painting the bottom side just cause i didnt like it being dirty and not fresh. You ever notice i never showed the interior of my bobcat yet? Thats because its not up to par by the time its all said and done itll have a fiberglass dash cap and i might just glass the door panels too all the plastics repainted from red to black or any other color then red new racing seats installed and prolly the rear seat removed and aluminum tread plate covering most of the rear of the car.
Id embarass yall from the stupid stuff id end up doing LOL
Okay... if you say so :rolleye: :lol:
Dwayne :smile:
Found a local Pinto today!
Well, okay, I learned about it's existence early LAST MONTH from a co-worker who said there was a red Pinto just like mine around the corner from his house. Now keep in mind that I pretty much live in this guy's back yard, I could easily walk to his house in two or three minutes after crossing a field!
I've wanted to check the car out, but have been so busy with work, maintaining the cars, cleaning the house and taking care of the family, not to mention trying to find time to sleep, that I just keep forgetting to stop by and check it out.
Well the past month I have had these two regular customers come in that are ROOMMATES of this supposed Pinto owner. They come in and the guy keeps asking "did you go check out the Pinto yet?", every time I ask if it's still there and how late it will be there, stating I will try to make it over after work. They said it's a red 79 Pinto just like mine.
I was able to pass by the house today to see if it was there, and sure enough! :D It's a red 77/78 Red hatchback. I want to say it's a 77 because the rear hatch has the metal frame, not completely glass like the 78's I have seen. The paint is in rough shape but the body is straight and appears to be well taken care from, at least from what I saw while driving by.
Now I just need to get over there and say hi, introduce myself and my Pinto, let the owner know of the PCCA and this website and see if they need any parts that I can clean out of my storage unit! :D :P
I don't know the total scoop on the all glass hatch cars except I like them...but I can tell you that '78's were also available as regular HB's because I have one in my garage :) I'm not really sure if there was even a major difference on 77/78 cars at all...
But it is awesome to see another Pinto in your area. My mom talked to the owner of an all original, pristine '76 runabout with all the goodies like my V6 that is awaiting a restore and I would have really loved to have seen it...and of course bought it! LoL thats the worst part...I've bought every Pinto I've ever seen....thats a pretty good stat that I'm not going to be able to uphold anymore if I see another because of the way the economy is >:( Oh well three should hold me over...for now.
:afro:
-beegle55
Now that I'm thinking of it, it very well may be a 78 since you said they were offered with a regular hatch. It has the bumpers like mine, straight and all aluminum, no bumper guards like Chuck's 77' has. Upon closer inspection I'd know for sure, I just need to find time to contact the owner.
I'd buy it from him if I had the money. If it's an automatic my wife could drive it, if it's a stick I'd swap out the C4 in brownie so she COULD drive it! :D :P
Uhh...Dave, isn't Brownie an automatic? Why doesn't she drive her? And anyway, wagons are good for people with kids! lol.
Anyway, it must be a day of sightings! lol. I went back to work today seven weeks after my elbow surgery. In transit from our work zone to a park n ride for lunch (I work for California's highway dept.) I spotted a white '77-'78 Pinto wagon. Man it looked pristine on the outside! Shiny and dent-free! The middle pop-out windows were open too! I was saying, "oh my god... oh my god... where's my camera!?" and my co-worker got spooked. He doesn't understand the magic of the Pinto... :lol: Oh yes, the car was in motion... it turned into the driveway of a cheapy gas station as we drove by. ;D
Yeah, brownie is an auto, but the trans needs rebuilt before it can be driven. Wouldn't it be cool having a 78 sedan and 78 hatch parked next to each other 90% of the time? Or to see both of them pull into parking lots to do shopping or just cruising around town? :D
Yeah, but I don't want you to forsake Brownie either. But then, I am fonder of the older Pintos... ::)
Other than mine and my friends there are 3 or 4 that I've seen around here in Fresno. Two notables are a turbo 2.3 73 in rough shape. And one is a 78 or so orange Cruising Wagon. Oh and a V-6 runabout that I almost bought a year ago... OK so like 9 0r 10 :)
Where was I going with this?
I experienced a Pinto sighting of not only the Ford kind, but the unusual kind, last evening. It all started out with my son and I joking around. At seventeen, Cody is nearly six feet tall and only 135 pounds. He is totally convinced he'll stay that way forever and I said, "maybe so, but not necessarily." I went on to tell him that I was six feet tall and weighed only 129 when I got married the first time. He stared at me in utter disbelief; I don't blame him... that's 109 pounds less than I weigh now! A couple of hours later we stopped by to visit my Mom and while we were there, I dug out an old photo album from that wedding and showed him. Although you couldn't pay me to go back and do that marriage over, it was still sort of fun looking through the pictures and seeing how young and thin we looked, and how vibrant and healthy some now-long-gone family members were. Anyway, there is one photo of my mother and my ex-mother-in-law in the album, taken outside the church following the reception. In the background, visible between their shoulders, is a pastel blue Pinto! It was parked in a driveway at the house next door to the church so it did not belong to any of the wedding guests. I can't see the bumpers but I'm assuming it was probably an early model because there appears to be some rust/primer between the door and the rear wheel well and this photo was taken on June 11, 1983. This doesn't technically qualify as a Pinto sighting but as rare as they are in this neck of the woods, it was exciting just to find a photo of one!
Dwayne :smile:
Speaking of pastel blue Pintos... lol... today I had the pleasure to meet Mike (Pinto Pro) in Hesperia today and got to "meet" his '72 as well as some other great Fords he has (talk about your eye candy! ) After I left his place (I talked to him to death and made him bake in the hot High Desert sun- sorry Mike!) I was parched and grabbed the worst stuff for diet-conscious people- sodas! After that I got on to Main Street Hesperia going towards the freeway (the 15) and I had to do a double-take- I spotted a '79-'80 (I think- I didn't catch the grille but the taillights look it) Runabout in two-tone blue. The main color was powder blue but it had a darker blue on the lower panels and was driven by an older guy (ok he was probably in his 50s lol). I wish I a) had a camera, and b) had warning so I could be at the ready. It was a treat to see a Pinto driven around in the High Desert heat... made me ALMOST wish I had driven Ruby RedHot, but she would've lived up to her name all too well. :P
Becky!!! :surprised: Now you just wait a cotton-pickin' minute! An older guy, probably in his 50's??? I resemble that remark! :lol:
Dwayne :smile:
I thought someone ah...MATURE would like that! lol. :lol:
Quote from: blupinto on September 04, 2010, 10:20:39 PM
I thought someone ah...MATURE would like that! lol. :lol:
Uh-huh :rolleye:
LOL!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
On my way home this afternoon I was heading east on HWY 76 and in a left-turn pocket I spotted a familiar car. I did a double-take, and yes- it was a '73 black Pinto wagon (it had '73 bumpers)! I was so thrilled I honked Ruby's horn twice as I passed! ;D
OMG!!! OMG!!! Today I spotted a real beauty! I was driving S/B 15 freeway in the Escondido (Cali) area and did a double-take when I spotted an early wagon on the N/B side. It was that Medium Yellow Gold color I love so dearly. Well, I did the only thing a sane, normal adult would do... I made happy squealing screams! lol :lol:
Well, maybe not a "sighting", per say, but fast64ranchero (carl) came through my drive-thru on Saturday with his new 1973 Pinto! He picked it up in Cali, and it is BEAUTIFUL! White with burnt orange vinyl top and sunroof, orange rocker trim if I remember correctly, and he painted his aluminum slotted wheels orange to match the car. It even has rear window louvers! Flawless interior with no cracks or wear in the seats or door panels, bright work is still shiney to! He changed out the stock trans for a T5 to!
We are meeting up some time this week hopefully and I can get some pictures! :D It sure made my 15 hour work day better after seeing it! :)
I spotted the red '77-'78 Runabout again today while driving my work truck back to the yard this afternoon. Not only does it have a landau top in white, but it also has the pop-out quarter windows. I'll bet it's sporting the deluxe package. It was being driven by a white-haired person (wasn't sure of gender- it could go either way. lol). After I dgot to the yard one of my co-workers said he spotted an orange Cruising Wagon complete with graphics somewhere in Oceanside (both cars were spotted in the Oceanside/Carlsbad CA area). Wow- what a day of random Pintos here! ;D ;D ;D
Wife and I drove past a 79-80 Bobcat on Fairview Ave. and Locast Grove today. It was turning left and stopped behind one car waiting to turn. Anyone here own or drive this car??
It looked EXACTLY like this, except for maybe minus the wheels. We were going 35 mph and didn't get a real good look at it, but I distinctly saw the front end, and the rear while driving past. The color scheme was one you wouldn't forget. My wife didn't believe me at first because I thought it was a Pinto, but we both agreed that the side decal said "Bobcat" in bright orange(ish) colors.
http://www.productioncars.com/gallery.php?car=2580&make=Mercury&model=Bobcat
A rare one me thinks!
That is the Mercury version of the Pinto Rallye.
Sure was eye catching! Wish I could get a closer look at it, seemed to be in decent shape!
Need to find that one dave I wanna see pics! LOL