Hey guys,
I just wanted to say something to the Pinto comunity. We all have out reasons for driving a Pinto. Some people drive them for their reliability and good milage. Some people drive them because they look great "shinny." Some love them just because. Others love them because of a memory....A first car.... Mom's old car..... graduation present..... and so on. For me, it was my grandpas car. His name was Salvatore Orlando. He bought it in 1974. A yellow with black interior wagon. It was a 4 cyl. with an auto tranny. No options otherwise. He used it for work, family, picking mustard greens in some vacant field, and what ever else he needed to. It was always spotless and in the garage. A family friend told me a few months ago that one day in the mid seventies he saw my grandfather in the garage working on the Pinto. The hood was up so he walked over. To his surprise he found my grandpa there with a towel applying wax to the inside of the engine compartment. When he asked him why he would do such a thing, my grandfather replied "I payed for that too."
I was born in 1980 and had many a trip in the car. I was there when the back tire blew out on the freeway. I was there when my mother was complaining about taking the Pinto instead of the Escort because the Pinto had no A/C. He also encouraged my love for cars. When I was in preschool, he would bring me a toy car every day when he came to pick me up. He told stories about his 59 Ford 500 and his 64 Galaxie not to mention my moms 67 Pontiac tempest and her 72 Torino sport.
In 1989, I was walking home from school. As I walked I saw that there had been an accident near my house. As I approached, I noticed it was a Pinto (I always knew a Pinto when I saw one). I ran down there and saw the Sicilian Flag sicker in the back window (were Italian and yes I speak it). It was his car. A lady had ran a red light, hit the car and rolled hers down the street. The Pinto was totaled but by grandfather and my sister (3 at the time, now owns a pinto also) were safe. That was the end of that car. When I turned 16, I NEEDED a Pinto. So I bought (with my fathers help) and restored the one that is on my profile and in the FordPinto.com calendar. He was the moral support for that endeavor. All that engine and body work showed me that I liked playing with mechanical things so when College hit, I majored (and still am) in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering. I also now own four in total and am in the process of starting a local Pinto owners association.
Two days ago, after three years of being bed ridden due to Alzheimer's, my grandfather took his last breath. I will miss him, but every day I look at my plethora of Pintos, I will always know he is not gone. My mother swears look like him (thank god, till his last day he had a full head of hair!) and have his temper (uh oh..). If not for his influence who knows where I would be right now, or worse yet, what I would be driving.....
I felt I should share this with all of you here because its important to know why we are the way we are and who made us that way.
Thanks Nonno
That was beautiful Berto
Hi Alberto,
Very nicely done. After reading, I stopped and said a quick prayer for your grandfather. I'm thankful that I know you.
Hey Bert,
Thanks for posting this story so true & close to your heart,
This is why FordPinto.com exists, to bring meaning & in your case a world wide closure to your situation & our attachment, our individual story, to these cars.
On behalf of the FordPinto.com Community at large, I salute your grandfather.
GodSpeed,
Scott Hamilton
webmaster@fordpinto.com
Good story Bert,
Thanks for sharing it.
Hey Berto, i just registered tonight and saw the story you posted. ya know i've known you since the days back at st chris, and i've always been impressed with your knowledge and passion of cars (especially them pintos!!) now i know where it all derived from. your the reason i've got a running car, (damn chevy) and i was very honored to be one of the pintos in the procession for your grandpa. so i guess i can thank you and your gramps for making it possible for me to, well, go places. keep 'em shinny buddy!!!