Among car people... the desire to stand out runs very strong.
It leads people to do various things to cars.
Loud paint
Loud exhaust
Shiny wheels
Body modifications
Audio modifications
Suspension modifications
Not saying that there is anything in the world wrong with these things... it just leads me to ask a simple question.
"Why are most of the cars out there... that have modifications done to draw attention... some of the most common availible on the road?"
This is something I have always wondered. The question has resurfaced for me recently tho.
My fiance has always had average blend into the crowd cars, with the exception of an AMC eagle SX/4 when she was fresh out of high school.
When I talked of getting a pinto she smiled at me... as one would if humoring a backwards child that said he wanted to be the hulk.
She got to spend last week riding around with me in the car.
The reaction of people to the car, which is stock and NOT flashy, amazed her.
Thumbs up, horns blowing, people yelling out with huge grins... people walking across the parking lot to look and talk, asking if they can take pictures.. while telling stories of the ones they knew... or used to have.
Why?
Because its cool? I like it... but it isnt cool in the traditional sense.
Its unusual. You dont see them every day... and a couple of people confessed to never actually seeing one in person.
It draws scowls from the guys with thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of time wrapped up in their "normal" cars.
They have spent lots of time and money to get what a car that has nothing done... and less money in than their stereo systems... is getting without even looking for it.
Hearing the comment "You know... this is really cool." from a person who looked upon my car with bored amusement is great.
Wait till the Plum Crazy Purple gets laid on it.
Why do people avoid "unusual cars"?
Is it the lack of aftermarket support?
Is it the fear of the unknown?
Is it not wanting to actually be different... in their quest to be different?
Maybe it is just the fact that they like the cars that they have... I honestly dont know.
It is just food for thought.
Jim
My take on this question is based on personal experience. In the late 70's and early 80's I hung out at a custom van shop with my Pinto Cruising Wagon. I ended up with dual sunroofs and a custom crushed velvet interior that was out of this world, not to mention chrome double basket wire wheels and a killer stereo. I actually did the interior myself as I was pretty good at it. I think people customize more "normal" cars than exotics because exotics are pretty much out there anyway. If you can afford a new Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari or anything similar, you will have already made something of a statement with the car, for better or worse. "Normal" cars though, are what people grew up with, took their first date out in, went to the prom in, discovered love and romance in, and took away to college. Most folks don't do that in flashy cars. Pintos were never really flashy per se, but now they have a certain cachet about them, they are fun and nostalgic. I think people today are beginning to feel about the 70's the way people in the 70's felt about the 50's, you know, a simpler time when good was good and evil was evil. Think about this, the most popular television shows for the largest part of the 70's were "The Waltons", "MASH" and "Happy Days", all shows about different eras, and other than MASH, about simpler times. I'm a college professor, and when I tell my students gas cost me $.59 a gallon when I started driving they can't believe it. I tell them I remember $.12 and $.13 per gallon, but I wasn't driving then, and that was before OPEC came onto the scene. I drive my Cruising Wagon to class once in a while, and they howled when I showed them photos of the original, but they would love to have one themselves.
to not go along with the crowd....that's why I
- lowered my pinto back in 1971
kept the 13" rims but widened them to 7"
kept the exhaust hidden
put in a cage
ported the head
put on the turbo
embarrassed big american iron V-8's at the strip and on the street!
and then I bought a 1980 ford fairmont and
- put in a 302 GT motor out of a Mustang GT
installed lower rear gears
put on a set of hooker headers
For me it's all about doing what everybody is NOT doing. Doing it better. Setting your own better example of how things can be.
Connie and I spent 4 years and a bunch of money restoring our 68 Mustang Convertible (Factory: Acapulco Blue Met., Two-Tone Blue Interior, 289, C4, Numbers and Codes Correct, FACTORY A/C (!). A fairly rare collection of options, and as nice as it was, our first 77 Pinto got much more attention everywhere we took it. It did not matter that the Pinto needed (needs) paint, or that the interior was SHOT, it always brought a crowd. That is what hooked us on Pintos, and for the last 8 years or so we have loved every minute of it.
I can't understand why some folks out there that are so "brand" specific with cars. I grew up with Chevys, my wife with Mopars, and now we have Fords.
I have owned well over a hundred cars, trucks, and motorcycles over the last 25+ years (some even were registered), of almost all makes. I will have to say that the most fun I have ever had has been with our Pintos.
Bill
I took my Cruising Wagon out to the insurance agent yesterday, the one who laughed when I added the extra coverage. Not only did they both love it, but the guy at the Tim Horton's drive up window said, "This rocks!" The guy across the street from my nephew's school was waving and smiling telling me about his Pintos. Keep the "classic" cars if you want, but I'll stick with my Pinto!
Given that they built millions of these cars, the thing about Pintos is that everyone in their forties and up either owned one, or had one in their family. They were rust buckets, and the fuel tank issue made them the Edsel of the seventies. Because they were rusty and "laughable", they were not deemed worth saving and ended up crushed.
Fast forward 20+ years, there are so few left that all these people that either owned one or had one in their family are the ones that will notice them and come and talk to you.
I have had many old cars, much nicer and fancier than the Pinto. None has ever drawn one quarter of the attention that Stupinto (my wife named her) can gather. My favorite place is Ford dealerships. People come out running.
Oh yeah, by the way, I would not be ashamed to drive around in a nice Edsel either. My dream Edsel is a 1960 (rare) station wagon (very rare).
Yes! Nothing beats showing up in a 1500.00 Pinto and getting more props than the 30,000.00 car sitting on either side.
From Pintony
ThunderPinto is my third wagon. My previous was a 78 cruising wagon and it was my work car and my work horse. I rebuilt that engine and ported the heads while I was at it...drove that car 20 miles to work and 20 back every day. Did my side jobs with that car.
Stopped by a cop one day doing 92 in a 55. Never though about how that looked....A Pinto sitting there with a cop car getting a speeding ticket. They knew cause I passed them all.
I guess my point is I feel good in my Pinto. If that makes me different I say Ha!!!
High_Horse
FlyerPinto
I am so glad that you are enjoying the Pinto! I hope to have mine running again next week. I can't wait to bust out in my CW.
Dave
No to jump on the bandwagon, but I fully intend to Restify my Pinto. Funny thing is I'm not going super flashy. I'm going to fix te rust, and repaint it the same faded brown, just a solid tone :). I'll add some black stripes & call it good. It'll be nice, but not "arrest me" nice. Remember, my Pinto is my daily driver, so I just want a nice car.
Quote from: High_Horse on May 28, 2007, 09:20:44 AM
ThunderPinto is my third wagon. My previous was a 78 cruising wagon and it was my work car and my work horse. I rebuilt that engine and ported the heads while I was at it...drove that car 20 miles to work and 20 back every day. Did my side jobs with that car.
Stopped by a cop one day doing 92 in a 55. Never though about how that looked....A Pinto sitting there with a cop car getting a speeding ticket. They knew cause I passed them all.
I guess my point is I feel good in my Pinto. If that makes me different I say Ha!!!
High_Horse
i had just put in a new set of plugs , points etc on my '71 one morning at work. took it out for a drive on the freeway to get into the groove. after about 5 or 6 miles i pulled off to get a cup of coffee. the place where i re-entered the freeway(7th street onto the 60 freeway headed east n the los angeles area) is a REAL long onramp. i got into it and exited the ramp at about 90. kept my foot in it for about another 1/4 mile when i noticed some lashing red about a 1/2 mile back. this was like 6am and i KNEW it was the CHP so i pulled over. the guys came up and asked theusual questions and then noticed the fact that i was driving a PINTO. they couldn't believe i was going so fast. (6000 in 4th-3:55 rear gear, turbo) and still pulling away from them
it was worth it
I think a lot of people really just follow the flow of popularity of a model or group of cars and a lot of them are very normal and plain cars.Today in one of the most popular cars to ''customize'' is the Honda Civic and its import brothers(nothing against said imports just a good example to me),why I have no idea but they are popular right now and i've seen some horrific attempts to garner attention on these cars be it bright neon lights, loud exhaust, multicolored body kits, and wild paint jobs.And i've seen a few nice looking cars done somewhat right and they had a nice look to them but the cars were of the same models my neighbors drive back and worth to work daily.Same can be said the the SUV's with 24 inch rims and a half pick up load of chrome, are they not the same model of vehicle mothers drive there 1st grade children to school?And though not to the same extent I'm sick of seeing the 32 Ford Coupe,69 Camaro, or even the 69 Mustang;there is just way to many of them at shows to stand out!Though I wouldn't object to owning any of the before mentioned cars I'm sick of seeing the same thing over and over.Maybe thats what drew me to the shunned Pinto,one of the uncoolest cars in history(as far as my generation is concerned).I want something that I can take to a car show and have the only one of and not just because it has a different array of options.I want to stand of from the rest of the Esclades,Eclipses,Camaros,Mustangs, and any other car you see more than 10 on a daily commute to the grocery store.Thats my desire to stand out anyway.A primer Pinto with a screamin' 2.0 and another one that looks just like it with a monstrous 302!Sounds like a winner to me.
Man that feels better,what a rant!
when i went to the knott's show this year to meet some of you guys and your Pintos; there was one thing VERY evident as i walked into the show grounds looking for 30 Pintos all in a row.
Countless Mustangs that all looked alike. That definately could not be said about the show-within-a-show that your Pintos put on. The thing that drew me in was the fact that there were 30 INDIVIDUAL-DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT cars on display in that row of vintage Ford Masterpieces
Hairball,
I'm having a blast with it; I took it to the Strawberry Festival Car Show and it got tons of attention. I'm driving it today because my truck is being serviced and I'll be going by the Ford dealer with it. They haven't seen one of these in years! When you get yours rolling we should go to one of the regular Cruise-Ins around here and form a Pinto "Corral". People won't know what to think!
Quote from: srt on June 12, 2007, 03:02:03 AM
when i went to the knott's show this year to meet some of you guys and your Pintos; there was one thing VERY evident as i walked into the show grounds looking for 30 Pintos all in a row.
Countless Mustangs that all looked alike. That definately could not be said about the show-within-a-show that your Pintos put on. The thing that drew me in was the fact that there were 30 INDIVIDUAL-DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT cars on display in that row of vintage Ford Masterpieces
we had the same results in Carlisle with our 13 Pintos and 1 Bobcat
That is how we ended up with our wagon.We wanted someting you do not see at every show
1 Wagon
2 Mercury Bobcat
3 "Woody"
With all the shows and cruse ins we have gone to 80% of the time we are the only wagon. 95% of the time the only woody and 100% of the time the only Mercury Bobcat. We are always mistaken for a Pinto but that is ok because of the great stories of how everyone had one and has not seen one in years. so our desire to be different has been a compleat sucess. We look forward to promoting the "everyday family car" Pinto for a long time.
Phils toys
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Hi All!
Have really enjoyed reading all of your posts. Our experience this past weekend at the Back to the 50's annual classic auto show in St. Paul., MN has really confirmed everything that everybody has said on this site. We were cruising Snelling Avenue with the typical restored classic cars, but it was only our little blue pinto that was drawing thunderous applause, hoots and hollars, wide grins, shouts of "Pinto!" thumbs up, people taking pictures as well as video shots, holding up placards with the number "10" on them, etc., etc. It blew us away! What a blast we had!
But perhaps the BEST part is this: our 20-yr. daughter has always disliked the pinto and thinks that it's stupid that we own one...I think it's the typical reaction of offspring to something that her parents own; no other parents of her friends own a pinto etc, sort of thing. Well, she went with us cruising in the Pinto at the car show and now she thinks very differently about our little blue pinto! She has new-found respect for it and was utterly amazed at how much people appreciate seeing a Pinto and how enthusiastic people are about this little car! She even asked to take the Pinto the next day to go back (just her and a friend) and cruise again. Needless to say, we all have even greater respect for this car after the experience of this past weekend. She told us that as she was driving it back home on Sunday, a guy driving a big truck hung out his window and shouted, "I love your car!!" I asked her if she told him it belonged to her parents, and she said no, she just said "Thank you." I guess now she sort of likes it that people think it belongs to her, huh?!
fyi, forgot to say that our Pinto is a '78, completely original, 26,700 miles. Solid body, interior perfect, original warning sticker on dash, sunroof, runs great. Bought it on ebay about 2 years ago and had it shipped from Pennsylvania.
I love it! Last week I was driving along side a late 90's Dodge Viper and got more looks than it did. I also had a truck in front of me and the passanger hung out the window to give me a thumbs up.
I am new to this forum, and don't own a Pinto... yet :) I have been trying to decide whether to replace my '95 Mazda B2300 with a newer VW Jetta, or find a Pinto (which is something I have wanted for quite some time). I think this post basically says what I have been thinking all along. Why blend in?
I can get nearly the same gas mileage as my little truck, but in a WAY cooler car. I have been a Mustang fanatic for a very long time, and although one day I'm certain I'll finally find that perfect '67 to restore, part of me would love to drive to work in something so ugly, it's cool.
I'm looking at a '77 tomorrow :D
My fiance has owned many old, and ugly cars. He has a real penchant for large lumbering beasts from the 70's and older. We once owned a snot green '76 Torino wagon, sans beaver panel. It was an awesome car, hideous, and rediculously loud with it's 400cid. We also owned a '66 Chrysler Windsor, a '78 Mercury Zephyr (which has now been converted to an ice race car and has a paint scheme a la Starsky & Hutch) an '88 Lincoln Mark 7 (got LOTS of looks with that thing) an '81 Toyota Celica and 2 T-birds, an '83 and an '85. He currently drives a '94 Crown Vic, but he is looking into getting back into something older... such as a '77-'80 T-bird. When I suggested a Pinto for myself his eyes lit up and he has already busted out all the Haynes manuals.
People don't understand the brotherhood within the car community. The folks who aren't afraid to roll down the window beside you and ask about your car, or boldly walk up and ask if it's for sale LOL
I love that part of standing out of the crowd, and can't wait to get back into that.
:welcome: Ponygal
Hope U get UR Pinto tomorrow...
LUK how it goes...... ::)
From Pintony
I knew these cars were cool but I had no idea they got so much attention. My mom and her friends, growing up in the 70s, have all been very surprised to say the least when they hear that I plan to get one of these little cars... I like it that way :)
I do have to agree with what was said about the camaros, mustangs and all of those cars. They are nice cars, most definitely. But its refreshing to see something different once in a while. Im sure something like a pacer or a gremlin would get the same attention the pintos do.
Quote from: Smeed on October 10, 2007, 09:58:58 PM
...Im sure something like a pacer or a gremlin would get the same attention the pintos do.
Don't worry, poeple will point at your Pinto and say "Look! A Gremlin!" or "Hey, a Pacer!"
Bill
"Hey... is that one of those cars that blow up?!"
Jim
I took ThunderPinto to an all Ford show in the park last Sunday, there were allot of nice Fords. There was only one Pinto. I did not sit by the car I sat back and watched.
Not many passed it by. There is another show this weekend (weather pemitting) I have got to remember the camera.
Oh...and by the way.....I got a stuffed animal!!!!!
High_Horse
Quote from: High_Horse on October 11, 2007, 08:59:33 AM
I did not sit by the car I sat back and watched.
...and by the way.....I got a stuffed animal!!!!!
High_Horse
I like to do the same thing... stand back and watch the reactions.
and...
was it a High Horse! stuffed animal?
Na.....It is a mouse.
High_Horse
isn't that cute... gotta feed it to the High Horse...
I wanna see mouse stuffing coming out the tailpipe :evil:
;D
Quote from: Pintony on October 10, 2007, 09:38:08 PM
:welcome: Ponygal
Hope U get UR Pinto tomorrow...
LUK how it goes...... ::)
From Pintony
Thanks Pintony!
It turned out to be a good one, so I picked it up! I'll post some pics in the picture forum :)
Like many of you a Pinto was my first car. It was a '72 1.6 sedan.
I am partial to the rarest of the rare cars. For example a 1962 Chrysler New Yorker wagon. Parts were just not available even back in the 80s.
I have had many of the rare cars from the 60s but I did bow to pressure to conform in the 90s and bought a 1967 Cougar. I bought it because I could buy just about everything from a catalog. No more looking for parts. I lost interest in the car when I needed the one part I couldn't get in the catalog, at the time. A front fender. It ended up in the storage yard never to be put back together.
Pintos are a simple car, and were sold to be such, and they were cheap which is why most of us had them.
There are no more $200.00 cars anywhere.
I hope all of you enjoy your Pintos and I hope to have a nice Cruising Wagon soon, with AC of course.
Mason66,
I hope you get that wagon too Thanks for the input.
High_Horse
Do Studebakers count as rare cars? Or just oddball ones?
There's an interesting thing about being in the "out crowd". I recently attended a "Good guys" car show at the Texas Motor Speedway, where there were THOUSANDS of collector cars. A buddy of mine and I went and walked for seven hours - and did not see everything.
At the end of it all, I was overwhelmed by the vast majority of 55-57 Chevies, 60's Chevelles, 60's Camaros, and MoPar products. Do I think these are cool? Sure - but my friend put it best: "After you have seen fifty '57 Chevies, does the 51st one matter"?
A resounding NO - what stood out in my mind from that visit was the '57 Safari wagon; the '66 Rambler convertible; the '67 Comet, the '72 Maverick, the 1951 C51 truck, and a countless host of other "oddities" that were, well, neat to see. There were, of course, NO Pintos there...and I gotta tell you, I REALLY want to change that....I would be proud to be seen in a really cherry example....
Chris
Quote from: popbumper on October 16, 2007, 09:51:52 PM
There's an interesting thing about being in the "out crowd". I recently attended a "Good guys" car show at the Texas Motor Speedway, where there were THOUSANDS of collector cars. A buddy of mine and I went and walked for seven hours - and did not see everything.
At the end of it all, I was overwhelmed by the vast majority of 55-57 Chevies, 60's Chevelles, 60's Camaros, and MoPar products. Do I think these are cool? Sure - but my friend put it best: "After you have seen fifty '57 Chevies, does the 51st one matter"?
A resounding NO - what stood out in my mind from that visit was the '57 Safari wagon; the '66 Rambler convertible; the '67 Comet, the '72 Maverick, the 1951 C51 truck, and a countless host of other "oddities" that were, well, neat to see. There were, of course, NO Pintos there...and I gotta tell you, I REALLY want to change that....I would be proud to be seen in a really cherry example....
Chris
I went to the good guys show in Puyallup, Wa. this summer, it was the same thing. The funny thing was the guys selling hat with differ'nt cars on them said that the pinto was about the last thing he would keep in stock, "why would you wanna fix up and drive a pinto anyway" were his word, I just smiled and walked away. ;D
Quote from: Farmboy on October 16, 2007, 10:32:06 PM
I went to the good guys show in Puyallup, Wa. this summer, it was the same thing. The funny thing was the guys selling hat with differ'nt cars on them said that the pinto was about the last thing he would keep in stock, "why would you wanna fix up and drive a pinto anyway" were his word, I just smiled and walked away. ;D
I would have said well I guess you jused missed out on a sale with that attitude
From Pintony