Pinto Car Club of America

I just joined this site yesterday. I moderate the Pinto group on yahoo/egroups.
I'm 95% complete on my 79 sedan turbo. Just have to license it and give it a good shakedown cruise to find weak points. I've pretty much owned a Pinto all my driving life. I know a good deal about these cars and love answering questions.

Now, for those who like reading about car histories, I'll list the Pintos I've owned.

I was out on my own pretty quick at 18. My dad looked around for a cheap car for me and I ended up getting a 1975 bobcat SW for $350. It was a pretty fancy one. It was yellow with woodgrain sides and chrome trim around it. It also had the styled steel wheels with trim rings. When polished up, it looked pretty good! I painted the rotors and brake drums to match. 2.3 4speed with A/C but didn't have much power though. Almost wrecked it the first day I got it. It was rusted in the back and reciepts described a lot of Ford replacement parts, but it ran great with a glasspack and lower driving lights on.
Got into accident early one morning driving to work and hit a welding truck and got a scar on my eyebrow for my efforts.
Soon after, (1988?) I bought a dark green 79 sedan for $260 I think. I got rid of it only this spring. Reliable but I always carried tools with me. I drove it about 6 years with a broken pressure plate in that I had to double-clutch it but was no big deal. Had a cheap stereo in it but sounded good with the trunk as a kind of speaker enclosure with the speakers on the back window shelf!
Ended up swapping the engine for another one around 1992 or so. At one point, it had full gauges, aux lights, it had a header for a day, and slot mags on occasion. The right side rocker panel was rusting from the inside out for some reason. After I got a truck, it was put off to the side and now being married and with my turbo one, I could not keep it. Still ran though. well over 12 years of memories in that car.
Also had a blue 78 wagon. Bought in late 1980s. Had a heck of a time with titling ownership issues, but got it solved. I also ran the slot mags on it too. Had to replace ring gear since starter tore up the teeth. I ended up parting it out and using the engine in my green one.
In mid 1990s bought a yellow 77 wagon with V6 for $200. Good shape, but had rusty floor pan. Had low oil pressure too even after replacing oil pump with engine in car which I will never do again. Good power though. Sold it to a guy who somehow overheated it and messed up the engine.
Bought my white 79 sedan about 4 years ago. Was sitting unused but in good shape. Am now just finishing the turbo conversion. Suspension is rusty from sitting in grass probably, but no rust through underneath. Just some minor bodywork.
Around 2000, bought an apple green 1980 sedan for parts for $200. It was hit in the back but ran fine. Parted it out and used the bare car for yanking a huge stump out of the ground. It didnt look too good after, but it did the truck. Scrap company picked up the rest and sold the engine on ebay.

welcome to the community!