Hi all!
Well... I drove up to Hagerstown, Maryland this morning and took delivery of my "new" 1972 Pinto sedan! It has 76,200 miles showing on the odometer and, considering its condition and the way it runs, I think it's quite likely correct. It was approximately 160 miles from there to my mother's (where it will stay until all the work is completed - probably sometime in late Spring or early Summer) and I drove it all the way without incident. Quite a ride! It was the first time in many, many years that I had been in a Pinto. I couldn't believe the honks, waves, and thumbs up I received coming down Interstate 81 through the Shenandoah Valley! I can't wait to see what kind of reaction it attracts once it is fixed up! ;D
Dwayne
Hey Dwayne,
Yes it is very rewarding going to pick up a Pinto. THUMBS instead of fingers are always prefered... ;D
Probally my favorite part!!!
How is Kevin? He is a nice guy...
Did he show you any of his Pinto collection?
I have to get down there soon to see the silver wagon B4 it hits ebay.
Glad to hear you made the trip W/O incident.
I always like an un-expected problem. Makes for great story telling later...
I have gone many times to retrieve my Pintos and as most here know I have some great stories to go with my trips....
Hopefully you can come to one of the regional events and we can swap stories and resto tips...
Anyway enjoy your Pinto and take lots of photos of your progress..
From Pintony
Congrats Dwayne... let the fun begin ;D
Awesome! Somebodies gotta say it, Lets see some pics
Hi again!
Yes, Pintony, Kevin is a very nice guy. Actually... I got the feeling that I know him from somewhere. He says he does Carlisle Spring, Fall, and Ford National as a vendor every year so that may be where I've seen him. Unfortunately, the temperature was about 12 degrees so we didn't check out the Pinto collection. The only one I saw was the wagon that was in the background of the eBay photos of my car. Inside his house, however, he has what is probably one of the most extensive collections of models, promos, diecasts, toys, and memorabilia I have ever seen; most all of it Ford, and quite a bit of it Pinto! He even has a dog named Pinto Bean!
I said the trip went without incident... that isn't exactly true. While the 36-year- old Pinto did fine, my 2007 Lincoln Mark LT pickup didn't. The check engine light came on about halfway to Hagerstown. I called my dealership immediately and have an appointment to take it back in at 1:00 p.m. today. This has been a recurring problem since November. They have replaced two oxygen sensors, each of which made the light go out, but the truck doesn't have the power that it did before. Not bad, but not like it was. I bought it in December of 2006 and it just tripped 18000 miles... all but the last 2500 or so were fantastic. I hope they get to the root of the problem this time... I'm beginning to lose patience!
As for pictures, don't have any yet but I fully intend to document my progress. Too many times I've gotten in a hurry and not taken the time to get "before" photos. While, admittedly, the "after" photos are much better, I always regret not getting both so people can see what I've actually done. I do not have a garage and have no room to build one :'( so all my car projects take place at my mother's. Her garage isn't heated so I tend not to spend much time there during the winter months. If it warms up into the thirties or forties anytime soon, though, I may grab that opportunity to pull the front seats and get them to my upholstery lady. Am debating replacing the carpet... a good cleaning and re-dye would probably do the trick but I've seen molded carpets on ebay for $119. Has anyone had any experience with these? I bought one about 30 years ago from J.C. Whitney for a 1973 Ford LTD. It was shipped packaged tightly into a box and the fold-marks NEVER came out of it. Are things any better today?
Dwayne
Hello Dwayne,
Unfortuneatly the NEW carpet sets are still packed tight into the box.
I just unfold a day or 5 ahead and let the carpet relax.
Always compare shipping charges when buying carpet.
One supplyer may have a cheep price but may have a HIGH shipping charge.
From Pintony
Quote from: dga57 on January 22, 2008, 10:22:56 AM
...packaged tightly into a box and the fold-marks NEVER came out of it. Are things any better today?
Well, when I got new carpet for the 69 F100, I let it sit in the sun for a few hours. Of course, I am talking Tucson in May, so, nice and warm. I have heard the best way to do it in a garage is with a heat gun to gently warm the underside (to keep from burning) of the carpet to help get those nasty creases out.
Good luck!
Thanks for the carpet info. I haven't really decided yet what I'm going to do about that. Will probably wait until I pull the seats out and see exactly what the situation is.
Dwayne
dga57,
I got my carpet from stockinteriors.com last year at this time. It was packed tight inside the box but like Pintony says...lay it out a week before installation and it will settle.
High_Horse
Quote from: High_Horse on January 22, 2008, 08:41:49 PM
dga57,
I got my carpet from stockinteriors.com last year at this time. It was packed tight inside the box but like Pintony says...lay it out a week before installation and it will settle.
High_Horse
I got mine the same time and same place as High Horse... as he and Pintony said... lay it out (in warm room) and looks good ;D