No, it's definitely a US made, mile-measuring Pinto! I have, many times, verified the MPG, gear ratios, and tire calculations for this car. In fact, I have done modifications to the engine that have netted me up to 37.502 MPG!! (And this was last February, with about 300K miles!).
I have been working on several ideas that I think may have merit in reducing gasoline consumption. The latest is hard to quantify right now, but I'm still working on it. The poor car should feel like a lab rat by now!
By the way, if any of you Pinto guys want to know a secret to easily boost HP and MPG that was inspired by some old-school racing guys, just e-amil me. This will work on almost ny engine, although Chevy's are more sensitive. Please write "PCV MODS" in the subject line. I'll e-mail you my instructions for increasing MPG by up to 17% !!! This is not a joke. I have been doing this for a long time, with no adverse affects on the high-mileage engine. I also have a magazine article highlighting this same basic idea that proves up to 14.5 HP increase with a Pontiac 455 CI. My experience can only prove the MPG increase of up to 17% on the 2.3L.
Send your requests to: GDSNCNTRL@VERIZON.NET ( be sure to put "PCV MODS"
Mike Richardson