The 1974 Ford Pinto

Hey, car enthusiasts! Today we're diving into the fascinating story of the 1974 Ford Pinto. Now, I know what you're thinking - the Pinto has quite a reputation, and not necessarily for the best reasons, but let’s give it a closer look!
Under the hood, the 1974 Pinto offered a range of engines. The base model came with a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine that produced around 86 horsepower. If you opted for a little more pep, you could go for the 2.3-liter inline-4, which churned out about 100 horsepower. These engines were paired with either a 4-speed manual or a 3-speed automatic transmission.
Performance-wise, it wasn't exactly a speed demon by today's standards. The 0-60 mph time for the Pinto was around 14 seconds, which isn’t going to set any records, but remember, we’re talking about the 70s here! It was designed to be a budget-friendly compact car that aimed to provide simple, reliable transportation.
Now, for some interesting tidbits. The Pinto came in three body styles: a two-door sedan, a three-door Runabout (hatchback), and a two-door station wagon. It was actually quite popular in its early years, with over 100,000 units sold in just its first year of production.
But of course, any discussion about the Pinto wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the infamous controversy. The “Pinto memo” scandal revolved around the placement of the fuel tank, which was prone to catching fire in rear-end collisions. The resultant safety concerns led to recalls and a lot of bad press, impacting Ford's reputation. It's a classic case in automotive history that underscores the importance of vehicle safety standards.
Despite its flaws, the Pinto has become somewhat of a cult classic. It's often discussed for its historical significance and the lessons it provided to the automotive industry.
So there you have it - the 1974 Ford Pinto. Not the fastest or the most luxurious, but certainly one of the cars with the most intriguing stories behind it! What's your take on the Pinto? Let me know in the comments!

[@donbell8798]

I have owned two hatchbacks, a station wagon, and a Cruising Van. Fun car, easy to maneuver .

[@DonaldMorrow-zy4yj]

Loved my first year 71 grabber blue coupe

[@felipepositiveride989]

I love old cars, old worn out seats, the smell of gasoline inside. All these details and sometimes even mismatched parts created the atmosphere.

[@Daniel-wd4jg]

I discovered a pinto mowing my backyard...needs a lot of work. Thinking it will make a good green house.

[@theodoregarcia8830]

It looks awesome

[@thecaptain3773]

The 2.3L Pinto motor was a fuckin beast when turbo'd and is still a damn good motor with proper parts, as it can do almost 250HP NA with a proper build.

[@KaycieCarryl22654]

I had a '79 Mercury Bobcat (Pinto) with a V6 engine. It was a REALLY fast car.

[@scotteakins7203]

I had a couple of its cousins. The Bobcats. Both had V6's 1 was an automatic trans 1 was manual trans 3 door wagon. Loved em both! They were quick & ran forever. They literally died from cancer. Rusted away to dust. But were still running.

[@AbronHawkins]

The Pinto was da bomb!!

[@markmailander9571]

NHTSA used a worst-case test to justify the recall of the Pinto, rather than the regular 1977 rear-impact crash test. A large and heavy car was used instead of a standard moving barrier. Weights were placed in the nose of the car to help it slide under the Pinto and maximize gas tank contact. The vehicle headlights were turned on to provide a possible ignition source. The fuel tank was completely filled with gasoline rather than partially filled with non-flammable Stoddard fluid as was the normal test procedure.

[@markmailander9571]

Quote from Wikipedia Pinto article.

[@jimlubinski4731]

And actually, NHTSA rated Pinto no worse than most other subcompact cars of the time, and better than the Datsun and Volkswagen.

[@vetbcrazy]

I had one. Stenciled “FLAMMABLE” above the rear bumper.

[@SDune]

Great car...

[@it1988a]

Pinto...the little carefree car!

[@ivanwashington3186]

that lemon [really a "lime" on as it was lime green] broke down on me 4 times in the 9 months i owned it. it rode like a log wagon, had no traction in rain or snow, you hadda floor it to keep up with traffic on the freeway. you could feel every bump in the road, and the seats would transmit those bumps straight up my spine. traded it in on a vw rabbit which compared to the pinto might as well have been a mercedes benz.

[@jamesbarta5452]

never saw one burn..much better car than the Vega

[@georgewilkinson1068]

2.3 liter engine, turbo charge it and you got the Fox Chassis Mercury XR-7, and Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.

[@iflick7235]

In 1975, a Ford Pinto carrying 5 High School cheerleaders was rear ended at a traffic light in Little Rock, Arkansas. A sequence of events took place. The doors jammed, trapping the girls inside. Brackets holding the fuel tank sliced along both sides spilling fuel over the hot exhaust system. The Pinto erupted in a fireball, cremating all five girls.

[@donalddday7741]

folks had a wagon told me they were gonna sell it when i went to get cash after i said ill take it they sold it to the guy down the street before i got back, had a cousin by marriage mom had one low miles perfect condition i said i will by it he sold the next day to a guy down the street who gave it to his daughter who totaled it 3 days later

[@Carclubster]

Damn shame

[@serfcityherewecome8069]

A car rear-ended at 120mph will catch fire .. who knew?? 🙄

[@l337pwnage]

After what the media did to jeeps and gm trucks, and don't forget the corvair, I don't believe any of their crap. BTW, no matter where they put the tank, and vehicles have had them in every possible location, if you hit the part with the tank it hard enough, you're gonna probably have a fire. Go figure. Oh, BTW, electric cars are burning up all over the place too. And I just watched a vid of some guy who thought it was a good idea to transport lithium batteries in an elevator, well, they failed and he was a crispy critter by the time someone got the elevator open.

[@joeblackman80]

The engine was easily hopped up. The 2000 or the 2300 made good power