The Ford Pinto was NOT a Bomb on Wheels!

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Audrain Museum Network

Audrain Museum Network

Күн бұрын

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@ProjectFairmont
@ProjectFairmont 2 жыл бұрын
The Pinto was only a joke for those who never owned one. My first car was a ‘71 bought in ‘84. I kept my eye out for a CA one years later and found a clean ‘73 in 2020. Slow, yes. It’s also extremely simple, ride surprisingly well, and indeed well built. It’s built like a 60’s car with more metal than plastic. And the doors are classic 70s Fords, they shut with a satisfying click. Designed at a time when the national speed limit was 70MPH, and is happy and economically capable for that all day. If one could avoid salt covered roads, a vintage Pinto is still dirt cheap to keep on the road indefinitely.
@dogsense3773
@dogsense3773 2 жыл бұрын
It was 55 mph
@mddesign
@mddesign 2 жыл бұрын
@@dogsense3773 The 55 mph speed limit started in 1974. I remember it being a recurring news story as it was debated in 1973.
@dogsense3773
@dogsense3773 2 жыл бұрын
@@mddesign thanks for the dates, as I was in the navy 73-77 ,over seas so I miss all of this. in 77 I drove across the u.s at 55-60 mph in a 67 cougar, it took forever. I still have the 67 cougar!
@ProjectFairmont
@ProjectFairmont 2 жыл бұрын
@@dogsense3773 when debuted in fall 1970, it was 70 mph.
@donaldsanders7234
@donaldsanders7234 2 жыл бұрын
You are so right about the salt and snow. Learned to drive stick on my parents 72 Yellow with black vinyl top sedan. Unfortunately we lived in NY with salt covered roads. Kept car until we got an 82 Escort new. Anyways the rust was just amazing. Both rear fenders just rotted completely out! I liked the car a lot, thought it rode and drove nice.. but bad in the snow. I still remember heading for a date in 78 when huge snow ruts sent me off rode. I was luck and was able the back out on to the road. Fond memories!
@fxworld7012
@fxworld7012 2 жыл бұрын
The Pinto was also one of the first American cars with Rack & Pinion steering, which almost all cars have now. when I was a teen, I convinced my mom & a girl who was a friend to buy a Pinto each, then another friend of mine introduced me to his friend who had a Pinto & worked for Ford as a mechanic, then later in life I got married & bought a Pinto wagon, I have always been drawn to the Pinto & would like one today as a second car.. Thanks for the Video, I am a follower of both your series..
@timothypeck5418
@timothypeck5418 2 жыл бұрын
I agree with you one hundred percent Donald. I worked in the service department of a Ford dealership in the mid seventies and these cars were very durable and rode drove quite well for the time. They definitely don’t deserve the reputation they have been labeled with.
@kingcrimson254
@kingcrimson254 2 жыл бұрын
Surprised you didn't mention the Kent engine, Donald. One of the best 4-bangers ever. Still used as a race engine, and two of them together make a Cosworth V-8, one of the winningest F1 engines ever made. Also, while you knock the auto gearbox, the three-speed Cruise-O-Matic was far superior to other offerings in this class.
@tonywestvirginia
@tonywestvirginia 2 жыл бұрын
I loved the Pinto! I had over 20 of them back in the day you could buy them cheap drive them for a while then sell them.. I put a V8 in a few and sold them. What a great little car it was.
@stevegeikow7146
@stevegeikow7146 2 жыл бұрын
A gremlin had a 6 cylinder engine and was a lot faster.l had 2 of them. Both went over 150, 000 miles and were great cars.The pinto did not have better performance.A 1971 Amc 232 motor was rated at a 135 hp and was a light car
@paulr7547
@paulr7547 2 жыл бұрын
It goes to show that we shouldn't blindly trust the news media. Back then I believed what was said about the Pinto.
@warrenpuckett4203
@warrenpuckett4203 2 жыл бұрын
My uncle had a '72 with a automatic and 300,000 miles. No engine work, no transmission work. But he keep all of the fluids changed and fresh. No he did not do the minimum standard. Changed all early and often.
@realshady16
@realshady16 2 жыл бұрын
Haha!! Oh my.. I hate to show my age. I bought an 1976 Pinto wagon new. As an 18 year old,,a lot of friends didn't understand why. I've always liked a long roof car,,looking at the Nomads and other 2 door station wagons they just were cool to me. It ran well for what it was. Manual transmission made it fun. Loved that car! Thanks for the memories.
@pcno2832
@pcno2832 2 жыл бұрын
I never liked the lines of the sedans or hatchbacks, but the wagons looked cool to me; that was the only body style that didn't look stubby. The Vega was also a cool looking car, but it took them 4 or 5 years to make it reliable.
@sparkyguitar0058
@sparkyguitar0058 2 жыл бұрын
Pinto wagons were cool.
@OathTaker3
@OathTaker3 Ай бұрын
I had one too, with factory duel exhaust, I enjoyed mine and miss it today.
@aszilagyi100
@aszilagyi100 6 күн бұрын
I agree two door wagons have always been cool
@ultraviolettp3446
@ultraviolettp3446 2 жыл бұрын
I love Pintos - especially the first two years with the smaller bumpers and engines. That is a fine example and so nice to see it well maintained. Thanks for being realistic with the review. Great car? No way. Good and competent car for what it was designed? Absolutely.
@MisterMikeTexas
@MisterMikeTexas 2 жыл бұрын
I prefer the 77 and 78s myself. We had a 77 for a year when I was in middle school. It was nice.
@mexicanspec
@mexicanspec 2 жыл бұрын
The first three years had the small bumpers.
@tenderpawsm473
@tenderpawsm473 11 ай бұрын
Until you get rear-ended.
@bluewaterBill99
@bluewaterBill99 2 ай бұрын
@@tenderpawsm473 The recall made it safer than Honda of the same year.
@Coastie1081
@Coastie1081 2 жыл бұрын
That looks exactly like the '72 Pinto I bought new for $2200, even same color. My father-in-law said it wouldn't last 100k miles. When I traded it in it had over 140k miles and still ran like new. It was easy to work on. I did my own tune-ups, oil changes, etc. With the help of a manual I even overhauled the engine. I added a tach, oil pressure guage, and some sound stuff. Lot of memories in that car, thank you.
@alfredsmith2322
@alfredsmith2322 2 жыл бұрын
My affluent high school parking lot was filled with Camaros and Cutlasses. I had a puke green Gremlin and my best friend drove a yellow Pinto which we affectionately called "The Bean." We weren't the coolest but we had a ball in those cars.
@govinda102000
@govinda102000 2 жыл бұрын
Loved my hatchback. Also green. With oversized snows, no storm stropped it, my PA columns fit in the back and was fun to drive.
@robedmund9948
@robedmund9948 2 жыл бұрын
I remember being laughed at when I drove up to my high school parking lot in my 1963 Plymouth Fury. Paid $300 off my own money for that beauty. The laughing stopped when I dusted a built '69 Chevelle in a 1/4 mile race. Man, I wish I had kept that car after college!
@efandmk3382
@efandmk3382 2 жыл бұрын
The car I remember most fondly was my 1994 Geo Metro. Lot's of great memories were made in that car in it's 200,000 mile lifespan. Fun, reliable and 52 MPG on the highway.
@sci-fyguy7767
@sci-fyguy7767 2 ай бұрын
Incredible milage for a internal combustion engine LONG before hybrids & electric 😮
@carlmontney7916
@carlmontney7916 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. It's nice to see the pinto get some love for a change instead of all the hate that's been thrown at it over the years. I went from a 67 Dodge R/T to a brand new 72 Pinto hatchback. Talk about shock! The Pinto cost me under 2 grand. The day I picked it up brand new at the dealership and drove it out and off of the lot the pointer for one of the gauges fell right off. I had to turn around and drive it back in to the dealership where they fixed it. Other than that It WAS a good car and gave me zero issues. I was actually able to find quite a few aftermarket performance parts that were being produced for the Pinto. I remember getting a very nice Hurst shifter that made it way easier to shift and easier to get into reverse and also found a set of headers and intake manifold with dual carburetor options. Also was able to find some handling options too. So it ended up being pretty quick and handled really good. I lived in Arizona at the time and it was fun to drive on a twisty mountain road. It was a really nice looking car too. Metallic blue with white stripes along the bottom. Hard to keep the stripes clean but it was a nice looking car if you took the time to polish her up every now and then.
@dennisthompson6242
@dennisthompson6242 2 жыл бұрын
I raced a Pinto in SCCA B Sedan and did quite well. They were low and wide with huge wheel wells. The 2 liter was easily tuned although it fell way short of the Datsun 510. I added Mustang II front brakes. I was regional B Sedan champ one year. I got to race against Paul Newman a couple of times and was awed by the Datsun's power. They had about 100 horsepower more then the Pinto although I could stay with him in the twisty stuff.
@robertowarren7007
@robertowarren7007 Жыл бұрын
So did I!!
@fairfaxcat1312
@fairfaxcat1312 3 ай бұрын
Newman must have been no fake motorman. He walked right past us at the Indy track when we just happened to be there as tourists. Hollywood was in the middle of filming him in the movie entitled, “Winning.”
@dallasbramwell6235
@dallasbramwell6235 2 жыл бұрын
The pinto a very well built small car, I have driven pintos, sold, did maintenance on them. I have owned a large variety of pinto wagons, hatchbacks, trunk models, mercury bobcat's the pintos cousin's. I have enjoyed you and your beautiful 72 pinto with a 2000 engine german made. I appreciated your respect to review the pinto as a sound car. I am glad they notified everyone about the gas tanks so people would drive safely. I have been rearended at 60 mph, the 15 mph shock absorbers bumpers collasped, we got whiplash slightly in our 79 pinto the gas tank was fine. I know about other vehicle recalls on truck gas tanks that were fixed. I know accidents happen, any car or truck with live fuel can ignite if hit. I also think if people had been driving safely most accidents would never have happened don't you? We were stopped at a red light in a 35mph speed limit in our 79 pinto, the police measured the black skid marks they determined they were speeding 60mph. Thank you for having common sense while driving a pinto, they weigh at least over a ton to be exact 2, 270 lbs, pintos, station wagons, 2300 or V6 different rear axles different weights?The pintos all drove very uniquely different built by special hard working people. I love pintos thank you Donald. I have a love in my heart also for pintos. I have enjoyed watching you drive a pinto, the way they are to be driven in the owners manual in there glove box. The recalls on the gas tanks have been fixed and was only on certain year models. The pintos driven safely are perfectly fine and when others drive safely you will get a lot of miles and use. Ford pinto and Mercury bobcat 1971- 1980 shop manual says in chapter six clymer shop manual, fuel and exhaust systems page 153 a special note. It says Ford motor company has indicated that the fuel tanks and filler necks installed on 1971-1976 pintos and 1975-1976 bobcat's are subject to failure when vehicles are struck from the rear. See your Ford or Mercury dealer to have this problem corrected, if not already done. Ford motor company good pinto engines, good transmissions, good rear ends beautiful quality cars to drive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@dannyg6592
@dannyg6592 Жыл бұрын
My first car was a green '72 Pinto that looked almost identical to the one in this video. Thanks for the memories!
@jonblyth9317
@jonblyth9317 2 жыл бұрын
I bought a new off the showroom floor 1979 Pinto Pony sedan. It was red with a red interior. It had three options: high altitude emissions, front disc brakes and tinted glass. I've had forty cars and the Pinto was the one I put the most miles and kept the longest. I loved that car and wish I still had it.
@Al-thecarhistorian
@Al-thecarhistorian 2 жыл бұрын
This gentleman is spot on regarding the Pinto SEDAN. The wagon never had an issue. I wish all reviewers were as educated, articulate, accurate and well groomed as this gentleman. While most reviews have an axe to grind, this man presents facts and proves his points. Every car review should be this good. This was excellent. Ranks with the best of the best.
@wallyr.7854
@wallyr.7854 2 жыл бұрын
Love, love, LOVE the Pinto, especially the early body Pintos. Thanks for another great video Donald, as always you know exactly what true car aficionados love and appreciate from years past ☺️
@reelreeler8778
@reelreeler8778 2 жыл бұрын
Yep...the early Pintos were gorgeous little cars......toward the end of the run, not so much.
@denniscrannie1126
@denniscrannie1126 Жыл бұрын
I agree! ❤️
@GarthELibre
@GarthELibre Жыл бұрын
Donald, you are without a doubt the classiest, most insightful commentator on automobiles. I would instinctively trust your judgement on any number of cultural issues.
@CrToloss
@CrToloss 2 жыл бұрын
I love every word you've said about the Ford Pinto. Thank you for your video. My first car was a 73 Runabout; a gift from my dad, he bought it used for $800. Great car and I thank my Father for it..!!
@mooslionheart
@mooslionheart 2 жыл бұрын
In a world where falsehoods create false perceptions of hopelessness and hate - The truest Joy of driving and independent thought of car ownership is a bright shining light. The courage to admit unabashed enjoying and the pride of buying, selling and owning a Pinto stands our perception vs reality on our heads. I say Amen Rev Osborne! 🦊
@gregraines1599
@gregraines1599 2 жыл бұрын
The only cars to get a more infamous reputation, in my opinion, was the Corvair.
@ProjectFairmont
@ProjectFairmont 2 жыл бұрын
Amen❤
@jamesdellaneve9005
@jamesdellaneve9005 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 1973 Pinto Wagon. The one with the wood grain and had a lot of rust and dents. This was Buffalo. I used to sleep in the back for camping. I took the wood grain off and had to fill all of the holes from the trim hardware. It ran great the entire time. I paid $150 for it in 1978. It got me through high school and part of college.
@Nothingatall794
@Nothingatall794 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 73 pinto with the larger engine which was quick off the line would chirp the tires when power shifted to 2nd it was a lot of fun to drive.
@DSP1968
@DSP1968 2 жыл бұрын
A great perspective and review! I've owned two of these -- a '77 Bobcat V-6/AT wagon, and an '80 Pinto Pony I-4/4-speed. Both great cars in different ways, but one thing they shared in common was how comfortable they were to drive on the highway.
@anthonyvigil1279
@anthonyvigil1279 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 1972 ford pinto. The exact same car and color that gentleman is driving. And I loved it and I wish I still had it.
@jeffaulik3980
@jeffaulik3980 2 жыл бұрын
I had two Pintos, a 1972 Runabout and a 1974 Squire --both with manuals. I liked them both.
@bigmountain7561
@bigmountain7561 2 жыл бұрын
We had two Pinto’s. They were both Squire’s one was a 74 and the other was a 78. They were easy keepers for transportation. Change the Oil, Keep it tuned and Rotate tires and change your wipers every 3k miles it lasted a long time. Had a lot of great memories. Thanks Donald, Great Videos!!!
@nsidor1234
@nsidor1234 Жыл бұрын
Having owned three Pinto wagons and a Bobcat hatch. All were wonderful and, except for the Bobcat, all 4 speeds. Aside from the fantastic handling characteristics, the wagons in particular were excellent vehicles in terms of basic utility. As a young man my work included sign painter/installer and some light remodeling. These little beauties could swallow up a stack of 4'x8' sheets of drywall or plywood !(hatch open of course) Most modern SUVs & crossovers can't even do that. Thanks for giving the lowly Pinto some much needed love. Those of us who know, already know...👍🏁
@LyleBialk
@LyleBialk 14 күн бұрын
My first new car was a '72 Pinto Runabout, Forrest Green Metallic, Green interior, Luxury Decor Group, Michelin Radial Ply Tires, AM/FM Radio, Tinted Windows, Four Speed Manual, and 2000cc Engine. I absolutely loved that car. Fun to drive, 100% reliable, very economical, comfortable ride, and a GREAT looking car. I took that Pinto to college with me, drove it cross-country a number of times. Great Car!!! Glad you give an honest assessment of the Pinto.
@mumbles552
@mumbles552 2 жыл бұрын
Well said! I bought a luxury Pinto, a Mercury Bobcat Runabout new in '75 with the 2.3l and four speed tranny and drove it daily for over twenty years until it got T-boned by a drunk. I sure miss that car and would probably still be driving it if the accident never happened.
@binaryflat
@binaryflat Жыл бұрын
We had two of these growing up, and this makes me smile, and makes me nostalgic.
@FunAtDisney
@FunAtDisney 2 жыл бұрын
Donald, I was highschool sophomore in 1972 and a friend of mine got a bright orange Pinto a year later (the Runabout) which we had great fun in. And my girlfriend’s dad had a white Pinto Squire wagon. A few observations: The matching “key wallet” that is tangling from the ignition is classic! We all had those! The monochrome interior that matches the exterior, again classic and so common back then (ah….when cars were just more colorful!) The hexagon front light bezels, something I never noticed before is a neat design touch. And finally, who would have thought back then the lowly Pinto would ever become a collector car? This was fun to watch! Thanks.
@sci-fyguy7767
@sci-fyguy7767 2 ай бұрын
I remember those key wallets-what a perfect touch.
@davidhewgley6006
@davidhewgley6006 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 1972 Pinto Hatch back in the same green you are driving with a 2000 cc motor . It was a great car . Except the starter needed replacing about every 9 months. I got very good at replacing the starter, LoL . Back then they sold things to get a little more power out of them . I had a Header , slighly bigger cam , and a very small 4 barrel seem quick . Had about 140 HP .
@jdunlap2
@jdunlap2 2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely agree with your assessment Donald. I bought a 72 sedan brand new that year and autocrossed it for a decade before moving on to a Mk 1 Fiesta in 1980. Aside from the gas tank fiasco and the way Ford handled it, It was a very solid and reliable vehicle. As a technician who worked on many of them, I found the biggest problem with them, like so many other cars of its ilk, was owner neglect and abuse. It was cheap, basic transportation, but still required the same amount of maintenance and care as any car. But as a bottom tier vehicle, they were often neglected, both for financial and aesthetic reasons. Owners who were barely able to afford a vehicle in the first place were hard pressed to maintain them, and second/third/etc. owners refused to keep them up, driving them until they quit and discarding them. They were far from perfect, or even great, but certainly undeserving of the reputation they were saddled with by an uncaring manufacturer and neglectful public.
@new2000car
@new2000car 2 жыл бұрын
Yes people today still do that. Single moms on the deferred maintenance plan. They will not open the hood for 6 months or a year at a time. They ruin their fragile finances when the car seizes up then blame the car and start in on the next car.
@cgrscott
@cgrscott 5 ай бұрын
When you can drive an early 70s car that feels new and drives like new, it's like traveling back through time.
@ericellquist7007
@ericellquist7007 Жыл бұрын
I had a '71 Pinto sedan and I lived in New Hampshire, where road salt was a problem for anything made out of iron or steel. The body of my car, which I paid $200 dollars for, was patched up with flattened coffee cans, pop rivets and Tiger Hair. It had the Three speed automatic transmission if I remember correctly, would do 90 MPH flat out and was indestructible apart from the rust. It would go anywhere with good winter tires on the back and a little weight in the trunk. The one odd thing that I remember, was that the cam shaft lobes were not surface hardened sufficiently and so it's contact with the rest of the valve train was quite noisy. I drove that car down to Florida, and West on I-10 to Phoenix AZ, then up to Northern California where I stayed for a while then back to Southern California where I lived out of it for a few months, and back to Phoenix, where I swapped it for a Mazda station wagon of similar vintage but with a rotary engine and a 4 speed transmission. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the Pinto was still running. Other than a pin hole in the gas tank which I fixed with epoxy, I couldn't kill it no matter how hard I tried. Loved that car.
@AdamSchell303Racing
@AdamSchell303Racing 2 жыл бұрын
YES! Finally someone who knows what they are talking about.
@thomasmulhall4873
@thomasmulhall4873 2 жыл бұрын
Proud to say I had a Runabout, AT, silver/blue with blue interior. 76 model with air pump, cat, every hose under the sun. God, it was slow, and I have to say now that it never broke down, and was roomy. Can't say that for the Spitfire I traded her for. I was made fun of in prep school by guys who drove hot rods. Then, one kid and his dad stuffed a small V8 in one, and Pintos became cool.
@sci-fyguy7767
@sci-fyguy7767 2 ай бұрын
That 12 cylinder merlin engine in that Spitfire would have outrun anything! 🤣
@7080nik
@7080nik 2 жыл бұрын
I agree 100% with you on the Ford Pinto. Great simple little cars! Handled excellent. I drove a couple of the early ones back in the late 70s early 80s. I drove them everywhere for work, vacation trips up north and beat the hell out of them for fun. They just kept on going and going. I had a few friends who also owned Pintos and also did the same. None ever exploded. I believe the fake media blew that all out of proportion as usual like they did the GM pickkups. The recall was a simple plastic shield that bolted to the rear end to keep the rear end from cutting the gas tank in a rear collision. I seen several Pintos in junk yards and some still driving that been smashed in the rear end and they didnt explode. One that was in a junkyard was smashed right up to the rear seat! No sign of fire. That Pinto you are driving is a FIND!! I just told a buddy the other day, I wouldn't mind buying an old Pinto (pre '74) with a 4 speed to add to my 2 old car collection. If I found one like that, I would probably have to buy it. The buddy I was talking with owned 5 of them in his younger days. He drove all of them like he stole them and he also said he would also like to buy one now.
@1928ModelA1931
@1928ModelA1931 2 жыл бұрын
Always loved the little Pinto (1980) I owned. It had the 2.3L and 4spd and with the addition of some wider wheels and tires it was a blast to drive. And it usually gave me exceptional fuel mileage. Even by today's standards. I worked back then at a Ford dealer around that time. The ironic part of the story is that even then the parts department was required to stock the recall parts for the 'fix'. It was a package with two screws and a roughly 4 x 6 inch plastic flap that installed between the tank and bumper. That was it. All the cars made after the initial few early cars came with the flap. Simple fix. Another fact was that the 70s-80s square bodied GM trucks with side fuel tanks actually killed far more of their owners when hit by side impact that rear hit Pintos ever did. Something like 2000 truck deaths to 27 Pinto fatalities. Those are the recorded numbers anyway. My '80 pinto had deluxe two tone orange and brown paint and I installed mag wheels and a factory front air dam. With the later restyled grille people often mistook it for an early Fox Mustang. Thanks to Donald for giving these cars the credit they deserve.
@discerningmind
@discerningmind 2 жыл бұрын
You forgot about the longer filler pipe that extended deeper into the gas tank, and I seem to recall a tighter fitting seal at the gas tank and more screws fastening the fill pipe to the body up at the fuel cap. I remember a metal plate at the body near the fuel cap that was added if the body was rotted there. And I believe the differential bolts were cut shorter too, though not part of the kit.
@jamesmisener3006
@jamesmisener3006 2 жыл бұрын
My wife had one and loved it in the day. Never gave any trouble. Cheers 🇨🇦
@StephanieM772
@StephanieM772 2 жыл бұрын
I owned a 71 blue Runabout with manual transmission and it was incredible fun to drive.
@donswier
@donswier 2 жыл бұрын
Exactly the type of video we crave👍 Love cars that non-enthusiasts ignore or disregard! I smile now when seeing one (rarely) in our temperate NW climate. Some are still driven unironically here.
@the_kombinator
@the_kombinator 2 жыл бұрын
Try a Hyundai Pony :)
@dalemettee1147
@dalemettee1147 2 жыл бұрын
Donald, I loved my 1970 Pinto. There were some quirks with it. The two dash knobs on the left. One was for the head lights and one for the wipers. Mine had two round knobs. I would pick the wrong one when for the wipers. I went to a Ford dealer and bought the newer wiper knob and installed my self. After reading an article in Popular Mechanics, I reset the timing to 10 deg. advanced and turned the vacuum valve around on the distributor. It did help with performance. The two liter 4 was the engine to have. I would shift to the next gear when the car wouldn't go any faster in the gear it was in. haha Mine was medium green metallic. It cost $19,500 on the road. I didn't like the Vega's engine design and the VW wasn't giving any discounts. In '73, I got a Pinto wagon automatic, BIG mistake. A terrible combination.
@ProjectFairmont
@ProjectFairmont 2 жыл бұрын
$1950 1971…indeed the two left handed knobs should have been reversed, with the outer being the headlights. The 2.0 was not smooth per se especially compared to any balance shaft modern four, but it’s an honest and simple prime mover.
@MisterMikeTexas
@MisterMikeTexas 2 жыл бұрын
$19,500? Gotta be a type-o! You could buy 2 Cadillacs for that price in the early 70s.
@dalemettee1147
@dalemettee1147 2 жыл бұрын
@@MisterMikeTexas That is $1950. sorry for the typo. So, you were watching. haha
@sambethune
@sambethune 2 жыл бұрын
I think that Pinto was more than likely a ‘71 since 1971 was the first model year for which Pintos were built (starting in the Fall of 1970).
@discerningmind
@discerningmind 2 жыл бұрын
Very good, Donald. I'm so glad that a favorable review has been done, and particularly by you. Back in my broke days of the Carter administration and into the early years of the Regan administration, I had three Pintos a '71, '72' and a '73. All were very worn when I acquired them, having had tough lives and each with over 100K miles. However, they were incredibly reliable. About the only problem I had was to replace the fender mounted starter solenoid, as was a common and inexpensive problem with Ford cars from the '60 into the '70s. There were many Pintos around at the time and no one seemed much concerned about the gas tank. I think most of us Pinto owners had a plan to the effect of, were we to hear screeching tires behind us, to pop open the driver's door if needed for a quick escape. Not chancing the door be jammed shut and unopenable. I wish the early Pintos were back in production as I like them much better than any low-cost cars available today.
@stevensiferd7104
@stevensiferd7104 2 жыл бұрын
I had an 89 Bronco with that solenoid. I found out that you have to resist the temptation to crank down the electrical contacts because that will break apart the internal mechanism. Instead, it's best to use a socket on a screwdriver handle.
@richcoleman469
@richcoleman469 2 жыл бұрын
I had a dark metallic green '72 hatchback that I bought in '75. It was a 4-spd with ac and a sun roof. Can't remember the price, but I had $48/mo payments. I drove it for 2 years and thought it was a great little car.
@bds4me874
@bds4me874 2 жыл бұрын
What a refreshing video. Thank you so much for making it. I owned two Pintos, both with manuals, in the early 80s. The first one (first car I ever owned) cost $400 and the second one $420. I got 30 MPG on the freeway from a 1976 model. With rear wheel drive and a manual transmission, a Pinto was a fun car to drive. I was defending the Pinto for a long time after I sold mine. Just had to make sure the fix was done before you bought one used. It was a great car for the time period for sure.
@bagley11
@bagley11 2 жыл бұрын
My first brand new car was a 1980 Pinto hatchback with the glass back door. Red, sunroof, 4 speed. Loved that car and it never gave me any problems.
@riogsd669
@riogsd669 2 жыл бұрын
Great video that revives memories of the wonderful visceral feel of driving a 4 cyl/4 spd manual Pinto. A 4 cyl/4 spd Pinto was (is) a comfortable vehicle to ride around town in, and it differs from modern small cars because of its rear wheel drive and low widely-spaced front bucket seats divided by a tall transmission tunnel. I also owned the follow-on Escort, and it was certainly more powerful and practical, but the Pinto had a superior wide driving feel with a low center of gravity. You were “in a bucket” in a Pinto vs “on a bucket” in an Escort. I slept several nights on the perfectly flat and long surface the hatchback model Pinto provided with the rear seats folded. 80s Escorts didn’t provide a comfortable rear sleeping area. Where the Pinto really shined for me was on my pizza delivery job while I was going to college in the 80s. I delivered pizzas for Dominos in a suburb of Detroit when Dominos was new to the area and super popular, and one of the few vehicles that could reliably handle the stress of a long delivery vehicle shift was the humble Pinto. Chevrolet Vegas were long extinct by the mid-80s. I also owned a couple of V6/automatic Pintos. V6 Pintos had factory dual exhaust which led to a two in / one out rear muffler. You simply had to replace the muffler with two glass packs for a great sounding low restriction dual exhaust. When I drove a V6 Pinto at Dominos the other drivers called it the “Super Pinto.”
@markfeldman6509
@markfeldman6509 2 жыл бұрын
I bought a new 1971 green pinto just like the one you are driving in the video. I bought it fall of 1970 and drove it through my four years of college when I commuted from Philly suburbs into the city. Paid base $1919 and with AM radio and automatic the sticker was $2100 even. Great value . Slow but reliable. It truly served its purpose for me. Replaced it with the Dodge Demon version of the ever present plymouth duster.mt hat also lasted forever. 10:55
@themidcentrist
@themidcentrist Жыл бұрын
I have a lot of nostalgia for the Pinto. My family had three different Pintos when I was growing up. A 1972? blue station wagon, a 197? green Mercury Bobcat, and a 1978 blue Runabout. All three had automatic transmissions (mom couldn't drive stick) but the Bobcat didn't have the power steering option (mom hated that). The blue runabout is the first car I ever drove at around age 9 (in an empty parking lot with my dad in the front passenger seat. He wanted me to be able to drive if there was ever some kind of emergency. I was very tall for my age and could comfortably reach the pedals with the seat forward). That was the same car I drove to High School when I got my license circa 1992. About safety: my understanding is that the Pinto was statistically no more dangerous than any other small 1970s car, and much safer than a VW Beetle. All 1970s cars were death traps compared to modern cars and the pinto was no different. Sure, in the 1970s a Cadillac would have been safer but only because of it's size. I wouldn't want any 1970s car to be my daily driver today, but would love to have a restored Pinto to drive occasionally and take to shows.
@user-lt7xe2gt2k
@user-lt7xe2gt2k 2 жыл бұрын
Great review. I had a 75 Pinto wagon and loved it. Great handling. I kept it until my family grew larger.
@bigwolf287
@bigwolf287 3 ай бұрын
I bought a new 1971 Ford Pinto fully loaded for $1995.00,And drove her very hard for five years and had a ball.Never gave me a problem.
@galaxieman1964
@galaxieman1964 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 72 Pinto in the mid 90s. Someone had modified the engine and that thing would really scoot. (for a Pinto) I loved it. It was a really fun car to drive.
@MrKevinp0
@MrKevinp0 2 жыл бұрын
Dude, you are awesome! I myself owned a 1971 Pinto GT. It was similar in color to the one you were driving here. I have to say, it was so much fun to drive, and I'm not sure that I've enjoyed any other car ever. Such a shame this cute little car has been vilified as much as it has. Thank you for setting the record straight!
@desertmodern7638
@desertmodern7638 2 жыл бұрын
Enjoyable, honest segment. I knew several Pinto owners in the 1970s, and it was reliable and well-liked. My grandfather had a new 1974 Squire wagon that was a very solid-feeling car despite its small size, and he loved it, except for the acceleration. With automatic, A/C and California emissions, it struggled a bit in freeway merging scenarios. The optional V6 of later years improved the power and refinement considerably.
@clydemorgan1439
@clydemorgan1439 2 жыл бұрын
I agree! I had a 1971 sedan and it was very durable. One time I was in a very sever rain storm and the streets had become rivers and cars were stalling out right and left but not my Pinto. At one point water was coming near the top of the doors and sometimes washing over the hood I had the excelorator floored going only 20 mph I could smell oil and transmission fluid, the engine was over heating because the water pump stopped turning because the fan belt was slipping and the fan blades being in so much water created to much resistance for the fan belt. I finally got to a street that wasn't a river and within a minute the car was running normally. The next day I started the car but it kept staling, I took the distributor cap off and found a lot of moisture had formed on the inside of the cap so I wiped it with a rag, put it back on and the Pinto ran fine.
@scottmcmichael1386
@scottmcmichael1386 2 жыл бұрын
My parents bought a 1971 Pinto brand new that year, it was orange. I thought it was pretty cool, our family had only one new car before, a 1971 Ford Thunderbird that we still have! The Pinto was a solid car, ran great, never any problems with the engine, it ran strong. My dad taught me to drive a stick shift in that car. Those were fun times!
@rondimmerman8923
@rondimmerman8923 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Donald, for another very informative car video. I have never owned a Pinto, but knew several people who did, and like yourself, loved it. It’s ashame it failed, along with the Vega, to which I briefly owned one in 1972. I agree we other you, that it really needs to be looked at again, and who knows, maybe bring it back as an EV?
@ProjectFairmont
@ProjectFairmont 2 жыл бұрын
A 10 year production run. It was not a failure like the Vega in terms of defective engines, it was a success if not for being the poster child for safer cars.
@jamesonpace726
@jamesonpace726 2 жыл бұрын
Wow. Never heard such positivity about Pinto from such an exalted source. Thank you....
@71rcode72
@71rcode72 2 жыл бұрын
Great video sir! I had a 74 Pinto Runabout 4cyl A/T in green/green. Drove it in high school in the mid 80s. Got hit from behind at a dead stop by a Ford 1 ton flatbed going 20-30 miles an hour. It was at a railroad crossing... he didn't see me on the other side of the raised tracks. There were seven or eight cars waiting at a stop sign in front of the high school. Out Pinto hit the car in front of us and that car hit the car in front of it. It was pretty violent. Thank the Lord the fuel tank did not spew fuel all over the passenger compartment. I believe my dad had the fuel neck replaced which was part of a recall? That may have prevented it from pinching and sparking potentially. Being a car guy who restored Mustangs for many years I never thought to investigate what caused that issue. But I do know in the early '70s late '60s Ford just bolted fuel tanks into the trunk compartment. There was no subfloor over the tank. The Pinto was totaled. Our Lord Jesus Christ was with me my brother and my best friend that day. I think of that accident often.
@mikenb3461
@mikenb3461 2 жыл бұрын
Wow! I'm so glad I stumbled on this review and this channel! I LOVE the Pinto. I agree that it has an undeservedly bad reputation. One minor quibble - I note that this car's keys are in a leather key holder. My father, and most men (yes, men) of that generation had those. My dad had his leather key holder until the day he died even though he gave up driving several years earlier. I'm pushing 60 and no one in my generation has ever had one of those. I haven't seen one of those in years, and they wouldn't make sense today anyway. That leather key holder is as much a museum piece as the Pinto is. Pinto and the key holder... I'm awash in nostalgia tonight. Thanks!!
@mfree80286
@mfree80286 2 жыл бұрын
It was a tradition born from painted metal dashboards and dash mounted tumblers. The holder kept the rest of your keys from scratching the paint.
@gregraines1599
@gregraines1599 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 74’ Pinto, metallic brown with a brown vinyl interior (I wound up adding brown shag carpeting, a cassette player and Goodyear rwls) and a 4 speed stick. I, too blew the engine because of oil starvation (the oil filter loosened). I replaced it with help from my father who paid for a new stocker. I should have put a 289 in it. Have a lot of memories around that car when I was in my late teens. Wore out 2 sets of tires driving all over Texas in all weather in the late 70’s. Wish I could drive one like Audrain’s example. It was a great car to have in a special part of my life.
@bradfordeaton6558
@bradfordeaton6558 2 жыл бұрын
I've owned a couple of Pintos and share Donald's enthusiasm for them. I will add that with some suspension work and engine work they could be turned into really quick and nimble cars. The 2300 engines were bullet proof and could be seriously hot rodded. Really fun cars to fool around with and I love the sound of a built 4cyl blapping out of a straight pipe!
@MisterMikeTexas
@MisterMikeTexas 2 жыл бұрын
With the right exhaust, it will sound better than a fart-can Civic!
@robertallen6701
@robertallen6701 2 жыл бұрын
The concept of the Pinto certainly sounds cool... But unlike the host, I don't think I have the patience to deal with an 80-something horsepower 4-banger. Heck, the 302's of the smog era seem underpowered. Now take a 1970's Pinto, swap in an old school 302 with a set of GT40 heads, a modern hydraulic roller cam, and a good 600cfm 4 barrel, and you'd have a fun little cruiser with something like 250-300 horsepower. That's a Pinto I could live with.
@mddesign
@mddesign 2 жыл бұрын
In high school, 1981, a friend of mine was given a '71 Pinto coupe with no engine, so he put the built 289 and 4 speed from his recently wrecked '65 Mustang into it. I remember it having 5 lug rims so he did more than just drop in an engine. The way he drove it, it didn't last two months. The final straw was when he forgot to put the hood pins back in and the hood opened at a very high rate of speed. Did a huge amount of damage.
@mikeguthrie5432
@mikeguthrie5432 2 жыл бұрын
Sir! I could not agree with you more. I think those little Pintos were a fantastic bargain for the time period. Maybe even more today. And of course, I totally agree with you in regards to the reputation that was foisted on them. I wish they would go back to that formula for making cars NOW, today! I'd sure as heck buy one!
@radioguy1620
@radioguy1620 2 жыл бұрын
No doubt that is the nicest one left. they handle very well and probably one of the best handling American cars of the era. Thanks for the ride. next do a 86 Taurus wagon.
@ironinquisitor3656
@ironinquisitor3656 2 жыл бұрын
Yes! I'm searching for an 86 Taurus wagon. LX trim in medium canyon red is what I want. Too bad Gen 1 Taurus and Sables are extremely difficult to find today...
@radioguy1620
@radioguy1620 Жыл бұрын
@@ironinquisitor3656 true 37 years old now!
@acbcfoto
@acbcfoto 2 жыл бұрын
Great video, Donald. My dad worked at the St. Thomas Assembly Plant just outside St. Thomas Ontario in the early 70s which manufactured the Pinto (and my uncle also owned a later model). The one you are driving looks amazing for it's age. Certainly brings back the memories.
@nwragsdale
@nwragsdale 2 жыл бұрын
Spot on Donald Osborne. I remember about the time the Pinto came out, my father saying "they should go back to making the Model T." He added, no not the actual Model T, but a modern version, cheap to buy, maintain, and simple to service. That's what the Pinto originally was. However, as government regulations increased, it moved the Pinto from its original design premise, so by the late 1970's it was a bloated image of the original. Agree on the mishandling of design flaws by management. The Mustang from its inception had the same drop in fuel tank design as the Pinto, but the Pinto got tagged with the bad rep. Reading all the positive comments of those who grew up with one reinforces its undeserved bad reputation, by those who only know about it by legend, not personal experience.
@fairfaxcat1312
@fairfaxcat1312 3 ай бұрын
The car is beautiful and looks very much like the Chrysler Corporation fuselage. I like the old school ignition key case which dangles so prominently. I’d feel better for you and your followers if you were fully belted, however. Thank you so much for this wonderful presentation.
@govinda102000
@govinda102000 2 жыл бұрын
Loved my early 70s hatch. Indeed a blast to drive. With oversized snows, nothing I ever drove before was better in the snow. My PA columns fit in the back.
@billyfoster3223
@billyfoster3223 2 жыл бұрын
Great video on an underrated car!😁👍 I saw these in Car Craft as hot rods with V-8 engine swaps years ago!😁🛠️
@Steverinomeister
@Steverinomeister 2 жыл бұрын
I had two pintos back in the ‘80s. I miss them. Good little cars.
@billsmith1770
@billsmith1770 2 жыл бұрын
glad to see someone finally defending the pinto . i had two 1973 wagons , very dependable . i discovered that with goodyear custom polysteel (if i remember correctly) tires and no modifications , both would take curves better than any car i'd ever driven . important , in a less than powerful car . drove one thru a huge puddle of standing water in a downpour once , and got my face drenched like someone threw a bucket on me . after making sure both windows were up , discovered rt side floor and carpet (both rotted but i didn't know) had been blown in by the puddle . laughed so hard i almost wrecked .
@ralphiewigs2208
@ralphiewigs2208 2 жыл бұрын
About a year ago, I was at a Lowe's with a large parking lot and there was a two door station wagon parked by itself away from everyone. It had a striking style...sort of european. I hadn't seen one in many years, and I was really impressed.
@hotwheelsbob2000
@hotwheelsbob2000 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 1600 4 speed 71 Pinto. They were one of the first American cars to have rack and pinion steering and after driving some MGs and other English sports earlier in my life, the Pinto was pleasant surprise in how it handled and could be tossed around. The engines and transmissions came from English and German Fords and were tried and true. The 71s were before many of the pollution controls were added and the performance was very spritely. I think since they used already tested components it was able to cut down on the development time. I was able to do controlled 360 and 180 spins on slick surfaces with mine and the quick handling allowed me to drive out of tight situations time after time.
@discerningmind
@discerningmind 2 жыл бұрын
You know what you're talking about. Thanks for posting good accurate information.
@joekurtz8303
@joekurtz8303 2 жыл бұрын
I believe the 1600 carried over from the Cortina & early Capris.(Kent engine )Crossflow heads, solid lifters .
@hotwheelsbob2000
@hotwheelsbob2000 2 жыл бұрын
@@joekurtz8303 The 1600 block was used under double overhead cams heads in Lotus cars. The basic 1600 Kent was also then allowed in Formula Ford racing so you know they were durable. I had mine wrapped at times where the push rods should have been bouncing off the valve cover. 😁
@craig0769
@craig0769 2 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Yes we made fun of them when we were kids in the 80’s. In the 90’s they were being raced. In the 2000’s they pretty much disappeared. Now when I see one still on the road, it brings a tear to my eye. There’s a green pre ‘73 sedan that makes appearances in random places in Carson City, NV.
@Ares-jx4ep
@Ares-jx4ep 2 жыл бұрын
My first car was a '76 Pinto Squire wagon with the 2.8 V6 option. LOVED it!
@MisterMikeTexas
@MisterMikeTexas 2 жыл бұрын
When I was in the 7th Grade, Dad bought a new 1977 Pinto sedan. It was probably just above a base model because it came with bottle caps, which Dad promptly replaced with full wheel covers. It did have whitewalls though. The Pinto was Wimbledon White with red interior, air conditioning, and 4 on the floor. It had the 2.3 Lima, around 90 horsepower. It would have been a treat to drive in high school. Shortly after it was bought, the kids on the bus gave me a hard time. One girl laughed and asked me "Is that your new car?" Another student remarked "It's a crummy car!" Another jeered "A Pinto!" In my experience, it was a decent car, and it was a manual! Dad did not buy automatic sub-compacts! We only kept it a year though. There was a recall on the Lima engines the following year. Dad tried to get the fix done, but the service advisor informed him that there were "engines all over the floor" currently. So, Dad traded it in for Ford's new Maverick replacement, a Fairmont. It was the brown Futura coupe, which was better looking than the boxtop 2 door. It had the Thriftpower 200 CID Six, automatic, AM/FM radio, air conditioning. That was the car that wound up in my custody in high school! It was a decent, if not over-achieving car. And I'm actually starting to feel nostalgia for it. Funny thing in looking at horsepower ratings. The Lima Four actually had the same power as the Falcon-based Six, maybe a bit more. The Six probably had the torque advantage though. I'd like to have a late 70s 4 speed Pinto, and a 4 speed overdrive Fairmont Futura, Six or 302.
@kenrandall5680
@kenrandall5680 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for your earnest summation. A refreshing and seemingly unbiased point of view.
@davecarpenter7370
@davecarpenter7370 2 жыл бұрын
I loved my 1975 Pinto wagon. It had a 4 speed manual and the 2300 motor. It was blue. I bought it used from a car dealer in 1977. I drove it everywhere. My friends liked it because, it had plenty of room and it was dependable with great gas mileage. I wish I had it now.
@brianchisnell1548
@brianchisnell1548 2 жыл бұрын
1975. My girlfriend had a '73 white hatchback with a orange vinyl top and orange stripes. I was cruise'n a '64 bug. Life was fun at 17 years old. Thanks Donald! I do have a '64 bug now.
@johnrichjr.415
@johnrichjr.415 2 жыл бұрын
My dad had one for many years , it was a great car, wish I had it today. And if you're a northeast NASCAR fan you know how great those Pinto modifieds looked ❤
@poppyneese1811
@poppyneese1811 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome review, best dressed presenter on KZbin, when my wife and I got married in 81 she had a 74 Pinto, I had a 67 Mustang, the Pinto was our dependable car, we drove it’s wheels off, then it broke a timing belt on the way to Roanoke Virginia and we junked it. It really was a comfortable car and believe it or not a great lil high way cruiser as long as you didn’t get too aggressive about passing on a hill and never failed to start, I was too young an dumb to appreciate the lil ford back in the day.
@GrahamFamilyFarmNW
@GrahamFamilyFarmNW 2 ай бұрын
Thank you for sharing. In 1983, I had a early 70's Pinto that looked like that one. Same color and all. I loved it, but many put it down.
@robertsansone1680
@robertsansone1680 2 жыл бұрын
I worked with a guy years ago who owned several Pintos. (I've had one) He said, "The only weak point is the timing belt". "I always carry a spare one". "I've changed them on the side of the road in twenty minutes".
@unclemarksdiyauto
@unclemarksdiyauto 2 жыл бұрын
Our neighbours bought one of these brand new with the trunk in (what I think I remember) a lime green. (Hey I was around 8 years old. They were the only friends we knew that had purchased a brand new car! I always liked these first models of this car.
@discerningmind
@discerningmind 2 жыл бұрын
Very good. I remember that exact color. I don't know the name of it, but I used to call it Munchkin Green. Ford put that shade on other models too as did other manufacturers.
@AaronBritton-dt4hi
@AaronBritton-dt4hi 2 жыл бұрын
I got my drivers license in 1984 in a 74 Pinto wagon, brown with wood on the side. My dad always had at least on Pinto around. I had lots of performance cars during that time, but the Pintos were very reliable and economical and I always enjoyed driving them. I found a clean 1977 low mile 2 door manual last summer but my wife did not share my enthusiasm so I let someone else purchase that affordable classic.
@dougc.3998
@dougc.3998 2 жыл бұрын
I had a 1980 Ford Pinto with the glass back hatch. I owned it for 4 years and the only problem I had was a leak in the heater core. Easy to fix and parts where inexpensive and easy to find. When I sold it, I got almost as much as I paid for it. At the time some of the local motor heads were starting to play around with 4-cylinder engines and kits were starting to show up that increased horsepower and torque. I saw one pinto that the owner had squeezed a small V-8 engine. It was incredibly quick on the take off and just got faster from there. It is too bad that Ford got away from that kind of car.
@buffdelcampo
@buffdelcampo 2 жыл бұрын
I had several Pinto wagons and surfer vans. I wish I had kept at least one of them. Thank you so much for this video.
@uncountedvoter9449
@uncountedvoter9449 2 жыл бұрын
I spent my first years as a child in the back seat of a red Pinto of the same year. Those were great days.
@jons.6216
@jons.6216 2 жыл бұрын
My aunt used to rent Pintos when she visited California and would ultimately get lost between the relatives south and when she came up to see us! Haha! Beautiful countryside you're driving through, btw!
@christopherbrown6697
@christopherbrown6697 17 күн бұрын
A late mechanic friend devised a brilliant hack for changing Pinto camshafts, back when Pintos were everywhere as good cheap used cars. He took some measurements and figured out that he could pull the radio, fish a hole saw through, cut a hole in the firewall, R&R the cam through the radio cavity (saving the time and effort of pulling the head or the engine. Once the cam swap was completed, he fastened a blanking plate for an electrical box over the hole in the firewall and reinstalled the radio.
@roylane1564
@roylane1564 2 жыл бұрын
I bought a used 1971 sedan in 1972. Same 2 liter engine and manual transmission. Mine had the Holley/Weber 2 barrel. I can't remember if they all did or not. I bought a 'dyno tune ' kit that had bigger jets for the carb and lighter springs in the distributor. Advanced the timing by using a vacuum gage vs timing light. That 2 liter was a different animal. I ran B60-13 tires on a 7 inch rims (imagine the wheel wells full of tires). I autocrossed (SCCA) it thru high school and won virtually every 'G' stock event in Memphis, until the new Honda Civic came out. That car saw 6000 rpms more often than not. I could take a 350 Camaro until about 30 mph. I had joined the Air Force and thought I needed a pick-up truck. I wish I had kept that car but two vehicles living in the barracks wasn't practical. My favorite car to drive in my 52 years of driving!!
@roylane1564
@roylane1564 2 жыл бұрын
Funny story to add to my Pinto - I worked for a guy in high school that washed vehicle fleets. I got my CDL (yes for semi's in the old days) in my 1971 Pinto. I did the written test at the Summer Ave HWP station in Memphis. The road examiner came out, sat down in my car and then looked at my paperwork. She confirmed that I was getting my CDL and I said yes. She said this doesn't make any sense at all. Nothing said what kind of vehicle had to be driven (at least not on her paperwork). She signed off on my license and got out of the car. I never turned the ignition switch!!
@mec7568
@mec7568 2 жыл бұрын
We also had a Squire wagon, also a 72 with the same drivetrain. Loved that thing. Manual rack and pinion was precise and responsive. Put around 160k - very reliable too.
@roylcraft
@roylcraft 2 жыл бұрын
THANKS for THIS! Pinto's were great "not too little" cars. Owned a few and a cruising wagon!
@bryanparkhurst17
@bryanparkhurst17 2 жыл бұрын
In your assessment of the number crunchers at Ford, you are absolutely correct. It's a shame when it's cheaper to pay out on lawsuits than to "fix" the problem. On another note: My uncle worked for the Baltimore Co fire dept from the 40s to the 80s. In 1976 he was driving to a fire when a Pinto cut him off. He slammed into the back causing the car to catch fire. He has since passed on but somewhere out there, there is a commemorative porcelain plate of his truck with a sharks mouth eating the back of a Pinto spewing flames......ah, memories.
@DSC800
@DSC800 2 жыл бұрын
A Pinto! I never expected to see Donald driving one. My first car was a 1974 Pinto, brown, a trunk and manual transmission bought for $1100 in 1977. I had money for a nicer Truck that I wanted but my dad said better to aim low for my first car as I would likely beat up and neglect it. He sure was right. The porthole Pinto wagon was the best model to have back then.
@Paramount531
@Paramount531 2 жыл бұрын
THANK YOU! I have always felt greatly outnumbered on automotive groups when I defended the Pinto. I too had a Pinto wagon, a 74 with a 4 speed. I bought it with a bit over 90K on it for $1,100, and put 50K on it, then sold it for $975. Sure, it had some repairs along the way but it was exponentially more reliable than the 69 Cougar it replaced. It got me through the 1980 recession and tough years that followed with reliability and economy. It was well made, very suitable for its purpose and was vastly superior to its domestic competition and probably its foreign competition.
@jrussellcase
@jrussellcase 2 жыл бұрын
Growing up, Pintos were common in my area. In the late 70s, one guy down the street even souped his up, painted it yellow, and slapped some Cragars on it. We youngsters loved that car. It sounded like a monster going down the street. I always had an appreciation for the Pinto. I'll tell you this, I'd take one over the Mustang II any day. 😄
@gswaybright
@gswaybright 2 ай бұрын
Thanks for this... I received my dad's hand-me-down '4 speed, 74 Pinto runabout in 1980 and absolutely loved that car until rust got the best of it. I credit it with igniting my passion for sportscars over muscle and pony cars, as it was just so much fun to drive hard. I'd love to find a solid, early grill, runabout project.
@lawrencekalfayan1439
@lawrencekalfayan1439 2 жыл бұрын
I agree completely with your evaluation of the 1972 Pinto. I also had a '72 Pinto 2-door sedan (not the "Runabout" hatchback). Mine had the 2.0 liter engine and automatic transmission, and the standard interior (mine was two-tone black and white vinyl) - your green one looks like it has the deluxe interior option. It handled well and it did not need power steering or power brakes. I miss mine! Not a car you see in good condition anymore.
@The_R-n-I_Guy
@The_R-n-I_Guy 2 жыл бұрын
This is so strange. I just saw a Pinto driving through town a few days ago and now this video pops up on my phone. Not to mention that my mom had a 2 door Pinto Wagon when I was too young to remember. I saw pictures though. It was orange with the porthole windows in the back. I would love to find one like it
@autobug2
@autobug2 2 жыл бұрын
When I was 18, my second car was a 6 mo. old `78 Pinto hatchback--orange/black interior. I loved that car and it served me well. PS, PB, factory AC, and 4-wpeed. Took ribbing for owning one because the bad press on them was still fairly new then. sold to a gal across the street from parents house. She drove it another 4 years after my 3!
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