Over thirty years of Pinto jokes later, can we look past all of that? Please? They’ve aged out of normal use. You find me someone using a Pinto as a daily driver that isn’t on it’s absolute last legs. In fact, find me one, period. I’d be hard pressed for that to actually happen…it was a rare sight twenty years ago, when everybody was crushing them left, right and center. They were a safety pariah, the example of cost-benefit analysis gone horribly wrong, the most achieving small car from the Detroit set but somehow just as bad as the other efforts. The Vega’s engine was badly designed, the AMC offerings were “quirky”, code for “WTF is that?!” and Chrysler’s smallest car was the significantly larger Dart…or a Mitsubishi product.
So ignore the whole litany of bomb jokes, of reversed flame paint jobs, of everyone fifty years and older swearing up and down that you will die a fiery death in one if you so much as sit in it. It’s crap. Look at this 1975 Mercury Bobcat, the Pinto’s fraternal twin. Sweet outside, sweet inside, powered by the same sweet little 2.8L Cologne V6 that you could get in the imported Capri. We’d leave it exactly as the picture shows it, on the slot wheels and polished up to a high shine. Nothing against having the OEM 13″ four-spoke wheels, but…no. $3,200 is the cost…is it worth it to you?
Checks bank account for $3200…
I would buy it and get \”KABOOM\” for a personalized license plate.
I owned a 79 with a stick shift back in the day. Damn good little car and it had some kick to it. I would would probably say it was one of the most reliable cars I had owned back in the day.
I drove a Pinto in high school back in 87-88. my dad and I swapped the 4 cyl for a modified 4 cyl. we bought for $300. It ran great except for the shitty design of the dash. the dash lights went out along with the fuel and temp gauge. I had to fill the gas tank,run it once until I ran out of gas so I could gauge how much a tank of gas would last me because of the non working fuel gauge.
I had some really good times in that car but I don’t miss it.
I had 71 Pinto 2dr. with auto trans and 2 liter engine.I loved it ! No problems in 2 yrs.and 42000 mi. Traded up to a 1974 Pinto Squire wagon.Had no problems with that car, but fuel mileage was not good. That was due to the new emission systems that began that yr. Would love to find another.
Always liked these. Duded up Pinto like the Lincoln Versaille was a duded up LTDII. Believe it or not, guy down in Rosenberg, Tx. has a ’73 wood side wagon, dog dishes and all. Not his daily, but I see it puttin’ 3-4 times a month, no smoke or anything, still in great shape! Old Hispanic gentleman.
What is a Mercury Bobcat? A Pinto with lock washers!
Ah the humor of ignorance from the misled and or inexperienced.
I have to believe everything here comes from other sources touted as gospel.
Even here in the “rust belt” Pintos are seen on numerous occasions, there’s more than a few left – over and above the one parked in my driveway.
We’ll address the exploding Pinto one more time; There was no issue of “cost – benefit analysis”, it was relative to a small car being hit from behind so hard that no one in the car would survive the impact.
Each time these cars “burst into flames” the car was sitting stationary and struck by a heavy vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, were crushed beyond recognition and several were have noted to have had missing gas caps – but that only represents the facts, not sensational news.
Ralph Nader (a man who didn’t even drive) destroyed the Corvair which had proven to drive as well as any car in it’s class – it’s suspension a near clone of Volkswagens beetle – then small cars and their safety fell under scrutiny by those addament that the only safe car was a big car, and with the vast majority of cars at the time being big and heavy it was easy to think so. The laws of physics dictate that in a collision the larger and heavier object prevails.
If anything was lacking at the time it was the level of government regulation, neither Ford nor Chevrolet sold a product any more unsafe than the other cars in their class.
Shame, the facts of any given situation, past and present, are ultimately lost to sensationalism.
Then again, there IS entertainment in a good witch-hunt.
I had purchased a 71 Pinto back in 02 for $550 with only 47k original miles it was the mustard yellow color 1.5 liter 4speed it even had bias ply tires I even had the bill of sale if my memory serves me well $1700 was the price . I sold it 5 years later for $3500 what I would not do to have it today I loved it
In late 1972 I looked into buying a Pinto – new cost was $1995
I had a good job at a sintered metals factory and was tired of a series of used cars – my brother talked me into a Mustang instead
73 coupe,radial tires , HD suspension , 302 3 spd standard , AM radio
$2840 new as ordered from the factory —nice car w/ the HD susp
That’s a nice looking car. I’d drive it today, no problem.
Wow what a great post thanks for sharing,
You\’ve made some good points there. I looked on the internet for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this website