A fancifully filtered chop from two years ago, my reborn rear-wheel drive Pinto II. With the Pinto name pretty much sullied forever, this was my attempt at supporting the little filly. I was actually involved in a car accident in 1977 in a Pinto Runabout hatchback. We were in the middle of a 5-6 car chain-reaction accident driving home from college for Thanksgiving. We were hit in the front and the back. I was sitting in the back seat and no one in the car was injured and the car did NOT blow up. In fact, we were all pretty impressed with the strength and apparent safety of the car.
• An NPR Q&A about Ford's Way Forward campaign from 2006.
• Zip forward to 2010 and this plan is apparently working.
I think that's a perfect representation of a modern Pinto. I don't think they were nearly as bad as their rep. My brother had a first year Pinto (2.0 liter 4-speed)and it was very reliable -- I found the steering a bit heavy but otherwise it was fun to drive. It got rearended in 1976 parked in front of my Mom's house and was totalled but it didn't explode! I think your chop is adorable (or adorkable as After Elton would have it) and I see a bit of the new Fiesta in the front. Good job!
ReplyDeletePaul, NYC
I'm sorry Casey, but you made me crack up about the car not "blowing up". Was that a real back then or just a rumor about the whole tail pipe bit?
ReplyDeleteThe Pinto when through a famous trial from supposedly having its gas tank too close to the rear making it susceptible to leaking and then catching fire in rear end crashes. Again, supposedly Ford decided to save a few bucks by not installing something that would have prevented it. Ford lost the case, but I'm not really sure they were at fault. The PInto's reputation was gone for good though.
ReplyDeleteI like the shade of green you did here. Maybe we should call this forward look - FORDward.
ReplyDeleteGood one, Annie! This would be a pearlescent lime green. I saw a woman with that shade of fingernail polish the other day!
ReplyDeleteOH my goodness! Pintos, Mavericks, and Mustangs were THE car of the day in my younger years! The pinto never totally "did" it for me, but this one is the BOMB! I would consider this car in a heartbeat..Great chop!
ReplyDeletemare
Oh Mare, I hope Casey made two, I was thinking the same thing. I didn't want to speak the words for fear my little VW would rebel against me.
ReplyDeleteHow did you get out of the back seat? While I was in Boy Scouts, one of the carpooling families had a Pinto. I blame sitting in the back seat of that thing for causing my lifelong back problems (instead of, you know, heredity, overweight or underexercise).
ReplyDeleteTheir other car, by the way, was a Vista Cruiser.