The Under Appreciated Ford Pinto

 

This post began with an email last night sent to me by Ed concerning his Pinto wagon. Ed wrote: 

I loved my Pinto Wagon.  Had forgotten they had front disk brakes.

The rack-and-pinion steering gave them a nice steering feel.  The one pictured is a '73.  Mine was a '74 with the federalized bumpers.

Pintos aren't given the credit they deserve. 

I fully agree! While my Pinto - a 1973 green 2 door -- served my family until 1985 -- I do not have one photograph of it. It was a remarkable car -- purchased at Canal Ford in New Orleans -- it took us everywhere as a second car. Later in its life I drove it to points south and north when I did my archival dissertation research. It had a noisy clutch throwout bearing and a passenger side door that rusted on the bottom, probably due to poor drainage. It had the smaller engine -- the Kent 1600 -- but never failed. It was world car -- with a German transmission, British engine, and American chassis.  It got good gas mileage, important during Oil Shocks I and II in 1974 and 1979. 

People laugh at the Pinto today, as they remember it as the exploding car. But in its day it was a workhorse, getting people to work and keeping them moving. Rest In Peace, old friend!