14th Sep 2005, 16:37
All of your comments were funny, but I needed help and you guys solved it. I own a 1979 ford pinto, but I'm 15 so I guess it does not matter, but I was scared it really would blow up. By the way, it really is a boring car, but I need it until I'm 16.
1st Nov 2005, 20:26
I have a '79 pinto wagon and was a little worried about the fuel tank. but I did look some stuff up and in '77 and '78 they reinforced the tank so it won't rupture to I'm Glad my car won't blow up!!
2nd Jan 2006, 16:31
I had a 79 pinto years ago and got rid of it because of little things going wrong. The car was an auto with decent power and I wound up putting 90,000 miles on it in 4 years (helluva lot of driving).
I have an Acura CL now and I can tell you the pinto would be no match for it.
As far as the blowing up issue, I believe that last model year for that problem was 76, but there was a recall so no worries.
26th Nov 2006, 14:51
Actually, the Station wagons never had the problem, not even in the Govt. tests. The 71-76 Sedans and Hatchbacks did. In 1977 up, they installed a plastic shield to keep the rear axle cover bolts from penetrating the tank. The station wagons were rated to haul 900 pounds, so they had a lot more sub-structure in the back as well as more distance between the tank and axle. I have a 1978 parts car with 12,080 miles on it that was rear ended in 1979 (hard) and it didn't blow up. My 78 Cruising Wagon liked the low mileage parts when I swapped them over.
26th Nov 2006, 15:28
Thanks, I never knew that. The wagon was also a lot more practical than the hatchback and, I believe, offered essentially the same gas mileage.
24th May 2007, 11:44
I used to have a 79 Pinto a long time ago, with AT and AC. The AC gave out about 4 years after I bought it new, and would have cost $600 to fix. I never fixed it and just did without.
Over the 10 years I owned it, I had to replace two camshafts, though it was my fault for not changing the oil often enough. I also had to replace the master brake cylinder twice, the alternator and the regulator. I think that's about the total of the repairs. Considering how hard I drove it that's not too bad.
Certainly, all I could call this car was basic transportation. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but it got me around.
7th Oct 2007, 19:15
I got a kick out of the comments about "slow" Pintos. I bought a used '79 Pinto "beater" to drive to classes at a university noted for car thefts and break-ins. It had 180,000+ miles on it and ran flawlessly.
One week a buddy of mine was using it because he had flown in from out of town and needed a car. Rather than have him rent one, I let him use the Pinto. One day we were on our way to an outing some miles away on a deserted stretch of interstate. Since my friend had to go someplace else after the outing, he was in my Pinto and I was in my new truck. We both love to go fast, and on a long, deserted stretch my friend floored the Pinto and passed me. The rev limiter (set at 110mph) was cutting my engine on and off as I watched the Pinto fading swiftly into the distance. Slow it WASN'T.
27th May 2011, 17:39
Your comment is totally illogical, but you are a funny person. If any car is not running, it can be beat with a bicycle. If the car is running, the bicycle may have a serious problem.
1st Sep 2013, 03:07
Had a girl friend that had a 1974 Pinto runabout she bought new. She had it for about 11 years. It was good car for her to get back and forth to work and around town.
It had several batteries replaced and several sets of tires.
She had a rebuilt auto transmission put in at about 8 years old.
She had her first flat tire on the right back tire during the first year, and then another flat on her right back tire again the 2nd year.
Overall her little Pinto was a good car for her, and she really liked it.
Wish I had that Pinto of hers, as I always liked it. Enjoyed riding in her Pinto with her.
2nd Sep 2013, 14:09
I owned a Pinto just a few years back. I bought it as a third car to drive to areas I didn't want to take my new cars. It was a great car, and like all Fords was super reliable. It had 180,000-plus miles on it when I bought it. I drove it three years and sold it for what I paid for it. I think I spent about $25 on it while I had it.
5th May 2005, 20:14
Actually, the guy is right about this one not blowing up. Around '77 or '78, Ford fixed the gas tank so that it wouldn't rupture. Go look it up...