14 & 17 MPG! Yeah I don't think they'll be selling many of those and I won't even start on the carb!! Maybe it is a joke LOL!!
What toyota needs to do is take a car like the one in that pic, and put the hybrid engine out of the new camry in it. 200 hp getting 40 mpg in the camry. would do a little better in that car. and it would be a blast to drive!
I am really feeling old now! Obviously, many people here don't know that the Pinto had a reputation for exploding when rear ended, thus my earlier joke about my first Pinto exploding. Pintos were the butt of many ugly jokes on late night TV in the 1970s. While none of my Pintos ever really exploded, my 1974 was recalled to address the possibility that it could. PS to OP. I still think you made an outstanding purchase! (still feeling guilty for hijacking your thread)
I agree, 40 MPG vs 17 wojkdb Wow, they really exploded?? If you're feeling old I am feeling too young and uniformed, never heard the stories about the Pinto exploding! Scary stuff!
The gas tank was in the back. and would break open if rearended and the gas would splash into the front of the car that just hit you, and also onto the hot exaust, turning the liquid gas into vapor making it more flamible. I think the recall they installed a gas tank with a liner to make it much safer.
I remember that most people didn't wear seat belts. I remember as a child I would stand behind the front seat and look out the front window. on long trips my older brother would lay accross the back seat. so I had to stand or lay accross the floor. its amazing that any of us lived, but most of us did!
I guess things have really changed since then, I can't ever remember not being in a seat belt or car seat as a kid. I can honestly say I've never driven a car or been a passenger without wearing my seatbelt.
The link says available in China in 2014 with a later date available in the US. They don't care as much in China.
I would bet you its a joke. this is a quote from the article Just like the classic Pinto, the gas tank will be located beneath the trunk, just in front of the rear bumper, for better weight distribution. Ford promises modern safety thanks to a lightweight piece of carbon fiber shielding the passenger compartment from any fire damage should a rear-end collision and explosion occur, but the NHTSA has issued a preemptive mandatory recall, promising that legal action will be taken if a single Pinto reaches customer hands without a complete redesign of the fuel delivery system. Like in the 1970s, when the pinto was the ultimate status of youth and ‘cool’, I think that would have been the mustang for ford, the camero for chevy ect... Ford hopes the Pinto will inject new life to its showrooms. Pricing will start at around $19,999 when the Pinto goes on sale on April 1, 2014. It says it will be sold in the usa spring of 2014
IIRC - the cause of the exploding gas tank was not so much the position of the tank as bolts on the differential forward of the tank. When the gas tank was pushed forward when hit from the rear the bolt heads tore into the metal and allowed fuel to spray forward and...well you know the rest. There was also a problem with the gas filler pipe breaking and allowing fuel to leak. The major problem of the exploding tank was known to engineers who suggested a plastic cover for the differential which would prevent the gas tank from rupturing but the bean counters said the cost of fixing the problem would be more than paying for the lawsuits from victims of exploding gas tanks. There was also a rubber bladder system for fuel tanks which would have worked but that cost a whopping $5.08 per car. A steel plate could also have been placed ahead of the gas tank but at an astronomical price of $11.00! The last fix was: This is where a third successful fix had been devised -- a rather simple plastic insulator fitted on the differential that would keep the bolts from ever making contact with the fuel tank. Cost of this item was less than $1. HowStuffWorks "The Pinto Fire Controversy" Ford Pinto Scandal Pinto Madness | Mother Jones
So, I'm driving down the road today and I see this bumper sticker on the back of an old beat up Toyota: "My other car is a '76 Pinto."
I'm sorry to hijack a thread hijack, but I do have to say that all this Pinto talk just keeps reminding me of one of the most notorious television commercials in Australia that shot a "weird car" into a stardom it retains today, despite the ad first appearing in 1992. Say "G - O.... G - G - O" in a bad Scottish accent to an Australian and they will most likely know what you are talking about. The actor from the ad is still milking it today. The company even updated their phone number to better fit the GOGO ear worm.
LOL I agree, not only is the name unflattering but the car itself is not that great looking, to say the least!!