The Ford Pinto was once one of the most common cars on America's roads, which seems impossible to believe nowadays; you'll probably find 50 times as many streetworthy '72 Beetles or '72 Datsun 510s as Pintos today.
Here's a Pinto that beat the odds and avoided expensive problems for nearly 40 years… or maybe it languished, forgotten, under a tarp in a back yard since Gerald Ford was president, prior to its final tow-truck ride. The Ford OHC engine and manual transmission are still in the car, so perhaps those parts will live on in a Ranger or Fox Mustang.
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DISCUSSION
If you look at the previous article on the DOTS Model T you'll see my dad traded in a a very similar Model T depot hack for a new Pinto back in '72 so this is a very interesting juxtaposition of articles. The Pinto was the "All America" edition, white with red and blue trim and probably the nicest interior that ever came in a Pinto. We kept it for many years and it was the first car I ever drove on the street when I was learning to drive because my dad figured it didn't have enough power to get me in trouble.