Ugly(er) pinto
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Anyone knew this existed?
And at this point, was it worth even trying?
Also how many of the 2 and a half million pintos were sold AFTER the redisigned fuel tank
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This was just a facelift, and it was a stop-gap measure to try to hold onto small car sales until a replacement could be offered. Two years later, the European Mk. III Escort would be put on sale in the United States also called the Escort. That put Ford back on top, and the Escort was the top-selling car in the U.S. in 1982.
In retrospect, it's laughable that Ford tried to compare the Pinto to the Corolla and Civic. Ford also had to feature the "this model won't blow up if hit from behind" advertising copy.
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@The3DTuner glorous. the redesigned fuel system bit is funny.
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@Roadkilled lol
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@The3DTuner GM was still holding on to the Vega-derived Monza and Sunbird, AMC had just launched the new Gremlin-based Spirit and was also limping the Pacer into 1980, the facelifted Pinto wasn't totally out of place. Weirdly, the moribund Chrysler was the only one with a truly modern small car with the Omnirizon, although that was still a reworked 1960s platform
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@ranwhenparked Yes,but unless you were REALLY short of cash yet needed a brand new car (which doesnt make sense), why wouldn't you spend around 650$ more adn buy a civic?
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@The3DTuner it wasn't going to be $650 more, it was more likely to be at least $1200-$1500 more, once dealers added their "market adjustments", and that was a lot of money for a small car shopper then, especially with those interest rates.
There were also still a lot of people who wouldn't consider one of those furren' jobs.
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@The3DTuner
I always wanted to make Bob Glidden tribute Pinto.
The pre face lift cars look better though. I think ne switched to Fairmonts in 79 anyways. -
@Roadkilled the US Escort was a different car from the European Mk III, they shared engines and automatic transmissions but little else, even though they look similar.
I think the original intention was for them to be the same car but differing requirements saw them diverge.
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@The3DTuner I rode a lot of miles in the back seat of a 1979 Pinto wagon. I think it was an unremarkable car for that time, neither good enough nor bad enough to stick in people's minds.
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@Britishvillaininatl Yeah, the Escort was touted as a "World Car" but it really wasn't.
The real winner in their lineup back then was the Fiesta (introduced in the US in '78). That was a small car done right.
The Pinto wasn't terrible, in the context of 70s small cars, but that's a pretty low bar.
Macho Pinto:
1976 Stallion. Talk about an empty suit.An overfed long-haired leaping gnome, smelling of Scotch and cigarettes
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@The3DTuner We had the Mercury twin - 79 Bobcat that was basically a throw in on a 2 car deal with a loaded 79 Cougar XR7. The Bobcat was fun for a teenager learning to drive. Total stripper model - AM radio, no AC, crank windows, no power steering or brakes and 4-speed manual.
Priority Ace of Spades, lame-ass Kia Forte, MoonCool trike
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@ike808 Earlier Bobcats at least had a unique hood and grille to sort of look like a Mercury. The '79-up just got vertical grille bars.
An overfed long-haired leaping gnome, smelling of Scotch and cigarettes
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@Old-Busted-Hotness yeah the Mk 1 Fiesta was a good car for it’s time. Shame The second gen was little more than a reskin of the 1st gen. It sold by the bucketload especially in the U.K. but was way behind the likes of the Peugeot 205 dynamically (plus the Peugeot and 2nd gen Renault 5 were offered as a five door).
2017 Jaguar F Type (USA)
1973 Ferrari 365GTB/4 Daytona (in the U.K.) -
@The3DTuner "It may be the best small car buy in America today."
-It's not though.
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@The3DTuner "Actual highway mileage will probably differ from estimate".
This isn't an ad filled with enthusiasm or confidence.
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@Old-Busted-Hotness said in Ugly(er) pinto:
@Britishvillaininatl Yeah, the Escort was touted as a "World Car" but it really wasn't.
The real winner in their lineup back then was the Fiesta (introduced in the US in '78). That was a small car done right.
The Pinto wasn't terrible, in the context of 70s small cars, but that's a pretty low bar.
Macho Pinto:
1976 Stallion. Talk about an empty suit.Why do I want one now
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@Britishvillaininatl said in Ugly(er) pinto:
@Old-Busted-Hotness yeah the Mk 1 Fiesta was a good car for it’s time. Shame The second gen was little more than a reskin of the 1st gen. It sold by the bucketload especially in the U.K. but was way behind the likes of the Peugeot 205 dynamically (plus the Peugeot and 2nd gen Renault 5 were offered as a five door).
Do you remeber all the special editions (at least in the UK)? They sold 47160 of them during the MKI lifetime (in the UK)
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@The3DTuner yeah the popular then the popular plus and wasn't their a Fiesta Calypso?
Best special edition of that era had to be the Fiat Panda Italia 90 complete with football hub caps. Guy at my school had one and got teased a lot for those hubcaps.
2017 Jaguar F Type (USA)
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@Old-Busted-Hotness said in Ugly(er) pinto:
@ike808 Earlier Bobcats at least had a unique hood and grille to sort of look like a Mercury. The '79-up just got vertical grille bars.
Didn’t care at 16. That POS hauled me, my buddies, fishing rods and underage cases of beer everywhere.
And never stranded us.
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@Britishvillaininatl WHO WOULD BUY THIS?!
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@The3DTuner me
