A Pinto with serious attitude.

[Ace-Garageguy]

[cowboy rich]

Would have never thought someone would put that time and money into a PINTO 

[Dragline]

People have been doing it since they were first offered. As with the Vega, short wheelbased cars present a challenge to make hook and go without taking an unexpected turn or jumping straight into the air. My old Vega used to jump until I tamed it correctly. Then it ran 9.5 at 125 or so. There was lots more in it especially MPH since I ran a 4 speed and had to coax it out of the box without setting the tires ablaze.

 

Point is Pinto's made great drag cars. There is a litany of Hall of Famers who ran them in the 70's. Gapp & Roush and of course Bob Glidden come to mind first.

[afx]

Yep, lotsa fast Pintos back in the day.

Edited October 29, 2017 by afx

[Ace-Garageguy]

...Point is Pinto's made great drag cars...

I've always had a soft spot for racing Pintos for some odd reason...both drag cars and road racers. Set up for SCCA, they are remarkably nimble, willing and reliable, and handle a lot better than some of their "sports car" rivals.

And of course, as you guys say, more than a few were campaigned as straight-liners back in the dim recesses of time...   

I just haven't seen one lately, and the little guy in the video just sounds so good...

Edited October 29, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Xingu]

Pintos and Vegas are the reason my wife doesn't like the idea of me wanting to go drag racing. She thinks all cars are as jittery as they are going down the track.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Pintos and Vegas are the reason my wife doesn't like the idea of me wanting to go drag racing. She thinks all cars are as jittery as they are going down the track.

Hmmmmm. The little Pinto looks pretty stable compared to these turkeys.

[Dragline]

A Pinto wagon with the wheels up just floors me!!

[Ace-Garageguy]

A Pinto wagon with the wheels up just floors me!!

I have to agree. I just bought a couple clean early Pinto kits...think I need to get a recent MPC wagon repop and build one.  

[slusher]

I love Pintos and enjoy seeing them as drag cars..

 

[espo]

In the mid '70's V-8 Pintos and Vegas were not uncommon on the street. The only ones I remember were using their respective small block engines and the owners looked like they were having a ball with them.

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Just be very careful when pushing one with another car... Very very careful. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Just be very careful when pushing one with another car... Very very careful. 

Well, yeah, but only if this is your definition of "push"...

 

Edited October 29, 2017 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Well, yeah, but only if this is your definition of "push"...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKQ-U-rnLdo
LOL!!!

Edited October 30, 2017 by Lovefordgalaxie

[Xingu]

HaHa. That is from the movie Top Secret starring Val Kilmer.

[bbowser]

Power to weight ratio, baby!  Fiats and Bantams, Anglias and Escorts, stuff a big block in there and hold on!

[Dave Van]

Owned a 1/1 1972 Pinto.....great car compared to then girlfriends 73 Vega.....

Vega's big car parts on a small car did not work as well as Pinto's R&P steering, dedicated brakes etc were better.

I'll ignore the Pinto gas  tank lore.....all 3 manufactures had a gas tank issue in the 70's. Era of change.

[crazyjim]

I really like the look with those giant slicks.

[Daddyfink]

[OneTrickPony]

I built a 75 Pinto with the drive train from a wrecked Maverick. 302, C4 trans, 8" rear, and 100HP shot of NOS. It was tons of fun and mostly a bolt-in job except for welding up a set of adapters to connect the Maverick engine mounts to the Pinto frame rails.