A Pinto?
I’m going to laugh.
My dad bought one.
And it was the ONLY Ford we ever owned.
WORST. CAR. EVER.
I went through a rough patch during the early ‘80s and needed cheap transportation. I found a ‘76 Pinto wagon (Squire Edition!) for $125. It needed a clutch and the serpentine belt replaced.
I dragged it home and did the repairs at the curb next to my apartment. With a fresh clutch and properly timed (probably for the first time in its life) that little car ran like a top and it would go anywhere. It was butt-ugly but it got me where I needed to go and performed great in the snow. Because it was so ugly I never had to worry about anyone bothering with it.
I drove it for two years and then sold it for $300 - giving it away. The only other thing I ever did besides change the oil was give it a fresh set of wiper blades.
Isn’t it funny how different an experience can be with something like an automobile?
Re: Ford Pinto
Some people had bad experiences with Pintos, I am however happy to say that the two Pintos we had (a ‘72 and an ‘80) were good solid and reliable vehicles. The ‘72 had the 2000 cc 4 cylinder (the imported German 2000, not to be confused with the later 2300 cc built domestically by Ford) and it was indestructible.
If the saying “Your Mileage May Vary” ever applied, it was to the Pinto.