1977 Pinto

[Snoranger]

That video is complete b/s. The rear of the car has to get hit hard enough to crush the gas tank against the rear end and puncture it.

That’s a clip from the movie Top Secret!, it’s a spy spoof/comedy from the 80’s. The movie’s opening song is called Skeet Surfin’… of course the video is complete b/s. Everything about the movie is complete b/s.

 

[Roert42]

“I wish they could all be double barrel…”

 

[racsan]

Even if you rupture the tank , you still need a ignition source. I took a gas tank from a 72 olds and shot at it over 25 times with a .22 rifle, there was still some fuel in it. Nothing happened, I thought I wasn’t hitting it until I went over to it and saw all the holes.

 

[gw33gp]

I had a 73 Pinto Wagon with a manual transmission. I installed the widest radial tires that would fit the stock wheels and installed Bilstein shocks on it. I blew away people with how well it would handle. My wife and I camped all over the country in it. I even started to go off-road with it in Death Valley once but realized it was too low for off road.

The only problem I had with it was the rear gears had to be replaced. When it was under warranty, it had a very slight lube leak from the pinion seal. I think they did not do the proper seal install and over torqued the nut causing to much preload on the bearing. Anyway, bearings and gears eventually burned up on a long trip.

It was a great car overall. It was what replaced my 68 Fairlane 500, but the Fairlane 500 was always my favorite car. That is why I have my 69 Cobra today.

 

[gw33gp]

early escort wheels fit a pinto, interesting. I never checked into it but I figured the pinto was a sae pattern & the escort was metric.
Mom had a 78 pinto wagon. Automatic but manual steering. We didn’t keep it long, it had compression issues and dad didn’t want to mess with it. A ‘77 mercury comet 302 replaced it. (mercury’s version of fords maverick) . My aunt had a mustang 2 that caught fire but it was parked behind the mall when it happened, I have no idea what caused it. I still see a pinto every once in a while.

The Comet was Mercury's version of the Falcon in prior years. By 77, the Falcon didn't exist anymore and apparently Maverick became the brother to Comet.

 

[dvdswan]

 

[19Walt93]

Even if you rupture the tank , you still need a ignition source. I took a gas tank from a 72 olds and shot at it over 25 times with a .22 rifle, there was still some fuel in it. Nothing happened, I thought I wasn’t hitting it until I went over to it and saw all the holes.

The theory was that the tank hitting the cover on the 6 3/4 would split open and metal on metal would cause a spark. The recall had us replacing the filler tube with a longer one and installing plastic/nylon shields under the gas tank straps in the front. Almost every car had the tank hanging behind the rear end back then, many GM's had the fuel filler behind the license plate. On early Mustangs, Cougars, and I think Falcons, the top of the gas tank was the trunk floor. I worked on a Sunbeam Alpine that had 2 7 gallon gas tanks- one in each rear quarter, protected by the tail light lens- connected by a 2 inch tube that ran from side to side just in front of the tiny rear bumper. If the tank(s) caught fire, the passenger compartment was separated from the trunk by a sheet of canvas. Jeep gas tanks were under the driver's seat- back when most everyone smoked.

 

[19Walt93]

I had a 73 Pinto Wagon with a manual transmission. I installed the widest radial tires that would fit the stock wheels and installed Bilstein shocks on it. I blew away people with how well it would handle. My wife and I camped all over the country in it. I even started to go off-road with it in Death Valley once but realized it was too low for off road.

The only problem I had with it was the rear gears had to be replaced. When it was under warranty, it had a very slight lube leak from the pinion seal. I think they did not do the proper seal install and over torqued the nut causing to much preload on the bearing. Anyway, bearings and gears eventually burned up on a long trip.

It was a great car overall. It was what replaced my 68 Fairlane 500, but the Fairlane 500 was always my favorite car. That is why I have my 69 Cobra today.

Over tightening the pinion nut probably didn't cause the failure, the gear lube leaking out most likely did. I tighten pinion nuts with my 1/2 inch impact.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The theory was that the tank hitting the cover on the 6 3/4 would split open and metal on metal would cause a spark. The recall had us replacing the filler tube with a longer one and installing plastic/nylon shields under the gas tank straps in the front. Almost every car had the tank hanging behind the rear end back then, many GM's had the fuel filler behind the license plate. On early Mustangs, Cougars, and I think Falcons, the top of the gas tank was the trunk floor. I worked on a Sunbeam Alpine that had 2 7 gallon gas tanks- one in each rear quarter, protected by the tail light lens- connected by a 2 inch tube that ran from side to side just in front of the tiny rear bumper. If the tank(s) caught fire, the passenger compartment was separated from the trunk by a sheet of canvas. Jeep gas tanks were under the driver's seat- back when most everyone smoked.

Iirc, my 68 Torino had an exposed top gas tank. Made for very easy swaps, not that I ever needed to do that.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Some news outlet also started the "exploding crown vic" storys too.

What they left out was a CVPI got ass packed sitting still by a big SUV (i think maybe an excursion) running 75-80mph.

Thats why CVPI's after a certain year got on board supression systems.

Dateline also put small explosives on square body chevys to do a "test" that showed the tanks exploding on impact.

 

[superj]

my 65 mustang did indeed have the filler behind the rear plate and the tank top was the floor of the trunk. my karmann ghia had the tank top as the floor of the front hatch, just above the driver and passenger's feet, i think.

 

[BlackBII]

I have some 5x4.5 11" mustang II rotors that I used for mock up on my 131 project before I got my wilwood setup. They're yours if you want them, they might cost an arm and a leg to ship though. They're like 20lbs each

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I have some 5x4.5 11" mustang II rotors that I used for mock up on my 131 project before I got my wilwood setup. They're yours if you want them, they might cost an arm and a leg to ship though. They're like 20lbs each

Put them in a flatrate box lol

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I have some 5x4.5 11" mustang II rotors that I used for mock up on my 131 project before I got my wilwood setup. They're yours if you want them, they might cost an arm and a leg to ship though. They're like 20lbs each

Thanks. PM sent.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

The gas tank problem aside, the Pinto was a much better, more reliable car than many of its competitors, especially the Chevy Vega. Having a Pinto Cruising Wagon like this in good condition would be cool.