His Pinto Proves to Be a Reliable Workhorse

The Ford Pinto became an emblem in the 1970s of everything that was wrong with Detroit’s ability to compete with foreign manufacturers in the small car market.

Although Ford long ago forgot about the Pinto and moved on to build a new image with its Taurus model, Pinto owners did not forget. Thousands of motorists depend on the Pinto today. And the odd part is that they actually like the car--if my mail is any indication.

“Within its own limitations, the Pinto is a very reliable and dependable car,” said Robert R. Helms, a 77-year-old Burbank aerospace worker who has owned a succession of Pintos. “They run cheap and they last a long time.

“You can put a half-ton of lumber in the rear end, which I have done,” he added. “And the hatchback opens up big enough to get a refrigerator in. I have done that too.”

There are many people like Helms, who don’t have the money to buy a Mercedes, a Lexus or a Volvo, but who need reliable transportation and a car simple enough to perform their own mechanical work. With the stuff that U.S. and Japanese auto makers are turning out nowadays, these motorists are out of luck.

Through the years, Helms has rebuilt engines, changed brakes, installed windshields and done all of his own oil changes. With mechanics fees now up to $50 an hour, many people face bankruptcy trying to keep new cars running.

Japanese producers have gained a reputation for building reliable cars that American consumers favor. But as any back-yard mechanic knows, Japanese cars are a nightmare to tackle. On the new Honda Accords, for example, it is virtually impossible to change even the oil or coolant. A routine servicing can cost $400.

Helms drives his Pinto 80 miles a day, round-trip from Burbank to his job as an aerospace tooling inspector in Fullerton. He particularly likes the reliability of the Ford automatic transmission in his Pinto, which has never failed.

A few years ago, Helms bought a Ford Taurus, which Consumer Reports rates as one of the top U.S. makes. The experts at Consumer Reports ought to talk to Helms.

After buying the car, he stored it for a while in his garage. When he finally got around to driving it--between Pintos--it was an instant problem. The serpentine belt that operates the water pump froze and pulled the water pump right off the motor. After years of fixing cars, that was a new one on Helms.

Then, the belt tensioner gave out. Now, the radiator has a leak. With the Pinto, a radiator could be removed with four bolts. The Taurus may take a good part of his Saturday to get off, unless Helms pays a dealer $50 an hour to do the work.

Like a lot of motorists who try to cut the cost of operating a car, Helms shops junkyards for parts. There are plenty of Pintos in junkyards, which makes finding parts easier. Ford made 3.1 million Pintos. When it comes to Hondas or Toyotas, there aren’t nearly as many of those cars in junkyards, for whatever reason.

The Pinto is not likely to ever become a collector’s item. Ralph Nader, the consumer activist, championed the crusade against the Pinto for its safety defects, which included a gasoline tank that would explode in rear-end collisions. That defect caused 50 deaths and Ford paid dearly in lawsuits brought by maimed motorists. Ford eventually modified the tanks in a recall.

But there is another side to the Pinto story. It is transportation for thousands of Americans who can not afford better. A used Pinto can cost $600 today.

“I don’t claim it rides like a Cadillac,” Helms said. “But they are comparatively easy to work on and it is cheap to operate.”