1979 Ford Pinto 2.3L from North America
Summary:
Cheap. Fairly reliable
Faults:
2 camshaft replacements - $600 each time.
3 alternators - $120 to $200 each time.
AC died after 6 years. Too expensive to fix.
General Comments:
This was my first car, bought brand new in 1979. I bought it because I needed something economical and cheap, and that would be fairly reliable. Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
Actually, considering I drove this car for 10 years, it was pretty reliable. The camshaft replacements were my fault, as a result of not changing the oil very often and letting it run low on oil frequently. For a while, I was only changing the oil ever 15k miles and checking it maybe once every 6 months. I'd add oil when the engine light came on, and by then it was down 2 quarts.
It was a gutless car. Perfect for a teenage boy. My friends that had cool cars all wrecked theirs in a year or two, while I drove this thing for 10 years.
For a Pinto, mine was well equipped. It had power steering, power brakes, AC and automatic transmission.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th February, 2009
11th Jan 2005, 12:05
I have owned several Pintos and I can tell you that you are not going to blow away any Acuras with a 2.3 liter and automatic.
Unless the Acura has something seriously wrong with its engine and/or driver.