Perhaps the least safe car I've ever seen

[Mr_Incredible]

Originally Posted By: brentalan
I'm just imagining the gas tank falling through the hole in the floorboard and being dragged down the highway!


I actually had something like that happen to me. I had a $300 '66 Skylark in 1977. The straps that held up the gas tank rusted through and the tank fell off as I was going over a bridge bump at about 70mph. I thought the sound I heard was my muffler dragging, but I found it still correctly attached. What a surprise it was to see the gas tank on the ground and being held to the car by the 3/8" rubber fuel line!

More excitement than I needed, and lost 7/8 of a tank of gas when the tow guy dumped it out.

 

[mikeinaustin]

maybe he didn't have $1000 for a car, maybe he didn't have $250 for a car, at least he tried to get his car running so he could work.

 

[morepwr]

GIT-R-DONE!

 

[Volvohead]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX-Zk_LNZWg

 

[hattaresguy]

Now that's driving it into the ground!

 

[Cujet]

Wow, even my 82 diesel rabbit was in slightly better shape!

 

[TFB1]

Originally Posted By: John_K
"Unsafe Ford Pinto?" Isn't that like saying water is wet?

John


I don't think the wagons ever had a fire problem, was the sedeans had issues but were fixed with a recall in the mid '70s... They were sold three years longer than the Vega, PO used '79/'80 models for mail delivery in many areas...

 

[Volvohead]

By 1980, this wasn't a bad car. Ford's 1970-75 design period drive trains were pretty bulletproof.

Certainly better than those very first Escorts.

Things were very bad for Ford and Chrysler in 1980. Worse than 2009-10 in my opinion. At least they had better product in '09 than they had in '79-'80. No money and BAD cars. Dealer prep was a MAJOR job then . . . to the point of rehanging doors and trim to stop the leaks. Still remember Lee Iacocca practically begging people to buy those first Ks.

 

[Spazdog]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
By 1980, this wasn't a bad car. Ford's 1970-75 design period drive trains were pretty bulletproof.

Certainly better than those very first Escorts.


I don't know that I would necessarily use the term "bulletproof" to describe Fords from the '70s.

The Lima 2.3 was okay. Felt underpowered compared to the Nissan L20 and Toyota 20R, but it was okay. It was fairly rugged...I'll give it that. But no more so than the Mazda F/MA sohc or the above two Japanese motors.
The Cologne 2.8 had cylinder head problems....but it was a German built engine limited to the Pinto and MustangII so I'll let that slide.
The 255 was an embarassment and Ford still owes us an apology for that, but that was 1980 so it doesn't apply.
The 302 was a 302. It was fine.
The 351M/400? Half of them had bad castings and would regularly crack the heads or the block, it had oiling problems with the crankshaft, and the castings were rather thin.