Mouth full of chicken rice, left hand on the steering wheel, right hand on the gearshift ready to shift up/down after each overtaking, is what many people in their 60s and 70s enjoy, instead of glued eyes on the road, left foot to the rhythm of the drum, which is seen in the present day of the 80s, 90s or Gen Z generations. There are too many reasons for people to look back, slow down, experience more instead of rushing into making money, but in general, both generations share a passion for cars and driving.
With hundreds of cars in various garages in the Central Highlands, Saigon, or Hanoi, Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu can choose the joy of driving a different car each day, estimated more than 1 year, to nearly complete the entire collection of cars with a total value of over 1,400 billion VND.
For someone who is pursuing his own path, ordinary people may not be able to understand the thoughts of Chairman Trung Nguyen, but for car enthusiasts, especially JDM cars, they are grateful to this entrepreneur for the rising prices of the cars, they are no longer called “junk”, but are seen more on the road, especially when the wealthy owner himself is behind the wheel.
Quick review of “Qua” Vu’s new Ford Pinto
Early in the morning on January 25, 2024, “Qua” Vu drove a Ford Pinto that is nearly twice as old as the author to wander the streets, with the destination being a kind-hearted brother who has provided and selected numerous car models for him, from supercars, luxury cars, sports cars to many special, unique and one-of-a-kind ones.
Stopping in front of a store displaying many beautiful supercars, the Ford Pinto suddenly stood out, perhaps because it belongs to “Qua” Vu, so the attention increased. This is one of dozens of “wild horses” that Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu owns, but what sets it apart is that it belongs to the Ford Pinto line, a name that is still quite unknown to car enthusiasts, who are only interested in the Ford Mustang line.
Indeed, give me and you a Ford Pinto, would it be comfortable driving it instead of the latest Ford Mustangs, putting in the clutch, stepping on the gas, the pressure of the youth today when driving, but for someone, it is very exciting, like a hero getting an additional sword.
Despite many years of driving manual transmission cars, the truth is that automatic cars today are too comfortable, easy, but trying the steering wheel of a Ford Pinto is different, especially the design of the car, which is very unique despite it being 53 years old, an 80s person behind the wheel of a classic car, it feels a bit strange.
Ford Pinto’s background
The Ford Pinto is a subcompact car that was produced and marketed by Ford Motor Company in North America from 1971 to 1980. The Pinto was the first subcompact car produced by Ford in North America. The Pinto was sold in the marketplace with three body styles throughout its production, a two-door fastback sedan with a trunk, a three-door hatchback, and a two-door sedan.
Mercury also offered badge-engineered versions of the Pinto, under the Mercury Bobcat nameplate from 1975 to 1980 (1974–1980 in Canada). Over three million Pintos were manufactured during its 10-year production run, exceeding the sales numbers of its domestic rivals, the Chevrolet Vega and AMC Gremlin. Pintos and Mercury Bobcats were manufactured at Edison Assembly in Edison, New Jersey, St. Thomas Assembly in Southwold, Ontario, and San Jose Assembly in Milpitas, California.
Starting in the 1970s, Pinto’s safety reputation has sparked much controversy. Its fuel tank design attracted media and governmental scrutiny after a number of fatal fires occurred when the tank ruptured in rear-impact collisions. A subsequent analysis of the overall safety of the Pinto revealed it to be comparable to other small cars of the 1970s.
Ford Pinto’s design and interior
Whether it’s a Pinto or a Mustang, it must be acknowledged that the first generation of the Ford sports car line is very impressive, exuding a muscular feel, clearly visible despite decades having passed, the front of the car is elongated, the rear of the car resembles a sloping roof, very beautiful. Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s Ford Pinto features classic round headlights, shiny stainless steel trim on the outside, an elongated grille with accents, and the distinctive running horse logo of Ford sports cars.
The tail of the Ford Pinto extends out, the cluster of reverse lights, taillights, and turn signals create a seamless connection, the rear bumper is shiny stainless steel, very classy. Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s Ford Pinto is painted in matte military green, it is not clear whether it is wrapped or painted, one can only see that he matches this outfit with a white roof.
Stepping into the driver’s compartment, the green color once again dominates, from the seats to other details, Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s Ford Pinto has 4 seats, the rear seat seems to be suitable for children or as a storage space, rather than comfortable for adults.
The details on Mr. Dang Le Nguyen Vu’s Ford Pinto are still quite “original”, he only added a cigarette pack holder and a coffee box, these are two close companions of this businessperson.
Powertrain
Except for 1980, the Pinto was available with two engine choices. In the first 5 years of production, only inline-four engines were offered. Ford changed the power ratings almost annually. In 1974, the 2.3 L OHC I4 engine was introduced. This engine has been refined and modified many times, allowing it to continue to be produced until 1997.
Initial deliveries of the Pinto for the first few years used the 1.6 L engines from England and 2.0 L from Germany adapted for high performance. The 2.0L engine used a dual-throat carburetor in which only one bore was larger than the one used on the Maverick. With its low weight and SOHC engine, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 10.2 seconds.
Since the onset of emission control requirements, Ford transitioned from European-origin engines to in-house designs or modifications, using new designs or modifications. New 1972 SAE standards bogged down the Pinto’s 1.6 L engine to 54 hp and the 2.0 L to 86 hp.
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