…was one of Ford’s more memorable ad slogans from the ‘70’s. In the case of the Pinto, though, it was all too true. During its production span, (‘71-‘80), it unfortunately gained over 800 lbs (!), making the comparably svelte early (small-bumper) models a much better example from which to try to extract performance. I’ve been wanting to get a real number for the curb weight for awhile now. A few weeks ago, before winter set in, I took the PInto down to our local metal recycler and parked it on their scales for an actual weight slip. It came up at 1,920 lbs. with a half tank of gas. While not exactly feathery, it was about what I had expected, with some room for improvement. I’ve already swapped in a smaller battery and the radio, heater, back seat, and spare tire have been deleted - (even hole-sawed the trunk lid!) - so for now this is about as far as I can go by unbolting stuff. I’ll keep chiseling away at it. Now I’ve got a Prodbodies fiberglass hood on the way, plus some other planned mods …I think a street weight near 1800 lbs. with a half tank of gas is possible. We’ll see…
