It gets a bad rap today, its reputation for catching fire and breaking down
is mostly fictionalized, but we had one. So did the girls on Charlie’s Angels.
They were raced by Car and Driver magazine with success, priced cheap, sold in
the millions, and when is the last time you saw one? Even an old girl friend
had one, preferring it to her 1968 Firebird 400, which had bad linkage making
second gear shifts impossible. The one my parents had was green, from paint to
all vinyl interior, to the trunk. It carried seven high school boys to the
shore, and was abused in a way no car should be by a teenager. Yet history
gives it a bad rap. Of course I am talking about the Ford Pinto, ours was a
1971 with the big 2000 cc motor and automatic. Dog dish hub caps, and that was
it. Maybe as basic a car as you could get, even Ford advertised it as the new
Model A, compared it to the Model T, that you could customize any way you
wanted. And many did, I knew girls who put big yellow daisy stickers on them,
some added wide ovals and racing stripes, my parents finally consented to me
putting on Ansen Sprint mag wheels, and A70-13 raised white letter tires. Talk
about styling...but in the end, after much abuse and being delegated to third
car status, it tried to die, but wouldn’t, really we wouldn’t let it. The final
death blow coming when the intake manifold vibrated off the motor with the
carburetor still attached, and even my friend Bouke couldn’t put all the pieces
together again. And off it went....but the memories remain.
It was my high school car for awhile, and many a class was skipped cruising
in it. It had bucket seats, like only sports cars had at the time, and a
console shift, at least on the floor where the console would be if it had one.
It got great mileage, in the twenties, even on empty two dollars would fill the
tank, and it took my friends and I places we shouldn’t and couldn’t have gone in
their cars. Many Wednesday night trips to Raceway Park to watch the drags, it
would sit among the SS396’s, GTO’s, and Road Runners. It was what is was, maybe
more in the inventive mind of a teenager, but never tried to be what it wasn’t.
It is too bad it has gotten a bad rap, as I worked for Ford when the recall was
active, read the real figures on how many were fireballs, VW, Datsuns, and
Toyotas had more deaths per million miles. They came in cool wagons, Country
Squire wagons with wood grain, a wagon with a cruising package with no rear
windows, a hatchback, and a coupe. If your memory is true, you might remember
them fondly, or the good times you had in one. For some it was a first car, for
some their last before greater ones, but you never forgot one. And just try to
find one today!
It ahs been said that if you don’t learn from history you are doomed to
repeat it. I think we all can amen that one. But sometimes we pay too much
attention to what others say or think, who often misquote or deliberately lead
us astray. I owned and drove a Pinto, I was there and I know. But based on its
reputation, no one would own or want to collect one today. But it pays to
remember that if a reputation could put you out of business, the police, IRS,
the NFL, and the Democrats would all be gone. But somehow despite all the bad
PR, they flourish. Same with Jesus. Despite all the lies, rumors, innuendoes,
lack of belief, misinterpretation of the scriptures, and the sad but true
history of the church, he still thrives today. We all know someone, and could
be someone who has been hurt by the church or a Christian, and blame Jesus. He
is an easy scapegoat. After all he has been gone for 2000 years, but his book
remains, the same as it always was. Yet those who won’t or don’t believe spread
lies and misconceptions, some knowingly, some ignorant. But Jesus is the truth,
and his truth sets us free. Great minds may debate him, but for those who know
him, it goes much deeper. Despite all the great minds, the evil doers and
wishers, and the doubters, he still thrives today in the hearts of men. And
somehow despite religion and its mass media, contemporary approach, wise men
still seek him. I laugh or grimace reading church bulletins, wondering where is
Jesus among the entertainment, but yet he rises above the hoopla to supply what
we need. Funny how the naysayers may deny he is God, but will reticently admit
he was a great teacher, philosopher, and man. They miss on his greatest
quality, that of love and forgiveness. I guess being trendy has its price. But
in a world of “it’s all about me,” and people thinking BMW’s impress others,
Jesus patiently waits for you to answer his call. He is reality, not a fad, not
a trend, and not out of time. He is as temporary today as he was 2000 years
ago, and will be 2000 years from now. Where will what you drive or worship
today be in 10 years? Where have all the Pintos gone? The Vegas, Gremlins,
Fiats, and Datsuns? Yet with an advertising budget just a small percentage of
what they had, only he remains. Desirable, not collectible. His only PR
department his believers, yet despite all the bad press, Jesus thrives today.
The Pinto, well.....
Jesus was cool long before cool was cool. Pintos used to be cool, but now
are highly disregarded. Ford spent millions on promotion, Jesus gave his life.
Sadly the Pinto will always be remembered for the fires and death. Jesus will
be known as the savior who rescued us from a fiery death. No matter what you
drive today, your last ride will be in a hearse. Its final destination is up to
you.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com