wifes windstar
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 6
From: Northern California
Pinto In The Winto Time...
Originally Posted by 96_4wdr
the Pinto and Windstar are Ford's answer to the Yugo, throwaway cars and van
When I lived in Ohio, I had a 1974 Pinto wagon 2.3L 4, for a winter ride. One cold late January, the temp dropped to -9 degrees with a breeze that dropped the wind chill to -25. I pulled the Pinto as close to the garage door as possible, this Pinto started up when many much newer cars refused to start in the bitter cold! I always kept the gas tank full on those conditions, and blocked the radiator by 1/3 with a piece of cardboard. That Pinto never left me stuck, and with good radial tires, I never needed (or used) any snow tires. I had all the back seats out, so with it being a wagon, it was a good little cargo hauler, with the 4-speed stick, it was good on gas too. Hence, a fond spot in my heart, for the Pinto. I also bought a Bobcat wagon, and it too, was a dependable winter car... Ed
rick
Junior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 78
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
If it makes you feel any better the Windstar is a great vehicle as long as it is maintained properly. Yes, the 3.8 is know to blow head gaskets and the tranny is known to go out. But, both problems can be eliminated by proper maintenance. Our 1998 Windstar has 163,000 miles on both the engine and transmission! I replace the coolant every year religously, service the tranny every 15,000 miles or so and keep up to date on all other maintenance as recommended by Ford. The only parts that have ever been replaced on our Windstar was the MLPS switch on the transmission around ten thousand miles aso and the belt tensioner about 500 miles ago. If I had it to do over again I would buy another. As for yours...do what I have done and it will last another 100,000 very easily.
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