Great thread. I didn't have a Pinto, but we had one at the place where I worked (a pharmacy) and they let us deliver drugs (legal drugs) in it. It was bullet proof.
I did have a '72 Maverick with the 200 c.i. straight six all through school.It was the Red/white/blue U.S.A. edition that went with leisure suits and all the hair. Three on the tree, no a/c, no power steering, no FM radio. ( I wish I had the hair back, anyway).Bought it used and drove it through HS and college when my 54 Ford F100 was not up to the job. The car was absolutely bulletproof, but a dog. I shoulda kept it. All I remember doing to it was a valve cover gasket, a headlight, and tires.
When we got married, we needed a cheap car, so we bought a 74 Vega and sleeved the engine. Had an Offy intake and a two stage two barrel. It was the standard rusted out GT model. It had a heavy suspension and a broken sway bar which we welded back together. We lived in Athens and my wife used to drag race the late 70's-early 80's Corvettes that were such dogs from light to light. Beat them almost every time. Only problems were that it wouldn't start when it rained and the 4 speed would hang in 2-3 and I'd have to crawl under the car and pry the shift linkage around until it popped. One day the wipers froze to the windshield and the defroster croaked. Oh, and there was the day the wheel bearing ate itself. I got a better job and we got a VW Rabbit for her which was a big improvement.
Bad cars, good times. We didn't know any better.