From: Al Falfa on

"Steve" <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote in message
news:6_qdnVUeDo8Xd2fXnZ2dnUVZ_qpi4p2d(a)texas.net...
>
>>>
>>> What kind of idiot would unload the trunk with the engine running and
>>> the Parking Brake not engaged?
>> The parking brake was engaged.
>>
>
> Not if the car moved, it wasn't. "Engaged" doesn't mean "one click," it
> means ENGAGED enough to hold. Still operator error.
>
What do you know about this? Nothing.

From: C. E. White on

"Mr Ed" <ecamin(a)earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:hJadnXIdqY48qGXXnZ2dnUVZ_qSdnZ2d(a)earthlink.com...
> "C. E. White" <cewhite3(a)mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:6Y-dnXElQaLDrGrXnZ2dnUVZ_uKdnZ2d(a)earthlink.com...
>>
>> "Not Me" <Not.Me(a)Home.Base> wrote in message
>> news:neWdnXKt3Y2WbGvXnZ2dnUVZ_uJi4p2d(a)speakeasy.net...
>>> jr92 wrote:
>>>> I had the same problem happen to me many years ago. My '76 Pinto had
>>>> the throttle stick wide open. After about 8 minutes, and a top end
>>>> speed of about 67mph, I found a cotton field and ran it into it,
>>>> slowing me down enough that I could jump out of the car before it hit
>>>> a fence post. I wasnt hurt, but it cost me 94 bucks to replace the
>>>> bumper that was busted
>>>
>>> Lucky you didn't burn to death in the fuel fire Pintos were famous for.
>>
>> While Pinto's may have been famous for this, it was not a justifiable
>> accusation. The facts are much different that the perception. Pintos were
>> no more likely to catch on fire that other small cars from the same era.
>> Pintos were the victim of a viscous smear campaign sort of like what is
>> building over this Toyota floor mat / cruise control / unintended
>> acceleration issue.
>>
>> Ed
> It was a justifiable accusation. My son's car was rear ended and it
> shortened his Pinto by 4 inches. We wrapped a chain around the bumper to
> a tree, floored it and got 3 inches back. We looked at his gas tank and
> it had the drain plug indentation in the gas tank metal. He was one of
> the lucky ones. It didn't pierce it and explode. The drain plug should
> have been placed elsewhere out of dangers way. Then if it exploded it
> would be a normal accident.

What drain plug indentation. Neither the gas tank nor the rear end had a
drain plug. For Ford Pintos of that era you had to remove the differential
cover to drain the lube.

The facts are clear - Pinto were no more likely to catch on fire than other
vehicles from that era of the same size. Many cars of that era had gas tank
mounted in the same location in the same manner (for instance my 280Z had a
similar tank location). Even more modern vehicles have gas tanks mounted in
this manner. Late 90's Jeeps are now being investigated becasue the Ditlow
gang is fishing for new clients.

Ed

From: C. E. White on

"C. E. White" <cewhite3remove(a)mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:krOdnQ_SwdHqwmbXnZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d(a)earthlink.com...
>
> "Mr Ed" <ecamin(a)earthlink.net> wrote in message
> news:hJadnXIdqY48qGXXnZ2dnUVZ_qSdnZ2d(a)earthlink.com...
>> "C. E. White" <cewhite3(a)mindspring.com> wrote in message
>> news:6Y-dnXElQaLDrGrXnZ2dnUVZ_uKdnZ2d(a)earthlink.com...
>>>
>>> "Not Me" <Not.Me(a)Home.Base> wrote in message
>>> news:neWdnXKt3Y2WbGvXnZ2dnUVZ_uJi4p2d(a)speakeasy.net...
>>>> jr92 wrote:
>>>>> I had the same problem happen to me many years ago. My '76 Pinto
>>>>> had
>>>>> the throttle stick wide open. After about 8 minutes, and a top
>>>>> end
>>>>> speed of about 67mph, I found a cotton field and ran it into it,
>>>>> slowing me down enough that I could jump out of the car before
>>>>> it hit
>>>>> a fence post. I wasnt hurt, but it cost me 94 bucks to replace
>>>>> the
>>>>> bumper that was busted
>>>>
>>>> Lucky you didn't burn to death in the fuel fire Pintos were
>>>> famous for.
>>>
>>> While Pinto's may have been famous for this, it was not a
>>> justifiable accusation. The facts are much different that the
>>> perception. Pintos were no more likely to catch on fire that other
>>> small cars from the same era. Pintos were the victim of a viscous
>>> smear campaign sort of like what is building over this Toyota
>>> floor mat / cruise control / unintended acceleration issue.
>>>
>>> Ed
>> It was a justifiable accusation. My son's car was rear ended and
>> it shortened his Pinto by 4 inches. We wrapped a chain around the
>> bumper to a tree, floored it and got 3 inches back. We looked at
>> his gas tank and it had the drain plug indentation in the gas tank
>> metal. He was one of the lucky ones. It didn't pierce it and
>> explode. The drain plug should have been placed elsewhere out of
>> dangers way. Then if it exploded it would be a normal accident.
>
> What drain plug indentation. Neither the gas tank nor the rear end
> had a drain plug. For Ford Pintos of that era you had to remove the
> differential cover to drain the lube.

Sorry, I got that wrong. The Pintos did have a drain plug, on the
front side. I knew they didn't have one on the rear, but a Pinto
expert told me they did have one on the front.

Ed

>
> The facts are clear - Pinto were no more likely to catch on fire
> than other vehicles from that era of the same size. Many cars of
> that era had gas tank mounted in the same location in the same
> manner (for instance my 280Z had a similar tank location). Even more
> modern vehicles have gas tanks mounted in this manner. Late 90's
> Jeeps are now being investigated becasue the Ditlow gang is fishing
> for new clients.
>
> Ed


From: Steve on
Al Falfa wrote:
>
> "Steve" <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote in message
> news:6_qdnVUeDo8Xd2fXnZ2dnUVZ_qpi4p2d(a)texas.net...
>>
>>>>
>>>> What kind of idiot would unload the trunk with the engine running
>>>> and the Parking Brake not engaged?
>>> The parking brake was engaged.
>>>
>>
>> Not if the car moved, it wasn't. "Engaged" doesn't mean "one click,"
>> it means ENGAGED enough to hold. Still operator error.
>>
> What do you know about this? Nothing.
>

I know that a properly engaged parking brake will hold a vehicle against
the force of the engine at idle with an automatic transmission in gear.

Kinda like the (perhaps apocryphal) story of the railroad engineer
testifying at a trial. "The locomotive then struck the illegally parked
car...." The lawyer said, "AHA, you can't possibly KNOW the car was
illegaly parked!" "Of course I can," the engineer said, "because the
locomotive hit it."
From: Gary L. Burnore on
On Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:03:09 -0600, Steve <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote:

>Al Falfa wrote:
>>
>> "Steve" <no(a)spam.thanks> wrote in message
>> news:6_qdnVUeDo8Xd2fXnZ2dnUVZ_qpi4p2d(a)texas.net...
>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> What kind of idiot would unload the trunk with the engine running
>>>>> and the Parking Brake not engaged?
>>>> The parking brake was engaged.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not if the car moved, it wasn't. "Engaged" doesn't mean "one click,"
>>> it means ENGAGED enough to hold. Still operator error.
>>>
>> What do you know about this? Nothing.
>>
>
>I know that a properly engaged parking brake will hold a vehicle against
>the force of the engine at idle with an automatic transmission in gear.

In fact, a properly engaged and adjusted brake will hold the engine
when a load is applied FROM idle.
>
>Kinda like the (perhaps apocryphal) story of the railroad engineer
>testifying at a trial. "The locomotive then struck the illegally parked
>car...." The lawyer said, "AHA, you can't possibly KNOW the car was
>illegaly parked!" "Of course I can," the engineer said, "because the
>locomotive hit it."

:)