Happy Friday! As it was a short week, I decided it was time for another Track-Daily-Burn. But looking at the week’s winners, the choices were obvious, so I wanted to mix it up a little and pit the week’s losers against each other. So let’s finalize our third contestant, and then we’ll take a second look at all three:
Another close call, but the Volaré wins it, making this the first time a Volaré has won anything since Motor Trend’s 1976 Car Of The Year. And that means our third contestant for today’s Track-Daily-Burn is the Pinto. (I won’t make the easy joke, I won’t make the easy joke…)
Just in case you weren’t with us last time we did this, the rules are simple: You must choose one of these cars to drive daily, one to compete in some sort of motorsport event (not necessarily a traditional race track; it can be a dragstrip, a dirt oval, a Gambler event, or whatever), and one to destroy by fire. It’s like that other game, only with cars. There’s no poll at the bottom; just make your selections in the comments.
To help you make informed decisions, we’ll quickly recap each car, and I’ll throw in my two cents about each one. This is likely the most important decision you’ll make today, unless you are forced to choose between a chicken or beef burrito for lunch, and I want you to have all the information you can.
1993 Infiniti M30 Convertible
This California-modified drop-top version of a Nissan Leopard somehow lost to a non-running Ford Bronco II. I’m still not sure how that happened. I mean, I like a good ’80s 4×4 as much as the next guy, but running with new tires surely beats non-running and yanked out of a swamp, right?
It’s a pretty nice car, except for the interior and the top, both of which are ratty but still broadly functional. The Nissan VG30E engine and Jatco 4 speed automatic have a good reputation, and even with nearly 200,000 miles, should be reliable. If you live somewhere where a convertible can be driven with the top down more than just a couple months out of the year, this could make a fun beater.
But on the other hand, it is a cheap rear-wheel-drive car, which could make dirt-road shenanigans a lot of fun. And I’d have to check with our pal Mercedes, but I would imagine that if you showed up to a Gambler or Hooptie X-type event with a rare Japanese personal luxury convertible, you’d be kind of a hero.
But if neither of those possibilities grabs you, I understand that convertible tops are quite flammable.
1989 Pontiac Grand Am
I felt sorry for this poor Grand Am. It got its doors blown off by a Ford Taurus SHO that’s a suspiciously good deal. Personally, I feel like this is the more honest car, but to the voting public, there was no business like SHO business.
The ace up this car’s sleeve is that it has a five-speed manual transmission. It’s not the slick-shifting Getrag gearbox found in Quad 4-powered Grand Ams, but it’s still orders of magnitude more entertaining to drive than any automatic-equipped GM small car. You can’t expect miracles in terms of acceleration from the 110-horsepower “Tech IV” engine (the “Iron Duke” moniker wasn’t technically used after the early ’80s), but it gets decent mileage, and it’s nigh-on indestructible. This would make a good funky daily driver, and that’s how I’d use it.
I’m not sure how this car would fit into a motorsports situation. It doesn’t really handle well enough for track use, it isn’t fast, and it’s too nice to gut for a rollcage or beat up off-road. I mean, you could, but it doesn’t seem like the best choice.
1976 Ford Pinto Runabout
And just yesterday, this little Pinto Runabout lost to a Volaré. Now that’s embarrassing. Despite this car being the better shade of green, the four-door Plymouth had the upper hand, if only just barely.
We’ll pretend, for the sake of argument, that we’re talking about this car after the massive coolant leak has been found and fixed, and the alternator has been replaced, so it’s in decent running condition. What you have, then, is a small, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive car with a tough engine and a patricularly slushy slushbox. It would have been a daily-use economy car in its day, but it’s a bit outclassed these days. It’s slow, inefficient, flimsy, noisy, and unreliable compared to anything made in the past twenty years. As an around-town low-speed daily driver, I could see it, if you wanted to be contrarian or cosplay Joyce Byers.
On the other hand, it’s a small, lightweight, rear-wheel-drive car. As such, it has seen duty in all sorts of motorsports: SCCA, IMSA, drag racing, and countless dirt ovals. You can stuff quite a large engine in place of that Lima 2.3 liter four, and a simple solid rear axle can be set up in just about any way you can imagine.
And – sure, what the hell – it is a Pinto. They burn pretty well, if you really can’t think of anything better to do with it.
So there they are: Our three runners-up for the week. Choose one to turn into a race vehicle of some flavor, one to press into daily use, and one to immolate utterly, and post your choices in the comments.
And just a quick note for Autopians in the Portland, Oregon area: I’m going to be at the All-British Field Meet at Portland International Raceway tomorrow with my MGB GT. Feel free to stop by and say hello if you’re nearby. It’s $10 to get in, which includes not only the show, but vintage racing on the track (not just British cars) and access to the paddock as well. If you’ve ever wanted to see a 1954 Swallow Doretti up close and personal, or watch a Rolls-Royce Corniche go through a slalom course, or hear (and feel) a dozen big-block Corvettes and Mustangs go thundering past on the track, this is the event for you. Hope to see you there!
Daily the M30 because convertible
Race the Pinto because engine swap (small block Ford or Ecoboost)
Burn the Grand Am because ’80s GM
You guys may not remember the Pony Stock class at the NASCAR-sanctioned Cajon Speedway outside San Diego, but it was almost entirely Pintos and Vegas, and it was a hoot. They typically went considerably faster than the entry-level Bomber Stock class (which was your Chevelles and Novas and LTDs with $800 claimer V8 engines), and if that track still existed, this Pinto would be right at home.
I like convertibles, so I’d probably set fire to the Pontiac. Probably with a cinder block on the gas pedal to see which end blows up first.
Daily – Infiniti. Fun to drive with the top down, interesting enough to spark a couple of conversations, automatic is good for cruising and daily rush hour duties.
Track – Grand Am. Three pedals can wring the best performance out of that durable Iron Duke, and FWD make for some good handling in some slippery conditions (although FWD would be a weak spot for a demolition derby).
Burn – Pinto. Poor transmission, weak engine, poor collision…certainly nothing of benefit here. Sure, you could add a bigger motor as indicated, but the rest of the car isn’t worth it. And unless the fuel tank recall has been completed, definitely not a good choice for a demolition derby.
Track the M30
Daily the Grand Am
Send another car to ram the Pinto for a late 4th of July special.
Burn the Pinto because it’s a Pinto, and a rusty one at that. Daily the Grand Am because I don’t trust the ratty top on the M30 not to leak. Track the M30 because I’ve already assigned the other cars.
Track – M30, remove the convertible top and install a cage. Top down zooming on a track would be cool
Daily – Grand Am, it wins the daily choice by default, not really on it’s own merit though. If I could get 2 identical M30s I’d track one and daily the other but since I can’t the Grand Am wins
Burn – Pinto because obviously the Pinto would burn
Pinto – either Track for the LOLs, or Burn (same reason).
M30 – either Daily because ‘vert, or Burn because it’s kinda rough.
Pontiac – either Daily or Track, because it’s a stick in nice shape.
Actually a tough decision. All 3 have pros & cons. None of them would I actually spend real money on. So in the end:
Track – Pinto
Daily – Pontiac
Burn – M30
Daily – 1993 Infiniti M30 Convertible
Track – 1976 Ford Pinto Runabout
Burn – 1989 Pontiac Grand Am
The Thinking behind these choices — The M30 is just scarce enough that you aren’t going to see another on your daily commute. Tracking the Pinto in a Lemons or Gambler is a fitting way for it to end its life, I just woukdn’t enter it in a Demolition Derby. A Viking Funeral is a fitting end to the Maliase Era GrandAm.
That protruding single din mounting setup for the aftermarket head unit sure takes me back. Adding a new sound system was the first thing my friends did when any of us got a car like this in high school/college. The installs on those 80’s GMs were never too clean..
Track – Infinity due to ease of putting in the roll bar and rear wheel drive.
Daily – Grand Am. Mama Taco had one when I was but a wee chip so memories.
Burn – Pinto because it’s easy to burn and I can’t think of a better use for it.
Daily the vert..because why not live a little. A new rag top and an interior refresh is not always a difficult project.
Track the Pinto. It is light vehicle that has plenty of followings allowing for an ample amount of performance enhancements….first being a manual swap.
Burn the GA. That iron duke in a vehicle this size even with a manual would be painful given the current automotive scene we have today.
Track the Infiniti
Daily the Grand Am
Burn the Pinto – lets be honest…it’s known for that right? Right? 😉
Easy choice really. Only potential change would be if you engine swap the Pinto, then it’d be:
Track the Pinto
Daily the Infiniti
Burn the Grand Am
As a side note: I had that same year, color, model and stick version of the Grand Am. Decent cheap car honestly until someone ran a stop sign in front of me and I couldn’t stop and hit them. It was my college car way back in 94/95. Quad 4 wasn’t horrible…mind you it wasn’t great…just not horrible
As a second chance I went with the Grand Am. It just works. It never stood a chance with the SHO.
I would take one as the general use around town/commuter/winter car easily.
I vote with “npg.” Well, except that I’d take the Pinto to a road course and not a dragstrip. That engine can take some hopping-up (I’m guessing “npg” is thinking about stuffing something with many more liters and twice the number of cylinders in there), the chassis isn’t the worst (they do handle better when the bumpers come off) and off-course excursions won’t break your heart if they scuff up the paint….
The Grand Am? Yeah, it’ll probably run forever, even if noisily and with vibrations from the Iron Puke that the Beach Boys wouldn’t sing about.
Which leaves the Infiniti, which never grabbed me and, after all these years, still doesn’t. If I had to have a convertible out of these three, I’d take a Sawzall to the Pontiac. Wouldn’t be much worse than it is now….
I’ll go with the stock response today:
Track: Infinity
Daily: Pontiac
Burn: Pinto
That Grand Am is just too darn nice to burn or hack up for racing, it’s got 3 pedals, and I love seeing unloved models preserved for posterity. As others have said, a roll cage would be easy to add to a vert, and it would hold up to some abuse. I hate to burn anything, but Pinto it is.
Ideally from this bunch I’d like to daily and rallycross the Grand Am, but since that violates the rules I shall daily it. For the track, I’ll take Pinto and rallycross that. Will it be competitive? No. Will it be fun? Most certainly.
No one will morn the loss of that crusty Infinity. Burn it!
Track: Ford Pinto
Daily: Pontiac Grand Am
Burn: Infiniti M30
Your $10 admission to the All-British Field Meet at Portland International Raceway tomorrow includes your chance to meet celebrity guest Mark Tucker!
Pictures are extra, though.
Daily the Infiniti, burn the Grand Am (seriously, it’s fucking hideous) and get horribly underwater trying to make something interesting out of the Pinto. I have a soft spot for them, they’re like a Ford Cortina’s dumb flyover state American cousin who needs geeing up a bit and showing there’s more to life than wonderbread and that one girl from Bible study class.
There’s gonna be a lot of similar responses, but:
Track: Infiniti M30
Daily: Pontiac Grand Am
Burn: Ford Pinto
I almost wanted to switch the Daily the Infiniti and the Track to the Pontiac, mostly because I feel the convertible will lack the structural rigidity for good cornering, but It’s probably still the more athletic of the two. And the Pontiac is almost too nice to flog on the track. The Pinto is not really good enough for either.
Daily the ‘vert, race the Pinto, burn the Grand Am
My first auto-x there was a fully stripped out Pinto, racing frame welded up in it, still rocking the 4-banger. It ripped. I’ve never forgotten it.
Daily the Grand Am
Pinto drag car
Burn the Infiniti.
I really need a Pro-Street Pinto in my life.
Daily the Grand Am, hoon the M30, and sacrifice the Pinto to an orgy of fire, sex, drugs and rock and roll.
Track the Infinity, easy to put in a roll cage with no fixed roof.
Daily the Grand Am. Boring, but it’ll get you from point A to point B
Burn the Pinto, because if anyone hits it, it’s going up in flames anyway.
God this is so cursed. I guess I’d daily the Infiniti because open top motoring rules, it’s probably comfy, and I wouldn’t care at all about it cosmetically, track the Grand Am since at least it has 3 pedals and I need more wheel time in manual cars, and destroy the Pinto in a fire…if it doesn’t get destroyed in its own fire after someone rear ends it. I know that Pintos have gained some hipster cred in recent years but I have less than 0 interest in malaise era econoboxes.
given its third pedal and 90’s era fuel injection/chip keys, the GA might also be the hardest of these to steal.