My Stampede story by Jim Madison
It's all about the Pinto:
When I met my wife 30 years ago it was in a Pinto
When I moved across the country the east coast it was in a Pinto
My wife was in labor, she was rushed to hospital in a Pinto
My wife & son were drove home from the hospital in a Pinto
I moved back to the Midwest in '82 in a Pinto
I delivered pizzas to save enough to open my first business in a Pinto
I traveled around the country with my family towing a camper in my Pinto
I was on the showroom floor with dad when he bought Pintos new
I bought my red 79 from dad in 82 & kept it since
When dad died I drove it in the funeral
I have owned over 20 Pintos in 30 years (I Have 4 now)
These are some of the reasons I couldn't miss the stampede event
I first heard of the Stampede event in the fall of 2010 & I knew my red '79 had a tired motor so I started looking for a donor engine. Late in the year we found a parts car we pulled to motor and had it rebuilt. Built & installed in February, old red was ready to go.
We decided to to help support by bringing our truck and trailer loaded with tools, parts and whatever else we could think of.. Thank goodness due to the reliability of the pinto none of this was needed.
We were invited to the Memorial Day parade in Monona Wisconsin the day before we were to start the stampede, This was a good test to make sure all was ready.
We departed from Northern Illinois and met up with the "Northern Stampeders" we followed to Indianapolis Indiana where we met the "Western Pintos" From here we traveled together in a group . It was nice to be part of a huge group & since the Pinto has been part of my life I wouldn't have missed this event.
All the different cars were cool but the people are what made the event so special to me . I told my wife that it was like a movie cast.. The diversity of the people couldn't have been better picked by a film crew..We had the rich, the poor, the young, the old, the quite, the loud, the fast, the slow..The stories of their life's were radically different from one to another.
Some of the best were Richard's (Ryscar) his pinto was willed to him in the early '80s and he drove it 3000 miles home and has kept it as new in memory of his uncle. He has turned down huge cash offers and has plans to will it to his grandson one day. Others like Postal Pony, Ruby Red , Cookieboy, Escobar & even the only "non-Pinto" Larry & Louise were all not to be forgotten.
I took the time to get names,emails & addresses from my Pinto friends & plan on staying in contact with my new found friends. Me and my Pinto made if safety back home on Wednesday the 8th. With a total over 1900 miles covered it was sad to have this all end..
I would support another fund raising event with my Pinto in the future, maybe coast to coast this time because this trip seemed to go to fast.
Happy 40th my old friend !
It's all about the Pinto
Jim Madison
"Click Here" and return to stories from a road well traveled
When I met my wife 30 years ago it was in a Pinto
When I moved across the country the east coast it was in a Pinto
My wife was in labor, she was rushed to hospital in a Pinto
My wife & son were drove home from the hospital in a Pinto
I moved back to the Midwest in '82 in a Pinto
I delivered pizzas to save enough to open my first business in a Pinto
I traveled around the country with my family towing a camper in my Pinto
I was on the showroom floor with dad when he bought Pintos new
I bought my red 79 from dad in 82 & kept it since
When dad died I drove it in the funeral
I have owned over 20 Pintos in 30 years (I Have 4 now)
These are some of the reasons I couldn't miss the stampede event
I first heard of the Stampede event in the fall of 2010 & I knew my red '79 had a tired motor so I started looking for a donor engine. Late in the year we found a parts car we pulled to motor and had it rebuilt. Built & installed in February, old red was ready to go.
We decided to to help support by bringing our truck and trailer loaded with tools, parts and whatever else we could think of.. Thank goodness due to the reliability of the pinto none of this was needed.
We were invited to the Memorial Day parade in Monona Wisconsin the day before we were to start the stampede, This was a good test to make sure all was ready.
We departed from Northern Illinois and met up with the "Northern Stampeders" we followed to Indianapolis Indiana where we met the "Western Pintos" From here we traveled together in a group . It was nice to be part of a huge group & since the Pinto has been part of my life I wouldn't have missed this event.
All the different cars were cool but the people are what made the event so special to me . I told my wife that it was like a movie cast.. The diversity of the people couldn't have been better picked by a film crew..We had the rich, the poor, the young, the old, the quite, the loud, the fast, the slow..The stories of their life's were radically different from one to another.
Some of the best were Richard's (Ryscar) his pinto was willed to him in the early '80s and he drove it 3000 miles home and has kept it as new in memory of his uncle. He has turned down huge cash offers and has plans to will it to his grandson one day. Others like Postal Pony, Ruby Red , Cookieboy, Escobar & even the only "non-Pinto" Larry & Louise were all not to be forgotten.
I took the time to get names,emails & addresses from my Pinto friends & plan on staying in contact with my new found friends. Me and my Pinto made if safety back home on Wednesday the 8th. With a total over 1900 miles covered it was sad to have this all end..
I would support another fund raising event with my Pinto in the future, maybe coast to coast this time because this trip seemed to go to fast.
Happy 40th my old friend !
It's all about the Pinto
Jim Madison
