Vintage Snapshot: The Fold-Together Pinto
– Posted on November 15, 2018
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This was at the Cermak Plaza Shopping Center in Berwyn, IL, a strip mall that at one time was known for its sometimes controversial artwork. More info here: http://users.rcn.com/jdeubel/plaza/
Forgot to add: the same artist, Dustin Shuler, also did the Spindle which was located in the parking lot of the center. You may remember it from the Wayne’s World movie.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindle_(sculpture)
If you ran into it with a shopping cart, would it burst into flames?
Reminds me of this “mural” at the Santa Teresa DMV in San Jose, CA. Photo from Google Images.
Looks like it was the same artist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_Shuler
Interesting. Looks like this artist got around!
Nice! A Triumph GT6 Mk3 by the looks of it.
Take a look at the Do-It-Yourself Pinto in the 1971 Ford Pinto brochure.
K. Holm, I didn’t remember that one at all—thanks for clueing us in! http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Ford/1971_Ford/1971%20Ford%20Pinto%20Brochure/1971%20Ford%20Pinto-06-07.html
Thanks for encouraging me to kill an hour at work….
+1!!!!!! No desktop color printers in 1970—but somebody kept a brochure nice for almost a half-century so we could buy it for lunch money today: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Pinto-Ford-Sales-Brochure/323533919094?hash=item4b541fd376:g:ZUoAAOSws19Ze9zO:rk:1:pf:0
Very cool, I want one of those keys.
You’re in luck…they’re all over eBay, and usually less than $10.
I used to love going to that plaza when I was a kid. There were some great stores there too. Sears, Service Merchandise, “The Egg Store”, Woolworth’s…
I think the most controversial sculpture there was the trash pile.
As a kid, I loved all the spinning lights on the front of the Service Merchandise. You remember what I’m talking about?
I shall now begin my intelligent critique of this artwork. Blah icky! This concludes my critique of this artwork.
Very thourogh job, out rocker panels, ends of the bumper cut and attached to the fenders front and rear valance panels.
I’ve never seen something like this, lots of varying amounts of front or rear ends sticking out of a wall, or an entire car or truck, usually less drivetrain off course on top of a building or on a pole.
That’s how it was assembled, wasn’t it? Just fold and attach with hundreds of sheet metal screws.
That’s how mine felt after five years anyway.
Visually, it almost looks like the Pinto ‘splattered’ against the wall, as the passersby go about their business. The visual effect reminded me of the fate of the lead singer in the music video for ‘One Man Army’ by Our Lady Peace.
https://youtu.be/I7R-PSvvziU?t=114
Reminds me of the cheap cereal that didn’t give you a real “prize”, you just got a junky cutout on the back of the box with a reminder to have Mom help you do the cutting.
I dropped into the centre in August 2008 to see the spindle on my Rte 66 trip. The spindle had just been removed, just rubble left where it was mounted. I did find the Pinto though so it wasn’t wasted. I still recall exactly where it was.
KJ in Oz
The taillights are upside down. I wonder if it’s still there, now I want to go fix it lol
Here are some artistically arranged Yugos I found on a bicycle ride in Middletown CT.
Here is picture of a now demolished but once famous bit of public automobile art, the Ghost Parking Lot, which graced a section of the parking lot of a shopping center in Hamden CT.
It consisted of asphalt-covered cars from the 70’s, and pictures taken during its early years suggest that it looked pretty cool before the vicissitudes of time, the elements, and human-mediated destruction took their toll.
I came upon it during the final year of its existence when, ignorant of its presence, was confused by it while trying to park there for lunch.
These photos, evidently taken during its early years, came from Jalopnik, There are plenty others out there documenting its condition over the years.
Nothing like this graced my local White Oak Shopping Center, but we too had a generic “Optometrist” at ours, nestled between the Drug Fair and the Snap Shops.
The Pinto splat is something I’ve never seen before. Here’s my contribution of automotive art. A Lincoln limo sculpture done by an auto wrecker in Lamont, Alberta.
Same view today 🙁
Today’s view looks like there was an update to the centre. It was looking dodgey when I visited!
KJ in Oz
IIRC, there was a cutout of a Ford Pinto on a cereal box in the 70’s in order to promote the new Ford. For the life of me, I cannot find it on the web.
There was also a cereal offer to get a plastic toy sized Pinto via the mail if you collected a certain number of coupons. Again, cannot find it on the web.
The Cermak Plaza Pinto was called “Pinto Pelt” – never noticed the upside down taillights.
Someone had the bright idea to feed pigeons by “The Spindle”, which caused this very cool sculpture to be covered in pigeon poop.
The “Floating McDonalds” at Cermak Plaza was a gem that is no longer with us.