HE sure has his facts backwards. All caps prior to 71 were vented, Mavericks included. Then the environmentalists forced the automakers to capture and burn the fumes. Beginning in 71, all caps are no longer vented in any American made car.
Part of the problem with the Pinto tanks was that it was thought a shock absorber would puncture it in an impact. Later ones has a thick plastic sheet installed to protect the tank. Samurai rollovers ... this was spoofed by Consumer Reports. They don't have ads and need to sell mags somehow. The test speed for the Samurais was twice what they were subjecting the other vehicles in the test to. As a response, Suzuki went from leaf springs to coil springs on all corners in the Sidekick. I have one and armed with the right shocks, it corners well enough that it makes my buddies very nervous.
Some early Mavericks with the drop in tank, had a vapor recovery system built into the left rear quarter panel. That 70 Grabber I just bought has a non-vent deluxe cap.
Lmao, i was thinking the same thing.... I believe it was a specific bolt on the pinto that would if hit "properly" as the article read, would penetrate the gas tank allowing fuel to freely flow outside, and spark vent... my thoughts were always... how do you "properly" hit the back of a pinto, I mean, do people try this? "Whoops, jim, I missed, lets try this again... Or damn lady, you didnt hit it properly to make it blow up... I saw two pintos that stood out before... license plates said Kaboom and other said Bean we do have a vapor canister under the hood.... the guy clearly related the mav and the pinto because of the tail lights... lol, and both having the gas tanks so close in the rear..
Okay all --this thing has taken on a life of its own. I just wondered if anyone had heard of such a thing with Mavs. lol Im with all that has been said, with lots of laughs too especially when I see the serious faces of the guys who talk with me about it all --I thought they were a bit nuts too! lol Thanks to one and all --keep em coming takes one back.
Not 69.5-70, except the one noted above with the canister in the quarter panel. The caps were vented in the first year. Then it was decided that we shouldn't let all of that nasty ozone ooze from the fuel into the atmosphere.
Tanks are vented through a vapor hose that runs to the charcoal cannister where the fumes are captured in the charcoal. The early models vented to the atmosphere. Our vehicles now have the lovely system to check down to a .010" leak in the vapor system. What a joke. I hate smoke testing for a 10 thou. leak. when the factory behind us is pumping god knows what into the air. The Pinto punctures were from the diff and shocks. Not a vapor issue.
