In my younger days I used to work on and keep my cars on the road out of necessity as I couldn't afford the mechanics and usually drove the cheapest beaters I could get. Pinto's were one of my favorite cars. Cheap to buy, fix and repair. I used to get the catalogs all the time with hot parts and add-ons and always wished I could fix one of the Pinto's up... I wanted a Hot Rod Pinto!

Forward a few years... as times got better I could get newer cars that didn't need me to fix them all the time and when they did need repairs I could afford to let someone else do the work unless it was easy and quick. Cars started to become nothing more than transport at that point and while I did still like the cars I owned... after a few years they were just... cars and boring...

A few years ago, in 1996, I was sitting at home (as I was prone to do at the time) with nothing to do... life at this point was nothing but work and home, work and home, work and home and life was getting... boring! I needed "something" a hobby perhaps...

I had a 1976 Mustang II sitting in the garage, had been there a few years untouched waiting for... something. I just couldn't get motivated and really had no desire to do anything with it. Just wasn't for me... I really wanted a Pinto! but hadn't seen one for years. I did use Ebay for other things and one day I typed "Pinto" into the search... WOW! I couldn't believe it... while not close by... they were out there!

After a couple months of searching and looking I found the one I always wanted but never owned... a 1977 Cruising Wagon! so... I bought it and went to Kansas to get it!

The Madness Starts! Since that first one I have purchased a few more (I currently have 7 Pinto's, 1 Bobcat and I still have that Mustang II) and while a few of them are parts cars, beyond restoration condition, I do have 1 fully restored (1973 "Hot Pants" Pinto) and 4 decent drivers in various stages of restoration...

I finally have something other than "work" to think about and must admit sometimes my hobby gets a little crazy and out of control. I'm having the time of my life so in the end it has been worth it. The friends I have made, the trips I have been on and the many adventures have all been great!

A question I get asked alot ~~> Q: What's with the name "Cookieboy?"

Answer: it's my nick-name... I like cookies... will work for cookies, will beg for cookies... if it wasn't for Pinto's... It would be "All About the Cookies! Baby!"

I got it years ago when we used to do gaming lan-parties at my house. Lot's of Unreal Tournament and Quake III Arena. I live in a big house with lot's of rooms - all wired up on the lan so we couldn't see each other (and cheat looking at each others screens) and I was "Top Dog" no one won but me, I couldn't be beat. Anyhow one of my friends came in to my room after being "fragged" for the "millionth" time to yell at me and caught me with my feet on the desk playing one handed... drinking milk and eating cookies with the other... Cookieboy was born. The gaming days are over but I adopted the name and it's been with me ever since...

Anyhow... that's a little about me. For the future I hope this "little adventure" of mine continues and the fun never stops. Keep a lookout for "The Cookieboy" as the trips and adventures will continue and I hope to see and meet as many other "Pinto Nuts" as I can...

Brian
a.k.a. "The Cookieboy"