The Pinto was Ford’s first U.S.-built subcompact and found more than three million buyers in its 10-year lifespan. It was a rather conventional little machine, with rear-wheel-drive and a low-price tag. By 1980, when the seller’s car was built, the Pinto was on its way out, to be replaced soon by the front-wheel-drive Escort. This ’80 Pinto is said to have been owned by a collector, has low miles, and is being sold out of an estate. Located in Parksville, British Columbia, the little runabout is available here on craigslist for $6,995 (Canadian funds). Tip finder Tony Primo is at it again!
Changes made to the car were minimal over time, though the 1980 Pinto looked visually different than the 1971 original. The most pronounced would be the addition of huge bumpers fore and aft in response to increased industry safety standards. The car’s primary competitor was the Chevy Vega (and later the Chevette) and the various European imports like VW. Years after its passing, the Pinto is remembered by many for the extensive bad PR the company got for rear-end collisions being fire hazards. During the latter half of the Pinto’s run, Mercury sold a badge-engineered variant called the Bobcat.
Other than an automatic transmission, the seller’s Pinto may not be loaded with options and has likely spent most of its time in a garage given the claim of just 21,900 original miles. The asking price has been reduced by $2,000, probably because of a lack of interest at the higher ante. It looks good as best we can tell, but the photos aren’t the best and some of them are blurry, especially of the interior and under the hood.
We’re told the 2.3-liter inline-4 is favorable on fuel, which was Pinto’s sweet spot back in the day. It achieved sales records in the mid-1970s when gasoline prices spiked thanks to the OPEC oil embargo of 1973. This should be an easy auto to work on as everything is right there for you to see, rather than the guessing game with many of today’s vehicles. Oddly, the car is listed on craigslist as a 1980 Ford Mustang because the Canadian auction site KIJJI has no category for the Pinto. So, what does not have to do with craigslist? Do you consider the Pinto to be collectible in today’s wacky car world?
It does look like this Pinto is in good shape, as best we can tell from the (sometimes) blurry pics. I prefer the early models with the small bumpers, and I’d think the automatic would take some of the enjoyment out of driving. Cool upholstery.
This could be a simple, fun car to own, for folks who would like to re-live their days of driving and enjoying their Pinto. And for not much money…. I think the price is FIRM, no let’s make it VERY FIRM.
So is the 6.999 after the 2.000 drop in price? I have a 1979 pinto automatic. Nice little car. But not great. Like to see more pictures. It doesn’t seem to have ac. Then probably no power steering. I’m thinking 🤔
It’s in Canada. Not much need for A/C up in the Great White North, eh?
My first car was a Pinto … trust me, the factory took the joy out of driving. My favorite feature was the engine randomly stalling at highway speeds. It’s only a deal if you want it …
Hmm, apparently you got a bad one, I highly doubt they would’ve sold so many, if they all randomly died going down the highway. And as with any vehicle, then, or now, problems can be fixed. What a concept lol
I had a 74 Pinto Squire wagon and a 79 Pinto Pony. Drove them all over the states and Canada and they never failed me. The AC on the Squire worked well all the way down to the Mexican border and to the top of the Rocky Mountains. Easy to work on and easy on gas. I loved them both.
After just 3 hours the seller dropped his pants and reduced the price over 20%, but he’s now “VERY FIRM”. Allrighty then!
I can understand knowing that he reduced the price, but how did you know he also dropped his pants? Just asking.
lol!
For whatever reason some sellers, like this guy, or on sites such as eBay will put things on sale immediately after listing an item. I think this to make potential buyers think they need to act right away it lose out on a “deal”. I’d rather find an actual deal than be manipulated into acting impulsively.
Steve R
Just being unnecessarily vulgar..
I’m wondering if this has been tapped in the rear, the tail light assemblies are from a 77 or 78.
1977 tail lights. Concerning.
Could be…but the bumper is correct, not scavanged from the same donor car. If it got smacked, it looks like it was put back correctly (otherwise) and there’d be no reason not to buy correct taillights.
Couple of possible reasons for the lights: Could be sun/UV or vandalism damage to the lights, and he just went to a boneyard and got something close. OR…even as late as 1980, there were some differences with Canadian car models. Canada used to have steep auto-import tariffs, and most American companies had dedicated plants in Canada to supply that market.
And sometimes there were differences. The Pinto, for example…before it cloned a Mercury Bobcat, there was a Mercury Capri in Canada, from 1973. Not exported; only sold in Canada.
Canada could have continued with NOS taillights for a year to use up supply.
This style was ’77 only.
All the more reason to use up NOS or overstocked surplus parts – especially in Canada, which then was a more-provincial, protected market.
The Pinto was headed to the glue factory in 1980, so any irregularity or seemingly-irrational mix of parts not shown on the glossy flyers, wouldn’t have been so unusual. Ordering a new batch of taillights just to keep the last thousand or so orders coming, maybe might have cost more.
Or, as mentioned, the owner could have had a minor incident resulting in one or both taillights damaged. Since the bumper (aluminum, by then) seems fine, it’s doubtful that a major event would have damaged the back end.
Canada car so they would be slightly different
Just being unnecessarily vulgar..
Had one in 1980..bought new with a manual. Was a fun car to drive.
Yup,I bought a used 80’Pinto in 1981 with 12 k miles,drove up to 90 + miles with no problem. 4-speed,no air,but working 10 pm to 6 am I got by without it.
The ideal vehicle for a pleasure/project or third car. Looks like a good car to drive, restore or modify. To the untrained eye it doesn’t look to be very well optioned but there are t racing mirrors, bumper trim, upgraded interior and radio. Stick would be more fun the automatic isn’t the end of the world.
By today’s standards, this is a slug. 4cly automatic probably do 0-60 in about 5 minutes. Had a 73 wagon, swapped it to a 4 speed, was a totally different vehicle.
Collectible? Not really. Nice extra car to run around town in, but not the kind of car people are starting bidding wars over.
The Cologne 2.0 had a LOT more guts than the first versions of the Lima 2.3.
And for some reason it took Ford over a decade to actually turn the Lima into a serviceable automotive powerplant. Odd, since Ford already did it with the German two-liter, even wearing Federal emissions equipment.
I had several Pintos of the early 1970s, two with Cologne engines and one with the Lima. No comparison. For 1973 only, the Cologne four was standard and the Lima mill optional…and I’m sure a lot of Ford salesmen, and customers, were surprised.
The 2.0 with a four-speed was fully comparable to Japanese, VW and GM models of that segment. It wasn’t a hot rod but would hold its own, just fine, and even do acceptably on freeways (55-mph era).
Ka-BOOM,,,there, now that we got that out of the way,( 1971-1976) by 1980 that had faded considerable. For the record, I saw a LOT of Pintos, driving and in junkyards, many rear-ended and never once saw any burned, but like Corvairs, it just never shook that image. Shame, as I feel, the Pinto was the best of the American bunch. Vega? Oh, please, Gremlin? Too weird. Ferrin’ jobs like Opel? Maybe but the Pinto was just right. As mentioned, by 1980, the poor Pinto that started it all, was dated, and like it or not, FWD was the new hot button, and it was adios to the Pinto. I feel the Pinto was so good, that a 40+ year old example still works for today.
$5182 American dollars not sure how you get it titled because there is how I would get it across the border then there is the more legal way to do it, but I think my way avoids the duty fees they typically want at the border.
Thank goodness the exploding Pinto myth was dealt with early on in the description. That way, anyone with fears of being roasted alive, when a larger vehicle rams into the back of the car at 70 mph, will not buy this car. Again, thank you for this top safety tip.
Ah ha “ExplodingChevySideTanks” Now there’s one that was more than just a myth, also one that was never resolved, it just got swept under the rug
Not quite. Everyone who held a title to one got a $1000 rebate toward a new truck. That was thirty years ago when a grand was real money.
I bought a one-owner 80 Pinto in 1989. It was in excellent condition, 4spd manual, canary yellow with black interior. I wouldn’t say it was fun to drive, but it was much more durable than I thought it would be.
Good commuter car or a great first car for a teenager. Excellent shape for a 45 year old car. The four cylinder (151?) looks easy to work on, definitely change sparks, points, and oil with ease. I think $2,000 is a very fair price for the Pinto, it’s not like it’s a ’71 Mustang or a muscle car. 70’s econoboxes need some love too!
The front and rear park bench bumpers are a non starter, and the 2.3 automatic doesn’t help it either. The earlier small chrome bumpers and 2 liter 4 speed models were a fun little driver. This one not so much.
A friend of mine, almost young enough to be my grandson, had a first year Pinto as his first car. It had one hopelessly sun-cracked and split vinyl cover atop the dashboard, and a blind friend explored that with her hands and said, “interesting”. The air-conditioning didn’t work. You had to be careful where you placed your feet, to avoid the huge holes in the floor and the rushing pavement underneath. But, you couldn’t kill the car. No idea how many miles were on it, since the speedometer-cable had been broken for untold years. And, with all the holes, it had NO available heat. He referred to it as “the Pinn-toe” or “the green machine”. It’s been years, but I STILL tease him about that car, every now and then. He counters, “At least I wasn’t driving your 1946 V-8 Ford! And one actually could AFFORD gasoline for MINE!” I would LOVE to buy an old Pinto, and then drive out to Syracuse to see him, just to experience his reaction! If his beyond-beater example was any indication, regardless of condition, these were reliable and economical cars to own and drive! COLLECTIBLE? — I don’t know about that — find the man who owns one, and ask.(smile)
PINTO-“ask the man who owns one”
“Hudson” Ask the man who owns one
Nice blue color. Last model Pinto with gas tank and all earlier edition bugs fixed. Automatic is much easier to drive. Car was never designed to be a performance car or anything but a stylish American economy car. Air conditioning would be important for hot weather spring and summer car shows. All in all, a great looking survivor to enter the collector hobby without GTO, Chevelle SS and 1957 Chevy money.
Ford advertised the Pinto as the Model T of its time . . . would be an interesting long term investment as a survivor and a curiosity in the near future when all cars and trucks are morphing into the same designs.
Great beater cars. Not much to rattle loose.
My pinto had an automatic, same year and color as this car, the engine blew up at 80,000 miles despite frequent oil changes.
Bought a 77 Pinto Wagon for $50 in Detroit and drove it out to Great Falls Montana and back to Detroit and then used as a work beater for 2 years after that! Back in those days if you needed an exhaust system you just junked it and got another beater that was quiet. Big cars were cheap, if gas went up $0.10 a gallon you could score a Buick Electra or a Cadillac from the 60’s in pretty nice condition for $75 to $150 but the Pinto was always under $100 but if gas went up they held firm on the price of the small beaters LOL!
Buy it, save it and show it . . . definitely a “chick magnet”
Years ago I worked on a bit of an unusual one, only one I ever saw, a 79 wagon, 2.8V6, with the Variable Venturi carburetor. From California of course
Wow, lots of comments! For $5K US one could have a little piece of Ford history as well as a great ‘starter’ car for car shows, Cars N Coffee, etc! Hopefully it will find a good home.