There aren’t many vehicles for sale under $5,000 anymore, and it seems like $10,000 is about the minimum for one that’s even remotely usable and somewhat reliable, not to mention something interesting. This 1979 Ford Pinto Runabout is certainly interesting. The seller has it listed here on eBay in one of the greatest cities on the globe: San Antonio, Texas, and they’re asking $2,500 or offer.
We’ve seen many Pintos here on Barn Finds over the years, even Tangerine Orange ones. This one may look familiar, though. It’s hard to miss those white wheels and the somewhat rugged overall appearance. Our own Russ Dixon showed us this same car a year ago here, but we don’t know if it sold or what the final price was if it sold. It’s still located in San Antonio, so maybe they’re trying again? I believe the wheels are original, as seen on page 4 of this brochure.
We didn’t get to see any close interior photos on the last listing, but here’s the driver’s view of the steering wheel and dash. Who’s in for $2,500?! Nobody? Most of this damage is, I’m assuming, heat-related from the hot Texas sun, but dang is it rough inside. Ford offered the Pinto from 1970 for the 1971 model year until the end of 1980, and the ’79 Runabout had a unique glass hatchback. The seller shows a photo of the spare tire well back there, and it looks pretty solid.
Oddly enough, the back seat area looks great, or at least the orange plaid seats do. The 1979 and 1980 Pintos have rectangular headlights and a different grille, and they all had the bench-warmer bumpers by this time. The back bumper is really huge, as you can see in the second photo. The seller mentions some rust in the floorboards that was patched, and they also included a Marti Report listing!
The last time this car was shown, there wasn’t an engine photo, but here’s one showing the dusty 2.3-liter OHC inline-four with 88 horsepower and 118 lb-ft of torque when new. This one sends power through a four-speed manual to the rear wheels, and the seller says there’s a knock, so be prepared. Here’s a video they posted on YouTube. This car has power steering and air-conditioning, though, so it may be worth fixing. Maybe? Any thoughts on this rerun Pinto?
Unfortunately, a sad Pinto. In its day it would have been quite flashy, with the Tangerine paint and Tangerine/White plaid upholstery. Very well equipped. It sure does look sun-baked, I presume from decades of Texas heat. That engine knock doesn’t inspire confidence.
A Marti Report on a Pinto? While we beg for one on a six-figure Mustang? Kudos to the seller.
Maybe there is a person who will give it some love.
Good job SG.
I must say. The price is more reasonable than what we are used to seeing as of late. I don’t remember seeing many fancy Pintos like this as a kid. Usually more plain commuters. Somebody wanted their Pinto to stand out a bit!!! I just can’t help thinking of a Creamsicle when I see this with the white rims, but I like it. I can’t see this getting restored but who knows? Maybe a new dashboard and steering wheel. Or just run it as is? Thanks Scotty.
I was 16 when this Pinto was made, and I don’t remember seeing one this fancy either! A color combination that you won’t see today! A manual to boot! I would think you would really feel the power loss when running the air conditioning! It definitely looks restorable, especially if one can do the metal work themselves!
Demo Derby.
I liked these later Pintos.They were soon to be replaced by the Escort, which while a better car, was even more mundane than a Pinto ever thought of being. At least these particular Ponies went out with a little flash. You never see them anymore, as they didn’t sell nearly as well as the earlier Pintos did. A word about that knocking 2.3 engine. They were known to be sensitive to dirty oil, and their small camshaft lubrication passages would get plugged up, scoring the camshaft. If this engine’s noise is coming from the top, you know why. If memory serves, in these years only the Pinto wagon could be had with the V6, not the hatchback.
Very similar to the Pinto Kate Jackson (Sabrina) drove in Charlie’s Angels.
Sabrina must have lost a bet.
IIRC, I thought all of “Charlie’s Angels” drove Mustang II Fastbacks, no?
Cobra II, Ghia coupe, Pinto.
Remember, because they were company cars in-show, the unrealistic thing wasn’t that they were all same-year Fords it was that they had such decked-out option loads.
Rust in the floorboards in San Antonio? And that dash, steering wheel and front seats while the back seats are pristine? Seems something other than Texas sun going on.
Was a really sharp Pinto in its time. Too bad. I doubt someone is going to spend the thousands it would take to hiring it back to life.
You’d be surprised at the types of weather we get down here in the Lone Star state. Almost any kind in almost any part. So it’s not outside the realm of possibility, let me tell ya. There’s an old saying: If you don’t like the weather in Texas, hang around a little while, it’ll change.
Nice to see that it is a manual.
But those bumpers.WTF
Ugly front end on these. Ford was trying to get the most mileage out of a lame duck. They weren’t about to restyle it.
Owned by a Manuel.
* the Lima (x-flow), the weber 32/36 ‘progressive’ (here asa H/W 5200) “Yes”;
* non-waggy, big bumpers, condition “No”
Only problem I ever had was they were “too heavy’ (compaired to the competetion) and so the eternal caviot: “when buying ‘older cars’ look at the competition of same era. Would you buy this vehicle compaired to same usa/Japanese Y/M/M?” I might but – 1st would Ba 5speed or AOD (& only the wagon).
My back still hurts from having to ride in the back seat of one of these to High School. Almost 90 degree back seat.
I used to drive 5 high school kids around in my ’74 Coupe. But I just turned the 8-track tape of Blue Oyster Cult up, to drown out the complaining.
I love pinto’s but this one i bet is from some other state than Texas and brought in sometime later in life.
It has the notorious rust bug eating at it bad, when you blow up the pics and really start looking theres rust and crap paint over everywhere on this car.
In my opinion it’s not worth more than a grand to fifteen hundred tops because your going to spend a mint on metal work before you start putting a new engine in it.
A ford pinto wasn’t worth $2500 brand new.
Sigh.
Sez you
It may be in Texas now, but with all of that rust, it might not have started life there, LOL! If it were a traditional Texas Car, with no rust and a sun-baked interior, it might have been worth it, if for no other reason than to restomod it with a 2.3L Turbo from a Mustang SVO or T-Bird Turbo Coupe, but as it stands, the restoration costs will have the new owner permanently “underwater”, as they say! It might be worth saving for historical interest, just don’t expect to get your money back if you take this on.
Good write-up, Scotty. I am rather nostalgic about these as my first car was very similar to this. It hauled my butt every where I needed to go and was a great first car for me. My parents certainly weren’t buying me something with 6 or 8 cylinders, they learned better from my older brothers’ antics – he wrecked ’em as quick as my parents would buy them for him.
Anyway it was a great first car for me and I got well over 100k miles out of it.
Btw, Scotty , do you mean our own Russ Dixon, not Russ Davis?
GAAA! Jeez, what a gaff there, sorry, Russ! Russ Davis is my brother-in-law. Thanks for catching that, CVPanther!
It could be a decent drive-around-town car since it is easy to park and good on gas. However, those bumpers would have to go!
Don’t these blow up?
Ducks…
Wasn’t that the Chevy C-10 square body?
@Eric. Naww-you’re thinking’ of a Chevy Blazer! (flame suit on…)