The “Squire” name has become synonymous over the years with a high-end wagon offering from the Ford Motor Company, and this branding extended all the way down to the entry-level Pinto. You don’t see many of these anymore, especially not with just over 31,000 original miles and nearly factory correct in every conceivable way. This 1977 Pinto Squire has been in Minnesota since new and is loaded with documentation. Find it here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $15,000 and the option to submit a best offer.
The seller reports that this Pinto is a byproduct of one of the classic tales of vintage car ownership: the little old lady who owned it since new and drove it sparingly, keeping it away from the harsh roadways of a Minnesota winter. It was always kept away from the road salt and potholes that would otherwise swallow a car like this whole, and kept indoors when the weather turned foul. This is evidence in the cosmetic condition and the seller notes the only paintwork he did was below the wood-style veneer to address some rock chips behind the wheel wells.
The interior is the most mind-blowing part of the car. First, because Ford actually produced an upholstery material like this, and second, because it looks like it was never actually sat in. Check out the driver’s seat: the remnants of the plastic covering the previous owner applied to keep the seat safe, just like it was the family room sofa, is still present. The seller notes he purchase the car from the son of the original owner, and the title paperwork reflects that it was transferred to the son after her passing a few years back.
The engine is said to still purr like new with one pump of the accelerator pedal, and when you look under the hood and still see every factory- or dealer-applied label and sticker still in place, you know you’ve found a true survivor. The engine paint still looks like new and the typically-vulnerable air cleaner housing finish is excellent as well. Incredibly, it was never undercoated so you can still see all of the original spot welds, and you should really do yourself a favor and look through all of the pictures – this Pinto Squire is quite literally a museum piece.
So funny to see all these low mileage Pintos coming to surface after all these years. I think my grandmothers Pinto gets the pristine condition award. Her squire wagon had just a little over 20K Mike’s on it when she passed. It was kept in a conditioned garage for its entire life and only used to commute a couple miles to the florist shop where she worked. My uncle ended up with it and proceeded to use it up as it was intended. They were solid but unremarkable cars. The 77 I recently worked on drove surprisingly well considering it’s basic construction. I had to laugh when accelerating and you depressed the accelerator to pull in the secondary there was no perceivable change in acceleration just more induction noise.
alphasud, sorry to hear your uncle “used it up” after your grams was so protective of it during her lifetime. While not of the same vintage, I inherited my grandparents 2003 Lincoln Town Car with only 14K on the odometer back in 2013 after they both passed within months of each other at 99 & 89 years old (gramps was the younger of the two). Here it is 2022 and the ole Town Car is still sitting in rented storage back in small town Michigan where I grew up and they still lived prior to their passing. I’ve lived in Los Angeles since 1982 and have wanted to bring it out here to use but so far just can’t bring myself to do it and “use it up as intended” as the Lincoln is such a big reminder of them. Gramps always bought great luxury cars starting with a 1961 Honey Beige Thunderbird….LOADED including factory A/C which no one else in the family had A/C in their cars back then. Of course, I was just a little kid at the time because that’s the one car of all gramps and grams Thunderbirds and Lincoln Marks and Town Cars that I wish I could have inherited. Meanwhile, I’m still driving my 1997 Town Car that I purchased as Meanwhile two-year-old lease return from the local Mercedes Dealership (someone obviously got a promotion that year allowing them to go from a Lincoln to a Benz). I finally reached 105,000 miles on it last year. I’m retired myself for longer than I care to admit but I only drive about 3K miles per year, the reason for the low miles on a 1997. Great hearing your recollection of your grandmother’s Pinto that mirrors my grandparents. My gramps was a diehard Ford man which I’m guessing your grandmother was also a diehard Ford fan.
Actually grandpa bought from the big 3. When my dad still lived at home they had a Corvair Monza Spyder Conv. but sold it when Nader’s book came out. I remember a Ford LTD Squire wagon in 76. I think that’s when grandma got her freedom car as she called it. Grandpa moved to Chrysler T&C wagons one he has for maybe a year and traded it because of issues. Had a second one with same options and color and then finally a K-car wagon because he supported what Lee was doing to turn the company around. I think they might have had a Beetle at one time which would have been the only import they owned.
I almost pulled the trigger on it but just not feeling the black exterior. Love my ’78 light blue on light blue. If this had an red exterior I may have gone for it.
The Pinto, a subcompact car made by Ford Motor Company, became infamous in the 1970s for bursting into flames if its gas tank was ruptured in a collision. The lawsuits brought by injured people and their survivors uncovered how the company rushed the Pinto through production and onto the market.
I was hit from from behind by an Electra 225 and my 1971 api to burst into flame and I died.
Sorry for your loss of yourself.
Yes, Chris, I took it really hard. I think about myself whenever I see a Pinto.
They fixed that problem . Another casualty of Ralph Nader.
The urban myth did not apply to the wagon.
Ho Lee Chit that’s high priced! It’s a beauty but damn.
I have never seen that color combination before on one of these.
Another super nice low mileage Pinto. The asking price is high but it may turn out to be not that far off.
I always heard them referred to as a Country Squirt.
We rebuilt quite a few Pintos at our shop years ago.. Couldn’t keep enough of them on the lot… The firey crash legacy was debunked by scientists who showed videos of them in a rear end collision. There were specific details required to cause the fire and it was rare when it happened..Out of the thousands and thousands of Pintos made, the fire issue was rare. Ford fixed the problem by installing a black plastic shield under the tank which protected it fro a puncture.. Ralph Nader started all the bad press about that and the older Chevy Corvair with the internal gas heaters catching fire. If people used the heater per the instruction manual, the chances of a fire were next to nill… (HUMANS)!
That plaid interior is a deal breaker.
Heater hoses “capped off, probably due to no winter driving”. Not likely.
Suspect and count on needing a new heater core due to leaks.
A 45 year old vehicle with probably few, if any coolant changes and that usually kills heater cores and radiators. Ditto no brake flushes, Goodbye calipers and cylinders and the master. Seller claims to have changed the calipers.
This is a very clean and well preserved Pinto but as one mentioned, oddly, the black color doesn’t do much and with no A/C, ouch. At this price, the heater should be checked, functional and if not, repaired.
Who put A/C in cars in the ‘70s?
I am tired of all the exploding gas tank comments. Almost every car of that vintage had a tank after the axle. Why don’t you comment on the real reasons for the fires? Namely all small cars were vulnerable to being obliterated by land yachts that could neither brake or maneuver as well as small cars. If you watch any of the old videos you can see what I mean. Small car sitting still, big car doing 50mph. Or both cars moving towards each other without swerving. What do you think would happen? Big cars were no safer due to their size. Watch the GM video comparing an old Impala to a new one in crash testing. Tragedies happened yes, Ford cut corners yes. The same things happen today. Have you seen the accidents that today’s giant pick ups are involved in? Roll overs and loss of control due to high center of gravity. They make a mess of small cars too. Why is no one addressing this? The comments are not helpful or productive.
It’s a cheap shot based on ignorance. It says more about the commenter than the car.
Had one in blue with wood grain 6cyl motor. Great little wagon.
The plaid seats might appeal to a Scotsman….not an Irishman. lol
This is way cool but I’ve already got too many. I’m also tired of the pintos blow up meme. Some did yes but that lore has been milked dry by now. It’s like the commenters that say that are letting everyone in on some inside info only they have. If you dont like pintos, that’s fine but this incessant need to rehash this issue is well past its sell by date