The Pinto was Ford’s first subcompact built in the U.S. Between 1971 and 1980, more than three million copies rolled off the assembly line. Yet you seldom see one anymore because they were cheaply-priced, disposable automobiles. This 1979 edition is a hatchback, so it’s a bit more versatile than the 2-door coupe. It may be a survivor, though we wonder if some work has been done on the driver’s side rear quarter panel. Located in Barberton, Ohio, this should be a driver when cleaned up. The little Ford is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,200 OBO. Kudos to JDC for the tip.
Ford and Chevrolet both got into the subcompact game in 1971. Chevy’s Vega was rushed to market and became known for premature corrosion and engines that overheated and warped. On the other hand, the Pinto soldiered on for three additional years (the Vega was done in 1977) and spawned the Mercury Bobcat from 1974 to 1980. In later years, the Pinto caught some negative press for the placement of the gas tank, which might (that’s the speculative word) explode in a rear-end collision. Replaced by the Escort in 1981, the Pinto still sold well as late as 1979 at nearly 200,000 units.
This little Ford has probably served its owners well over the last 47 years. The odometer has turned over, so the Pinto has traveled 110,000 miles with an inline-4 (probably 140 cubic inches) and a 4-speed manual transmission. We’re told the car runs and drives with no problems, but there are cosmetic issues the seller refers to. These cars had some of the biggest bumpers ever seen on U.S. cars back then, with the rear one being as large as a picnic table.
The interior looks good, but the seller would have better luck if she’d taken out all the personal stuff and run a vacuum through it. The Ford could stand a tuneup, and the seller says the parts to do so come with the sale. While the car is located in Ohio, it has a Pennsylvania title; we assume from the Pinto’s prior owner. If the cosmetic issues won’t get you in too deep into fixing, is this a good $3k car?
This thing will needs a lot of body work.