I wish I was cool enough to drive a Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon. Seriously – keep the Lambo. I’m not impressed. If you can strap yourself into a vehicle like this and look the part, you have more instant street cred than any Wall Street snake charmer. This 1977 Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon is not just the coolest Pinto ever made (check the porthole) but has also been smartly modified beneath the surface to make this into a true street-ready sleeper. The Pinto has a built 302 under the hood among other upgrades, and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Maine for $7,500.
The Cruising Wagon represented its era better than most cars. It combined the van culture craze with the move towards smaller cars to combat what was arriving from Japan. Thankfully, the vanning lifestyle influence was more pronounced than any interest in better fuel economy. The seller has made this Pinto into a legit street machine, installing what he describes as a “built 302” under the hood, along with a four-speed manual and a high-performance camshaft. The hood bulge, side-exit exhaust, and clearly staggered wheel setup all combine to ensure no one confuses this for your grandmother’s Pinto.
Here’s a great example of the vanning culture influence: rear window blinds. I mean, most adolescents from the 70s and 80s would identify a “shaggin’ wagon” as being a Chevy G20-style van, not a Pinto wagon. But the Cruising Wagon seemingly blurred the line between an uncool commuter vehicle and a bombastic hotel room on wheels. Was it just the porthole window that made the Pinto suddenly cool, or was it the ability to turn it into something like the seller has created here? Whatever the recipe is that moves the Pinto off of the self-imploding fuel-sipper chart into a Friday night boulevard hustler category, this Cruising Wagon has it in spades.
Now, you might think with this Pinto being in Newburgh, Maine (which is cold as hell tonight, by the way) that it would have holes in every body panel. Not so in this case, as this Pinto is clearly a summer-only cruiser given how tidy the bodywork and paint are from every angle. The seller doesn’t provide a ton of details on ownership history or maintenance but does mention he is open to swapping it for a full-sized truck, specifically a “…3/4 or one-ton.” Believe it or not, there’s probably someone near Newburgh with a truck fitting that description that they don’t need at the moment. But even if you don’t have a truck to trade, I doubt you can get much cooler than this for $7,500. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find.
I’m old enough to remember V8 swapped Pinto’s and Vegas roaming the drive thru. Always fun and a hand full to drive. $7500 seems like a cheap hotrod to me. Not a big fan of the thunderbolt hood scoop but it ain’t my car. Lol. Good luck to seller and new owner.
Fun write-up Jeff. The Cruising Wagon was indeed pretty cool in the context of its day. Remember those multi-colored stripes? This example is a little over the top for my tastes, but I get the idea. Be aware: you will draw attention, 1) it’s a PInto, everyone had one, and will want to reminisce, and 2) the brash-ness even to a general audience.
Hmm, “Jane Doer”,,sounds made up to me. If it is “Jane”, she knows nothing about the car, and 4 measly photos bolsters that fact. On a unit like this, so radically modified, a competent seller would include photos of the swap. I had a co-worker years ago, had the silver and stripes one. IDK, it was okay, I guess, a little too glitzy for me, and in typical fashion, got to make a monster out of it. I’ve driven a lot of vehicles, but I have no hankerin’ to drive this.
To be clear, the wagon was NOT part of the ka-blooey program, and the “Cruisin’ Wagon” was the last rendition of the sedan delivery.
Every Pinto story gets to reminisce about the gas tank myth. You’d think these things were blowing up everyday. Take any small car, manufactured during the malaise era. Put it in park, and have a Sedan DeVille run into it at 60 mph. Not only the Pinto’s would be exploding.
Only the 1971 through 1976 Pinto sedan and hatchback had the recall. The 1977s through 1980s had the updates when they left the factory. The regular wagons, the Cruising Wagon, the sedan delivery had a different tank and filler configuration and weren’t affected.
Honey, I shrunk the side pipes!
I have the Hot Wheels version of this car. It says “Poison Pinto” on the side. It’s the same color.
There used to be a mercury bobcat around here with a 351w in it. That was one nasty unit. This was probably 20 or 25 years ago now.
+ and – here, + & -.
Sure the curtains aint painted on?
Agreed – white stripe is fine (ditto blk hood) get rid of scoop (& ‘porthole’).
5.8 or 5 oh dont matter – breaks, suspension etc Do (410 – 5/550lbs) !
fora DD I’d like OD auto like 4r70w~
Have that exterior (body/paint) grungy quick (shop shuttle so dings’n greasy). Juss how we like em…
The porthole was installed by Ford as part of the cruising package. Why would you get rid of it?
Can you put that last part in plain English for us non car people. Thanks
I’m sorry Travis, but non car people are not allowed on this site. You’ve gotta go to “Bring-a-Trailer! :-)
I saw one of these at a car show in Jacksonville FL about 20 years ago. There were about 200 cars at Moosehaven (Church oriented old-folks home) and the Pinto Cruising Wagon is the only one I remember. Orange with tan leather interior, flat head ford engine in it with 3 strombergs and a 4 speed. Just about the coolest cruiser I’ve ever seen!
No engine or interior photos, but on this that might be a good thing.
I see alot of bad looking spots in the paint. Or is that just bad photography?
I remember a guy from Pasadena, Texas would come to the old dragstrip south of Houston on I-45 that had a ugly green V8 Pinto 351 Windsor. He always outran my 350 V8 Vega.
No, it’s got a lot of bad rust and bondo popping out. This is a very cool car that’s hiding a lot of issues I think.
Ok i premis this by saying I LOVE PINTO’S . Always have and will till I die. Lol
Now onto this car, which I like but why no decent pics! Scared to show whats under, around and in the car? It always wreaks of come get my “from 50 ft it looks decent” untill you get there and the floors gone along with the rails, the engine bay is hacked to crap because that’s what some guy did to it to put the v-8 in the first time he tried, (been there done that 42 years ago) the interior is in shambles and why oh why on gods green pinto would you take out the portal?!
So there ya go seller, thats what EVERYONE thinks. You too probably if you read an add for a car you were looking for. When you look at the background of your pics on your car this isn’t the first go around for you so,,,,,,pic up! Please!
Wow, well said, I could not have said it any better, there’s a reason for selective pics
Wait! Sorry on the portals. They’re still there! Whew! Lol
I used to have a 79′ crusin van, red with black interior. I bought it new $5,100. I’m a musician and it worked well for me.
One thing to keep in mind about pintos. They were prone to explode and catch fire when hit in the rear. As for me I’ll pass.
Did you all know that a total of 27 people died in pinto fires?… To this day people are still squawking about it!… So far, 50 people have died in Tesla fires… To say nothing about the (well over 100 confirmed cases) of Teslas spontaneously bursting into flames while charging or just sitting parked somewhere… Makes a person wonder how much it costs to keep certain stories out of the main stream media?!
I take you didnt read all the comments George.
Rick up top is right the wagons were never evolved in the recall and the fix on the other cars was a relatively simple fix.
Then there’s the, hit ANY small car from behind like they did the pinto and most would fail.
With the v-8 in it they’re a blast to drive if done right.
About 75% of domestic production (100% for European) cars have plastic gas tanks for a few reasons: they’re lighter, they don’t corrode, and surprisingly they release a negligible amount of hydrocarbons… and of course they don’t explode.
My grandmother used to own a Cruising Wagon. It was silver with the pink, orange, and purple stripes, black pleather interior. It had a V6 with an OD automatic. It sure was a sight to see this Wagon pull up and then this little ‘ol’ lady gets out.
Just saw one at the 2022 SEMA convention. Nice “slippery silver” finish with the multicolored stripes. Saw some upturned noses from the elitists, but my camera captured the essence of cool the little monster exuded. Always liked the Pinto wagons and REALLY liked the Cruisers. Wonder what rear end is in this? Once saw a V8 Vega lose it’s back half crossing the railroad tracks while under moderate acceleration. Food for thought for the buyer…
Pinto Cruising Wagon’s were cool then and still very cool now! The silver SEMA car was amazing! I must have missed the upturned noses from the so called “elitists”. All I was seeing were a lot of smiles and tons of photos being taken of it.
4 lug wheels? Other than the guy who built it cheaped out on the running gear, it looks nice. Got plenty of power under the hood and needs better brakes to give it the big WHOA when the time comes and with a 302 up front you’d need them. Not in love with the hood.
Plain white, rear tires tucked in, small scoop on hood & take of the side pipes. Now you have a right proper street sleeper/cruiser.
I had a 1973 Wagon in 75, before Cruising Wagon. I even found Cragars to fit, used it as a truck to haul my lawnmower around making a few bucks.
I’ve always been a fan of the Pinto and the Chevy Vega (I guess I have a thing for unusual cars, lol). I owned a 73 Pinto wagon when I was in the Marines and drove it from base in Pendleton to LA about two weekends a month for over a year. Not a fast car, but reliable and got great mileage. I also had a 78 Sport Wagon like this one after the service and as a daily driver (it was Midnight Blue). I liked the styling, and it was also reliable with great mileage.
As far as I’m concerned cars are a matter of taste and personal preference. I have a fondness for Ford’s because my first car was a 63 Fairlane 500 that I drove all through High School. But I also had a 68 Oldsmobile Cutlas that was a monster with it’s Rocket 350.
Thanks for bringing these cars to us to look at and maybe purchase. Some bring back good memories,