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Littlest Squire: 1974 Pinto Wagon

1974 Pinto Squire Wagon

I’m not sure why this Pinto puts such a huge smile on my face, but just looking at it makes me grin from ear to ear! I’ve seen a few Pinto wagons wearing faux wood like this one and while they all look great, this bright orange example looks especially nice. It was recently donated to a charity and has clearly been stored indoors its entire life. The odometer reads 39k miles, but the seller admits it could be 139k for all they know. With bidding just over $2,500 this could be a great buy for a clean oddball! Find it here on eBay in Redwood City, California. Special thanks to John L for this tip!

1974 Pinto Wagon Interior

Just look at this interior! It’s so odd, I love it! As you begin to study it, you’ll notice it’s in great shape with very few signs of wear. You might also notice the shifter, that’s right this one has a manual! I don’t know how many of these were built with a manual, but I have a feeling there aren’t many in this particular combination! I’d have an upholstery shop repair the torn seam in the driver’s seat, if at all possible, and maybe find some new floor mats.

1974 Pinto 2.3L Engine

Under the hood is pretty standard Pinto fair, with power coming a 2.3 liter inline 4. There is A/C, but the seller states that it doesn’t get very cold. If it blows cool at all, you might have working A/C with nothing more than a recharge. I would love to hear the story of who bought this car and preserved it all these years. It’s a strange combination of features, making an already unique car that much more special!

1974 Pinto Wagon

Whether your a fan of the Pinto or not, there’s no deny that this one is something special! Just look at it and tell me it doesn’t at least put a slight smile on your face. It just is so… well… cute. Given the condition and wood paneling, this is one I would love to have! Get the A/C working and you would have a classic you could drive year around, with room to haul junk and enough comfort to keep you coming back for more each day!

Comments

  1. Avatar Charles H.

    It’s nice to see a pinto that’s been well maintained and taking good care of! I’ve owned a couple of these over the years, and they were fairly reliable transportation for what they were. I’d be willing to bet that 39,000 mi. are the correct miles on this one!

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  2. Avatar Jamie Staff

    Love it! Good thing for my budget it’s on the other side of the country…

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  3. Avatar Grr

    God, that rear bumper! And I’d feel like I was driving a pumpkin around on Halloween every time I started it up. Nice survivor, true, but should it have survived?

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  4. Avatar krash

    …if I didn’t live in the salty Northeast, this Pinto would truly make a fun little runabout…but I know that I would be guaranteeing this sweet little cars (long averted) rusty demise by being the highest bidder..

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  5. Avatar Rick

    I agree with Charles H., it can’t be 139K miles, first of all, it doesn’t look like 139, looks much closer to 39, and my family owned a couple of Pintos back when they were new cars (a 73 red Woody Wagon and a ’74 coupe), now granted they didnt sit in a garage, they were driven but they were all done by 120K, they just fell apart and turned into junk.

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  6. Avatar Paul R

    1974… Oil embargo and gasoline rationing. These were not really bad little cars, other than exploding during a rear end collision.
    Some of the 2.3 liter 4 bangers would eat camshaft lobes due to poor oiling that could be remedied by enlarging the oil holes in the cam bearings. Mostly bullet proof little cars.

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    • Avatar Stephen

      The wagons didn’t have the gas tank problem.

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  7. Avatar J Jefferson

    I remember my aunt’s Mercury Bobcat was exactly like this! Same wood panelling, same colour interior, but I think the fabric had a more ‘refined’ / ‘upscale’ pattern to differentiate it from the lowly Ford version. She drove it for many years, and replaced it with a ’92 Escort wagon. She actually gave me that Escort when she stopped driving in the early 2000’s. I drove it for a few more years before giving it to my nephew when he turned 18. I assured my sister there was no way he could get a ticket driving it… I’m sure I was mostly right. He got another couple of years out of it before sending it to the great parking lot in the sky. It truly was a ‘family’ car….

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  8. Avatar OhU8one2

    Studying the photo’s,and looking at wear indicater’s. I’m 95% certain the this car has the low mileage. Depending on the tread wear on the tire’s,which look to be original.The paint and engine trim all appear to be intact. I’m sure if this had 139,000 miles there is NO way that engine compartment would look that good. Aside from the wood decal on the tailgate being faded. I strongly feel this is a correct low mileage Pinto wagon. Another great movie prop car.

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  9. Avatar Rufus

    The only thing of note that I can find to say about this car is, if I’m not mistaken, the current “Road & Track” review of the day referred to it in the head line as “Country Squirt”. A memorable quote.

    Have fun
    Rufus

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  10. Avatar Woodie Man

    We had the exact wagon only a ’72 or maybe it was ’73 in yellow….small bumpers ….used to take it up and down the California coast and sleep in it. It was a ridiculously under powered car even then in the late seventies. That said , with a 4 speed at least you could leave the traffic light sometime before tomorrow. A good condition original car is always good…even if its a Pinto with HUGE rear bumpers

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  11. Avatar Barzini

    Nothing says 1970s like the color orange, plaid seats, and slotted wheels. That’s my decade so I love this car.

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  12. Avatar jim s

    seems like a good deal even at the $2950 high bid. love the manual transmission. i would daily drive this. great find

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  13. Avatar Donny

    That rear bumper looks like it’s waiting for a continental kit – it’s huge! I love this one. If it were any more 70’s Gabe Kaplan would be driving it.

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  14. Avatar Jason Houston

    I agree, the mileage is genny. I had one of these (in ugly white) and it was one of the most reliable cars I ever drove on a daily basis. I only gave it up to buy a 1962 Impala conv. with 283 and Overdrive. And the color on this perfect, especially the way they carried it over into the immaculate interior!

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  15. Avatar Tundra/BMW Guy

    I love this vehicle!!!! I would love to have it as a DD. I too, wondered what the deal is with that rear bumper hanging so far off the rear end?! Unfortunately it is located on the wrong coast or I would be seriously looking at it. Plus you get to support a, hopefully, worthwhile charity!!

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  16. Avatar piper62j

    If I lived closer to look it over, that pinto would be sitting in my garage right now.. Definitely a 39k vehicle.. Yep!! Exactly what I’ve been looking for to tool around in..

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  17. Avatar Karl

    Not too far from me. That’s a pretty well-known auction house, mostly dealer-to-dealer last I knew. (Yes, the rear bumper is really fugly)

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  18. Avatar That Guy

    No way is that a 139K mile car. My buddy drove a Pinto in HS and college, and it was a worn-out wreck by 110K. Granted he took typical teenager-level care of it, but this has to be a low-mileage car in this condition.

    This is right up the road from me, it’s smog-exempt, it’s a friggin’ orange Pinto wagon with fake wood and factory mags – my eBay trigger finger is getting itchy. Curse you, BF!

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  19. Avatar Mike Kay

    I had 2 Pinto wagons, a ’73 & a ’79. Inexpensive transportation, drove well but both succumbed to rust .

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  20. Avatar Dave W

    It would be fun to take this and drop a higher- performance engine in it (would a 5-liter V8 fit?) and leave it otherwise stock. It would be the ultimate sleeper!

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  21. Avatar piper62j

    Dave W..
    Yep.. Shoe-horning a 5.8-liter would be even better.. Wider wheels & and tires to spruce it up and.. Yahoo!!!!!!!!

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  22. Avatar Charles H.

    Have a friend that took one of these wagons and transplanted the body onto a ’68 Ford Bronco 4×4 chassis with a 302cu. V8, was a pretty wild ride to say the least!

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  23. Avatar chad

    only thing I’d change R those bumpers, go back to the pre mandated…

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  24. Avatar Fred Halliwell

    I had a 1971 Ford Pinto when I was18. It was my first car. It was a pre owned 2 year old when I bought it. I always considered myself lucky that I was alive after having been hit from behind while sitting still by a 70 Buick LeSabre at about 30 miles an hour. The bumpers were useless trim in 71 72 and 73 If it weren’t for the rust on the inner fender and an inflated spare tire I almost surely wouldn’t be here. Tell you the truth I was a fan of the larger bumpers in a vehicle of this body style. If only I had trusted ford with my life I’d have bought one of these. After the Collision and a few repairs none of my friends would ride with me because of the threat to their lives. I put a little over 150,000 MI on mine before the engine quit. it was a great little car mine was yellow with brown and gold hounds tooth upholstery with the optional 2.0 liter straight 4. it was the top-of-the-line model actually had a cigarette lighter and a dome light switch for the passenger door otpions on the base model unless you paid extra for them also had the deluxe door trim panels. Mine didnt have ac so with the standard transmission moved fairly well. I loved my car, the only question about the mileage is the wear on the left side of the steering wheel padding from spinning the wheel with their finger. I was a Fanatic about keeping mine clean. I do recall having a little bit of wear in the vinyl at that location from spinning the wheel and find it odd the vehicle with only 39,000 miles would have that much wear. I recently bought a 1988 towncar with 39 miles on it and interior mileage showed absolutely no wear. As a teen I didn’t realize just how threatened my life was by driving a vehicle like that. In my opinion these vehicles should not be allowed on the road. They and the Jeep Grand Cherokee with a similar gas tank issue both need to be taken off the road before any more lives are destroyed. My opinion but buyer beware as cute as it is. Ford had great idea and a beautiful car. It’s just so sad they didn’t have more respect for human life!

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