Whatever we think of the Pinto, millions of ’em were sold. Introduced for model year 1971 in one body style – a fastback sedan – the Pinto was a crisp response to the invasion of compact cars from overseas. Previously, Detroit battled imports with mid-sized six-cylinder offerings – the Falcon, the Maverick, the Corvair. Here was a cheeky four-cylinder built for the American market, complete with optional “appearance packages.” Months after the sedan’s introduction, Ford solved technical issues that prevented the production of other body styles, allowing the hatchback (“Runabout”) and the station wagon to follow the sedan to market. The two-door Pinto wagon was the first of its kind since the ’65 Falcon, and yes, it got “squired” with faux woodgrain in ’72. Today’s ’74 Pinto wagon has just 47k miles on the clock, and it’s located in Camarillo, California. The Masterfinder of Original Cars, Tony Primo, sent us this tip – thanks, Tony!
Ford’s ubiquitous and popular Lima Engine was the basis for the 2.3 liter OHC four that sits in this engine bay. I don’t know how many cars used these Lima’s – but the count was in the millions. A turbocharged version powered the Mustang SVO; naturally aspirated versions were found in Bobcats and Capris (ok, I would like a Capri, please, a Mk II will do). That’s a tiny slice of the population of cars equipped with this motor. This car has a four-speed manual – a nice plus. Mechanical work includes plenty of new parts: the radiator, heater core, head gasket, fuel pump, water pump, timing belt, ball joints, A-arm bushings, tie rod ends, and sway bar bushings.
Other than a few wrinkles in the seat upholstery, the new interior is quite nice. That’s an aftermarket steering wheel. The cargo area is clean as a whistle, but the seller recommends replacing the headliner. While the gauge set is front-and-center, I wish carmakers had never come up with that down-tilted aspect – it makes gauge readings difficult to see unless the lighting is perfect.
The seller notes that his wagon has “only minor rust” – a comment worthy of further investigation. The wheel/tire combination seems too small for the wheel wells – is there a better solution? By 1974, 5 mph bumpers had ruined the looks of many an elegant car, let alone these compacts, where manufacturers simply tacked on whatever would pass regulations. This Pinto wagon is advertised here on craigslist for $10,500. Given the mileage and what we know of the condition, that price feels only slightly aggressive. What do you think?
I bought my 71 4 sp. Pinto wagon with 41K on it in 76 for $900. Great deal, very good car.
Here, $10,500 seems a bit much.
What a chick magnet!!
It would be back in the day – if it was a cruising wagon.
This does have 2 doors at least! What today(almost all 4 doors) is a Chick magnet? & i have YET to see even one hitchhiker or people hanging out outside on nice evenings on main street – since the internet(espec the Smart phone) came out.
As mentioned before, the old man dabbled in fixing wrecked cars, and the Pinto wagon, for some reason, was his biggest seller. He would get them wrecked at the auto auction, most all had front end damage, indicating, driver error. He had them repaired, then handed to me for a tuneup, and cleaning. I drove a lot of Pintos.The Pinto wagon, aside from the famous Blues Brothers scene, brings up like 8 pages of sightings on TV or screen. Hart to Hart, , T.J. Hooker( I’m sure Shatner would love to forget), Magnum P.I, fact is, just about any movie or TV series filmed in the 70s, had a Pinto wagon.
The one thing I didn’t like on a PInto, was the gear ratios on the manual. Seemed 1st was too low, and 2nd too high. A big gap there. I noticed that in some British cars as well. So,,,here it comes. I bet a lot more folks today would prefer the automatic, and anyone whose memory hasn’t been ravaged by drug, medicinal or bootleg, or old age, knows full well, $10 grand for a Pinto is unacceptable. Again, listed at $10,”500″, like, they’ll come down the $500 bucks, and think they are giving the buyer a deal, and the worst part? Somebody is going to pay it, it’s just nuts.
Have you seen the prices that clean Pinto wagons are going for today? Sorry to say, $10,500 is on the cheap side.
I was thinking about the “Blues Brothers” scene before I read your post. The “Flight of the Valkyries” playing while heading off the overpass! And “I always loved you” as they descended! Was it an orange color Pinto wagon? No competition to the Bluesmobile.
Hmmm. The seller implies through his list of new parts that his car could
very well be a fly in, drive home proposition which sounds great to me. The only thing thing I didn’t care for and couldn’t stand was the interlocking ignition system that required you to wear your seatbelt before the car would start. It was
downright dangerous! Say you’re
reaching for something you need in
the rear seat. And if you take off your
seatbelt to turn around a bit to get what you wanted, the engine would shut off and not start again until you
put your belt back on. And that same
system proved to be very dangerous
for women drivers as many women
were raped because their new Pinto
wouldn’t start so that they could drive
away. One woman did sue Ford over
the matter and got $2.1 million dollars for her trouble. As for the car,
I like it, I like it a lot. My wife and I bought one off a neighbor in ’85. And
it was a good little car for what it was.
The 30 MPG it got was great and it was really easy for my wife to drive.
Only thing it needed was a good stereo system and that need was filled with a Kraco AM/FM/cassette
stereo with not two, not four, but six
Jansen speakers! (Might’ve been
seven because we also used the factory speaker too) The car would last us through late ’86 when the engine blew at over 200K miles. Gotta say that this car looks great with those mag wheels and yeah, I’d
go with some fatter tires to improve
the handling. Both my wife and the
car are gone now, but I still have good
and bad memories of both.
The seatbelt interlock system was mandated by the Feds for ALL cars for model year 1974, not just Pintos. And it only prevented you from starting the car, but once running, it would not cause a cars engine to shut off if you unbuckled your seat belt. The public hated it and before the model year was out Congress removed the mandate, and allowed manufacturers to disable that system.
Please cite a source for your comment about a lawsuit involving Ford and a female rape victim. I seriously doubt that happened since the system was a government mandate.
We snipped the wires on the darn things. Never had a problem. And I’ve never, ever heard about the woman and that crazy lawsuit. Sometimes when we age? We remember things differently.
My first wife had a brown version of this car when I met her, but I still married her for some reason. Actually, there were a couple of reasons that had nothing to do with the Pinto. At any rate, I’d had a couple of import economy cars by then, which I thought were superior to that Pinto in just about every way. Luckily, within months of marriage, the Pinto was destroyed by a car wash, and I upgraded her to an F150, which she loved.
My first new car was a 1978 Pinto wagon with this engine and transmission. It was fun to drive and very reliable for the 7 years/135K miles that I owned it.
I would take the 4 door Nova all day long over this slug. Now if it had a V8…..
Aftermarket wheels and a Mustang steering wheel…hm…$6k at best.
Owned this car in orange. Larger tires on ET IV mags, Panasonic stereo, and a Big Daddy Don Garlits tach. It was a hoot to drive, and the wagon configuration was quite handy.
It’s interesting to me that people continually trash the Pinto, and give the Vega a pass – and the Teflon-coated aluminum engine was an unmitigated disaster. I owned one of those too.
When a Vega shows up here, it gets equally trashed unless it is cheap, then just a little less trashed!
Another Pinto wagon story. My dead friend Curt lived with his parents, after his first wife left, who drove a light blue Pinto wagon called “Leapin’ Leena”. It was retired from mail delivery service back in the late 70’s with over 200,000 miles, but still ran. He drove it with a German Shepard in the back, head out the window. Curt married his second wife, who is still friends with my wife and I, before his final marriage and departure from the earth.
@ZL1 rider: It was Paul Harvey who
broke the story on ABC radio in ’74.
Not long after, CBS broke the same
Story on their newscast not long after
Paul Harvey read it on his program.
And yes, Congress did indeed veto that system only because the mid term elections were just around the
corner and they didn’t want to get voted out. At least that poor lady got
$2.1 million dollars for a federal screwups.
lub da Lima x-flow motor & webber progressive carb.
Car’s a lill heavy 4 sucha lill guy but got my vote over all.
( another “Wagons only” ).
I bought a 74 Pinto Country Squire new. There was nothing wrong with it except that every time I drove it I saw a bunch just like it. I sold it and bought an Alfa GTV.
The 2.3 was the 1st metric motor built in the US.
If the miles are correct then why did it need to have the seats recovered?
If they made this Pinto Wagon today, it would be a lot worse – with what only 4 or 5 “colors” available vs what, 15 back colors back then! & 4 of those “colors” would be black, gray, silver & white. Not to mention it would be 4 door only now. I have a GREAT deal of trouble trying to find my rental “car” these days in parking lots when i travel. I now write my license plate # down.
My driver’s seat bottom was all cracked & split on my ’74 firebird with just 43k miles on it back in ’78 when i bought it used.
Cars are generally easier to find in the parking lot today because of the key clicker. You should ask the rental company people to show you how to use it.
After being toted around in my older sister’s white hatchback with a baby poop green interior and vinyl top as a kid, a pinto is not on my list of cars to ever plant my behind in again. I had an older brother who had one in the 80’s that was jacked up with 50’s on the back. That was an abomination. I don’t recall, but bet it drove terrible – how ever that wasn’t his point. I do like the Lima engine though. This one is overpriced to me, but I bet someone will buy it and enjoy it. And it is worth the price in some circles. I can see it being on display at Radwood! :-)
The wagon didn’t appear until midyear *1972*, 18 months after the trunk model (always called a “2-door sedan” by Ford, never a coupe) was launched.
I’ve always suspected it was a result of a crash development program after self-proclaimed “Wagonmaster” Ford was caught flat-footed by the popularity of Chevy’s Vega Kammback.
The Runabout hatchback did indeed hit the market in early calendar 1971, less than 6 months after the sedan and close enough to have been part of the original design brief. I’d be interested in seeing the sources that there were technical difficulties vs. holding it back to have something new to show off at midyear.
I recently saw a picture of a pinto wagon with a mustang 2 front clip. Very interesting. Opens a whole new world of possibilities. for me to ponder.
Pricy for a Pinto though in my book.
That standard transmission in this one is the only way to go.
A mustang II with a Pinto front clip(preferably a lighter ’71-’73) might look better – with less front overhang.
Joe,
But that wouldn’t be a wagon.