Olive needs a new home, according to the seller of this 1974 Ford Pinto wagon. Olive is looking pretty good to me and she can be found here on craigslist in Perry, Georgia. The seller is asking $2,500 or offer for this middle-aged beauty. Thanks to Pat L. for sending in this tip!
Ok, Olive has let herself go a bit on this side. I was smitten and in love with the first photo of her other side – Olive, what happened?! She’s 43 years old now and, come to think about it, that’s when things started falling apart with me, too. Still, she’s got all four wheel covers and good color, although some of her edges are getting a little worn from age. Some plastic surgery would be nice to get Olive looking like a fresh-faced young’n again. Just don’t do that weird, fake big-lips thing, that never looks good and Olive has a great grille.
Olive is wearing some giant bumpers (hey, this is a family show) which all Pintos had beginning in 1974. I always think that I’d want to change those out to the smaller, more petite bumpers of the early models if I had a Pinto, and I can’t believe that I don’t have one yet. Olive was the owner’s daily driver but after getting a new car she’s just been sitting around since then, that’s not good for people or cars.
In a surprising move, the seller has broken all of the rules for online car ads by including an engine photo! Unfortunately and even more surprisingly, they didn’t include even one interior photo. Olive needs work on her interior (ok, that sounded weird) and she isn’t a self-starter. That isn’t from a recent job evaluation, she literally needs a new starter. Hopefully, someone can save Olive! Do any of you name your cars?
Nice thing is that supposedly the wagons don’t have the inferno problem when tapped from behind. I don’t think Olive will sell until her started is fixed.
My 1973 ford grand Torino 4 door was ezmarelda.
Steve. Send me a pic of that? I’m currently working on a 72 Ranchero. I’m smitten with the body style and front clips from 72-76. shamus302000@yahoo.com
Changed the starter motor of my newly purchased ’67 Mustang in the parking lot of the auto parts store in Palm Springs, CA July ‘ 77 in 108 F, so it can be done!
You remember stuff like that? The date, location and exact temperature?
Drop in a small block, suitable transmission, narrow rear end/wheel tubs. Fun sleeper.
Drop in a well prepped Turbo 2.3…
My opinion is Ford starters are cheap priced used and not bad new for the Advance Mexico built models. I would put one on it ….then sell it. I cant speak for nobody but Me but I am not buying any car unless I look it over and hear it run. Who knows what knocks or pings are hiding inside the motor. JMO…I like pintos……always wanted a wagon….never had one. I also like the green color on this.
Had a ’62 Rambler Classic named Annabelle. I took her as a trade for a gas
guzzling ’73 Ford Galaxie 500 2-door HT.
That old car saved my sanity at a time when I really needed it most. My 1st wife
ran off with another guy and took my nearly finished ’73 Ford Ranchero with her! Working on Annabelle help me to forget all the awful things that conniving
witch did to me. And for awhile, she was
the only woman in my life–until I met and
married my late wife in the Summer of ’82 .she (Annabelle) was a great old car that
rarely left us stranded. And when she did,
it wasn’t bad enough to where I couldn’t fix her up with whatever I had lying around the house. My wife would drive her to a local grade school where she worked as a lunchroom attendant. Sometimes, I’d walk down to the school with my toolbox and made small repairs
to the car while my wife was working inside. Everything went along fine until
the day one of the kids ran to my wife and
told her that someone was trying to steal
her car! After that, I made arrangements
with the principal to stop by and work on
the car during recess so the kids could
come over and watch me while I worked.
I even let them help me change the plugs,
check the oil and water, and re-attatch the
plug wires to the plugs we changed. Just try doing that at a modern school today!
Both Anabelle anf my wife are gone now,
but the memories will last me a lifetime.
My family’s cars all had names, and my father-in-law named most of his, too, if he could think of a funny one. He once had a Cadillac hearse, for instance, he called William Randolph … so of course we do the same. In the current stable we have Quicksilver (or The Q), our silver-grey Subaru Forester grocery-getter; my white-gold Alfa Milano Flash, and her white ’17 Alfa Giulia, Fluffy. Don’t ask why – I didn’t.
If we had this it we’d probably just clean up the exterior and call it Old Paint; if I bought it in Georgia and drove it home to Pasadena, I’d obviously have to detour to Cheyenne* … but of course she’d have to be made roadworthy first. That never stopped me before, but I’m older than that now.
*If you don’t know that song, I’m sorry.
We would buy these from Purolator Courier corporation with a gagillion miles on them. They were white and we would add aftermarket “wood” decals and a junkyard driver’s seat. Some had new engines, transmissions or rear ends. They all ran well. The used car lots couldn’t get enough of them.
I have a ’66 Thunderbird which I named Phoebe. She’s a good car, and I drive her almost every day. Sadly, though, just like that Pinto wagon, my Thunderbird developed a problem with the starter motor, and now she won’t start :(
I named my 1974 Mercedes Benz 240D Benzilla because she was a road-going monster that kept on going, spewing those diesel exhaust fumes on tailgaters mile after mile. One day she hit a dip in the road that made her drop so low on her sagging springs that she scraped off her oil pan and shuddered to her death a mile or two further on. Aufweidersehn, Benzilla.
Hey Crow, does Phoebe by chance have a 428 or a 429? These engines have the exhaust manifold outlet pipe sitting oo close to the starter, causing the starter to swell once Phoebe has been driven for a long period of time. Best thing to do would be to have your mechanic fab up a heat shield that will sit in between the exhaust pipe and the starter to act as a shield for the starter to keep it from swelling the armature inside the starter. There’s your fix, and I hope it helps. Had a friend who had the same problem in a ’71 Mercury Grand Marquis wagon. I had
her go to a sheet metal shop and ask them to make the part to my specifications.
After that, I installed the part between the two, and poof! Problem solved! Good luck getting Phoebe back in shape again!
I’d drive that in a heartbeat!
I had a “junker” 1979 version of the same car for 2 years when I was 19-20. It was very reliable and I really liked it. I like this one but it seems over-priced given it’s not running. I’m always suspicious of “simple fixes”. If was that simple to get it running why not fix it and then sell it for more money?
Were those sport mirrors standard equipment?
Yes, I *always* name my rides. Meet Ol’ Blue. ’88 Chevy with many trim parts from a GMC conversion van. Originally a V-6 with TB injection. Now a 350, headers, Edlebrock, Holly… retained the original trans- 3-speed with overdrive standard (floor) shift. Love this beast and as a solo entertainer (guitar, vocals, harmonica) I have lotsa gear to haul to and from gigs. Blue does the job with grace and style.
Yeah, it’s gonna need some work: interior, I suspect, starter, as mentioned, and a right front fender or some sheet metal work (notice the rear of the wheel well). Even at $2,500.00, I would have to offer a lower price. Can’t really consider this one. Too far away.
Yes I name my cars. Motor Vehicle usually. How hard is it to get a Pinto Engine starter motor ? Various late model European Ford Escorts had this engine. I has two of them in Australia. One as stock and one swapped ( sadly ) from the original valuable Twin Cam engine. The engine itself was ok except…if you have a leaky front crankshaft oil seal you will forever be changing timing belts until you fix the core problem !
Olive has been purchased and is resting comfortably next to her sister a 1978 Pinto Cruising Wagon. We went through the engine and drive-line, rebuilt all the brakes and Olive is once again able to be driven to car show.
I read/heard that you could put a Mustang II front clip on a Pinto with little difficulty. If possible that could be a fun custom wagon. Never saw one.