The term hauling, or maybe more appropriate, haulin’, has a double meaning with this custom 1980 Ford Pinto pickup. This custom pickup is listed on Hemmings in Beachwood, Ohio and the seller is asking $19,900 or best offer.
Most of us have seen custom pickups before and maybe even Pinto pickups but this one is something special. They have even been featured here on Barn Finds in the past. I’m not personally enamored by the paint scheme or the wheels, come to think of it, but this looks like one quality build. The seller says that this “Professionally built, this one-of-a-kind 1980 Pinto pickup is finished in White with Metallic Copper stripes and hand-painted design motifs that give it an unmistakable late 70s/early 80s vibe. Its finish has a beautiful luster.”
Being a big fan and owner of some oddball minibikes and scooters, I’m always thinking about some way to haul them around to shows. This would be a fun minibike hauler for sure although the bed/box is pretty small, maybe one would fit and it might have to go diagonally. But look at the quality of the inside of the bed! Good grief, that’s nicer than our living room. The details seem to have been carried out very well, too. Here’s a photo of it at a car show, this would sure draw a crowd.
There’s no manual transmission here, bummer. I’m a sucker for a manual in any vehicle but especially in something like this. The seller has loaded several dozen photos onto their Hemmings listing and they’re worth checking out for sure. This is one nice vehicle, I can’t imagine the amount of time and money that goes into making something like this. They have even included a YouTube video showing a walkaround of this car – this thing is fantastic! Yes, I was also hoping that there would be a Jay-Leno-like burnout at the end.
Here’s what most of us wanted to see, what’s lurking under that hood. This 2.3L inline-four.. hey, wait a minute! THANK YOU for not putting an SBC in there! The seller says that this is a “302 CID V-8 engine and a C-4 three-speed automatic transmission, this little truck moves!” They go on to list some of the features of this build and this would really be a fun rig to own. Have any of you seen a custom Pinto pickup?
Thar would be a fun ride, it looks like it was built right. I don’t see window cranks or window switches. Wish there was room to get the upper radiator hose a little straighter.
The two switches to the left of the instrument cluster may control them.
But I also don’t note any a/c. That would have to be the first thing done to the vehicle.
DustyRider… agreed… I think I would build a custom elbow (or two) to fix that tight 90 degree “kink” in the hose.
I dub thee … “Pintero” .. I like it!!
Sano! But what is with the slushbox? Are you going to race drifters on the highway outside of town? The seatbelt buckles on the tailgate extenders are a nice touch.
I can hear “her” now…” “You spent 20 grand on a Pinto!!???”
got to love the bug on the front and check out the operating tailgate “straps” … seatbelts!
Cool. I built one of these in 1982 out of a 73 model. Wasn’t nearly this nice though.
Reminds me of a Dodge Rampage. To me, not a street ride. Sweet at “the curise-in”, though. Bring your wallet!!
Wow. This is nicely done!
Very nice, too nice to load anything into the bed except a couple folding chairs and a cooler.
The window switches are on the dash left side, I would love this then add AC and a 5 spd then you would have the perfect Pinto !!
So would I be correct it had to be made from a Station Wagon to ever have the area that is now the bed of it would be actually the back of a wagon?
Most likely, it would be the easiest way. That back window is from a Pinto wagon rear hatch.
This one is nicely enough done, and just weird enough that if someone were sufficiently drunk they might plunk down the dough for it.
I am flabbergasted that with a build of this obvious quality and craftsmanship that they didn’t in planning start with a wagon! It appears they used a runabout hatch/fastback. In any case, with the work lavished on the pickup bed I cannot believe they didn’t spend they extra $20 to buy a wagon filler neck and get that tube under the deck. It only cost Ford $125 million to learn that lesson.
“One-of-a-kind…”
You don’t say?
There is a reason and the $20k price is the funniest thing of all
See, the only reason that some ugly cars didn’t sell was that the manufacturers forgot to make them into ranchero style vehicles.
This is WAY better looking than the average Pinto, just as the Pacer Truck was heads and tails above the Pacer.
Does your car suck? Just make it into a pickup, dude.
Am I alone in thinking Ford should have built and sold these?
I believe they did in Australia.(you there, Adam?) Not Pintos, but they had V8 Utes, not too much bigger. Cool car, but way too much power. Be like driving on ice.
An early model front end would be nice.
When you look at the Hemming’s listing pictures, the builder of this really did some serious quality work. Engine has PS pump to go with PS rack, coolant lines look like factory would do, rear “seat” ok for area available. Sometimes this type of vehicle is derided because it was someone else’s idea, but just think of the work that DID go into this. Quite nice. Even has dual throttle spring, one built into throttle cable and second spring underneath. Better than a lot of cars are built!!!!
I like it with the later Pinto front end treatment. Wouldn’t change a thing…maybe the graphics could be updated with something more stripe-like. Maybe could stand it with no air being that it is painted white. Thankfully the builder didn’t cut a sunroof in the “cab” as so many of us did in the 70’s when the car we were driving didn’t have A/C.
The ad says the engine is a 302, but the sign in the picture at the car show says it’s a 289.
I could C doin it to a sedan, wouldn’t wanna ruin a wagon (er, ah, may B a hatch tho).
When ford DID makeem it wuz called ‘chero (1960 -’64 or 5) 1 of my all time fav (the “round body” ’60 -3).