One of my favorite recent opening photos, this Pinto wagon does need a bit of service after having been stored since 2005. Ahhhh, 2005, to go back 20+ years. What’s the first thing you’d do? I mean, other than buying this 1973 Ford Pinto Wagon and keeping it maintained. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in beautiful Scottsboro, Alabama, and they’re asking $2,950. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
Ford called this body style a 2-Door Wagon, adding a couple of extra words as if their marketing department was being paid per word. It’s a wagon, no? Yes. They didn’t make a 4-door wagon, did they? No. I made one a while ago. You can see some work will need to be done to and/or on this Pinto wagon. The hood is clearly a brighter “White” than the rest of the body, and there are dings, scratches, and a bit of rust to deal with. I think it would be a really interesting daily driver as it looks now, but I’m weird.
The Pinto was made from 1970 for the 1971 model year until the end of 1980 in one generation. I’ve always wondered what a second-generation Pinto may have looked like. According to a 1973 Ford Pinto brochure, “Ford is a very experienced small car manufacturer. We’ve been building small, dependable, economical cars from the days of the Model “T” and Model “A” down through the current Cortina, Taunus, and Capri of Europe.” Now there’s a blast from the past. No pun intended.
A wagon with a manual transmission is always cool, no matter what it looks like. There is so much work to do here if a person wanted to restore this car, for some odd reason. I’d look for a much nicer example for two or three times this asking price if I were in the market for a Pinto wagon. The seller is a bit light on photos, mainly interior and engine photos.
The only back seat photo we see is this one showing the rear cargo area. And there is no engine photo. This one has a 2.0-liter OHC inline-four with 83 horsepower and 97 lb-ft of torque when new. Sending power through the four-speed manual to the rear wheels, the seller says this car has been in storage since 2005, and they “drained the gas, cleaned the tank, installed new brake master cylinder, new spark plugs, newer tires, and new carpet set, and drove it.” It runs great, shifts perfectly, but needs to have the carb rebuilt. For a general eye-catching driving around town car, this would be fun to own. Would you daily drive a Pinto wagon in this condition?
I would take it.
I daily drove a ’73 Pinto wagon, back in 1980’s. Paid $150, and drove it home from college, then to work for two years. Sold it to my uncle, and he delivered newspapers in it for a couple more. Indestructible engine and transmission, not so the body.
The early Pintos definitely have the nicer looking non 5 mph bumpers. I know this needs a lot of work however, it looks like it has good bones. A wagon with a stick? Yes all day long. A full restoration would probably be cost prohibitive but, if you’re doing the work yourself, and if its complete maybe a DIY restoration. And Scotty, that 4 door wagon looks fantastic!! Ford should have built it. Seriously…. It looks like it came from their design studio. Love it.
Would I daily drive a Pinto wagon in this condition? Yes, I absolutely would. No need to justify that answer, either. If you feel otherwise, well you know what’s out there now for daily driver type vehicles. have at em.
I’m with Dave on this Pinto. It needs work but maybe the point is to just get it in decent condition and enjoy it from that point, as a blast from the past. Finding any Pinto which hasn’t rusted away is uncommon. A wagon with a stick is desirable. That four door chop looks great.
Good write-up SG. Was that opening photo on purpose, to be humorous? Or not, which is also humorous?
This is related yet unrelated to the car. I ran into a guy with a mid 80’s Chevette in a parking lot just today. Dull silver paint, but no rust. He got it from someone who had it sitting in his garage for 20 years, never did anything with it. This guy bought it and over time got it running and just has fun working on it and running it around. I think I surprised him when I complimented him on it. We talked and I said as long as you’re enjoying yourself, thats what matters. Same with this Pinto, buy it, spruce it up and enjoy it.
Survivor here with a manual is even better!
Pintos usually popular on BF.
Love pintos
I had a ’76 wagon which I drove for 4 years before I got a wild hair and cut the roof to make a Pintero. Drove it a couple more years, sold it, bought it back after a couple more years and drove it for 2 more years!
Our family had many pinto wagons back in the 70s 80s. I had a sport wagon with 4 speed, fun car. Still have a pair of front seats in saddle brown. I customized a 72 Galaxie and had a pair in there and had these as backup. Fun cars for sure
I seriously doubt it runs and drives perfectly with a carb that needs rebuilding. My family had a Runabout with the 2.0 – it often would decide to run on 3 cylinders from time to time.
Love this cause it has a stick.
Dislike the later model with the “full surround balcony” bumpers, and dang they were heavy.
Great engines that came in great packages in Europe, crap-cans here.
I love this because it makes people laugh, and is plenty good transpo, though I love “disliked designs”.
SVO & a 5 speed. Done
that would shock many at a stoplight
Had a ‘72 just like this, and a ‘74 with a 2300. ‘72 got considerably better mileage. They were both fun to drive, and quite versatile, with lots of cargo space. This one seems to be priced about right, in the current market. GLWTS!
When a Pinto came up, I mentioned here maybe last year, it always reminds me of my best dead friend. This goes back to the mid 70’s when my friend Curt’s parents were alive. Curt’s father was a retired mailman who had delivered mail in a light blue Pinto wagon just like this one. By 1980 the Pinto had about 300,000 miles on it and had considerable rust but still ran. Curt and his wife used it as needed. Its name was Leapin Leena.
Beautiful blank canvas. This is a project waiting to happen in my mind. Thinking 80’s turbo 4 with a 4 or 5 spd drivetrain including the rear end. Or a little Windsor v-8 with the appropriate rear. Then swap on a mustang 2 front clip including the suspension, brakes and all the sheet metal. Keep it as simple as possible cause it’ll be a daily driver, no trailer queen.
Love a 2 door wagon! and with a stick … ?
Yup.
Had a ’74 stick that I drove hard for several years. Commute was about 35 miles per day. Ran good, good milage. Had to retire it while still running great but with the driver’s seat breaking through the rusted out floor.
There was a guy a few yrs ago that hung the front clip from a Mustang II on a Pinto Wagon and painted it like a Cobra II. It was a good looking car. I would drop in a 302 /4spd and add a shaker scoop and than drive it every other day. My 87 Elco is my current daily and I still need to show it love.
I had a wagon like this only in a light mustard color. Wider wheels, , (with the factory wheel covers) front and rear sway bars and a 2.0 with high compression pistons, hot cam and headers. It was a blast to drive and actually got great fuel economy. It would roll easilly past 100 mph. I would still have it except for finding high enough octane fuel at the time. (Now you can just stop at O’Reillys and by a can of octane boost) Buying fuel at the airport got increasingly problematic. I truly miss that car.
looks a lot better than the Vega. at least there is something to work with here.
I did the same as Wayne to a 73 wagon. Lowered with 7″ wide wheels, 50 series BFG tires, Koni shocks and larger anti-roll bars. Engine was balanced, bored with high compression pistons, Crane cam, 4 side draft carbs. Yes they wound do over 100 mph and cornered better than 69 BBC 435 HP Vette I had before. I would buy this if it was in Pacific Northwest as it would be fun to restorod.
I’ll 3rd the idea.
It would be nice and whole lot eaiser, cheaper to simply hot rod the existing motor as mentioned. Beef up the chassis and then just drive it.
Listing update: someone snagged this Pinto wagon, was it one of you?