Back during the height of the kit car rage, someone out there decided that their old Ford Pinto needed a redesign. So, they set about giving it a new look and they apparently liked the finished product enough to start selling kits that other people could install on their own Pintos. It was a great idea, except for the fact that in the end, you still were driving a Pinto. These restyled Fords were known as Autonique Stilettos, which is exactly what we have here, except this one has an additional upgrade that could solve one of the Pinto’s biggest issues. Under that extra-long nose sits a V8, which should actually make this Pinto go as fast as it looks. You can find this oddball here on craigslist in Pasco County, Florida with a $5,500 asking price. Special thanks to Patrick S for this tip!
I’m not sure the 302 V8 is enough of an upgrade to even remotely compare it to a De Tomaso Pantera, but I get where they were going with the Pintera name. The seller mentions the Stiletto in their listing, so they clearly know what it really is. If you ask me, it looks like a cross between a Saab Sonett, a Bricklin SV-1, and a station wagon. That’s not a bad thing though, as it really has an interesting and unique look to it.
The V8 is a welcome upgrade to any Pinto, this certainly isn’t the first to receive a 302 swap. It’s a well-documented upgrade that was popular enough back in the ’80s that you could buy complete kits that made it a fairly simple job. The seller claims that this car had been parked for 30 years, but that they were able to get it back on the road with nothing more than a new battery, fresh gas, and a tune-up.
It wasn’t looking this shiny when they found it, so they also gave it a fresh coat of paint. The color goes well with the dark window tint, blacked-out hood scoop, and the odd shape of the car. Speaking of the hood scoop, that appears to be an L88 Corvette style piece. Having found the photo above, possibly of this very car but without the hood scoop, I’m a bit torn on whether it should stay or go.
While this find isn’t for everyone, there is something appealing about it. The looks are definitely unlike anything else out there, but the fact that it’s really just a Pinto means that parts are cheap and it will be easy to work on. We don’t really know what else has been done to it, but with the right suspension upgrades, it could be a fun machine to drive. So, what do you think of this wagon? Would you drive it?
Suddenly that Mohs Safari car isn’t looking so bad….
Definitely unique
I’d roll it all day long!
Absolutely! I’d drive that all day also. Screams the 70’s. Would aggravate the he’ll out of the wife and kids too.
At one point it probably would have attracted a lot of interest and conversation. Now all you would get would be
” it’s called a Pintera. It’s based on a Ford Pinto station wagon.
A Ford who???”
It’s time had passed.
All that work and the gas cap still looks weird on this car.
Seems to stick out and not match the car well.
That’s an aftermarket locking gas cap
Definitely sticks out, like the hood scoop but expected to see something more under the hood. A warmer 302, possibly an old injected 5.0 version, hey why not. Vegas and Pintos alike were turned into screamin demons although not so much anymore.
Too much “look at me” for my taste.
“Collectors dream car” LOL… so long as you can find a new hatch to get rid of the dents, I guess. To be fair, not many of these kits were sold – this is the first I’ve seen “in the metal (or fiberglass)”. At that price it would have to be completely rust-free… and in Florida I’m doubting that.
Personally, I’d remove the nose, upgrade suspension & frame (brace it), and improve performance. And drive the hell out of it. To those that said a 5.0, you have to look at the cost and availability of parts back then. IMHO.
Kind of a “clown shoe” Pinto… honk-honk.
AMT models had a hopped up Pinto coupe kit called the Pintera back in the 1970s .It was ugly too.
IMHO, a better looking Pinto conversion was the “Pangra”. Always wanted one of those.
http://dailyturismo.com/15k-pintera-1973-ford-pinto-pangra/
That is cool. Thanks for sharing.
Appears to be the same nose; this one just has a bumper bar and shaker hood/cowl induction added, plus the wagon/coupe difference of course.
No, the whole conversion is different. Pangra was not as long (look at the headlight buckets), and IMO was more fitting in with the Pinto’s styling. Also, that’s not a “shaker” hood, just a smaller version of a Corvette L-88 scoop bonded or riveted on.
Kind of looks like an Americanized version of a 1970’s Lotus Elite.
Not a big fan of the L-88 hood scoop, but if it were dropped about 3 inches down so the wheels fit the openings better, it would look terrific. Sort of a “Shooting Brake” GT concept. Color combo with the tinted windows looks great.
I am a Pontiac / GM fanatic, but I would drive this till I die.
Is no one here old enough to remember the Pinto Pangra kit? That’s what this is. Go ahead, Google it.
Well, apparently this ISN’T a Pangra – the nose on this one is more elongated and the headlight doors are correspondingly longer. Perhaps they started with one of those kits.
it is different. Looks a lot better than the Pinto nose IMHO. The 302 should be enough power to enjoy it.
The painted over dent in the tailgate scares me. How much rust and bonding lurks under the paint.
That nose looks ridiculous. Way,way too long.
It’s mildly bizarre. An interesting idea done incorrectly with regard to the overall perspective of the car. But then again this is not High Art.
Thank you Jim, well done. I don’t know what to do with the car.
Not bad! If you it had a big Pantera wing on the back end of the roof, I would like it even better!
Imagine driving this thing out on the highway into a 40 mph headwind…….better be at 10:00/2:00 that’s for sure.
Absolutely! I’d drive that all day also. Screams the 70’s. Would aggravate the he’ll out of the wife and kids too.
I like it. Lose the hood scoop, better air cleaner system, change the air flow underneath, headers, decent straight pipes, clean up the suspension, lower it 1.5″,paint it canary yellow and drive the hell out of it would be my game plan. It would fit nicely in my wagon stable i have running already
I noticed it has non-power brakes. Why couldn’t they at least upgrade the brakes if they put in a V-8?
Frankenstein-pinto!! I had a pinto for a while!! Hands down the most hated car I ever owned!! Couldn’t get out of its own way!! The car actually repelled high school girls!! I sold it cheap just to get rid of it!! It will never be the car that I would say I wish I still had it!! POS!!!!
I currently own a 73 pinto wagon with a 2.3 fuel injected turbocharged 4 banger.
12 sec 1/4 mile and 27 might.
As for the car in the post, there were 2 different kits I’ve seen
The pangra and the stiletto. Even had blowthrough turbo kits available for them
Other than the front overhang, this is pretty good. Very good for a kit car, but even leaving that aside, it’s pretty good.
This is what happens when a Pinto is Raped by a Firebird? You get this bastard child…this is why we can’t have nice things, not that there was anything nice to start with…
Blueprint body… Red paint, 20 inch AMERICAN MAGS,
TWEEKED TURBO 4 CYL SVO or better.
stick shift.
NICE GROCERY GETTER.
pulling trigger on this one…
Look for red Stiletto in future
Sitting next to Holman moody cortina…
Two… only ones left… in the barn