American car makers’ race to downsize took on new urgency in the 1970s, as the rebellion against large cars put more small imports into US garages than ever before. “Compacts” like the Falcon and the Corvair were barely smaller than their division stablemates. So in the Spring of 1970, AMC introduced the Gremlin. From that point on, it was off to the races, with Ford’s Pinto and Chevy’s Vega both arriving in late 1970. Here on craigslist is a 1977 Pinto Runabout with a build that’s less concerned about gas economy than performance: it’s running a 2.3-liter turbocharged engine. The seller is asking $9999, and the car is located near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Thanks to Rocco B for the great tip!
Ford introduced its 2.3-liter four-cylinder in 1974 (the first Pintos used either a 1.6- or a 2.0-liter four) and by 1979, it had designed a draw-through, carburetted turbocharged version. Fuel-injection replaced the carbs in 1983. The injected engine was widely used in the Thunderbird and the Mustang SVO; adding an intercooler resulted in output of around 190 hp. The seller indicates his Pinto’s original engine was swapped out in favor of this blueprinted mill, and that “everything has been done to it”. The car comes with paperwork detailing all the work behind the swap. A manual gearbox is mated to the engine.
Like the rest of the car, the interior is quite decent. Bucket seats, pleated door panels, and one of the most basic steering wheels you’ll ever see greet the driver. The upholstery and carpets are clean; the dash is only slightly bubbled here and there. Apparently, someone was a fan of big sound, because the car’s stereo system is about twelve times beefier than what I have in my living room. All the requisite gauges usually paired with a turbo have been installed, to encourage the driver to keep an eye on engine health.
By 1977, the Pinto’s looks had been spoiled by bench-seat bumpers and prominent overriders. But that cool glass hatch was still a feature, and at least this car has a dual-tip exhaust to show off. It might just be the quality of the photo, but the paint in the engine bay appears a shade lighter than the exterior. The price of Pintos varies dramatically: hot-rodded versions can breach $20k, restored wagons are desirable and can sell in the teens. The Runabout body style is less collectible, but this example’s fancy motor and spiffy cosmetic condition should help it find an owner willing to pay close to the asking price.
I wouldn’t care if it had a Pratt and Whitney JT9D turbofan under the hood. It’s a Pinto.
A turbo four into a Pinto, a worthy upgrade. This example has some overkill (fog lights, exhaust tip, especially the sound system) but doesn’t seem bad. At least it isn’t a rusty mess. The earlier model years have more interest with their cleaner styling, but someone might have fun with this one. Meager verbiage in ad.
Good job Michelle, as usual.
Hats off to the builder. A turbocharged 2.3 with a 5 speed is a great idea, won’t add much nose weight. Like the rims too. Maybe a different color from stock, but who cares. I laughed at your stereo comment Michelle, that would included both our living rooms!! The louvered hood is a neat touch too. Looks like it was a solid rust free Pinto like Bob said which is a good place to start. I’d meander over to it at a Cars and Coffee for sure.
Driveinstile beat me to the louvered hood, which I also find to be a fun touch here. Nice build, nice Pinto, and nice post, Michelle! Thanks for sharing this one with us.
Louvered hood would also help extract some of that turbocharger heat from the engine bay.
Pinto SVO. Maybe a double wing should’ve been place on the hatch?
Nice hot rod Pinto.
Were I in the market I’d think to tone it down a bit more. Yes lose the stereo, flat hood (though I like the louvers!) and find an earlier set of bumpers. Maybe swap out the wheels, there are better mustang options out there in my opinion. Those wheels though do make me wonder if the suspension & drivetrain have been upgraded as needed? One would think so, but with such a vague sales pitch …
Nice go-cart.
I had two of the earlier model Pintos with the smaller bumpers, one hatchback and one wagon. They were good cheap transportation as long as you didn’t get rear ended while having a full tank of gas.
Came for the explosion jokes, and wasn’t disappointed!
The gas tank fix applied to the 1971 through 1976 sedans and hatchbacks. None of the station wagons, sedan deliveries or the Cruising Van were affected due to their different tank and filler design.
The 1977 through 1980 models had the update built in at the factory.
Thank you
Seeing dealers asking $20,000 for stock Pinto wagons, this Runabout seems like a good deal. The perfect engine and trans combo, next to a V-8 swap. And, with some guys still fretting about getting hit by a semi truck, right after you filled up with 87 octane? You won’t have as many hagglers in your way.
Heck I thought paying 500 bucks for a early 70s Pinto back in the mid 80s was too much, 10 grand for one now is the best joke I’ve heard today!
I dig it…
Were these named after the horse or the bean?
It was not a horse or bean. At the time when Ford was designing this car, the wife of the CEO had a dog named Pinto. They went with that. And the rest, good bad or indifferent is history. Don’t ask me how Mercury came up with the Bobcat.
I would surmise that Ford was keeping the equine part in naming the Pinto. They already had the Mustang.. so the Pinto would follow suite. Same with Mercury. They already had the Cougar.. a smaller cat would be the Bobcat.
“Kroger, from now on, your Delta Tau Chi name is…Pinto.” “Why Pinto?” “Why not?!!” 😂
Seller has lowered the price by $2,000. Now they are asking $7,999 or best offer.
If this was the wagon version, I might be interested…
The Cruising Van or sedan delivery would also be tempting.
Infernophobia: Fear of being rear-ended while driving a Ford Pinto! H/T to Mad magazine for that one.
I had a 76 Pinto back in the day. It was very cheaply built, definitely a lack of quality there. There used to be a racing class for them, I had a customer on my Schwan’s route that had several he raced at a local track in SW Virginia.
Nice mustang rims on it.
The next best thing to an Ecoboost 2.3L engine transplant, and a hell of a lot cheaper! Now, if I can only find a Pinto Cruisin’ Wagon to perform the same swap into, LOL! A tip of the cap to the builder!
I’m with those who would dispense with the huge stereo and louvered hood, though. GLWTS in any case!
Engine may have been pulled from a junkyard XR4Ti. Better than taking it from an SVO or a Turbo Bird.
Why is it better, exactly? If the car has been totaled, what difference does it make what make or model car the donor engine is from? Granted, some people with more money than brains might want to restore a car that the restoration will cost more than the finished car is worth, I’m just not one of those people, LOL! As long as the engine is healthy inside, that ends my interest in the donor vehicle. My biggest concern is that the crash damaged the engine internally, which you won’t find out until you try to start it, but by then, it’s too late!
Priced now at $6,999.-