I cannot begin to explain how badly I'd like to own this car...

...but I'm going to try.

In 1974, I was seven years old. My uncle was Vice President of SomethingVeryImportant at Ford. One of the perks of his job was that he and his wife would each get a new car every six months. My uncle usually got a Lincoln, and my aunt would get a Ford or Mercury. They had the option of buying it out at the end of the year. It was a good deal.

Standard family practice at the time was that we would spec out the new car that we wanted, my aunt would drive it for six months and then we would buy it at a substantial discount.

The country was in the depths of the gas crisis, and my grandfather decide that he needed something more fuel efficient than the the 1967 Plymouth Belvedere II hardtop that he bought new in 1966 (and that I would inherit ten years later). He ordered up a 1974 Pinto Squire wagon in Harvest Gold with woodgrain panels. My aunt drove it for six months, and then it became his.

My older sister was just starting a new family, and so my aunt's next car was a 1975 Pinto Squire wagon, also with woodgrain panels. The dark metallic blue paint had enough metal flake in it to make any dune buggy or bass boat proud. I loved the contrast of the fake wood and the sparkly blue paint. My sister and brother-in-law sold their 1973 MGB and bought the blue Pinto.

Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in Pinto wagons back in the 70's. Both cars had automatic transmissions. I'm pretty sure that my grandfather's car had dog dish hubcaps, but my sister's had the very cool four spoke steel wheels. I remember many rides to the beaches of Rhode Island and to family gatherings in Bergen County New Jersey, riding in the Wayback and staring at the chrome shifters, the sport steering wheels and the rallye gauges.

I miss those horrible little cars.

This particular car has the added bonuses of low mileage and a four speed transmission. I'd love to buy it, but my most recent purchase of a low mileage, Miata M-Edition for almost no money did not go over very well with Other People Who Live Here. I would almost (but not quite) consider selling a Porsche to make room and free up funds to buy this Pinto (but I will not, because that would be stupid).

Sigh, I want this car....

Considering selling a Porsche to buy a fake wood panel Pinto wagon....

What car guy has not had the same thought?

I really want a small block powered version of the blue one! Id do it but im not a porsche guy. I like old and obnoxious.

We owned a 1976 Mercury Bobcat wagon. Silver with wood grain and red interior.

Sold that to buy 1978 Mercury Zephyr wagon, silver with red interior.

I wish we kept both.

aircooled wrote: Considering selling a Porsche to buy a fake wood panel Pinto wagon.... What car guy has not had the same thought? P

Indeed! Go for it.

EcoBoost

Ive never rode in one but i want it just to toss in a newer ford 4 cylinder. The zetec in my shed is the cheap route, then duratec, and finally an ecoboost.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I'm sure I'll be feeling the same thing about egg shaped Taurus wagons when they are "classics" in several years

I have owned over 10 Pintos and built two dirt track Pintos. A former student had a Pinto wagon just like the one pictured. His father (a Ford tech) had installed a 289/auto in it. I still check C-list for clean/rust free Pinto wagons. Hard to fight nostalgia.

If you have any fond memories of your youth, the reality of driving a Pinto will cause you to question all of them.

My parents had a 72 wagon, booger green with the 2.0 and 4spd (I know, the unicorn combo ) I used to hate riding in the back when I was little because the seat was so low I couldn't see anything. I ended up inheriting the thing as my first car for a couple months until the spring shackles finished rusting out. Great engine and trans, miserable otherwise.

I still remember an old Road&Track article about someone who was making a turbo version with some kind of retractable headlights:

Pangra

Streetwiseguy wrote: If you have any fond memories of your youth, the reality of driving a Pinto will cause you to question all of them.

I don't think I've ever driven one.

I thought they were basically a Mustang II? How bad could it be?

I had a 79 notch back, in burnt orange/rust color, with the 2.3l and a 4 speed. Bought for $150 and driven for 3 years. I really liked that car. I sold it because the family was getting bigger and I needed more space. Sold it for $400 and bought a 81 Corolla wagon for $350 with a 1.8 and a 5 speed. I loved both of those cars. I regret selling them, both are regular searches on C-list.

You typed up all those words to explain how badly you want that car but... I just looked at the picture and thought "I totally get that".

I would prefer the 2 door Pinto with the small bumpers but... that is just splitting hairs. Who wouldn't want a nice old Pinto?

What Huckleberry said. I hate Fords and I want a clean Pinto.

are you guys getting cabin fever already? it's only december. what will you be into in february when the real madness sets in?

patgizz wrote: are you guys getting cabin fever already? it's only december. what will you be into in february when the real madness sets in?

Someone's gonna attempt to dd a biturbo again.

When I was young, maybe 7, my dad who is a veterinarian would go to weekly livestock auctions with a friend. They would buy the calves that looked sick that no one else wanted to buy, take them home, pump them full of antibiotics and frequently end up with live bargain calves. In order to give the calves a sort of rolling incubator on the way home, we would take the friends Pinto wagon. I distinctly remember the sounds and smells of calves just over my shoulder while riding in the back seat of a Pinto wagon way past my bedtime.

I could haul some serious dog in that thing...

Back when that Pinto wagon was new, C&D described as "corners like a fat man in ski boots..."

Road test verbiage

fasted58 wrote: EcoBoost

Now there's an interesting idea. A bit scary, though. I think I'd replace the gas tank with a fuel cell.

mazdeuce wrote: When I was young, maybe 7, my dad who is a veterinarian would go to weekly livestock auctions with a friend. They would buy the calves that looked sick that no one else wanted to buy, take them home, pump them full of antibiotics and frequently end up with live bargain calves. In order to give the calves a sort of rolling incubator on the way home, we would take the friends Pinto wagon. I distinctly remember the sounds and smells of calves just over my shoulder while riding in the back seat of a Pinto wagon way past my bedtime.

That sounds like a screenplay for a huckster/tin man with a heart of gold type movie. Paper Moon II?

I totally get it. I had two Pinto wagons - a '71 4 speed and a 74 woodie with an automatic. Bought 'em cheap, drove the snot out of them, and learned how to keep them on the road. They really were pieces of crap, but I loved them all the same. The 71 was brown and rusted out so bad my wife had wear a sleeping bag anytime we went anywhere when it was cold. The wiring on that car also caught fire one day in a parking ramp - I was running back and forth throwing handfuls of snow on the fire to put it out. Unfortunately, I was successful... I'd still like a small two door wagon, but alas, they're not to be found these days.

My mom had a 76, light blue metallic with wood grain. Mrs oldtin ended up with it when we got married. Hated it when we had it. Wouldn't mind playing with one now