David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/7/23 10:58 a.m.
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Is this hot or not? Blazing orange, manual-shift 1979 Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon, meaning that those porthole windows and groovy stripes came right from the factory.

It’s billed as a SoCal car still wearing 60% of its original paint. Factory a/c, too.

Is this how you turn all the heads at Monterey next year? Who needs the latest Italian supercar …

Read the rest of the story

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
9/7/23 11:01 a.m.

It's giving me Holden Sandman vibes.

msterbeau
msterbeau Reader
9/7/23 11:08 a.m.

It hurts my eyes.  I like it. (Just get rid of the white sidewall tires)

Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter)
Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
9/7/23 11:19 a.m.

Who ever thought that Pintos would be cool.

One showed up at Cars and Coffee a few years ago and got more attention than the Ferraris and Lamborghinis. It was the only one there.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
9/7/23 11:29 a.m.
Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) said:

Who ever thought that Pintos would be cool.

One showed up at Cars and Coffee a few years ago and got more attention than the Ferraris and Lamborghinis. It was the only one there.

I love that for the Pinto owner.

Ranger50
Ranger50 MegaDork
9/7/23 12:38 p.m.

Needs moar tubs and 2500hp up front.

200mph
200mph Reader
9/7/23 1:27 p.m.

Tangerine plaid seats look great, but are not original to the car (vinyl per the trim tag).

Steering wheel and gauge package are factory options though.  Sharp, especially with a manual gearbox !

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/8/23 12:02 p.m.

I’d totally have to keep those seats, though. I’m also a fan of the white walls. :) 

Recon1342
Recon1342 SuperDork
9/8/23 12:44 p.m.

As a bassist, I can only dream of having that level of groove in my life.

msterbeau
msterbeau Reader
9/8/23 2:29 p.m.
David S. Wallens said:

 I’m also a fan of the white walls. :) 

surprisecheeky

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/8/23 3:59 p.m.

I ran white walls on my wagon, too. :) 

tlott01
tlott01 New Reader
9/9/23 3:15 p.m.

Plaid was definitely a thing for wagons in those days.

1980 Subaru GL wagon

XLR99 (Forum Supporter)
XLR99 (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand Dork
9/9/23 5:46 p.m.

Man, I grew up in the back of a Pinto wagon - puke green '72 with the thin chrome bumpers, 2.0 / 4spd.

Two memorable Pinto things: these mini cruisers with the portholes, and the Pinto Pangra.  A foolish 12-13ish year old me thought that combining them would be epic.

Ranger50
Ranger50 MegaDork
9/9/23 6:57 p.m.
XLR99 (Forum Supporter) said:

Two memorable Pinto things: these mini cruisers with the portholes, and the Pinto Pangra.  A foolish 12-13ish year old me thought that combining them would be epic.

That is epic.

Noddaz
Noddaz GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
9/9/23 7:27 p.m.

In reply to David S. Wallens :

With a little paint, you could have been that cool too.

(Oh, that is bad...)

Chesterfield
Chesterfield Reader
9/9/23 7:51 p.m.

In reply to XLR99 (Forum Supporter) :

A couple of decades ago, I knew a guy at church with a pangra wagon, and we both thought it would have been great if it was also cruising wagon with the portholes and graphics.

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/11/23 12:48 p.m.
Noddaz said:

In reply to David S. Wallens :

With a little paint, you could have been that cool too.

(Oh, that is bad...)

Now you tell me.

The wagon was probably the coolest thing we ever owned. I’d take the 911 to Porsche events, and people would ask where the wagon was. 

Sadly, don’t have the resources to keep them all. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
9/11/23 12:49 p.m.
Ranger50 said:
XLR99 (Forum Supporter) said:

Two memorable Pinto things: these mini cruisers with the portholes, and the Pinto Pangra.  A foolish 12-13ish year old me thought that combining them would be epic.

That is epic.

Totally A+ epic. 

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