Faust Posted May 24, 2018 Share Posted May 24, 2018 If there’s one thing I love, it’s loser cars. Anyone who knows me, or has been to my site, knows that building loser, everyday-kind-of cars is a big thrill for me. I love to preserve these little nobodies in plastic, at least, since almost none of them exist in “the wild” anymore. A perfect example of a loser car is the 1980 Pinto Cruising Wagon. In its last guise, Ford’s gutless econobeater van-wannabe is about as sad as you’re going to get. It’s amazing, in a way, that there’s even a kit of this thing, but of course, MPC saved the day by punching out an ultimate Pinto annual. Resurrected by Round 2, the “Pony Express” can be built stock or custom. Of course, I chose stock. However, it’s not all rose-coloured glasses on this one. MPC’s lame horse has A LOT wrong with it, especially in the engine department. It turns out accurizing the motor is a project unto itself! So, if you’ve got a Pinto and you’re wondering if you need to do anything, or you just like to watch me suffer (and who doesn’t?) then check out the link below! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2018/05/23/mpc-ford-pinto-update-1-not-so-wild-horses/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Posted May 24, 2018 Share Posted May 24, 2018 Nice start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsxse240 Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 I plan on using the Mustang SVO engine in my Pinto. This particular one is going into my SVO, of course. But it is a great fairly accurate 2.3 liter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted January 5, 2019 Author Share Posted January 5, 2019 Wow! That engine looks awesome! Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuces Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 (edited) I used to have an '80 Pinto wagon.... It was mom's hand me down.... ? It was painted an ugly cream color from the factory.. ? Glad I got rid of it when I did.. It was this color and it had the plain Jane hub caps on it.... ? Edited January 6, 2019 by Deuces Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NYLIBUD Posted January 6, 2019 Share Posted January 6, 2019 Pinto wagons,like Vega wagons,make great drag cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuces Posted January 7, 2019 Share Posted January 7, 2019 Yeah, I once thought about stuffing an engine in the back seat of that thing... ? I just didn't have the $$$$$.... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faust Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 22 hours ago, Deuces said: Yeah, I once thought about stuffing an engine in the back seat of that thing... ? I just didn't have the $$$$$.... ? That, sir, is a fantastic idea! Sounds like something that needs to be done with an MPC Pinto - much cheaper and less dangerous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I drove a Pinto Wagon for a summer once! My brother in law knows absolutely nothing about cars.He had bought a bright yellow Pinto wagon and had problems with it. He said it ran fine, just randomly wouldn't start. Just "Click". So he'd have it hauled off to some garage who would replace lots of parts. It would run for a bit, then the same problem. He hated that car, he spent a lot of money having it towed and "repaired". He was leaving my in-laws house one day and it wouldn't start. I listened, then I gave the starter solenoid a whack. It was right up high on the inner fender well. It started right up. So I pointed to it, explained to him that this was his issue and to have his garage replace it. I might as well have been pointing into a nuclear reactor speaking French. He got none of it. Same problem, repeat, rinse! So he goes out and buys himself a brand new NIssan Pulsar. He asks me if I'll sell the Pinto for him, and he'll split the money with me. I'm good with that. It was still registered and insured so I put some signs on it and drove it around. I drove it up to my carpool meeting place, and when I returned that evening it wouldn't start. I smacked the solenoid and it started right up. I drove directly to a car parts store and bought a solenoid. That evening I put it on the car, about a five minute job. I went through the glovebox and there was a huge wad of repair receipts. Seems that garages all over New York saw him as fresh meat. Large bills replacing things like plugs, wires, distributor cap, some sensors and even large repairs like a timing belt and even a distributor. I put them in date order and saw garages billing him for tune ups like three months apart. You know those garages saw all those parts were already new on the car! BUT nobody ever touched the solenoid! I drove that car the rest of the summer without any kind of issue at all! It was actually a pleasant little tug to drive. I was actually sad when someone agreed to buy it for my asking price. He lived in Sea Bright, NJ on Ocean Avenue right across from the seawall. He was in his final year of dental school and lived in a second floor apartment there. End of story? Nope, about a year later I run into the guy. He tells me the Pinto was just great... until the Nor'Easter that flooded Sea Bright (every minor storm flooded Sea Bright) and nearly took poor Pinto out to the ocean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vamach1 Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Great story Tom. Made me laugh and sad at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khils Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 19 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said: Same problem, repeat, rinse! Loved the story Tom! "Story over"?.......I was expecting to read you sold it to someone who lived across the street from original owner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deuces Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 9 hours ago, Faust said: That, sir, is a fantastic idea! Sounds like something that needs to be done with an MPC Pinto - much cheaper and less dangerous! Yep! You won't have to worry about getting nailed in the rear.... Wait! That didn't sound right... You know what I mean.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
styromaniac Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) In defence of the poor little Pinto...my first car back in the mid 70s was a Pinto. My dad bought two real cheap off a lot in Newport News Va after my bro and I finished school. A buddy of ours had one...a copper colored hatchback ( think it was a Runabout package that his dad...a former Army Air Corps pilot tinkered with...it was a hot little number. One spring break four of us piled in it and went down to Florida ). Anyway...I had a traveling job after college so I drove the wheels off that Pinto of mine....and it was not a fine ride by any means but it was dependable! Later on I worked for a stone and tile company in Landover Md...the chief stone mason was a mechanic who drove a 39 Chevy gasser back in the 60s ( Jolly Dolly ). He owned the C-gas class back then. By the time I got to Maryland he was taking the 2.3 litre Pinto engines and souping them up to put in racing boats. As for the jokes about exploding into flames when struck from behind...Ford did eventually correct that problem by recalling them and extending the fuel filler and inserting a shield between the fuel tank and the differential. Kind of a bad rap....If you ask me...anybody driving a sub compact car of any kind is taking their chances on the road... Edited January 8, 2019 by styromaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ich_Will Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I grew up in a Ford family. We had Pintos and a Bobcat. They hold a spot in my heart. The motor looks good to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stitchdup Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Does anyone know if the pinto engine is the same as the engine in the euro mk1+2 escort rs2000 and sierras? I know the engines in them were called pintos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brudda Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 I really love pintos! Not a loser car to me. I bought a pinto at a post office auction for $800. Was white with blue interior with a postal number riveted to the dash board. They had 30 of them ,all in a line. With service records. Had that little jewel for 10 years. 2.3 with a automatic. Really like your motor and would like to see it in a pinto. Great thread. Thanks for the memories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 (edited) The Pinto engine was originally installed in the MkI and MkII Escort. Edited January 8, 2019 by afx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afx Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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