Pony Car Blues: 1979 Ford Pinto
I had a few minutes to contemplate my car/life choices the other day. Technically, I was waiting a few moments to try to start the engine on a 94 Buick Roadmaster, which had coughed, belched, and stalled on me. It had happened the previous day on a hot start, and a few minutes of turning the key again, it eventually fired up and settled in a nice idle and got me home. I’m not sure what was wrong with engine, but it gave me time to think if my choice of beaters was from the right decade. The wife is always saying I need newer more reliable modern cars, but I’m thinking that 94 might be too electronified and I need something more carburmafied. Because here is the truth — my oldest carburetor fed cars might have a few issues (well…always something) but you can nurse it home and fix it. An electronically chip controlled key-ignition system won’t work at all if something goes wrong, but an old school mechanical setup…meh…you’ll notice the degradation before total failure. Modern cars have too many single points of failure because of digital electronics– if too much moisture accumulates in the 94 LT1 optispark chamber…well…no spark, no run. On the other hand, you can run a conventional points system at about 2% of its optimal design specification (gap or dwell or whatever) and it’ll run like garbage, but it’ll still run enough to get you home. So maybe, just maybe, a Ford Pinto with a carb fed 302 V8 is an upgrade in reliability from a 94 LTI? Asking price on this next one is optimistic, but the concept is good. Find this 1979 Ford Pinto offered for $15,000 buy-it-now or make-offer in Katy, TX via eBay.
From the seller:
1979 FORD PINTO V8 MANUAL 5.0 302 CUSTOM
This Pinto is very cool. Has a 5.0 302 with 4 speed manual trans. Power steering and brakes. Front disk. Engine has been upgraded, has a cam. Nice exhaust that is not to loud at all. Electric fan, nice clean rims and good tires. To much to list. Look at the photos and ask any questions you may have. It does have a few lights out, small oil leak.
We just put a new battery and alternator in it.
We can send photos and video if you would like to see more about the car.
Clean title
Located in Texas west of Houston.Contact me for any questions before bidding or making an offer.
Item specifics
| Condition: | Used | Year: | 1979 |
| VIN (Vehicle Identification Number): | 9T10Y218589 | Mileage: | 72000 |
| Model: | Pinto | Transmission: | Manual |
| Vehicle Title: | Clean | Make: | Ford |
| Number of Cylinders: | 8 | Body Type: | Coupe |
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There have been times I have been tempted to go even further and daily drive an air cooled VW. Minimize the number of parts, minimize the things that can go wrong!
Seems a little steep to me. If the interior was nicer and had the fuel injected 5.0 I could maybe see it, but……
In a way, Vince, this whole website is a generative running commentary on the above synopsis. As you and I have discussed frequently and in detail, it ain’t just cars neither.
The cars we dissect here are also rolling metaphors for this fundamental transition of humanity from self-sufficient actors with limited resources into mostly-dependent actoroids grazing at a nightmare buffet of artificially flavored, hyperpalatable, yet ultimately bare-marginally satisfying, pseudoabundance.
This Pinto, of course, represents the kind of “cheeseburger, but the buns are a pair of grilled cheese sandwiches†excess our new overlords use to justify their merciful benevolence. All hail.
Alas, I have but one upvote to give.
Hey…wait…I run this site. Lemme see if I can add 10,000,000 likes via the backend. Don’t mind the man behind the curtain.
10 bazillion! I win! I’m a winner! Um, what did I win?