I have been over in the classified ads and sent some request about some of the cars for sale. Is the forum working? I've had no responses. All my adventures here in North Carolina have been a brick wall. :accident: The 1980 wagon turned out to be a burn out with major parts gone :embarrassed:. Another had a tree :o growing thru the engine bay and the trunk was so rusted the leaf springs were hanging free. :hypno: I know I'll never find a showroom car for less than $1000, but geewheeze, $1500 and $900. Ain't no way! Any ideas guys and girls???????????????????
Carolina Boy ???
Unfortunately for Pinto enthusiasts outside of the sunbelt you usually have to look in the sun belt for a Pinto.
Leonard
how far are you willing to travel to get the car you want?
Find a Pinto in good or pretty decent condition isn't easy. The only ones I have found in Idaho is the yellow 73 this spring and the blue 77 a few weeks ago. The yellow 73 was $1200 for the car plus a parts car, but had some rust on the quarter panels, an engine leak and needed a carburetor rebuild, not to serious. The 77 is for sale for $2495 with a straight body with no rust, has bad ticking noise and the interior is thrashed.
$1200 for the 73 isn't bad, but I didn't have the money for it at the time and someone beat me to the punch at buying it, but $2495 for the 77 is to much to justify all the work that would be needed.
From my experiences and journey with my own car, I have learned that you can only really obtain a Pinto that is, well, a Pinto. One that does need some body work done, interior would need upholstery, dash and carpet with plastics replaced, and an engine that either blows oil or needs a new carburetor. Even then, you are still paying a minimum of $800 for such a car, which can vary anywhere up to $2500 depending on the seller's idea of it's value.
I was lucky enough to get mine handed down through the family, but even then I had to rebuild the entire engine before it would run, and since then it has been one mechanical thing after another. Interior restoration and little add-on's have just been me spoiling the Pony.
:lol:
Thanks for the response guys. Yea, there isn't much to chose from here. I guess a good distance for me would be the surrounding states. You know VA., SC., maybe GA.,or Tennesee. I wrote to the guy in Sandy Level, Va. And Twinkle7843 or something like that, but got no replies. I guess I'll have to keep looking on ebay and Craigslist.
So a running Pinto without major damages might run me about $1500 or more? Let me adjust my budget, aagh :hypno:, need to punch another hole in my belt :drunk:
Carolina Boy
I would say somewhere between $800 - $1700, depending on year and what defects it might have.
just my opinion but pay the money for a clean car. its worth its wieght in gold. i payed a good buck for mine...2300. there isnt a spot of rot on the car, top to bottom. it was worth it for me to save the time and hassle of patching floors and quarters.
i guess it really depends on what your time is worth.
bob
You are absolutely correct Bob. Always buy the best car that you can find. There are lots of Pinto's around for $500 and you can not make a $2,500 car out of one by investing another $2,000 in it. That $500 car will never be worth much more than $500. Mechanical work including parts, paint, body work, upholstery work, and chroming are all very expensive. If you find a real nice one for around $2,500 remember that it would take $5,000 to $7,000 to restore one and that nice car will do nothing but go up in value and all you have to do is maintain it. Fifty years ago I wanted a real nice '40 Ford coupe and there were all kinds of them around for $100 but I found one with the original paint and upholstery for $350, a lot of money at the time! I have never been sorry that I bought it and you can imagine how it has appreciated by my just maintaining it. That simple formula has worked for me many times over. Get the best one that you can find!
There is currently a 1979 Pinto Runabout with 4 speed and power steering in the newest issue of Hemmings. Owner states excellent condition. $3,500 Not bad! Jerry, 201 784 0030 NJ
Back in November, Wallace Salvage in Hoffman, NC had a very clean, straight '74 runabout body. Dark green with a nice tan interior, rallye wheels and auto trans. I bought the 2.0 short block out of it. They were asking $500 or so for the rest. Don't recall the title situation though. This car is worth a call/look. I just didn't need another mouth to feed. Good luck.
Neighbor to the south, Jeff