Restoring a 1978 Pinto Cruising Wagon
a picture taken the summer I bought my car.
They always intrigued me, I do not know why, but they did.
My first car was a hand me down 1968 Ford Fairlane fastback. My dad bought it new, and when my brother graduated in 1974 he got the car and two years later in 1976 when I graduated I got it.
I had the car for two years and was still running good, but the body was getting really bad.
When driving it down dirt roads it would get a cloud of dust in side! Time for a new car!
It was my chance to get my first Pinto. It was spring of 1978. I searched and found a 1975 Squire wagon at a Mercury dealer.
It was a 2.3L - 4 speed. I bought it and I really used it!
I towed my boat around in the summer and stuffed my snowmobile in the back in the winter. I really liked the car, but I really wanted a cruising wagon.
The next summer I started looking for one all across NY State. I could not find one. So I planned to order a 1980.
I was going to order a red one (no graphics) with a 4 speed and factory mags.
One day I pulled into Dons Ford in Utica NY and there among the 79 Pintos was a 78 Cruising Wagon!
When I asked why there was a new 78 I was told someone ordered it and did not take it.
Sounded a little fishy being it was a 78 and the 80s were almost out.
But I took it for a test drive and fell in love with it. I made the deal and the car was delivered to my work that Friday.
I kept My 75 Squire for a winter car for several years until it to, was getting drafty.
I drove the Cruising Wagon summers until 1990.
Then it sat till summer 1997 when I put it back on the road.
I drove it through that winter and stored it again in the spring of 1998.
It has been sitting since then, till I decided to restore it the winter. I hope to have it completed some time this year, if not next year for sure.
Ready for Body and Paint in 2010
In the paint booth.
Silver and black paint - reassembled.
Custom Made! vinyl stickers were made to match the factory stripes.
Looking Good!
Found it on ebay in January 2004. I had been looking to update my snowmobile to a newer one, then thought that was not a good idea since we had several winters in a row with little snow.
I started looking at convertibles. I found that 83 - 93 Mustangs with the 2.3L were going pretty cheap. I found one in Philly PA .
The auction ended on my birthday, the coldest day of the winter, the high not reaching zero! A great time to buy a convertible! Needless to say I won the auction.
The past four years I have been slowly fixing it up with a new top, some pony wheels and uplostery.