I’ve spent a lot of time recently with some old issues of Hot Rod, and the early-’70s issues got me thinking about what happened to all the Pintos and Vegas. They used to be everywhere, but they’ve almost totally vanished from the streets and junkyards even in rust-free SoCal. About the only place you see a Vega any more is on the dragstrip; only the former Super Gas cars survived.
Overall, it seems like V8 Vegas were more popular than V8 Pintos, but I’ve always liked the Pinto bodystyle a little better. I’ve even owned a couple of them with 2.0s and 2.3s for power, but this week’s CraigsList pick is a little better: it’s a 302 Pinto. I dig it.
I’ve seen this car in person and it’s pretty cool, though the engine compartment could use a little attention IMO. I bet it’s a scream to drive, though, and I dig the hood scoop. You can really see the Maverick family lineage in these photos. I also like it because this Pinto is a trunk model rather than the Runabut with a full-glass hatchback.
See the ad here. Is it worth $5,500?
