77 Cruising Wagon Build

[dga57]

Looking good, Jimmy!  Good to know you're still at it and you're doing okay.

Dwayne

[warhead2]

Ok cool. Looks great . My door bottoms have some rust in spots and will have to cut out and weld in new metal. When i get to the point

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[71pintoracer]

No just surface rust. I just wanted the seams and spot welds smooth


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[warhead2]

Looking good. Was the rust on the bottom of the door bad were you had to put in new metal ?

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[71pintoracer]

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[71pintoracer]

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[71pintoracer]

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[71pintoracer]

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[71pintoracer]

Hey everyone it's been a while but I'm still around and still working on the wagon. I post lots of stuff on the Pinto groups on Facebook I'm a member of quite a few. Here's some pictures!


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[dga57]

A long time ago (I'm going to guess 30 years) a friend and co-worker of mine kept asking how many cars I'd had over the years and I'd always reply, "I don't know; more than most people I guess."  She'd say, "You should make a list."  In fact she probably told me that a few dozen times.  One day I decided to do just that... and it was hard!  I found the only real way to remember was to list them chronologically, first to most recent.  In most instances, I traded one in on another so each memory basically led into another.  Adding information such as color and who I purchased it from helped too.  While it in no way affected that original list, there have been some oddball deals as well which stand out, like in 2012 when I traded in a 2008 Lincoln Town Car, a 2008 Chrysler Sebring convertible, and a 2004 Cadillac Escalade EXT to Obaugh Ford-Lincoln toward the purchase of a new 2012 Lincoln MKT crossover.  Not everything I've owned has been a primary source of transportation .  I've bought a number of convertibles both new and used that were never more than a summertime cruiser.  There have also been duplicates; my current '74 Pinto Runabout is basically a carbon copy of the one I purchased new back in 1974.  I also acquired a duplicate of my '79 Continental Mark V many years after the first one had been traded away.  It was white with a Wedgewood blue landau vinyl roof, pinstripes, bodyside moldings, and velour upholstery.  It had the wire wheel covers.  I ordered the original one to my specs after seeing a photo of one in the '78 Continental Mark V sales brochure.  The colors were still available and I went for it.  That car turned heads anywhere I went but an opportunity to resell it a year later for more than I paid for it prompted me to do just that and replace it with a new downsized 1980 Continental Town Car.  That decision always haunted me so in the early to mid 2000's I started searching online for another one.  Finally, in 2007, I found one for sale in Tiskilwa, Illinois.  The only real difference in the two cars was that the second one had a factory-installed CB radio.  Prior to locating that car, and fully feeling quite discouraged, I bought a beautiful one-owner '79 Continental Collector's Series sedan.  Anyway, my point is that once my list was complete, I rearranged it by model years so it makes more sense.  Therefore, on the list, those three '79s all come between the '78 Zephyr and the '80 Lincoln Town Car, although they were purchased over a near thirty year spread.  My original list way back in the late-eighties to early-nineties was hard to put together but since then, I've simply added to it whenever I buy something, new or old.  I have a pretty good memory (at least when it comes to cars) but I seriously don't know whether I could accurately reproduce that list now.  I look at it sometimes and see something that will prompt an, "OMG, I haven't thought about that one in years!" reaction.  The first Pinto, the first Mark V, and my first Ram 1500 pickup are the main ones I regret not keeping.  Live and learn! 

Dwayne

[Dtmix]

Okay! I'll rise to the challenge to try to make a list of cars that I have owned since my first car, a 1979 Ford Pinto Wagon with the exterior decor group in medium red glow with a red cloth and vinyl interior and a manual transmission. The AM radio didn't cut it for me at that time, so it had a Pioneer AM/FM radio with a cassette. Remember those?

Once I finish my list, I will post it here, and maybe it'll be fun to see if we had similar cars in the past! I grew up during the Malaise era in the 70s, so I am sure there will be some memories to be had! Chuckling...

Happy Motoring!
Dan

[71pintoracer]

I've owned so many cars l can't remember them all!    Early on l had some Falcons, a '60, a '61 a '65 and a '64 Sport Coupe with a 289 Special. 4 barrel 4 speed and glass packs lol. Should have kept that one. I've had several pick-ups and l had a '70 Opel Kadett Rallye with factory racing stripes, tachometer and gauges. Fun car but kinda ugly! My oldest brother bought a yellow '71 Runabout shortly after they came out. l always liked that car but l didn't get one until many years later for some reason.

[Dtmix]

In high school and early years of college, I had the best job a car nut could have...I worked at Budget Rent A Car in New York. Most of the fleet were Ford Products including Marquis, Grand Marquis, Lincolns, Zephyrs, and the like. I recall back in the day when one way rentals were not encouraged as cars were franchisee-owned with the exception of corporate owned Grand Marquises. As you may recall, there was a huge blizzard that shut down nearly every airport on the east board, so many renters were on expense accounts ignored the no one way rental rule, which added hundreds of dollars of fees and charges...it took me and another car jockey two weeks of flying all over the place to reclaim the cars and drive them back. That was an experience! Nowadays, it's easy and affordable to do one way rentals as many franchises are corporate owned.

As for the other cars, My dad had a 1975 AMC Matador, 1976 Pinto, and a 1991 Grand Marquis, to name a few...

Happy Motoring,
Dan

[dga57]

I thought I was bad LOL !

Had a Mercury Marquis Brougham , forget the year. Early 70s ? LOVED that car ! 429 ran so smooth you couldn't see the engine move at idle. No one ever believed me that it got 21 MPG (Canadian gallon) !

My white Pinto gets about 6-8 MPG (CDN gallon) , if I take it easy 

My '75 Marquis had a 460, same as the '73 Continental Town Car it replaced but for some reason, got notably worse mileage.  It was a pretty car but more of a gussied-up Ford LTD than a junior-level Lincoln.  Comfort level was totally Ford.

[Reeves1]

I thought I was bad LOL !

Had a Mercury Marquis Brougham , forget the year. Early 70s ? LOVED that car ! 429 ran so smooth you couldn't see the engine move at idle. No one ever believed me that it got 21 MPG (Canadian gallon) !

My white Pinto gets about 6-8 MPG (CDN gallon) , if I take it easy 

[dga57]

I can see where one might think that!  lol  I have a strong affection for the brand and a short attention span.  I bought my very first one used (three years old with approximately 50,000 miles) in 1976 when I was eighteen.  My first new one was a 1979 Continental Mark V when I was twenty-one.  Now if you want to know just how short my attention span really is, I drove the first one for a little less than two years, then traded it for a '75 Mercury Marquis Brougham.  My girlfriend and I took a trip in it during which I came to the realization it was nowhere nearly as comfortable as the Lincoln had been and then reasoned that if I was going to be uncomfortable, I may as well get some decent gas mileage so traded it after three months of ownership on a new 1978 Mercury Zephyr.  I put less than 3000 miles on that one before deciding it had to go.  Sold it and picked up a used 1977 Thunderbird.  It was far more comfortable than the Zephyr but I still wasn't happy, hence the new Mark V after only a few months.  All that activity happened in 1978, starting with the Marquis purchase in January and culminating with taking delivery of the Mark V in December.  Crazy, eh?  That sort of impulsiveness has led me through 67 vehicles in the forty-eight years I've had a drivers license, seventeen of which have been Lincolns.  The list also includes ten or so Cadillacs, two Jaguars, a BMW, and a Rolls-Royce Silver Spur.  There have been a number of more mundane vehicles along the way as well: ones that come immediately to mind are a Honda Civic, an AMC Matador, a Ford Tempo, a Mazda 626, a Plymouth Horizon, a Ford Crown Victoria, an Olds 98 Regency, a Volkswagen New Beetle convertible, two Ford Mustang convertibles, two Chrysler Sebring convertibles... the list goes on and on!  Oh yeah, almost forgot: four Pintos.  My obsession has definitely had a negative impact on my financial potential but I really can't say I have any regrets.  I don't drink, smoke, do drugs, or have secret love affairs so, in the end, it probably all balances out.  Also, while not all deals are excellent, due to having sold cars for a few years and fairly constant practice, I have developed pretty good negotiating skills and I ALWAYS do my homework.  Before I ever set foot on the dealer's lot I have a range in mind which they'll either meet or I'll move on; I have never been coerced into a deal I didn't think was equitable.  I'm perfectly happy with my Continental and my Ram Limited but I'm sure something else will catch my eye eventually.  Oh well!


Dwayne

[Reeves1]

I think Jimmy will forgive us... hope so anyway!  The Ford-Lincoln dealership he just retired from is the one where I bought all my Ford trucks and ten of the seventeen Lincolns I've owned over the years.  He has worked on my vehicles numerous times over the years but we got to know each other after connecting on this site.  Super, super nice guy!


Dwayne

17 Lincolns ! Your real name Don Corleone ?   

[71pintoracer]

Hahaha no worries guys! I love a good story!


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[dga57]

I think Jimmy will forgive us... hope so anyway!  The Ford-Lincoln dealership he just retired from is the one where I bought all my Ford trucks and ten of the seventeen Lincolns I've owned over the years.  He has worked on my vehicles numerous times over the years but we got to know each other after connecting on this site.  Super, super nice guy!


Dwayne

[Dtmix]

That's an awesome story, and yes I do believe that it actually called out your name! 😎 I know dealers are in the business of making a profit...but again there goes the respect and integrity issue...the dealer who lowballed you for the trade in was lacking both respect and honesty as that would have been thievery! Glad you were able to get the truck of your dreams and still honored your wife by ensuring she gets something she liked. It's all about compromises, but yet in the long run, you get the prize at the end!

I think we accidentally hijacked Pintoracer's blog...chuckling. Please accept our apologies and let's root for Pintoracers ongoing endeavor with his Pinto Wagon! Rock On!

Happy Motoring!
Dan

[dga57]

Dwayne...congr ats on your new truck! As pintoracer said, he has to go through two trailerloads of parts...that sounds like a perfect road trip for you to take and help him out! 😎 Chuckling...

Cruisin' USA soundtrack could be among the waiting to be discovered in that trailer!🕺🎤👍🏻 Chuckling...

Happy Motoring!
Dan

Thanks!  I'm tickled to death with the new truck!  It's funny... I drove Ford pickups for years and then back in 2013, I noticed a black and gold Ram Laramie Longhorn parked in front of the local Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep-Ram dealership.  It was in my eyes, the most beautiful truck I'd ever seen but I had no intention of ever buying a Ram.  My wife thinks I'm nuts but I swear that truck was calling out to me in some way; every time I passed by I felt more and more drawn to it!  After about a month of that, I stopped by one Sunday afternoon when they were closed to take a peek inside.  Amazing western-themed saddle leather interior with real wood - had cowboy-like stitching on the seat bolsters.  Another few weeks dragged by with me constantly fantasizing about that truck.  My wife finally suggested I drop in and take it for a test drive, her theory being that it would "get it out of my system".  I told her I'd go if she'd come with me.  We did and before we got one mile in it she exclaimed, "I love this truck!"  I certainly couldn't walk away from it after that!  Drove it from 2013 until 2017 and enjoyed it more than any truck I'd ever owned.  The seats were amazingly comfortable and it had the optional air-ride suspension.  I also owned a 2012 Lincoln MKT at the time and the Ram was definitely the more comfortable of the two on a road trip.  Along the way, the MKT was replaced with a Jaguar XJL which became so problematic that when the warranty was nearing expiration, I decided it had to go.  I sold it to a used car lot that specialized in exotics which left us with my Laramie Longhorn and a 2015 Mustang convertible as our only vehicles (not counting the Pintos).   She complained that the Mustang wasn't comfortable and the truck was hard for her to get into and suggested we replace it with an SUV.  With a lump in my throat, I traded my truck on a new Lincoln Navigator.  It had a slightly lower ride height and was equipped with power retractable running boards which did indeed, make it easier for her to get in and out.  Absolutely hated it.  Drove it about a year during which I devised a plan to get back into a truck without alienating the wife.  I told her since the Mustang was only driven about 3000 miles per year I'd be willing to sacrifice it to get a comfortable sedan of her choosing and, once that was accomplished, I wanted to trade the Navigator on a new truck.  She agreed and ultimately chose a ruby red certified pre-owned 2016 Cadillac XTS and I immediately began my search for a truck.  The local CDJR dealership had changed hands and the new folks lowballed me on trade-in for my Navigator to the point that I just walked out on them.  I went down the street to the Ford dealership to see what they had and ended up with a highly-optioned new 2018 F-150 Lariat.  They discounted the price considerably more than the other dealer plus gave me $12,000 more for the Navigator.  It seemed pretty much a "no-brainer".  I know the F-150 is America's best-selling vehicle and has been for decades.  I know it is considered the cream of the crop.  I also know it rode rough and handled sloppily compared to the Ram I'd had before.  I vowed to keep my mouth shut about it and drive it regardless.  It was after all, a truck!  Fate stepped in about a year later when a semi I was behind drove through a tree that was overhanging the road, throwing tree limbs back at me.  My truck sustained approximately $7000 damage to the front end and frankly, I was lucky to have emerged unscathed.  Had the truck repaired by the absolute best body shop in the area and it turned out great - it looked showroom condition afterwards and I'll tell you myself: I'm picky!  When I picked it up, the body shop manager said he wanted to show me something.  We walked out through the shop and he handed me the damaged aluminum fender off my truck; I could actually hold it comfortably with my pinkie finger.  It weighed almost nothing!  I knew it was an aluminum body but I would have never dreamed it was that lightweight!  In my excitement at that discovery, I told Gloria about it when I got home.  She immediately seized on that tidbit of information and from that day forward, she referred to it as a "toy truck" and told me she wanted me to get something sturdier.  My rental while the truck was in the shop had been a low-end Ram and I was shocked that despite its humble trim, it was immensely more comfortable than my F-150.  I told her that and she said, "then go get one."  I made a stab at trying to trade in 2019 at the same dealership that lowballed my on the Navigator and they did the same thing again.  My truck was one year old and had 6300 miles and they offered me less than 50% of what I had paid for it.  No deal!  Drove it another year and, strangely enough, the pandemic affected the car market so drastically that I purchased two vehicles with two very different scenarios in 2020.  We traded the Cadillac for a certified pre-owned Lincoln Continental Reserve that had been so radically discounted between March and May that it was simply ridiculous, yet they still offered me a decent trade-in on the Cadillac.  Way nicer car, a year newer, lower mileage, and less than $10,000 difference out the door.  Encouraged by that, I started shopping trucks again online.  In September a CDJR dealer about thirty miles north of me was advertising two remaining 2020 1500s at $10,000 off the MSRP: a metallic white Laramie Longhorn and a metallic black Limited.  I decided to check them out.  Imagine my surprise when they actually discounted an additional $2000 and then gave me $15000 more for my F-150 than I had been offered by the local dealership a year earlier!  I bought it before they could change their mind!  Because our Continental is metallic white, I chose the black Limited over the Laramie Longhorn.  Essentially the same truck with a bent toward luxury rather than the western-theme.  No regrets whatsoever and it is my intention that this is my "forever" truck.  I only drive it about 6000 miles a year and I'll be 64 in a couple months; it should last me a lifetime.

[Dtmix]

Dwayne...congrats on your new truck! As pintoracer said, he has to go through two trailerloads of parts...that sounds like a perfect road trip for you to take and help him out! 😎 Chuckling...

Cruisin' USA soundtrack could be among the waiting to be discovered in that trailer!🕺🎤👍🏻 Chuckling...

Happy Motoring!
Dan

[dga57]

Well....not much going on at this point, still waiting on the rear springs. Every time l call they promise that they are set to be made any time. l do have the Speedway coilover suspension kit now so I guess l can get to work on that. ln the meantime, last month l retired from the Ford dealer l worked at for 41 years! So now l have lots of time to do whatever l want, right? Not really! l brought home 2 trailer loads of stuff! Amazing how much you can gather up in 41 years.....uggg g

Will miss seeing you whenever I'm there with a service problem .  I bought my Continental at Richmond Ford-Lincoln but that's way too far to take it for warranty work.  Have had it nearly a year with no problems so maybe I'll get lucky and it won't need anything other than routine maintenance!  I replaced my 2018 F-150 with a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited about six months ago.  The F-150's rough ride and sloppy handling were hard to adjust to after having had my Ram Laramie Longhorn for about four years.  I know the F-150 is a good truck (it may even be a better truck) but there's no comparison as far as comfort goes, and for the way I use a truck, comfort is more importance than utility.  Here's wishing you a long and happy retirement!

Dwayne

[71pintoracer]

Well....not much going on at this point, still waiting on the rear springs. Every time l call they promise that they are set to be made any time. l do have the Speedway coilover suspension kit now so I guess l can get to work on that. ln the meantime, last month l retired from the Ford dealer l worked at for 41 years! So now l have lots of time to do whatever l want, right? Not really! l brought home 2 trailer loads of stuff! Amazing how much you can gather up in 41 years.....ugggg

[Reeves1]

There is/was a Davidson Rubber in Port Hope Ont. Canada. I worked there for a short time as a teen.

[dga57]

Go, Jimmy go!!!

[71pintoracer]

And I found this tucked behind the '71 dash


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[71pintoracer]

While I'm waiting on the new leaf springs (they have to make them because the wagon springs are longer) l decided to work on the dash. I'm using the '71 dash because the wagon had an opening where the gauge pod goes. That's where my gauges go. I'm not sure how all this wiring got strung lol but I'm starting over! Actually that's what happens when you add one thing after another. Stereo, power windows, nitrous, toggle switches ect. I'll be using the '71 cluster because the wagon's cluster crumbled. So I'll rewire the '77 harness for the '71 cluster.






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[71pintoracer]

Thanks Dan, l have everything l need for mine but a spare car is nice to have! l found one close to me that l will probably pick up soon.

[Dtmix]

I located another...but it's in Canada. It's for sale for $3500 Canadian dollars meaning its less than that in USD. The car appears to have a lot of good parts, included the interior bits for the Cruising Wagon. Maybe you could take what you need from the car for your Rallye wagon and convert this one to a regular wagon to sell? It seems too nice to part out...but again I have not seen the car in person...

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/winnipeg/1977-pinto-cruising-wagon/1544175392

Happy Motoring!
Dn