I haven’t had a good daily driver since my wife started driving our Subaru wagon, so my next project is definitely going to be a daily driver for myself. I need something practical, so I’m thinking along the lines of a Pinto station wagon (or possibly an Accord wagon). I really like the Honda, but it’s front wheel drive and computer controlled and I want something I can work on myself. The Pinto wagon is rear wheel drive (which I prefer very much) and doesn’t have a computer (aka ECU) to go bad. It’s actually very “old school.” At the same time, it’s an easy swap to drop in Ford’s excellent little 2.3l 4 banger with a turbo. I remember reading an old Car Craft article on a Pinto Runabout that was running 8′s with a turbo’d 2.3. On the street I’d go with a milder setup but I should still be able to make enough power to embarrass a lot of “performance cars.” The look on some hot shot’s face after being blown away by a Pinto station wagon would be priceless…
Tags: classic station wagon, daily driver, Ford Pinto, Pinto Squire, Pinto station wagon, small station wagon