I’m not quite sure what to make of the photos of this 1976 AMC Pacer, but I guess not everyone has access to a good camera or even a camera phone, which are often better than the camera-cameras that we used a few years ago. At least this opening photo is pretty good showing arguably the money side of the Pacer: the rear end. This one is on Craigslist with a $1,500 asking price and it’s located in Poughquag, New York. Thanks to Bill W. for sending in this one!
The classic fishbowl shape of the Pacer is impossible to mistake whenever you see one on the street, which is rarely if ever these days. This car has 90,000 miles on it according to the seller’s info. They are “the 2nd owner. Paint Shines. Some rust on body.” I used to draw these cars as a kid, yes, I was a nerd even back then. It’s hard to really tell much from the three photos in the listing, especially with two of them being almost impossibly blurry. Hopefully the seller will send any interested parties better photos.
The engine looks shiny which is a good sign, I think? I’m assuming that this is AMC’s 258 cubic-inch inline-six with around 95 hp. This one “runs drives” but that’s all we know about it other than there are “Many New Parts installed.” The seller apparently started a restoration but doesn’t have time to finish it. They say, “Dont have time to finish restoration. Needs floors on drivers side. Dash is apart, have all the parts. Sold with bill of sale, No Title.” Anything can be fixed – what are your thoughts on this Pacer project?
My thought would be to pass on it, but then, I’m not a Pacer fan. I’m guessing that there may be a lot more structural rust than has been noted in the ad, hence the desire to sell.
I once described the AMC Pacer in a magazine article I wrote back in the 1990s as ‘a six-cylinder car that offered four-cylinder performance and V8 fuel economy’.
<I once described the AMC Pacer in a magazine article I wrote back in the 1990s as ‘a six-cylinder car that offered four-cylinder performance and V8 fuel economy’.
I love that!
Too bad it’s not a wagon. I’ve always kind of wanted to do a replica of the Hot Wheels Packin’ Pacer…
A friend and I were scouting parts in a salvage yard back in the early 90’s when we walked by a Pacer body… Neither of us paid it any attention but out of the corner of my eye something piqued my interest , someone had installed an aftermarket pop up sunroof… I looked over at my friend and said “A Pacer with a sunroof ???That’s redundant as hell”… He cracked up and laughed about that for the rest of the day… That’s my one and only Pacer story and I’m sticking to it…LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCIh8QPaha0
Waynes world!
Loved seeing Mike Myers in this fishbowl in that movie. Maybe the first, and last time the Pacer was “cool”.
One of the ugliest cars EVER made!
Hey! I could park it in my front yard, fill it with water and goldfish!!!!!
YEEEAAAAAAH! THAT’S IT!!!
Whenever I see an ad like this with such bad pictures and such pitiful information it makes me wonder whether somewhere there’s a wife/partner/significant other who has insisted that the car has to go, and this ad is just enough to keep them satisfied that an attempt is being made.
These are undoubtedly an incredibly ugly car, but I think that’s why I like them.
It wouldn’t be the fist time, Adam, and it probably won’t be the last that someone’s done that to try to keep a spouse happy…
Anybody think of actually making it into a fish bowl? Gut the interior except for the dash/steering wheel. Carefully weld up all holes/doors & hatch. Cut out a sunroof access hatch. Pull the motor and install pumps and filters.
Eggsackly what I do not need.
I know it’s got to be the great photo, but it looks like the wheel chock is on the wrong side.
No title? Not exactly a selling point…
Run don’t walk from this one. Car was originally designed for a rotary engine;they couldn’t come up with one and stuffed the reliable 258 in there. Had their own 1/2*ss ignition. Couldt keep it from wearing out front tires. Exhaust leak at the engine we couldn’t get fixed. And hard to work on. It’s even too ugly for a straight axle gasser project.
This one on BAT is a steal compared to this one.
I like poor poor photo quality. Doesn’t make me feel so inept
I’ve heard that the person that designed the Pacer, designed the 928 and in my head, I can morph it from one to another!
Not the same person, but the designer of the 928 has acknowledged it was influenced by the Pacer.
<Not the same person, but the designer of the 928 has acknowledged it was influenced by the Pacer.
Wow! YOu'd think it would be the other way around!
In 1989, they celebrated the 50th anniversary of Los Angeles’ Union Station. A Southern Pacific Daylight was there as was a Union Pacific Northern. They ran side by side over Cajon Pass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7bfC_bixyE&t=58s
I took the day off and planned to chase them from Los Angeles to the Tehachapi Loop.
I was talking to a man at the station and asked if he was going to chase them? He told me he didn’t have a car. I invited him to join me, but warned that I had an old pickup…a 59 El Camino. He took me up on it.
Later he came up to me and said he’d found somebody else to ride with. That was fine because I didn’t want to have to bring him back to Los Angeles.
After both engines climbed Cajon Pass, I was walking back to my El Camino and saw him go by, in the back of a Pacer, curled up in the fetal position!
Good choice!
A car of two halves.
It’s the front that’s ugly. It hardly looks as if it was actually designed at all.
The back half is a superb piece of design. Now if one could just do something with the front…..
This car is just butt ugly.
It was butt ugly when AMC made the mistake of introducing it to the American public 40 years ago & it will be butt ugly in 100 years.
There’s a reason we never see these on the road anymore. So let’s not waste anyone’s time even discussing these hideous transportation appliances.