Golden Ginger Metallic is the name of the beautiful, rich color on this 1978 AMC Pacer D/L, and Goldie may not be a bad name for the pooch sneaking across the photo. I’m not quite sure why the color-keyed wheel covers don’t match, but it’s a nice combo, in my opinion. There are zero photos of the driver’s side for some reason, but from what is shown, it looks like a nice example. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in the Gainsboro, Tennessee area, and they’re asking $7,450. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Chuck F. for the tip!
The odometer shows 75,360 miles, and the seller says it’s recently out of long-term storage, it has no rust, and is nicer than the one in Wayne’s World. I’m not sure about the last part, but it sure looks like a nice example. AMC only made the now-iconic Pacer for a half-dozen model years: 1975 through 1980.
A rear window wiper/washer was an option, but this car doesn’t have that. It does have optional power steering and air-conditioning, however. There were two body styles, a two-door hatchback as seen here, and a two-door wagon. We’ve seen quite a few 1978 Pacer wagons here on Barn Finds over the years, but not as many hatchback models. The seller is short on photo quantity, as is often the case on craigslist ads, so we don’t get to see in the rear storage compartment and there are no underside photos, along with the missing driver’s side photos.
Well, here’s sort of a driver’s side photo, but it’s showing the really nice vinyl interior with the slightly smaller driver’s door open. The passenger door was four inches wider than the driver’s door for easier passenger access to the rear seats. Oh yeah, we don’t get to see the rear seating compartment either. Bummer. The front interior sure looks nice, though.
This car has the smaller of the two six-cylinder engines available, the base 232-cu.in. OHV inline-six, which was rated at 90 horsepower and 168 lb-ft of torque when new. It’s backed by the optional Chrysler-sourced 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic with column shifter, sending power to the rear wheels, and they say that “runs and drives good.” The car has new tires, and they say there’s no rust, but that must mean no body rust, as there is quite a bit of surface corrosion seen in the engine compartment. How much would you pay for this Pacer?
Forgot that with the new grill, you didn’t always get the V8 behind it.
Nice Pacer, the wheel covers don’t match the paint but were meant to bring the interior color to the outside. A tan double pinstripe would’ve rounded it out nicely.
The early Pacers looked better. AMC ruined the looks “updating” that hood and grill. And there’s a reason the wheel covers don’t match the car. They’re not the ones that came with it.
My girlfriend back then had a tan one with wood grain and her mom had a tan eagle limited wagon. I must have been in love with her because I drove that car a lot. I’m pretty sure I would not want to be seen in one today but that Eagle wagon was awesome.
Back in 1982 I was buying a house and haggling with the owner over the price. We were getting close to an acceptable figure when he offered to throw in a 1978 Pacer if I agreed to his price. Done deal!
It was the same color and almost an exact copy of this Pacer but had the 258 CID engine and a 4-speed manual transmission.
My boys were too embarrassed to be seen in it and decided to ride the bus to school every day rather than ride in it.
However, it was the best Winter car I ever owned. With proper snow tires on it and placed in 2nd gear, that car would reliably piddle up and down the steepest brick streets and hills around here regardless of the amount of snow and ice on them.
It never let me down.
RB
I had a Pacer wagon that I bought new in 197 4 with the big six and a manual. Loved it. Needed air conditioning but with the manual it was zippy could haul a lot and I like them. Looks. Still do!
I had the 258 straight 6 in my ’78 Jeep and it was a great motor.
Do you suppose the headlight configuration was a hat-tip to the 911?
I wonder how many people know these were originally designed for a Wankle rotary engine that was going to be supplied by general motor? The 1975 Chevy Monzo was designed for that engine as well.But they couldn’t get the engine to pass emissions tests, and they had a problem with oil consumption. The first year, Chevy Monza had a larger transmission tunnel that was designed to accommodate this engine configuration.And then they were smaller after that.
so far…1. Yes I knew about the Wankle motor that was supposed to go with the Pacer. I had friends who bought a bare bones Pacer in about 1975? No power steering and no power brakes. She hated to drive it because of the lack of power steering. They didn’t keep it very long.
A W-a-n-k-e-l would probably easily fit into a M-o-n-z-a. ;)
put it back in storage. these things are crawling out of the woodwork
Having a bad day are we?
I believe all AC cars had the 258 cu in engine.
ramblergarage, if you click on the craigslist ad, the seller included a photo of the window sticker showing the 232 inline-six. The “air-conditioning package” (AC, tinted glass, power steering) was $694, which is a painful $3,448 in today’s dollars!
https://images.craigslist.org/00A0A_3RACxrhalb5_0CI0t2_1200x900.jpg
When I bought my1972 Gremlin new they told me I had to get the 258 if I wanted ac. They must have changed that by 1977. Also my dad’s 76 Pacer with air had the 258.
My dad ordered one in 1975. I don’t know why. It was bare bones except he ordered the bucket seats. It had the small inline 6 and 3 in the tree. I was 22 in 1975 and loved driving it. In 1977 dad spun out on a patch of ice and went in the ditch. He blamed it on the wide short wheelbase. He traded in on a 1977 Chevy Impala. In 1981 the did the same thing. He didn’t blame the car that time. He kept the Impala until 1985.
I owned a 1977 Pacer and loved it!
I miss AMC (and my Pacer)!
Listing update: the seller lowered their asking price to $6,900.