Nicest One Left? 1979 AMC Pacer Wagon

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It seems like Pacers are coming out of the woodwork lately and this 1979 AMC Pacer wagon is by far the nicest one that I have ever seen. This time capsule can be found here on eBay in Las Vegas, Nevada. The current bid is $5,000 and the reserve isn’t met. The seller has it listed as a D/L but I would have guessed that it’s a Limited due to how loaded with options it is and other Limited features. Anyone?

Even though this car is in amazing condition, the Pacer is on the same list as the Aztek, Pinto, Yugo, and other “joke” cars for a lot of people. But, there are a few million of us on the other side of the fence who love these things. Like politics, neither side can believe that they can’t convince the others why they’re so ridiculously wrong and short-sighted. We’ll have to agree to disagree about this car if you’re one of those who aren’t on board with the Pacer. (but, you’re ridiculously wrong and short-sighted!) (kidding)

The bumpers are a huge visual buzzkill, but other than that this car is 99% perfect, in my humble opinion. Sure, an RX8 drivetrain would be nice, and most of us know that the Pacer was supposed to be available with a GM-designed rotary engine but it was pulled at the last minute. I wonder if anyone has done a rotary Pacer? That might make a good tv reality show episode. This car isn’t all original, though, the seller says that it has had one very nice repaint at some point in its life but there’s no rust and there are no dents or dings. It looks brand new to me.

The interior is drop-dead perfect from what I can see. those seats are a.m.a.z.i.n.g. both front and rear, another reason I think it may be a Limited instead of a D/L? Beautiful, just like the chair that you plop down in when you get home from work but without a remote and a beer on the armrest. Power windows in a Pacer! I would love to have this car, I guarantee that it would have a bigger crowd around it at any car show than a Shelby Cobra or Lamborghini for 1/20th or 1/200th the price. Plus, I’ll, I mean you’ll have enough room to sleep in the back when your wife kicks you out for buying yet another oddball vehicle.

I don’t know what’s going on with the dents at the base of the windshield, they almost look like spot welds or something. The engine looks great, or what we see of it under the hoses and wires and canisters and vents and tubes. It’s AMC’s 258 cubic-inch inline-six with 110 hp. That’s the only bummer about this car, that it doesn’t have the 304 V8 with 125 hp, a much better engine for the AC to keep up with all that glass. Any thoughts on if it’s a D/L or a Limited with the leather, deep carpet, and full power accessories? The VIN seems to point to it being a Limited on a couple of VIN decoder sites, does anyone know for sure? We have some AMC experts among the readers, let us know!

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Comments

  1. PRA4SNW

    Those seat colors – yikes!

    Like 9
    • Nevadahalfrack NevadahalfrackMember

      Liberace Edition, maybe??

      Like 9
  2. CadmanlsMember

    Got to love AMC to want that car. The manufacturer spent a lot of their last resources to bring that car to production, shame.

    Like 2
    • Sam61

      I dig it and appreciate for what it is. Our 76 Matador Coupe was the same color with tan vinyl and plaid interior.

      Never saw a Pacer wagon this highly optioned. Only a real man with the onions will drive this with pride.

      Great find…

      Like 10
  3. Nevadahalfrack NevadahalfrackMember

    Scotty, you pointed out the dimples by the windshield wipers; does the plastic stop there look broken as well?
    And is it the angle of the picture or is there a noticeable gap on the passenger side of the hood like Lauren Hutton’s teeth? (IMO it looks better on her, tho)..

    Like 1
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Good point, Nevadahalfrack, it looks like it’s totally missing!

      Like 3
  4. Bluetec320 Bluetec 320

    Something is definitely not right with this car. It has the dents on the cowl and the gap in the hood, but some of the pictures show the rear AMC emblem on the left side and others show it on the right. Maybe the painter affixed it to the wrong side?? I believe that this car is a limited version, since it has the rectangle emblem next to the “Pacer” on the fenders. I can not read the lettering in the pictures, but I did find a replacement emblem online and it looks to be the same.

    Like 5
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Excellent sleuthing, Bluetec 320. I couldn’t zoom in on the front fenders enough to see what those badges said. It sure looks like a top of the line Limited to me, it even has the nice road wheels. At least one VIN decoder also lists it as a Limited.

      Like 5
      • Joe

        The road wheels are hubcaps. There is an emblem on the passenger door that says limited. I believe it is with the seats and the woodgrain look steering wheel.

        Like 1
  5. JWH

    Nothing says “top of the line 70’s” more than a built-in CB radio.

    Like 7
  6. That AMC Guy

    That’s as swank a Pacer as I’ve ever seen. Has to be a Limited.

    Like 5
  7. daCabbie

    If it wasn’t a limited edition…. it is now.

    Like 2
  8. Miguel

    That interior looks like a nice place to be.

    Like 3
  9. Dave Broadbent

    My sister owned a yellow woody wagon pacer. She purchased it new from a dealer, and got an amazing price. The dealer was sure happy to see it get off his car lot.

    Like 2
  10. James

    Seller says it’s a top of the line “Limited” in his description so I don’t know what the mystery is.

    Like 1
  11. CJM

    Absolutely a Limited. The leather seats and the wide ribbed lower body molding are a dead giveaway. Limiteds also featured upgraded carpet and door panels and woodgrain rim steering wheel. Pictures are ridiculously small and blurry. How hard is it to procure decent pictures of a car these days?! No excuse for that. Handsome car but probably has been repainted. One of the rarest pacers. Only a 1980 Limited would be rarer. Too bad it doesn’t have the V-8.

    Like 0
  12. W9BAG

    Never thought I’d say it, but I would be proud to own this Pacer. The appearance is much better than the 2 door. I really like the color combination. Looks like a comfy place to be on a road trip. I would imagine that the back would offer room enough for a full size air mattress. Just fab up some window coverings with suction cups for privacy, and it would a be an attention getter at any camp site in the Country ! Very nice.

    Like 1
  13. Paul

    The group of designers for this car had to be on acid or something……apparently they must of shared some with the person that bought it new!

    Could one of the designers got a job for Nissan and worked on the Nissan Cube as well?

    Seriously I think you would have to try very hard to make a automobile this ugly!

    Like 1
  14. W9BAG

    Love it ! But to say “loaded Pacer” is the epitome of an oxymoron if I’ve heard one ! Would you think that the upholstery is real leather ? In an AMC Pacer ?

    Like 0

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