One thing you can say about American Motors is they weren’t afraid to take some chances. From the formation of AMC out of Hudson and Nash in 1954, they would dabble with this product or that one to see what would work. One example was the Gremlin subcompact from the early 1970s, created by shortening the wheelbase of a Hornet by 12 inches. Then there was the Pacer, a fishbowl-shaped compact that was as wide as a full-size auto and came with loads of glass. This 1978 Pacer station wagon has been in storage for 2.5 decades so it will need some mechanical tinkering. Located in Union, Indiana, this interesting artifact is available here on craigslist for $7,000. Thanks for the tip, Rocco B.!
Development work began on the Pacer in 1971 and the final product emerged for sale in 1975. First-year demand was healthy at some 145,000 copies, but the styling novelty of the Pacer with all its glass quickly slowed down, and by 1980 the machine was gone from AMC showrooms. The car became a bit of a celebrity more than a decade after it ceased production – it was prominently featured in the Wayne’s World movies of the 1990s. Most Pacers were sluggish with a 258 cubic inch inline-6, but the few that got the 304 V8 (like the seller’s car) were considerably peppier.
The seller has listed this automobile for a friend who has gotten on in years. The Pacer has been in the garage for ages and the engine won’t turn over though the crankshaft can be moved by hand. We’re told the problem may be as simple as the starter (in the photos, the battery has been disconnected).
This could be a low-mileage car as the odometer is thought to be just 46,500 miles. The body and paint are at least in fair condition and there is one dent you may want to attend to. The Pacer has fake woodgrain siding which was popular on station wagons back in the day. The interior looks okay and may be fine if you’re able to resurrect the car as a daily driver. Be the first kid on your block to own a Pacer!
Light blue with blue cloth, and with the fake woodgrain siding!
It can’t get any better!
Yes, it can get better! It has a factory CB radio! Breaker, breaker, got your ears on?
Decent survivor, daily driver. AMC built small cars on big car bones, so they were robust and rode well compared to the tinny Pintos and Vegas. The 258 was not eco, but no slug either, especially next to any two-point-whatever four and most V8s of the day. In top trim the Pacer was quite nice.
The Cisco kid WAS a friend of mine!
The Crisco Kid was a friend of mine
How’s the cardio?
This is wild, I had a loaded 1979 that was almost an exact twin, V8, buckets, AC, power windows, had Magnum wheels instead. Of course I found another project and sold it, a recurring theme in my car obsession, errr, hobby.
What’s not to like? It’s a V8 and a Woodie! With a set of 4:10 posi gears that could be a lot of fun!
I own a 78 Pacer wagon. After trying out a Pacer with the 258 and one with a 304, I ordered the 258 with a 2 barrel and the 4 speed. There is only 10 horse power difference between the two with the 258 developing 200 foot pounds of torque at 1800 rpm. The 304 was an absolute slug. One of the best 6 cylinder engines ever built. Car and Driver thought so too.
Once the novelty of the Pacer’s styling wore off, people realized that it was slow, heavy, and not much easier on gas than a full-sized car. Some say that the Pacer was doomed to fail when GM cancelled its Wankel program, but moving 3000+lb of Pacer would have been a lot to ask of a Wankel that put out only 125lb-ft of torque. On top of weak performance, fuel economy would have suffered, too.
Unique in the day. Received a lot of attention….
then someone attached “Looks like fishbowl”
and it seemed to go viral.
Another one with different wheels on the passenger side as compared to the driver side.
I think not, the wheels all match on this, even if we don’t get a total view of the right side. I think maybe you are seeing Chuck Foster’s picture?
Yup
?
They were either the ugliest cute cars or the cutest ugly cars ever built. I miss AMC.
I remember the CBs well. My grandmother gave my Dad and uncle one each for Christmas one year. Remember slung under the dash of Dad’s Mustang II. Those were the days.
I had a hobby of repairing
Autos,,!
I drove a customer’s Pacer,
Great visibility all around,!!
It had electricity problems,
that I only Partialy fixed!!
He wanted to sell me the car,,,this was in 1980,,I passed on the offer,,sorry I did,,,at his price $780,,,IT would be a good daily driver,,!!
If it had the 258 6 cyl engine in it, sorry for your loss. Those engines are practically indestructible. I drove a ’75 Pacer with that engine. It always started on the first try. It started on the second try when it was -20 below after sitting outside in a blizzard the night before.
Nostalgia is a funny thing. These cars were roundly — and rightly — panned when they were new, yet somehow they now show up on Barn Finds as something of value.
The Pacer was loved by the automotive press and the public for the first two years. It’s also funny that the 258 engine gets panned as being sluggish considering it was at least the equal to the other engines of that size during that time period, and it was rightly considered “bullet proof.”
I like it. A 304 V8 and A/C? Wow. I agree that the problem could be as simple as a bad starter, but sitting 25 years? Could have a whole bunch of problems, like corrosion somewhere in the electrical system. Still, the electronics on these were fairly simple, so a person should be able to troubleshoot it easy enough. If you can get it cheap enough, basically you should be OK in the investment department. Me, I would drive it. My Brother-in-Law is a GM only freak. It would drive him bonkers. He already hates my Grand Marquis.
Break one-nine. We got one of those AMC “fish bowls” coming up in the “hammer lane”. Looks like no “granny lane” for him…he’s keeping pace with Smokey. Negatory on putting any “motion lotion” in this 5 Liter hauler. This guys “20” is PA. I can get his handle, I just may see if he’s got his ears on and go take a test drive. Forty three years ago, my dad and I toured the AMC assembly plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin then headed up to Milwaukee to tour a brewery. All within minutes of beautiful Lake Michigan. Growing up in the 60’s my favorite from AMC was the Rambler Scrambler. In case you forgot, Mitt Romney’s dad was CEO of American Motors. Loved this company.
I have NO idea what you said, but my favorite AMC product was the AMX.
OutToLunch….Pictures of the interior of this Pacer show a CB mic on the dash. The Craigslist pictures show it too. CB radios were common in the 70’s when this car was produced and they were popularized in movies like Smokey and The Bandit. The CB just fits with this period of time, so I tried to use some “CB slang” for those who remember those days.
AMC Pacer was originally designed to get GM’s rotary engine. GM dropped the rotary. The Chevy Monza, Buick Skylark and the Oldsmobile Starfire was planned to get this engine as well. That’s why all these cars have the piston engines buried in the back of the firewall.
Buried is what this should be. Junk.
.
I owned a 76, not a wagon style, with the 258 which was adequate for regular driving. One night in the winter it was 60 below zero a few miles north of us. That next afternoon a friend called to ask if I would come and help start his Buick, and I nonchalantly said SURE, thinking mine wouldn’t start either. However, it started easily so I helped get the Buick started.
when I got home I told my wife I was selling the car. She asked why. I said, “Because I don’t want a car that will start in that kind of weather.” I sold it!
I looked at these new. You could order a 401 v8 and 4 spd according to the dealer order list. It was just to ugly but I wonder if anyone ordered one like that
Brad-you could NOT order a 401 in a Pacer. Ever.
Brad,
You could NOT order a Pacer with a 401–ever.
When the AMC Pacer was released in 1975. The tag line was “Welcome to 1980,” “1980 is here.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The latter model wagons actually look pretty “normal” less fishbowl shape some how
yup, wagon’s the 1 to have (not just in this Y/M/M. Many look/are better as waggy).
I all ways dig up this one. Not sure but thin it was not a wagon:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/482800022555302971/
I think it was in mid-states (Ohio?) and done in 2nd yr of ownership by
2nd owner -1981. I say he europenized it. Back shows a porsche type whale-tail. Something needing to come off both vehicles.
I think it looks fantastic. I still would like to have the pacer wagon, tho.
I hope the seller sold the car and all is good. However I find it strange that we had a couple of conversations via craigslist email but when I asked to talk on the phone about the car all communication stopped. I hope it sold but I find it strange
Randall AMC in Mesa, Arizona and Carl Green Enterprises built and modified a few 401 Pacers from direct 304 V8 orders. They also did more CGE Gremlins.