We’ve shown a few Pacers here in the last year or two and they always bring out both good and not so good comments. Hopefully this original 1978 AMC Pacer D/L Wagon will bring mostly good comments. This one is listed on eBay in beautiful Luray, Virginia with an unmet opening bid of $2,000. If you’ve been following the Pacer market over the last few years you know that two-grand is a steal for a wagon in this condition. Of course that’s just the opening bid, but theoretically it could sell for that since there is no reserve.
I really like these cars and I have since they came out – when I was a kid I used to draw them constantly. We camped a lot and when I was bored at the campground I would sit at a picnic table and draw cars. I know, what a nerd, I fully admit it. For some reason I remember drawing the AMC Pacer, a Peterbilt, and a Harley-Davidson. Wow, what an oddball, that explains a lot.
The seller has uploaded a great video walk-around on this car and you can see it here on this YouTube video. There are no engine photos in the listing but he shows the engine and talks about it in the video. The body of this car looks great with a few dings and they say that it’s “very solid only a minimal amount if rust in lower rear quarters and a small place in floor pan.”
That driver’s seat looks pretty inviting and comfy. It looks like the interior is in great condition, both front and back. And, in the rear compartment, other than a couple of broken speaker covers. The seller has added a few underside shots and things look pretty solid underneath. The engine is AMC’s 258 cubic-inch inline-six that would have had around 120 hp. There are a few things to fix, like the broken speedometer cable and a few other items, but overall, especially for the opening bid price, this looks like a pretty solid buy.
I remember when these first came out. We described them as goldfish bowls on wheels. A buddy of mine had one, it struck me as being a rather unimpressive car. He liked the kooky factor of owning one.
When these first came out, we called them pregnant roller skates. Wagons are cooler than the coupes. Love the dog dishes, three-on-tree would complete this one nicely.
Very different choice from your usual gms sir
I always loved the Pacer wagon. It took a funky design and made it functional, especially with the V8 engine.
I’ve never met a Pacer wagon I drooled over, til I saw this restomod…
Looks kinda like those Suzuki X90. Hmm better not show it to the Guy with the 1957 Nomad Cruck-mobile. He might say it’s a prototype that was 1 of 7 made that made a debut at the 1975 Detroit auto show. And the go on to say he’s a navy seal and the records for himself as well as the car were burned for a black ops mission
Love this mod build.
I really admire the quality of this conversion.
I wonder if that is the original Pacer wagon rear glass mounted inverted to create the concave exterior surface.
Pacer truck build-
https://pacertruck.wordpress.com
El Pacerino
AMC actually considered producing something like this and a prototype was built. As Pacer sales tanked in the late 1970s the company was trying to find ways to utilize their $60 million investment in development costs.
AMC even considered building a 4WD version of the wagon called “Li’l Hustler” which might have been marketed as a Jeep had it been built. The front suspension would have had to be redesigned though to build a 4WD Pacer variant since the springs are on the lower control arms. (No room for drive axles.)
Source: “Hemmings Classic Car” magazine, Feb. 2017. (Hemmings doesn’t seem to have photos of the prototypes on the web but they are in the magazine.)
The Pacer was an interesting concept that was hobbled by budgetary constraints, being designed around a GM rotary engine that was canceled at the 11th hour, and legal concerns regarding future crash standards.
I always though that a 4wd Pacer would of been a good idea, like the Honda Element just 30 years ahead of it.
Correction, the Pacer 4WD prototype was named “Lil Chief.”
It was a Pacer wagon that was restyled to give it a more aggressive, SUV-type look. Not much information is known about the Lil Chief beyond photos that were found, which are dated 9/20/79. According to the Hemmings Classic Car article more than a dozen former AMC Styling employees were contact but no one remembers this vehicle. Chances are it was a non-operational shell due to the extensive changes that would have been required to make it a functional 4WD.
Now I’d like to see this on an Eagle all wheel drive or 4 wheel drive chassis. Very nice indeed.
I remember John Denver driving one almost exactly like this in “Oh God”.
Why do I remember useless crap like this?!?
At least you finally got to use this piece of trivia.
Didn’t “God” make it rain in that car? That was funny! I myself loved that movie, especially the grocery store and televangelist subplots.
Several years ago I stopped at a convenience store for a cup of coffee on the way to work. The store was across the street from the local State University. A young man (student) was in front of me in line. He reached into his pocket and pulled out 2 handfuls of change and laid them on the counter. The clerk patiently counted it out. It amounted to something like $6.38. He requested that much gas on pump #6. I looked out to see what he was driving and it was an old beat up AMC Pacer. Was the perfect definition of a broke college kid. LOL
Didn’t you post that before?
Yes, several times now.
Every time an AMC is posted here, yes.
I finally found a decent Pacer to buy. I hope I can get to it in time before somebody else buys it. It even has A/C which is rare.
like the earlier hood/grill but this is a fine example of the ideas #3/AMC/Chrysler has been commin up w/since Nash/Hudson/Rambler or-whatever-it-was disappeared. BIL had 1 new w/all the bells’n whistles. His – sedan was less desirable then this wagon (4 me).
Endearing members in the Owners Club but just as quirky as in all the others.
8^ )
Yes. What were they thinking when they put that bump in the middle? The earlier lowline grille is much nicer, IMHO. It enhances the styling by accentuating the width and low waistline.
I agree completely! The stepped grill and bumped hood absolutely ruin the asthetic of the initial design. I also think that the wagon destroyed the visual appeal of the original car.
I thought that the wagon only slightly diluted the original styling, It is just longer. I like those taillights too.
The bump in the middle was needed when they installed the V-8 engine. I agree, it ruined the looks.
Perhaps you remember that some Toyota trucks and 4Runners had a copy of the later Pacer raised-center grille. That was just something AMC used to refresh the front styling because the old grille had already been used three years. I have a ’77 coupe and a ’79 Limited wagon.
Gotta luv the mag wheels AMC used across their model line…did they own Kelsey Hayes maybe…?
This is 10th time you have written THIS!. Who cares, stop trying to show off this dealer.
Everytime there is new post regarding acar thats same brand as one of cars I eill post. Stop ordering me around and acting Offensive. I am Not showing off anybody I am Not even in USA I dont even know them. I was googling and happens I bought cars from different sellers
I know your excited bro. Seems like if has 4 tires you got one too! You should just get a picture of you wearing a leather USA flag jacket with shades and the related vehicle all shined up giving the thumbs up with a big smile paying homage American Iron. Something like this
http://www.cowleatherjackets.com/vanilla-ice-usa-flag-jacket
A good friend of mine just bought a Pacer from an older gentleman who was an AMC and Pacer fanatic, and also a very good mechanic. The car has a 500 cu.in. Cadillac, with all the extras to make it work. I begged my buddy to buy, because when he is done with it, I want it. He paid less than 5 K for it!
It’s one that for me, the colour and wheels make or break whether I like it; I don’t think any other car has that effect on me. The photo from @Miguel is a great looking Pacer, however the featured car not so much.
I proposed to my wife to be in one almost exactly the same! Dad bought it new under duress because Mom wanted it! Told the dealer to also sell him the longest extended warranty possible, which he did. Ended up being a very nice reliable vehicle which served out its final ownership days as a snowbirds Florida car.
Hello Miguel, Did you ever find that Mexican-Built 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS with the rare factory V8/4-speed that you were looking for last April? As for the above featured 1978 Pacer Wagon, the bidding is up to over $2500 so it looks like it is going to sell. I agree with CanuckCarGuy that the green AMC Pacer you found appears to be a much better looking car.
John, I haven’t found one that is in good enough condition to make it worth my time.
I have also found a couple that have fallen prey to the latest craze of replacing the engine with a 383 stroker, thereby destroying the car.
I am still looking though.
The guy that has the Pacer in the picture I posted is asking about $3055.00 dollars.
I think it is a good price for a clean car with automatic and air considering the Mexican Pacers are very rare.
Clickbait
One of the few cars that looks better in thin whitewalls.
My particular automotive perversion is imagining “Mad Max”, dystopian versions of cars – especially classics. Never could quite figure out anything for the Pacer.
I liked these so much when they came out that I bought one. But I wasn’t old enough to drive so I had to get a smaller one. I wonder if this was a big selling model kit?
WOW, featuring a CB Radio. That dates the kit.
We had a ’79 woody wagon. Loved it. Spacious inside, great visibility. Had rack and pinion steering, V-8 power and a factory CB radio. Only fault was terrible fuel mileage, about 12 mph.
I liked the Pacer and it looks better to me now in 2017 than it did in 1977. As I remember the 2 door Matador, I see the some of the same styling themes.
Have a ’77 Pacer wagon 258. Very slow off the line. OK at speed with adequate acceleration up to about 85. 70-75 mpg 19 – 20. Prefer the step-up hood for appearance. Been told 304 V8 not much improvement over 258. Eliminate air pollution starving components??
My first Pacer, a ’76 X with 258, was great off the line. On a hot day, the wheelspin was a problem. The torque was right now.
Good Luck on your search for that rare original 1984 Monte Carlo SS and also on your negotiations for the green Pacer, Miguel. If you can grab that for under $3000 (which I believe is around 55k pesos assuming an exchange rate of $1US=18 Mexican Pesos) I think you are getting a fair deal as the bidding for the brown Pacer wagon on eBay has exceeded $3500 and there are still a couple days remaining in the auction so it can only go higher.
Bidding is up to $3600 on eBay with less than an hour remaining in the auction. How much higher will it go?
Auction has ended with no additional bids … SOLD for $3600.