1976 AMC Pacer - Why do People Love to Hate this Car? | AutoMoments
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- The car world loves to hate the Pacer, but how many of those people have actually driven one? After producing an entire documentary about the car, we decided to test one for ourselves. While far from perfect, we found the Pacer to not be nearly as bad as people claim. In fact, this strangle little car is pretty cool in it's own weird sort of way.
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Back in the 80's I had a Yellow 1976 Pacer wagon. I paid $125.00 and it turned out to be one of the best cars I've owned. A "auto mechcanic" told the guy I got it from that the rear main seal was gone and he would be better off getting rid of the car rather then repairing it. right after I got it I noticed the oil dripping from the torque converter cover.. come to find out the valve cover gasket was bad dripping oil through a little square opening at the top of the bell housing down to the converter cover. the engine also ran very bad and was running on only five or the six cylinders. after replacing just a cracked distributor cap the engine ran like a Swiss watch... For those who never owned one they are strange and ugly but those of us who had one know they where fun and unique to own and drive. Kinda like owning a VW beetle but with much more room,power and AC. It was a bold leap for AMC that sadly did not pay off in the end. Never the less I will always have fond memories of my unique Pacer
+Jayrocco Sechsunddreißig That's awesome! We're glad you loved your Pacer. Thanks for watching!
Mine was leaking from the rear seal also.
Hope you still have some pictures of it.
A 1976 Green Pacer was the first new car my wife and I ever got. Wonderful car for two people -- and you could take someone with you in a pinch. I finally got rid of it when my mechanic kept finding it hard to get parts. My wife still hasn't really forgiven me. She still misses it.
We had a green Pacer in 1976 too 😊
I had one for about a year when I was in my 20s. It was about 10 yrs old and it was actually very smooth and quiet on the highway. Handled pretty good on back roads too.
I love design from the 70s. Sure there is a lot of bad design from the 70s, but where it is done well it is just so cozy and inviting. Gimme those earth tones, gimme the colorful wall to wall carpet, gimme all the wood paneling and faux stone, macrame planters and gaudy swag lamps, I'll take it all. The Pacer is no exception, I'd love to see a revamped concept of the Pacer for the 21st century, especially if it were an EV.
Some people are afraid to say they like something others don't. Considering some of the junk that was made in the 1970's in Detroit, the Pacer is not a bad little car. That inline 6 engine will last forever with decent care unlike the Vega 30,000 mile engine.
Haha, yeah. That AMC I6 is legendary.
Thanks for not dumping on the Pacer in this video, lol! I'm a huge AMC fan and love Pacers and especially Hornet X hatchbacks with 360 cid V8s - real sleepers! Wish I still owned my '73. That would be a great car to do a road test on, or perhaps a Hurst S/C Rambler. IIRC, Pacers were originally designed for a Wankel engine which was being co-developed with GM. That project was shelved so AMC had to shoehorn their existing 232 or 258 inline 6 into an engine compartment that was too short. In my opinion the Pacer wagon was much more attractive than the sedan as the proportions were just right. I would love to get my hands on a '78 wagon with 304 V8 and woody side trim!
Thanks for watching! We wanted to show a different side of the Pacer. Also, you should watch our documentary film on it: The Unfortunate History of the AMC Pacer
Hey! You aren't Ugly! The gesture towards yourself seems to have gone unnoticed amongst the viewers of CZcams land! You're a handsome lad 😋
We all remember, too, that the Pacer had to be rather hastily re-engineered to take the six cylinder engine. It was originally intended to be powered by a Wankel rotary which AMC had committed to with GM. When the larger company, GM, determined that the rotary was not going to meet the emissions standards of the day, they dropped the idea. AMC had to move quickly to find a powerplant for the car and make it fit.
The original plan for the Pacer was a concept car called Amigo which was smaller and lighter. Does anyone know when and why they decided to make the car larger? I've never been able to find out.
We talk about a lot of that in our film, "The Unfortunate History of the AMC Pacer!" You can watch it on our channel!
@@AutoMoments I think a contemporary version of this might work with much lighter, more powerful, and more fuel efficient drive trains, not to mention light filtering glass. Oh, and high strength steel to cut down more weight. Personally, I had a fuel efficient revolutionary Honda Accord at the time, but I still held a lot of envy for Pacer drivers.
Those were literally compact cars with full-size pickup engines and transmissions.
Well said
Spinach - yes. Pickled eggs - NO! AMC Pacer - DEFINITELY YES.
Haha. We'd have to agree with you on that one.
Pickled eggs are awesome: czcams.com/video/8UYjdpMVzy4/video.html
Some ppl may hate them but I love them
I loved my AMC PACER , MOST comfortable car I have ever driven .
Speaking from our (limited) experience, it really was a comfortable car to drive. Thanks for watching!
You're right, Joseph. I owned a 1975 Pacer with the 258 6 cyl. engine for 6 years, and hated to trade it in. It handled 'like a sports car' (A quote from a Ford sales manager), had a big car ride, and the front seats were really comfortable (even in the cheapest model). The only negatives were that it could have used a rear anti-sway bar, and the acceleration was too slow. The 258 engine was known to be bullet proof, and I agree. The weak points were the rear differential (got a good used one in a junk yard for $100), speedometer (I made the dealership replace it with a new 1977 one...the year I purchased it), master cylinder, and hood release cable (bought one at the dealership, and installed it myself). The rubber boots were torn after I ran over a railroad tie on the freeway, and ended up having to replace the whole front end for $500, because rust got on the rods inside the boots. I should have had the car inspected right away! Everything else was minor in those six years (thermostat, front shock absorber for the front bumper, and regular maintenance).
It was a good car. Looks like a spaceship. Futuristic and looked nice.
there is a pacer that has been sitting in a car repair shop for many months in my city! Very rare sight.
i had a 76 pacer dl. 258 auto. it topped out at 80 mph after several miles. it handled well. most accidents were people trying to turn on slick roads. the pacer was the same as all other cars on wet roads but could hang turns on dry pavement.
later i put an Isky cam and 2 barrel carb and manifold in it. gas mileage went from 16 to 25 on average and 0 to 60 under 7 sec. speedo pegged out under a mile. with that setup a fella in a porch 911 couldn't loose me on a windy road. trans died pulling a boat. traded it off.
Many car enthusiasts now are not old enough to remember how bad cars were in the mid to late 1970's. Many had boat like suspension that gave a smooth ride but made the handling so sloppy as to be dangerous. The Pacer was an exception to that, I remember renting one around 1976 and loving it. The emission standards had also reached the level at which many cars barely ran (no exaggeration) especially in California. They had no power, would overheat, would backfire through the carburetor and stall. 1974, the last year before catalytic converters was the worst, they really did barely run and even small cars sometimes got single digit fuel economy.
That's the point I was trying to make in my documentary! If you watch, one of the guys I interviewed basically said all 70s cars sucked, not just AMCs. Haha.
Remember the smell of those first couple of years of Cat Convs? Standing at the school bus-stop as the freshly started cars going to work was a gagging experience, that I'll never forget.
wiibaron But they ran at least half way decently, and that was more than the 73-74 models did.
AutoMoments I was just agreeing with you. Bad as cars may have been though, the 70's were a happier time than the present.
AutoMoments - Hahaha- AMC's didn't suck. Did they perform the same as before the first emissions era? No, neither did the competition. But they performed better than their contemporaries with fewer warranty issues. Inform yourself.
Got more character in one tail light than a whole Fleet of Chevy Impalas. I love it. American Motors ahead-of-its-time. Safety quality and Design conscious. Quality throughout more effort toward product and marketing because they had to. To me AMC is number one
Excellent job, Joe! That's easily the best video I've seen about the Pacer. 👍
I got my DL in 1978 and I wanted a Honda Prelude. SO BAD! Of course, I, nor my parents could afford to buy something new. My Dad wanted to get me a 1976 AMC Pacer. I was like, NO F***ing way. Eventually, I gave in. Being a teen, I got impatient waiting for something to come along that we could afford. The jokes were never-ending. I ended up calling it the "PISSER", due to all the times it broke down and pissed me off. But hell, if it was good enough for "Wayne's World" (same color red), it was good enough for me the first two years it ran well. Many trips to the shore in that fishbowl. I can only laugh about it now.
I really liked the Pacer. I liked that it was unique looking and had great driver visibility.
As a kid, I first saw the Pacer as the family car of a poorer family around the block. My family wasn't exactly cresting middle class itself. It had an odd, but still intriguing look. A few years later I bought my first car: A '74 Gremlin. Apparently I had been infected.
What I realized a few decades later as I assembled a 1981 Jeep CJ7 from parts is that my Gremlin was a rear wheel drive Jeep in disguise. All the parts and pieces were the same. Damn. Now I want an Eagle.
Back in 1976, we came dangerously close to actually owning a Pacer. My Dad was looking to buy my Mom a new car, and the choices came down to a Pacer, a Mustang II, and a Plymouth Volare coupe. They ended up choosing the Volare, which became the first car I learned to drive. Not exactly a cool car for a teenage guy to be driving.
Haha! That's really funny how you describe it as "dangerously close." We totally understand how driving a Pacer as a teenager would be pretty un-cool. Thanks for watching!
hey thanks for your video! it brings back memories of my early childhood of my dad having one and the dang doors would open up when he hit hard bumps in the road!
Thanks for watching! We're glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoyed driving my little red Pacer. It had a front spring assembly instead of the regular rear end spring seen on most vehicles. It had lots of space, too.
I thought the Pacer was the ugliest thing on the road when I was a kid but I have to say that it has aged quite gracefully. The styling has really grown on me and think it looks much more interesting than most cars on the road today.
I think at the time, AMC owned the tooling for the GM V6 and was in the process of selling back to GM. When GM cancelled the Wankel rotary intended for the car, I think adapting the V6 would have been easier than the inline 6.
This was my dream car especially since I was born in 1976, until I recently discovered AMC's AMX 3. I love the big windows on the Pacers and it would be great for driving through a beautiful wilderness area or just for everyday driving and to be able to see everything around you. I'm discovering other AMC cars at the moment like the Javelin and the Eagle. S.B.
I've always compared the Pacer to the hillman Imp because it was the innovation of the car that killed the small company that built it but today, it's more like an Austin Allegro, a car people love to hate thanks to the likes of Top Gear. I've driven an allegro & I'd describe it, like you've described the pacer. You should really try one before you judge because the Allegro drives just like a bigger mini, only it doesn't break your back over speed bumps. I've always had an open Mind about the Pacer because, like I mentioned, I always saw it as like an American Hillman Imp & it's so strange that both AMC & Rootes group ended up being bought up by Chrysler
Owned new in 1979. AMC Pacer Wagon DL. A very nice car for the times.
The only people who hate the Pacer are folks who never owned one. Yes, the Pacer was somewhat
odd looking. It was also very cleverly designed and innovative...very roomy on the inside while
smallish on the outside. All in all, the car was basically a great idea...but AMC's very small operating
budget forced some corner cutting along the way. Had AMC had deeper pockets and a little more
time for refinement, I'm certain the car would have been a big hit with buyers. Truth is, I worked for the
local AMC dealer (many years ago)...I can state without reservation that Rambler/AMC built long-
lasting quality vehicles that provided reliable transportation and solid value.
My dad had a 75 and I loved it!
+John Hiram That's awesome. Thanks for watching!
The Pacer is my favorite car
Mine too
A great review. Mr. Ligo, you're alright.
Always loved the Pacer, especially the wagon.
Saw one back in the 90s with a 401 4v installed.
Except for fatter tires on Magnum 500s and a dual exhaust setup she looked bone stock but man o' man what a screamer...
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
You bet! Thanks for watching!
Summer of 1982. Having just arrived to the US as a foreign student and having grown with European and japanese cars I had just a vague notion of American steel. Over the years I learned to appreciate them and eventually I was the proud owner of a used Mustang and a brand new Dodge Charger. On that summer of 81 I got a glimpse of a Pacer and I wasnt so much taken aback by ugliness but by the sheer weirdness of the thing.Now I kind of get its 70s funky style, too bad it didnt evolve over the years
A modern day Pacer would certainly be something interesting to see. I wonder if they would still have such a huge glass area?
I love this car, glad they put it in GTA V
ikr
A talking plane GTA V/ Online
Reminds me of the European bubblecar. These always caught my attention in movies when I was a child because they were so unusual looking.
They certainly are attention-grabbing! Especially when you see one in the flesh! Thanks for watching!
I drived these car in many videogames, haha :D
Great Video, keep it up!
Thank you!
I bought a solid red used '75 Pacer in 1976. The test drive was amazing--like floating on a smooth cushion of air with scenery flying by all around you. What a sensation! And such effortless turning as well. And the Pacer body was strong & solid too. I was once rear-ended on a rain-slicked highway and there was no damage to the rear end at all. But unfortunately my Pacer was one of those that had a bad electronic ignition control unit (a metal box bolted to the fender under the hood and connected to the distributor.) It was called either an ECU or ICU and once it heated up beware! Driving down the highway at maybe 40-60 mph & the engine would suddenly cut-off. Or even hitting a slight bump would cause it to stall. Whenever that happened it was usually impossible to start again until the unit had cooled off. I finally took it to AMC and they replaced the unit. That solved the stalling but other problems soon developed--the inside molding began loosening & coming apart due to the extreme heat in the summer--engine began running sluggish more frequently than normal & needed tuning-up--steering rack was replaced at least twice--transmission was rebuilt. Regardless--even after all this I kept the car for a full 8 years. I really loved my Pacer. If they brought back the Pacer today I'd buy a new one in a heartbeat!
Nick Dimaggio Wow! That's one of the most glowing reviews for a Pacer we've ever heard! We're glad this video brought back some good memories for you. Thanks for watching!
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Sister graduated from university in 1978. First car she bought was a silver and black 76 Pacer. The ongoing joke became " teacher in a bubble"
Very good video I have always loved pacers when I first found them on the internet I plan to buy one as my first car! Haha I hope I find one!
Thanks for watching! Good luck finding a Pacer!
I just sold a red one drove it for a year before so mine was a 76 coupe very easy to steer and see out of is unmatched. Everyone liked it very fun car.
I grew up in that era!!!! I don't drive a car, but I love Pacers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish I had at least one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This was my first car. I loved it!
The Pacer was never this loud when it was new. It is obvious that it needs a new manifold exhaust. Also, these cars rode very nicely considering their relative light weight. There is one thing though that was a MUST have in these cars: AIR CONDITIONING! It was true that they heated up like ovens in the summer. Otherwise, they were not bad little cars.
I am the owner of this car. A previous owner had put in a dual exhaust, which has made it louder than normal. As a lot of care was taken to put it in, I have chosen to leave it.
@@caroldebeaussaert8971 Thank you for clearing that up. Were mufflers used on both sides? Were they straight exhaust pipes?
Great looking car,love it.
I saw the picture of an AMC Pacer on Bracket Racing USA. It was doing wheelstands.
My father bought one of the first pacers manufactured. being a little kid, I noticed that the inside of the door wasn't painted when I got inside the car, and I told my father. He immediately snapped at me for criticizing his new car, but then he went inside and told my mother that he noticed the door wasn't painted... LOL
Haha. Thanks for sharing your Pacer memory!
There's one burgandy Pacer probably around the same model year as this one in the video, and I see it about twice a month in my town, it's obviously been restored, but it stands out of everything else on the road, I can't help but admire this kookie little "wide" car, the person who drives it apparently has a thing for Pacers.
If you see one on the road today, it certainly turns heads. We've had Pacer owners tell us that they get more attention at car shows than Corvette owners, just because they're cars are so DIFFERENT. Thanks for watching!
One of these would make a great resto mod hot hatch. Swap in a tubo 4 cyl, modern suspension, ditch some of the trim and put in a contemporary interior, it would still be heavy but mileage and power would improve. As wide as it is it would stick a corner.
Haha, I don't know how many Pacer restomods there are, but that sounds like a pretty cool idea!
Lukos0036 I reckon you could be onto something with the handling because here in Englandland, we say no car handles as well as an original Mini because the wheels are on the corners, much like the pacer. Cosmetically, I reckon this car would do well with the mostly Ford based "South London look", maintaining a period feel but still having some freedom with motifications. I wouldn't ditch the brightwork, I'd change some of it. I'd colour code the bumpers but leave the over-riders & trims satin black & i'd also colour code the inside of the headlight cowls, keeping the polished edge
*****
Just a matter then of getting ahold of a clean Pacer and the parts and expertise needed to make something badass out of it. And it's rwd!
Lukos0036 which means more smiles per gallon come corner time
Flip it over and use it as a mold to make an inground swimming pool
What a classic!
I remember when I was looking for a cheap car when I was in high school, I wouldn't even CONSIDER a Pacer because I thought they were horrible. Now I'd LOVE one.
Yeah, they really are something else, aren't they? Haha.
I lived in that world. Rode in a many of one. I would love to own one now.Shalom
In all fairness, AMC always made better cars than Ford or Chrysler.
better than ford and GM. not Chrysler!
I don't know...I would have taken an AMC Concord or Eagle over a Chrysler K-Car. My mother owned a K-Car station wagon, and to me it seemed pointless to have a sissy, 4-cylinder engine, and front-wheel drive, on a station wagon. You must admit, that was a big mistake!
According to the people I interviewed, depending on the model, some AMCs were way better than the other Big 3 cars, but some were just as bad. Hahha
generaleehank Don't forget the Mustang!
Yeah...for a few years. The quality of the Mustang would decline badly during the 70s. The Javelin, however, was awesome.
This AMC Pacer is wonderful to drive, as long as tire pressures and wheel alignment is within specs. The related 'Gremlin' installed a 4 cylinder, 2 litre Audi engine, this sustracts more than 100 kg to overall weight, and adds lots of miles to fuel economy. The European Chrysler 180 and 2 litres had same Torqueflite automatic transmission as Pacer and Gremlin, Swiss AMC club reported one of it. The engine space is so wide in Pacer that it would admit a Corvair 6-flat air cooled engine, there are still aftermarket opposed rotation and dizzy bases offered for sale. Any brave to test this? Blessings +
What kind of MPG did it get?
My mom had a pacer wagon. I took my drivers road test with it. Talk about easy maneuverablity exam! I really liked it. One night on a long stretch country road I got it over 110mph. (don't do that! scared myself)
110 mph! Geez. As for your driver's test, the Pacer would be awesome compared to the other cars of the day. With all that glass, you could see everything! Thanks for watching!
I do like the Pacer, and the Ford Edsel as well. Though I like imagining myself riding either one with a few modifications E.G. not the stock engine.
+Austin Lucas A more powerful engine would certainly make the Pacer a better car. Thanks for watching!
I loved my Pacer wish I still had it...
My brother had one and I got to drive it for a bit. It was an interesting car.
Wayne's World, Wayne's World, Party Time, Excellent!!! A Pacer D/L with a 258 or 304 was a comfortable, nice driving car. Never owned a Pacer, but test drove a couple, and owned 3 Hornets. AMC built good, solid, comfortable cars that drove far better than the junk built by the big 3 back then
This short video is one of the most objective I've ever seen about the AMC Pacer. Yep, there are some basic flaws in it's design, Heavy Weight, Hot in Summer requiring Air and poor gas mileage, but they were reliable and comfortable and fun to drive. It's a bad car, but just not as bad as everyone thinks. Thanks for this very fair comment on a nice car.
Thanks! We really try to be open-minded. Haha.
Couldn't the heat have been reduced with some kind of UV film on the windows, or was that technology not available back then?
Robin Sattahip UV tint was not out yet, either as an aftermarket add-on or from the factory. Back then, fabric fade was a serious problem, and all that was available was basic factory tint (which nearly all cars had). First car I owned with UV in the glass was a 1995 Bonneville. Previous car, a 1988 LeBaron, did not have it that I knew of. The giveaway was that photochromic sunglasses did not work in the Bonneville.
I remember when the AMC Pacer was around. I was still too young to drive, but I remember looking at the car and commenting at the time how *ugly* I thought it was. I thought the Pacer wagon was better looking than the sedan version.
+Jason Carpp I remember the AMC dealership on Cumberland Hill Road. I thought they had the COOLEST cars!
+David Lafleche I agree. I always liked the Matador sedan and wagon, with its coffin nose look and protruding grille.
Owned a 1976 Pacer DL 258 I-6 Drove it 10 yrs----Only problem----Replaced Motor Mounts three separate times
i've always loved the car from a distance, only saw one up close 2 times in my life.
Beautiful car, ahead of its time.
Ive had quit a few pacer wagons they hold up vary well in a demolition derby well did tell everyones rules around me started to favor chevy luminas
I can't say that anybody liked these. When I was a kid, I knew of exactly one person who owned one. A friend's parents had one brand new, and I still remember the jokes in the parking lot after school. It was gone in a year or so. Around here you very rarely saw one on the road. So rarely, that when you did, it was like a UFO sighting that had to be reported to everyone you knew. Lol We used to call them the "Charlie Brown car" or the "Fish Bowl". I remember the kid I knew who had one trying to organize a group of kids to go to the movies with his mother driving. My buddy replied, "I'm not goin' anywhere with you until your mother changes the water in that fishbowl." Lol
Great video. I owned Pacer D/L in the 70s that I ordered from AMC with the Navajo interior , the large six, heavy duty suspension, and 4speed. It was a surprisingly nice car, very comfortable with surprising handling. The one thing I fondly remember is that when you were driving the view out was like you were in a cinemascope movie. A way better car than people give credit to. Its weak spot was the gas milage which was about 14/17 miles a gallon, on the other hand it had a 22gallon gas tank and during the Arab gas embargo I used as gas storage for my bike.
THELIBERAL Thanks for watching! We're glad you enjoyed it. That's awesome that you owned a Pacer! Do you have any photos?
Right on brother. Right on. I'm hip.
Thanks for watching!
I'd love to have one of these cars or a gremlin some day. They have charm.
They certainly have character!
Hell the Pacer has more charm than any pile shit on the road that looks the same I would love to have a pacer. Had on in college brought for 50.00 and inspected drove two years the pacer was a beast in the snow and easy to fix and had excellent A/C that always worked. y pacer would always start in subzero weather my neighbor had a brand new cobalt she paid 20,000 for didn't strata in -10 degree weather. I parked right net to her The pacer started fist try. I finally sold the pacer to that neighbor for 250.00 she still has it and that was almost 8 years ago. She used it for her winter car and tells me it always starts and never fails mine was a 1977. Still has no rust she told me she had it repainted it had 150,000 when I sold it she nw it just roiled to 385,230 miles on the original straight 6 never been rebuilt and she said the only major repair was valve cover gaskets. and burns no oil. She was the third owner
That's crazy! That Pacer has lived quite a life. Thanks for sharing your story, and thanks for watching!
Chris - You should have kept it.
Unusual car but what I remember is the glass w/o a/c it was unbearable to be inside.
It looks awesome to me... :)
What the Pacer needed was the Jeep 225 Dauntless V6 engine to improve its gas mileage. AMC's biggest mistake was not producing the V6 from Jeep.
They sold it back to GM after acquiring the Jeep brand. Str8 6 was cheaper to produce.
Please do even the Volkswagen t1 and the BMW E9 (3.0)!
Those are great cars, but we'll have to find somebody who has one, first! Haha.
I wonder how many Pacers survived vs. Pintos and Vegas.
That's a good question. AMC didn't sell nearly as many Pacers as Ford and Chevy sold Pintos and Vegas, so they're a little more rare to begin with. However, that I6 was a great engine, so if you look down south, you could probably find one that still runs and drives!
hey I love my 76 pacer mine get almost 40 miles to the gallon I put a 81 vw rabbit motor and Tran but replace the big have class in the back in with much lighter paxe class sorry about the spelling but tannin strips on Windows top speed almost 90 0-60 maybe a week but now it good on gas
I need to point out I save the two cars from a graveyard for cars and little money but a lot of ideas
Wide round with wrap around windows made pacer stand out. Weird worked.
I remember when it first came out. My first impression was the Hamburgler's car. I expected to see him driving it.
+Romulan112 Hahaha. Maybe it would be a great car for him because it's so wide! He could easily fit in it. Thanks for watching!
+Romulan112 No, George Jetson.
I want one!
The pacer really fits Joe
I have a rare 1977 AMC Gremlin with the Audi 2L engine in it!
is it baby blue with hotrod flames?
My first car was the 75 pacer x,it would be a nice car,but the new england tin worm ate it away to the point the rear end fell out of car and after that it went to the junk yard,but it was a nice roomy car that I wished I could have driven
That's too bad! I never really understood how big the inside was until I drove it...
where can i buy one i love this car
You'll still see them for sale online from time to time. Pacers will pop up on places like eBay and Craigslist. Thanks for watching!
You guys should do the Mustang II Cobra II. That car in my opinion isn't nearly as bad as people make it out to be.
We agree! We just have to find somebody who will let us drive theirs, first...
AutoMoments I know a few owners of them, I could talk to them and see if they would be interested.
slashfan7964
That would be great!
I have always liked this car, from the firts time I saw her.
This is a nice car!
loved all of the three Pacers I owned. Handled great, and I put a lot of miles on them. It's too bad they were ahead of fuel efficient engines. The straight six was a nuisance to work on, and was just too heavy for the performance it generated.
That's good to hear that you liked your Pacers! Thanks for watching!
Do a test video of Plymouth fury (Christine)!
Please!
Not only was the Pacer originally intended to be powered by a rotary engine, but it was to be front wheel drive as well. The 11th hour demise of the Wankel forced AMC to do a lot of last minute re-engineering to accommodate a more traditional drive train which greatly compromised the original concept and contributed to it's ultimate failure.
It was intended to be front wheel drive with the rotary engine. AMC was designing the Pacer way ahead of it's time since most cars of the 1970's were rear wheel drive. Chrysler did not come out with a front wheel drive car until 1978 with the Horizon. GM, FORD, and Chrysler didn't have front wheel drive in big numbers until the 1980's. GM did have a front wheel drive Cadillac ElDorado in 1969. Front wheel drive really did not catch on or go mainstream until the 1980's. AMC was ahead of the competition. Too bad they are not around today.
So this is why the lemon gang exist in the cars universe
We were immigrants in 1981 we bought s Ford Pinto brand new and a pacer used for $500 dollars but man it broke down constantly it was a hunk of junk. It was like the Flintstones it had holes in the floor of. Back seats . We put plywood there until that rotted!!!
My dad had one and i drove it when I got my licecnse. I would love to find another one
Those cars are something else. One owner we talked to has three of them! Thanks for watching!
As a european I never understood why americans hated this car, I find it beautiful, hard to find here in europe though.
Driving a Pacer feels a lot like my 2004 Ford Freestar, that just so happens to not drive like a typical minivan. It's 4.2l V6 doesn't have the power to push around the wide hefty Window clad body any better then the Pacer, yet hugs the road in the asme confirmation. Meanwhile our Dodge Grand does not share that same balance and it's 3.8l V6 is much more peppy. It's more like the Honda minivan by comparison. Yes, it's a thirsty slug, but you never get the idea your driving something much smaller and for cruising, that counts.
The report I got was no matter how high you crank that AC in the sunny summer in the south that car ain't getting cool down at all. Also the windows were so damn tall they could not roll down all the way. Also the thing got the gas mileage of a Cadillac. Also the engine the car was designed for didn't exist so they had to wedge a much larger AMC 6 cylinder in there so it was very hard to do some maintenance and repairs. Also too roly poly looking. If they had tightened up the exterior design just a little bit it would have gone a long way towards not so butt ugly. That is all.
My family's own experience- and one you'll see repeated in the comments- are that the only people making fun of the Pacer are people who never had one.