Running Jellybean Project: 1976 AMC Pacer
To continually differentiate itself from the competition, American Motors was always making products unlike the others. One of them was the Pacer, an egg-shaped compact car that was said to have been designed from the “inside out” with passengers in mind. For example, to improve visibility, more than a third of the vehicle was made of glass. This 1976 example is a survivor-quality automobile, though it does wear an older repaint. While it runs and drives, it may not be ready for a road trip and can be found in Sacramento, California. The old-shaped little car is available here on eBay when $1,950 is the current bid (reserve unmet).
Design work began in 1971 and the Pacer was intended to be a new auto, not a modification of an existing product (like the AMX from the Javelin or the Gremlin from the Hornet). If AMC had deeper pockets, the transport’s design may have truly gone off the rails, with doors of different dimensions and the use of a Wankel rotary engine. But considering AMC’s always limited financial resources they were still able to pull off an interesting design, one that is reminiscent of a jellybean. From 1975 to an abbreviated 1980 model year, about 280,000 Pacers left the Kenosha, Wisconsin assembled line.
From the description provided, the Pacer had been hibernating for about two years and the seller cleaned it up and did enough maintenance to get it to perform again. Apparently, the vehicle has lived in California all its life, which has helped it remain rust-free (per the seller). It’s currently registered in “no-op” status meaning no back DMV fees will be required once you tag it for road use. Under the hood lies AMC’s venerable 258 cubic inch inline-6 which found its way into a lot of 1970s and 1980s AMC products.
The car is well-used as the odometer reflects at least 100,000 miles. It’s a nicely-optioned compact with automatic transmission with power-assisted brakes and steering. It once had a vinyl top, but that was likely removed when the car was repainted in Golden Jade. For some reason, there are cut marks on the hood, which the seller believes was done by a prior owner after the hood latch cable was broken (I failed to make the connection). The interior is a bit dirty and in fair condition with a few pieces missing and some cracked plastic bits.
Mechanically speaking, the catalytic converter is new (you probably wouldn’t want to cut one of those off in Cali) and the seller replaced the muffler, starter, and carburetor. The tires seem to have more than ample tread unless their date codes are before 2017. Not a lot may need to be done to get the car ready for a trip across state lines as there is no smoke, leaks, or strange noises to be found from a circle around the block. With a little effort, you could have your very own “Wayne’s World” Pacer!
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Comments
Interesting that in the era of parking bench bumpers, these actually look nice!
For $1100 dollars, why the hell not? I’d buy it just for the sake it’s it’s quirkiness and the fact that you’ll probably NEVER see another one like it around. It’s think it’s nerdiness is pretty cool…..
Does California come after you for DMV fees, if you live in a free state, and purchase the car?
No. Registration back fees for not placing the vehicle in non-op status and letting the tags expire have to be paid only if you intend to operate the vehicle in California.
Oh please (rolling my eyes)
They do if you move out of the state. They now have a move out tax. Crazy.
Where did you hear this? It’s b.s.
If AMC had kept, and updated, the Buick V6 line they inherited with the Jeep purchase…they probably could have gotten a lot more use out of this platform. It was designed to take a Wankel, originally their own. They found – surprise – that the cost was prohibitive – AMC’s pockets were not even as deep as those of Mazda. Next option, buy the GM Wankel, which turned out to be vaporware. For some reason, perhaps time schedules and the 1974 gas crisis, they didn’t go to the the next step – either a deal with Mazda, or just putting a cat converter on the Jeep V6 and restarting the line.
And by the time the recaP, oops, Pacer, debuted…AMC’s stiffnecked management, which had already dismissed the Kaiser-former-Buick engine as “rough as a cob”…had cut a deal to sell it BACK to GM. Which only shows to go ya…even in those benighted days, GM’s management was sharper than 1970s AMC leadership.
This is a good time capsule for the times – AMC’s success-failure, illustrating why, today, there is no AMC. At the price it’s bidding, it’s a good buy.
AMC probably didn’t have the economic reserves to redesign the odd fire Dauntless into the stellar 3800 series engine. There is no smoother engine than an inline 6. Perfect primary and secondary balance.
i6 has it over. The bent6 is only stable @ 90* V, no?
The GM RCE was in deep trouble by late 1973, with major emissions, fuel economy, and durability issues. AMC sold the tooling for the V-6 back to GM in April, 1974. There was time for AMC to react to the issues with the Wankel and keep the V-6 for themselves, but they apparently had no interest in that. The split-throw crankshaft that solved the odd firing intervals was a cheap solution AMC could have funded, but I’m guessing they never thought of it. GM’s engineers were apparently sharper than AMC’s, as well.
The Pacer wasn’t well-suited for a Wankel, anyhow. GM’s 3.4L Wankel only put out 125 lb-ft of torque. The Pacer was heavy for a compact, thanks to its width and huge glass area, so 125 lb-ft would have made it extremely sluggish. A Mazda rotary would have been worse.
by the time the ‘wankel’ got to mazda it had it all over the original (now a true ‘rotary’). They had all the issues (seals and lobes) wrked out, too late for the pacer anyway. One just made the 7sec at the drags in PR.
The split-throw crankshaft was a Packard concept back in the 1950s. They were designing a 90 degree V12 that would have had the split throws to produce even firing intervals.
There was a guy in Kenosha who had a chopped top Pacer I think it was a V8. It looked pretty cool.
check the maroon whale tail … …
https://www.airforums.com/photos/showimage.php?i=10040&c=500
I liked these, but that color! Not for me. Great visibility in these, unusual for the time. They were a treat to drive in the pretty countrysides, but better have air. The greenhouse effect was nasty.
That’s… um….. that’s a color, all right. AMC called it “Golden Jade,” and I can’t recall seeing it on a Pacer before, and I’ll be just fine if I never see it on a Pacer again.
A friend had one of these, he called it the “baseball cap”.
Because of all the glass we called them fish bowls.
Put some AMX power in it, it’ll fit and install easily. I had a 304 powered one.
In 1978 took a road trip in a pacer. My uncle worked for AMC. We drove from Milwaukee to linton north Dakota. Four full size adults. Straight six, and luggage. It actually was comfortable and drove well. It was almost brand new. Uncle kept it for two years. Turned into a rattle drop and rust bucket. Salt and snow ate it up. But not a bad little car for it’s time.
My grandfather had one of those before he passed away he always called it a trouble bubble although I have to say him living down in Southeast Ohio that sucker would run them Hills and them dirt roads really good he didn’t have to do no work to it last I knew one of my uncles ended up getting it after my grandfather passed and he just put it out back of his house uncovered and everything and just basically let it run away such a shame I would have loved to have had that little car
Heck of a sentence, I’m tired after just reading it.
I’m imagining Gomer Pyle as the orator.
Don’t call it Cali.
Fill the cargo area with some good enriched topsoil and fill it with tomato plants or vegetable of choice and create self sustaining transportation!
Greenhouse on wheels.
Let’s see how high it goes. Could fit well into my collection ;)
Bought a used 1975 Pacer fleet car in 1977 with 19,000 miles on it. My sister called it a football helmet on wheels. Manual steering and brakes, three-on-a-tree, and no air conditioning. Great motor. Interior fell apart. Shift lever fell off so I replaced it with a Hurst floor shift. Went through water pumps and starters every 10,000 miles whether they were new or rebuilt. Still loved that car and wouldn’t mind find another just like it.
Back when they first came out I went to look at one. Dealer said I could have ordered it with a 401 V8 and a 4 speed. My wife said no way, it was to ugly. She was probably right but it would have been a unique car. I’ve never seen one ordered like that
Brad-you’ve never seen one because you couldn’t order a 401-4 speed Pacer. There were a couple dealers who retrofitted 401’s into 304 Pacers.
Double whammy, here! Gold, and second ugliest cat of all-time, just behind Pontiac Aztec. But, someone may love it.
Both are better-looking yhan the Nissan Juke!! That’s a whole new kind of UGLY!!
Forgot about that Juke. It would be interesting to have a listing of the ugliest cars! Let’s start one?
All rectangular boxes they called cars from the 70’s and 80’s were uglier IMO.
Well the bidding is up to 2100 with 5 days to go. Maybe I should list mine on ebay and get alot more money for it. Plus you have to pay buyers fee on it. Oh well.. Like I said 2500 and open to offers.
What year is your Pacer wagon?
1978
After I bought my used blue ’75 Pacer (25,000 miles), my boss liked it so much for its uniqueness, he bought a used ’76 Pacer in this exact green color in 1977. He loved his too. Both of them had the indestructible 258 6cyl. engine.
right engine, no hood bump BUT…
not a wagon, not interested
mine is a wagon
up to 2650 I guess i will go on ebay.
The door panel fabric looks like this came with the mojave interior fabric. The exterior color is amazing. I hope this finds a good home
the bid is up to $4000 with 3 days to go.