Pacer Six Trivia Questions of the Week: 1. What was the final year of Pacer production? Was it, A. 1978; B. 1980; C. 1984 or D. 1988? 2. What was the name of the apartment complex in which the Jetsons lived, and in what city was it located? 3. The third biggest pop hit for the year 1976 was ‘If You Leave Me Now’. Who performed this popular hit song? 4. Born August 27, 1976, this actress played on the hit television sitcom Roseanne and later Scrubs. What is her name? 5. The average price for a gallon of gas in 1976 was, A. $0.59; B. $0.89; C. $1.39 or D. $1.79? 6. Which U.S. president was serving in 1976?
Answers to Pacer Six Trivia Questions may be found on The FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
One of those love it or hate it automobile designs, the Pacer is, I’d bet money, posted on somebody’s list of ‘worst automobiles of all time’. While its unusual shape was controversial, it made perfectly good sense to AMC’s chief designer Richard Teague who anticipated a growing demand for small, fuel-efficient cars and began Pacer planning way back in 1971.
Like Rodney Dangerfield, this little car just never seemed to be able to command the respect that it truly deserved. To its credit, the Pacer was one of the first American automobiles with rack-and-pinion steering– a design which soon became common on all cars. An often overlooked design subtly was its bubble-shaped roof that was devoid of traditional rain gutters found on most cars of the era. This controversial move, on the part of Teague, was criticized by consumers for it often caused water to cascade down onto the seats and interior when the car door was opened during a downpour. But, guess what? Do you see rain gutters on any of today’s automobiles? No. And, speaking of those doors, one interesting feature Teague concocted was making the passenger side door a full four inches longer than the one on the driver’s side. This made for easier curb side, back seat loading of curtain-climbers as well as Schnuck’s grocery bags (which were nearly all paper at the time). This feature was used by designers of the Ford Windstar years down the road.
Pacer’s prismatic palette for 1976 consisted of ten ‘Luster-Guard’ acrylic, baked enamel shades borrowed from the other AMC models, including Sand Tan; Firecracker Red; Burnished Bronze Metallic; Brilliant Blue; Medium Blue Metallic; Seaspray Green; Silver Frost Metallic; Autumn Red Metallic; Evergreen Metallic and Sunshine Yellow. Five additional pigments, unique to the Pacer line, were Golden Jade Metallic; Aztec Copper Metallic; Marine Aqua Metallic; Brandywine Metallic and Alpine White. Accent paint stripes were offered in Red; Gold; Black; Blue; Brown and White. Vinyl roof coverings were available in Tan; Beige; Brown; Berry; Blue; White and Copper.
A lengthy, one might call it a laundry list, of convenience, performance and appearance options was available... more than you might expect for a relatively inexpensive compact car. See a complete listing on my web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
The uninformed may look down on the Pacer as one of those putt-putt, four cylinder weaklings like so many of the sub compact genera of the early seventies... i.e. Pinto, Vega and Valiant. But the Pacer never saw a four cylinder engine. As a matter of fact, the intended power plant was a GM version of the renowned Wankel, rotary engine which found its way into many a Mazda back ‘in the day’. Due to production set backs, and GMs decision to shelve the rotary engine plan, an eleventh hour decision was made to drop the standard six cylinder AMC power plant into the otherwise all new Pacer. Introductory Pacers of 1975 vintage were powered by a 232 cubic inch engine which produced 90 horsepower. Beginning in 1976, a larger, 258 cubic inch in line six was offered with either a single or two-barrel carburetor, producing 95 and 120 horses respectively. Big news came in 1978 when an optional 304 cubic inch V-8 was offered. Unfortunately, this peppy little performer would only be available for model years 1977 and 1978.
I remember traveling with my first wife, from our home in North St. Louis county, down to DiSalvo AMC (located at 7701 Manchester Road) back in 1975, to look at the new Pacer. And I still recall, as if it were yesterday, sitting in the driver’s seat of a showroom-displayed Pacer, finished in ‘Sand Tan’– a very pleasing shade of... well, sand. The D/L’s interior was done in the optional ‘Basketry Print’ motif which included fairly convincing faux leather seat bolsters with a fabric insert styled a southwestern American Indian pattern. I felt like George Jetson as I imagined myself cruising down Interstate 270 in this little bubble of a car that seemed immense for its size.
"Revenge is sweet", as some like to say... for as soon as the divorce was final, the first thing my ‘X’ did was to go out and buy herself a Pacer! DRAT– that really ticked me off!!
For some FIN MAN pics of the American Motors Owners 2009 International Convention and show, visit The FIN MAN’s web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
PRESENT DAY VALUES: Pacer just might be the ‘value leader’ in the collectible car hobby as the Old Cars Price Guide estimates you can pick up a number one, show quality example of 1976 vintage, for just under seven thousand dollars. Later models, which had a modified grill treatment which I found very unflattering, can be had for five thousand or less... so says the OCPG.
For the full range of six price categories based on condition and other Buick models for 1956, pick up a copy of the Old Cars Price Guide at your local news stand, book store or classic car dealer.
Pacers may be cheap, but they aren’t all that common as I found while cruising the July issue of Auto Trader’s Classic Cars & Parts magazine. Although I was able to find such rarities as a 1960 Electra King and a 1914 Partin Palmer, not one Pacer was listed. I had a bit more luck on the web with a handful offered in various conditions and respective prices. If you haven’t decided to take the plunge and buy yourself a computer, you’re long overdue... especially since I recently learned that Auto Trader has gone paperless and is no longer printing any of their books. Starting right now, if you want to search cars for sale through Auto Trader, you’ll have to do it on the inter net. (Better get that computer hooked up Ron!) (The youngsters told us this was going to happen didn’t they?)
PAST and COMING Don’t Miss Auto Events: I was fortunate to be in attendance for the 2009 AMO (American Motors Owners Association) International Meet at the Gateway Center in Collinsville, Illinois last week. The event drew a couple hundred AMCs from around the nation. It was a very well planned and exciting event with special attractions including AMC drag racer Shirley Shahan... the first woman to win an NHRA drag racing event. There was also a sizeable swap meet with AMC parts galore for collectors and/or restorers. The event was hosted by Gateway AMC, the local chapter of the AMO. The weather was great and AMCs of all sorts were shown in the parking lot and inside the Gateway Convention Center as well. Photos of the event will be posted on my web site at http://www.thefinman.com later this week. While there I had the pleasure of meeting some very friendly AMC owners and fanciers including Gateway AMC officers Gary Timmerman, John Schifko and Al Schlobohm who were all very helpful and cordial. These events don’t come to St. Louis often and it was a real treat to be a part of this show.
Don’t forget to attend the big, BIG Truck Show at the Kemp Auto Museum on Sunday, August 9th. You’ll see many great large trucks including my friend Delmar Bequtte’s fabulous Mack B-series eighteen wheeler with Trailmobile trailer. I’ll be there. Ask for me at the reception table.
SCALE MODEL AVAILABILITY: A search of ‘scale18.com’ found no 1/18 scale die cast Pacers, however, I did find a 1/24 scale, AMT promo on one web site. It was available in six colors, one of which was the silver like the one my X drove. A quick search on Ebay found 19 Pacer models listed in scales from 1/16th, a remote control toy, down to 1/87th... HO scale.
‘FIN MAN Detailing Tip of the Week’: Cleaning those vintage wide whitewall tires can prove frustrating, but it’s much easier when you use Westley’s Bleech-White. This spray on product melts away dirt and grime in seconds. After spraying, use a stiff brush to agitate the solution, then wash it away with a flood of clear water. If your whitewalls are really yellow, or have stubborn scuffs and scrapes, the old reliable S.O.S. pad will do the trick.
‘The FIN MAN’ is available for your group’s special occasions. In addition to his seminar schedule, he has been a guest speaker at group meetings including car clubs, engineering clubs and other professional associations. He has also acted as host or emcee at a number of special events including trivia parties, holiday parties, social and professional club events, benefits and fund raisers. During his appearances, he presents an overview of the collector car hobby plus a detailed look at American cars from the fifties and sixties. His program includes a fascinating Power Point presentation with images of collectible automobiles and various associated nostalgia and Americana. Guests also have the opportunity to play "FINS for FUN," the video game he produced in 1987 which inspired his nickname, in which players compete to identify the year, make and model of cars from tightly cropped photos of fins and taillights. Those who score the highest win auto-related prizes donated by supporting Fin Man sponsors. For more information, go to http://www.thefinman.com. We are currently accepting bookings for the remainder of calendar year 2009 and 2010.
The FIN MAN is a member of the Society of Automotive Historians and the St. Louis Chapter of the Buick Club of America. He is currently a member of the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club, and the Gateway Buick Club. Past club memberships include the Cadillac-LaSalle Club, the DeSoto Club, the Imperial Owners Club, the Vintage Thunderbird Club of America and the Edsel Club of America. He welcomes your questions, comments and suggestions regarding the column or old cars in general. You can e-mail The FIN MAN at mailto://the_fin_man.com. Visit his web site at http://www.thefinman.com.
See you at Culvers.

Bruce Kunz - a.k.a. "The FIN MAN"
thefinman.com
Others may talk about the golden age of American automobiles...
The FIN MAN lived it!