Model: AMC PACER
Year: 1975
Mileage: 39,900
Tax: 0 months
MOT: 0 months
Location: South Lincolnshire / Peterborough
Price: £1400
Contact: 07763 597 887
Additional Information:
It is with regret that I have decided to sell my 1975 AMC Pacer DL barn find. Once hated, these cars are now considered kitsch American classics. This Pacer was last on the road in 1988 (The tax disc is still in the window) so I am positive the 39,000 miles are genuine.
This Pacer was built during the first year of production – 1975. We dragged it from the garage where it had sat for 20 years covered with dust but largely untouched. The brakes were seized and the exhaust was so rusty if fell off, but the car was a survivor.
If you have been looking for a good honest unmodified Pacer project then look no further.
BODYWORK:
GOOD BITS
The car is pretty honest and remarkably solid. Both sills are excellent with no rust damage to speak of. I’ve crawled around the floorpan and it also appears solid. Even the arches are in good order. The tailgates and bonnet edges normally suffer on Pacers, but this car has got excellent condition bonnet and tailgate panel. No rust around windows. The front valance looks extremely solid.
Pacer glass is notoriously hard to track down, but luckily this car has immaculate glass throughout. Bar one piece of side trim on the passenger door, nothing on this car appears missing.
BAD BITS
The bottom of both doors have rust bubbling and various scabs, plus the rear valance is crusty on the corners and over the exhaust. The bottom of the passenger side front wing has rotted through. The driver’s side wing bottom is scabby. The rest of both wings seems good, so they are easily repairable. Rust around the fuel filler.
There is a bit of filler in the passenger door (where trim missing) but it’s nothing structural. The Pacer has had various panels repainted over time so it would need a respray if you wanted an immaculate example. Alternatively just T-cut, polish and leave as-is.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/BRAKES:
The Pacer hasn’t been on the road since 1988 but with a fresh battery and new fuel it started, ran and drove.
We have serviced the straight-six 4.2 with new oil, filters and plugs. It starts on the button but the idle seems to flutter up and down. At a guess a vacuum leak (perished rubber hose). It does not smoke and will not need rebuilding. Just needs a bit of adjustment / tune-up from sitting so long.
Likewise, the column shift transmission shifts smoothly and the oil is a good colour. It is ready to use.
Brakes: Having owned a number of yank tanks I didn’t think getting brake parts would be a problem. Well, it took months to track down new brake bits for the Pacer. And they are expensive!
The Pacer comes with over £300 worth (I have receipts) of brand new braking components: master cylinder, rebuilt calipers, new discs and pads, rear wheel cylinders. These are all fitted. The new owner will need to replace the hard brake lines (supplied) and buy new flexihoses to get the brakes working.
I’ve been using a booster pack to start her up, so the car will require a battery.
All electrics seem to work, right down to the inspection light under the bonnet and even the dashboard clock!
INTERIOR:
It doesn’t get more ‘70s than this. The unusual option Mexican weave upholstery has held up to time brilliantly. All it really needs is a good scrub. Dash is perfect. Even the wood vaneer dash inserts are good.
Headliner and sun visors very bright and door cards/plastics all good.
Features include air con and original AMC radio. Even the aerial hasn’t been bent.
There are hardly any signs of wear apart from the carpet in both front footwells, which has disintegrated. I’ve checked the floors underneath and they seem fine. The rest of the thick red shagpile carpet is very good, so personally I would cut these sections out and cover up with a pair of rubber floor mats.
The only thing it needs inside is a little knob for the wing mirror adjuster. That’s it!
I’ve just fitted brand new pressed alloy authentic California number plates too (cost £45). Normal plates are included in the sale.
A RHD Pacer (hideously agricultural conversion – uses a chain!) recently sold on Ebay that was modified and badly painted for more than my reserve price. Modified cars are fine, but nearly always always worth less than original examples.
The car cannot be driven home. It needs trailering and will require at least the braking system recommissioning and set of new tyres to reach MoT level. Please email any questions but don’t ask stupid stuff like mpg.
This is a rare piece of American automotive controversy! I do have NEARLY 100 more photos if req'd, showing detail of the rust areas and also how it was originally found in the garage.
Year: 1975
Mileage: 39,900
Tax: 0 months
MOT: 0 months
Location: South Lincolnshire / Peterborough
Price: £1400
Contact: 07763 597 887
Additional Information:
It is with regret that I have decided to sell my 1975 AMC Pacer DL barn find. Once hated, these cars are now considered kitsch American classics. This Pacer was last on the road in 1988 (The tax disc is still in the window) so I am positive the 39,000 miles are genuine.
This Pacer was built during the first year of production – 1975. We dragged it from the garage where it had sat for 20 years covered with dust but largely untouched. The brakes were seized and the exhaust was so rusty if fell off, but the car was a survivor.
If you have been looking for a good honest unmodified Pacer project then look no further.
BODYWORK:
GOOD BITS
The car is pretty honest and remarkably solid. Both sills are excellent with no rust damage to speak of. I’ve crawled around the floorpan and it also appears solid. Even the arches are in good order. The tailgates and bonnet edges normally suffer on Pacers, but this car has got excellent condition bonnet and tailgate panel. No rust around windows. The front valance looks extremely solid.
Pacer glass is notoriously hard to track down, but luckily this car has immaculate glass throughout. Bar one piece of side trim on the passenger door, nothing on this car appears missing.
BAD BITS
The bottom of both doors have rust bubbling and various scabs, plus the rear valance is crusty on the corners and over the exhaust. The bottom of the passenger side front wing has rotted through. The driver’s side wing bottom is scabby. The rest of both wings seems good, so they are easily repairable. Rust around the fuel filler.
There is a bit of filler in the passenger door (where trim missing) but it’s nothing structural. The Pacer has had various panels repainted over time so it would need a respray if you wanted an immaculate example. Alternatively just T-cut, polish and leave as-is.
ENGINE/TRANSMISSION/BRAKES:
The Pacer hasn’t been on the road since 1988 but with a fresh battery and new fuel it started, ran and drove.
We have serviced the straight-six 4.2 with new oil, filters and plugs. It starts on the button but the idle seems to flutter up and down. At a guess a vacuum leak (perished rubber hose). It does not smoke and will not need rebuilding. Just needs a bit of adjustment / tune-up from sitting so long.
Likewise, the column shift transmission shifts smoothly and the oil is a good colour. It is ready to use.
Brakes: Having owned a number of yank tanks I didn’t think getting brake parts would be a problem. Well, it took months to track down new brake bits for the Pacer. And they are expensive!
The Pacer comes with over £300 worth (I have receipts) of brand new braking components: master cylinder, rebuilt calipers, new discs and pads, rear wheel cylinders. These are all fitted. The new owner will need to replace the hard brake lines (supplied) and buy new flexihoses to get the brakes working.
I’ve been using a booster pack to start her up, so the car will require a battery.
All electrics seem to work, right down to the inspection light under the bonnet and even the dashboard clock!
INTERIOR:
It doesn’t get more ‘70s than this. The unusual option Mexican weave upholstery has held up to time brilliantly. All it really needs is a good scrub. Dash is perfect. Even the wood vaneer dash inserts are good.
Headliner and sun visors very bright and door cards/plastics all good.
Features include air con and original AMC radio. Even the aerial hasn’t been bent.
There are hardly any signs of wear apart from the carpet in both front footwells, which has disintegrated. I’ve checked the floors underneath and they seem fine. The rest of the thick red shagpile carpet is very good, so personally I would cut these sections out and cover up with a pair of rubber floor mats.
The only thing it needs inside is a little knob for the wing mirror adjuster. That’s it!
I’ve just fitted brand new pressed alloy authentic California number plates too (cost £45). Normal plates are included in the sale.
A RHD Pacer (hideously agricultural conversion – uses a chain!) recently sold on Ebay that was modified and badly painted for more than my reserve price. Modified cars are fine, but nearly always always worth less than original examples.
The car cannot be driven home. It needs trailering and will require at least the braking system recommissioning and set of new tyres to reach MoT level. Please email any questions but don’t ask stupid stuff like mpg.
This is a rare piece of American automotive controversy! I do have NEARLY 100 more photos if req'd, showing detail of the rust areas and also how it was originally found in the garage.
