the Pacers
Pacer Farm Pacers
| Pacer Farm Pacer No. 1
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| year | 1978
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| model | DL wagon
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| colour | 8A khaki
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| engine | 258 CID
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| transmission | 3-spd auto column
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Pacer No. 1 photographed at our favourite country road intersection
(it's on MD route 66, 1.7 miles N of Interstate 70)
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| Pacer Farm Pacer No. 2
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| year | 1977
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| model | DL coupe
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| colour | 6P firecracker red
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| engine | 258 CID
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| transmission | 3-spd auto column
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| Pacer Farm former Pacer No. 3
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| year | 1976
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| model | DL coupe
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| colours | H8 autumn red
G7 alpine white
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| engine | 258 CID
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| transmission | 3-spd auto stick
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| former Pacer No. 3, photographed at the Farm c. 1998
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other Pacers we have known (or at least photographed)
the ranks of free-range Pacers are continuing to diminish with the passage of time.
we're always on the lookout for them, but for the casual Pacer-spotter the easiest pickings are to be found at auto shows, particularly those sponsored by AMC-oriented clubs.
for this reason many of the images below were captured during auto shows.
| trailer queen
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| year | 1977
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| model | DL wagon
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| photographed | June 1997
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| location | AMCWC Nationals
Cherry Hill NJ
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not all Pacers are "daily drivers".
this Pacer received a complete restoration to better-than-new condition, and won platinum-level trophies.
show cars like this are considered too valuable to be driven to the shows, so they ride in style on special trailers.
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| at the show
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| year | 1978
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| model | DL coupe
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| photographed | June 1997
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| location | AMCWC Nationals
Cherry Hill NJ
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this car was driven to the show from upstate New York.
Pacer Farm Pacer No. 2 (partly visible on left) was the only other "daily driver" Pacer to attend the meet; we were pleased to be able to place them together.
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| not your average Pacer
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| year | 1977
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| model | wagon
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| photographed | July 1997
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| location | AMO Nationals
Kannapolis NC
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some Pacer owners seem to be worried that their Pacers are too conventional.
note the modifications to this Pacer wagon; bumpers have been replaced with welded pipes and (along with the front grille) painted the same custom red as the rest of the body.
the "Wayne's World" flame decals add to the effect.
it's, uh, different.
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| Pacers on display
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| photographed | July 1997
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| location | AMO Nationals
Kannapolis NC
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Pacers
(L to R)
| - 1977 coupe
- 1975 coupe owned by Bud Turner and Bobbie Mistretta of Altanta GA
- Pacer Farm Pacer No. 2
- 1977 DL Wagon
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| tar heel Pacer
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| year | 1978
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| model | DL coupe
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| photographed | July 1997
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| location | AMO Nationals
Kannapolis NC
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perfectly suited to its environment was this tarheel blue DL coupe.
the personalized license tag is a classy touch.
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| dual wagons
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| year | 1979
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| model | DL wagon
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| photographed | November 1998
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| location | Rockville MD
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the DL wagon on the left was being sold (we stopped by for a visit in Pacer Farm Pacer No. 1)
the plan was for it to go to a buyer in Florida; instead it ended up in Virginia.
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Orbisonia
| Pacer parade in Pennsylvania
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| photographed | June 1999
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| location | Orbisonia PA
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Pacers
(L to R)
| - 1977 DL wagon owned by Lew Brown of Orbisonia PA
- 1977 DL wagon owned by Lew Brown of Orbisonia PA
- Pacer Farm Pacer No. 3
- "Cutie Pie", 1976 DL coupe owned by Curtis Uhrin of Clearfield PA
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Creve Coeur
| black and white and red from all over
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| photographed | July 1999
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| location | AMO Nationals
Creve Coeur MO
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Pacers
(L to R)
| - "Zippy", 1975 coupe owned by Bud Turner and Bobbie Mistretta of Altanta GA
- Pacer Farm Pacer No. 2
- 1979 DL wagon owned by Eric Grosskopf of Phoenix AZ
- 1975 coupe owned by Glen Hoag of Athens AL; the famous Pacer Page Pacer
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| flip side
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photo: Taunton Paine
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| photographed | July 1999
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| location | AMO Nationals
Creve Coeur MO
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| Pacers
| same as above, seen from the other side
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Alaska
| North Pole Pacers
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| photographed | August 1999
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| location | North Pole AK
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Pacers
(L to R)
| - 1976 Pacer DL
- 1975 Pacer X
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| these Pacers are slumbering amid the fireweed and wild raspberries outside an auto repair shop in the town of North Pole, Alaska.
the vehicle on the left appeared to have suffered a minor engine compartment fire but neither has any significant accretion of rust, and in the climate of central Alaska both may remain preserved for quite some time.
the Pacer on the right sports the remains of a vinyl roof.
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| workhorse
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| year | 1977
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| model | wagon
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| photographed | August 1999
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| location | between North Pole AK
and Fairbanks AK
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| although under restoration this Pacer wagon is earning its keep as a daily driver.
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| a weary horse out to pasture
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| year | 1978
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photo: Taunton Paine
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | August 1999
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| location | Cooper Landing AK
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| like its North Pole counterparts this derelict Pacer is also surrounded by wildflowers.
unlike them, it exhibits noticeable rust - evidence that the Kenai peninsula is wetter than central Alaska, and that the roads are salted.
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Seattle and Tacoma WA
| Seattle survivor
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| year | 1977
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| model | wagon
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| photographed | September 1999
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| location | Seattle WA
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| this free-range Pacer was spotted in Seattle.
although the hood has the raised style used for 1978 and later Pacers, the VIN indicates that it is a 1977 model.
perhaps the front end was rebuilt following an accident?
note the bumpers, painted to match the body.
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| Tacoma collectible
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| year | 1976
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| model | DL coupe
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| photographed | September 1999
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| location | Tacoma WA
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| Harold and Nancy LeMay of Tacoma WA have an astonishing vehicle collection containing hundreds and hundreds of automobiles, trucks, military vehicles, firefighting apparatus, agricultural implements and even some industrial and short line railroad equipment.
obviously the gem of the collection is this DL coupe, seen enjoying a battery charge during a recent tour.
note in the background the vehicles stored indoors, many stacked onto racks.
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| Power Pacer
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| year | 1978
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| model | DL coupe (with V-8 engine)
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| photographed | September 1999
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| location | Tacoma WA
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| Scott Veiland acquired this coupe just a few weeks before the LeMay collection tour.
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| Pacer on Pilgrimage
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| year | 1977
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| model | DL wagon
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| photographed | September 1999
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| location | Tacoma WA
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| Fred Connors brought his spiffy wagon up from Oregon for the event.
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| Blue Jeans
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| year | 1977
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| model | DL wagon
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| photographed | September 1999
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| location | Tacoma WA
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| this wagon from Spokane WA sports the Levi's interior fabric option.
note the custom spoiler attached to the roof rack.
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Pacers in the Cinema
| Mirthmobile
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| year | pre-1978
| 
photo: Detroit News |
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | c. 1992
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| location | Aurora, IL
(film location)
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| as seen in the film Wayne's World.
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just about any Pacer aficionado can tell you about the "mirthmobile" Pacer coupe featured prominently in Wayne's World and its sequel.
many will also recall the red Pacer wagon used in "Oh God!" or the Pacer in Stephen King's "Cujo".
Pacers have also appeared in more obscure films.
| would you like fries with that?
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| year | 1975
| 
photo: "Hamburger Harry", International Hamburger Hall of Fame
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | c. 1997
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| location | unknown
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| Pacer coupe modified for the 1997 comedy Good Burger.
note the cheeseburger hood, pickle-slice hubcaps, french-fry wipers and jaunty beverage cup.
the vehicle has been acquired by the International Hamburger Hall of Fame in Daytona Beach FL.
somewhere along the trail from movie set to museum its distinctive hubcaps seem to have fallen by the wayside.
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| the Sore Losers
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| year | pre-1978
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | c. 1997
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| location | Memphis TN
(film location)
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| we're still looking for an action shot from John Michael McCarthy's 1997 independent film Sore Losers, the advertising copy for which promises that the viewer can " ... SEE a lime green AMC Pacer in a weird face off with a UFO powered '55 Chevy ... ".
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| disturbing image
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| year | pre-1978
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | c. 1998
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| location |
Toronto ON
(film location)
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| this hapless Pacer was propped against a Toronto telphone pole for Canadian director Don McKellar's Y2K apocalypse film Last Night.
note the dented roof, smashed tail light and rear window, and the safety glass in the street.
yes, folks, a Pacer was harmed in the making of this film.
too bad Mr. McKellar couldn't pick on someone his own ... width.
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| more abuse -- they're at it again |
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| year |
pre-1978
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[photo unavailable] |
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| model |
unknown
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| photographed |
c. 1999
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| location |
(?) Big Bear Lake CA
(film location)
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|
in the trailers for Universal Studios' Beethoven's 3rd, a yellow Pacer is shown being driven behind a cement mixer which proceeds to drop its load of wet concrete onto the Pacer's hood and windshield for a visual gag (in this case, the term is more than appropriate).
yet another case of a Pacer harmed (in this case, destroyed) in the making of a film. |
| A Goofy Pacer
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| year | pre-1978
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| model | coupe
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| photographed | n/a
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| location | n/a
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this Pacer was the vehicle of choice for the lead character in Disney's animated A Goofy Movie.
no actual Pacers were harmed in the making of this film (don't be alarmed, the scary-looking body damage was actually simulated with special effects).
the Pacer Farm's traveling museum contains a couple of promotional Pacer toys associated with this film.
note the interior shot's dashboard detail.
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haven't had enough?
check out our list of links to Pacer photos at other sites.
Pacers in Public Service
see our special report on Public Service Pacers on this site.
the AMC Pacer club
Pacers are fine vehicles, but we're coming up on 20 years since the last one was built.
the company that made them is gone, parts are getting scarce, and many contemporary mechanics don't understand some of their technology (e.g., all those vacuum lines under the hood).
the remaining vehicles, and their owners, need to band together to survive.
the AMC Pacer Club is a support group for Pacer owners, and a valuable resource for anybody interested in these fine vehicles.
although the club does not have a substantial presence on the web, see the Pacer Club home page for a snail-mail contact point (while you're there see if you can spot Pacer Farm Pacer No. 2 in the photo taken at the 1998 Pacer Club National Meet in Auburn IN).
the Pacer Club issues a quarterly newsletter containing stories, photographs and buy 'n' sell ads for vehicles and parts.
it also puts on a National Meet, generally held over a weekend during the summer months, providing a wonderful opportunity for members and their vehicles to get together.
other AMC clubs
we also recommend either or both of the national AMC clubs:
- AMCWC - AMC World Clubs Inc.
- AMO - American Motors Owners Association
both clubs have regional chapters in many areas; follow the links above for further information.
Pacer Farm resources
research materials from the Pacer Farm collection are shared with the general public during auto shows.
between their chores the farm hands can sometimes handle simple queries.
for best results, questions should be non-technical in nature and expressed in short words free of complex sentence structure.
the vast majority of queries can be handled with greater speed and accuracy by subscribers to the online AMC discussion list (see AMX-files link below).
the traveling Library
the Pacer Farm has AMC technical service manuals for each model year in the active fleet, and a copy of the voluminous AMC 1973-1978 parts book.
other documents in the collection include advertising and promotional material, and a copy on videotape of the landmark film "Wayne's World" -- required viewing for any truly demented Pacer fan.
whenever the Pacer Farm gets its collective act together and takes it on the road in the direction of an auto show, the technical reference material is recalled from our mechanics and a selection of the other literature is brought along in order to make it accessible to anyone at the show.
the traveling Museum
the Pacer Farm also brings to auto shows a selection from the collection of toy and model Pacers.
the complete collection is displayed in a window (not clickable - it's made of wood and glass) in the farm cottage; although this location is not readily accessible to the general public (other than delivery personnel from our domestic fuel supplier) it can be seen from the historic Janus Cottage, physical home of The Janus Museum.
online Pacer and AMC resources
Pacer Pages
Jeni Barovian's Pacer Page was the first, and remains the best on the web.
described by www.CanadianDriver.com in this site review as "acknowledged among Pacer fans as the centre of Pacer mania on the Web".
a few other Pacer-related sites are:
- the other Pacer Farm (no relation to this site). its Pacers are doomed to face a Pacerphagic automobile shredder, but some parts may still be available if you act quickly.
- how Shaun Boyd found his Pacer Paradise
- Glen Hoag's Pacer Parts page.
a growing reference source of part numbers and descriptions.
undecorated, but highly useful.
- Heidi "AMC Lady" Klaus' S.A.S.S. (Sisters of AMC Spirit Society) page for AMC women.
any Pacer page containing a photo of a cat sitting on a Pacer will surely meet with our approval!
- Wolfgang Mederle's www.mederle.de in English and German
- the Mega National Gallery's "Auto Art Construction Mega Millennium Motorcar (Enviormentally Friendly Transport for the 21th Century)" page describes the only Pacer we know of with tail fins.
don't let their erratic spelling and grammar put you off - this is one far-out Pacer.
- Pascal Monney's Pacer page with lots of early design information
- Bill Oyler's Pacer Place tribute to the 1977 Pacer wagon he once owned
- Charles and Pat's Patterson Pacer Pages contain a well-written and lavishly-illustrated tale of love lost and found, and of redemption and restoration.
once a Pacer owner, always a Pacer owner - and enthusiast.
- Z. S. Smith's Great American Pacer page
- Tomas Smulders' Pacer page including European Pacer registry
- Tinycake's Design Icon essay on the Pacer
- Chad Quella's car stuff page, includeing a tribute to Larry Mitchell's Pacer wagons
- Curtis Uhrin's Pacermania page.
For a wide Halloween scare, check out the Pacer graveyard photos.
- Bob "ArcticBoy" Wilson's Pacer Advertising Graphics page may take forever to download, but it's well worth it
it's not quite a Pacer page, but Nicholas McIntosh's carflix.com automotive image database site contains a growing collection of Pacer photos and is well worth a visit.
from its default page select 'find a car' -- the search tools will locate some fine images, including one of a 1976 Pacer DL coupe in State Farm Insurance bicentennial livery.
Pacer images
some Pacer photos are scattered around the 'net on pages that aren't Pacer pages; here are some we've run across:
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer coupe morphs into a Porsche 928 in this multiframe GIF animation
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer coupe a Dutch web site, but the photo appears to have been taken in the U.S. or Canada
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer coupe high performance project car, under restoration and apparently awaiting a motor transplant in AL
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer coupe from the film "Wayne's World", on display in an amusement park on the North Carolina-South Carolina border
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer X coupe Bruce Jenner's dream car, on Dan Holler's Plymouth Fury "383" page
- (undated) Pacer coupe from the page of El Físico Nuclear (image apparently lifted from Jeni Barovian's Pacer Page)
- (undated) Pacer coupe in the Princeton Heights neighbourhood of St. Louis MO.
- (undated) Pacer DL wagon as featured on the cover artwork for the 100-band comp album Wood Panel Pacer Wagon With Mags (1996, Too Many Records).
described as follows: "One LP with 76 bands and one 7" with 24 bands.
Comes with a 32 page booklet.
No song is over 1 minute long.
Only one pressing of 3,200 on black vinyl."
- (undated) Pacer wagon cosmic Pacer spotted in Onemia MN by Bill A. Oyler.
- (undated pre-1978) Pacer stretch limousine the Mirthmobile Limo from the movie Wayne's World II
- 1975 Pacer DL coupe parts donor in the inventory of Texas salvage operator Dr. Mopar.
- 1975 Pacer coupe owned by Lars Ohrlander in Sweden
- 1975 Pacer coupe an "enhanced" image of Jeni Barovian's Pacer Page Pacer
- 1975 Pacer coupe the "before" image, as featured on the Linda Absher's "Hall o' Seventies!!" page
- 1975 Pacer coupe another picture of the "Good Burger" Pacer.
photo: Daytona Beach (FL) News-Journal
- 1975 Pacer X coupe for sale by David in Sweden
- 1975 Pacer DL coupe yet another one from Sweden
- 1975 Pacer X coupe illustrating a Detroit News article commemorating the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the Pacer
- 1975 Pacer DL coupe recently auctioned in Riverton WY
- 1975 Pacer DL coupe for sale in Kenosha WI
- 1975 Pacer DL coupe from the carlover.com site
- (toy) 1975 Pacer coupe by Corgi
- 1976 Pacer coupe
for sale sold! in Windsor ON
- 1976 Pacer coupe for sale in Ocoee FL
- 1976 Pacer coupe for sale in Tennessee, contact Terry & Johnna Crittendon tcritter@apex.net for details
or take the tour (below)
- 1976 Pacer X coupe as seen on the AMC Pacer Club page
- 1976 Pacer coupe another image lifted from the Pacer Club page, this one illustrating an article with bogus Pacer theft statistics.
- and replicated on a German site.
- 1976 Pacer X coupe "Gary Apple and his dream car "
- 1977 Pacer in attendance at a 1998 auto show in Rice Lake WI (in the background)
- 1977 Pacer coupe photographed in the northern desert of Chile with then-owner Eduardo Ahumada.
later on, he sold the vehicle to his brother, who wrecked it
- 1977 Pacer wagon from www.stationwagon.com
- 1977 Pacer wagon recently offered for sale on ebay.com
1977 Pacer X coupe featured in an article in the Detroit Free Press - 1977 Pacer DL coupe from Alamo AMC Club in San Antonio TX
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon another one from Alamo AMC Club
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon from from the Detroit News "Joyrides" page
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon two views, from www.greatautos.org
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon as seen at the 1999 "Disco Obispo" meet in San Luis Obispo CA
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon Tim Hansen's wagon, featured on the yellow car page
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon scroll down to the last photo on the page
- 1977 Pacer DL wagon (partial view) illustrating a Detroit News reprint of a Los Angeles Times article on Retro trends on the Internet and lamenting the presence of Pacer pages on the web.
- (toy) 1977 Pacer DL coupe "Racing Champions" - John Dean photo, collection of Arthur Hu.
- (toy) 1977 Pacer DL wagon Hot Wheels "Packin' Pacer"
- 1978 Pacer Wagon for sale in Vermont for only $250 - for details contact seller Kim Baldwin kbaldwin@together.net
- 1978 Pacer DL wagon
- 1978 Pacer DL wagon also from www.stationwagon.com .
the photo is from AMC sales literature.
- 1978 Pacer DL wagon the "bait and switch" alternate prize from the "Red Humiliation tournament" (q.v. below)
- 1978 Pacer DL wagon another Dr. Mopar parts donor vehicle.
- 1979 Pacer coupe a sheep among the wolves
- 1979 Pacer Limited coupe with V8 engine, for sale in Paris - contact owner Frédéric Brouard.
- 1979 Pacer wagon in owned by Donald K. Smith of Hamilton ON; you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page
- 1979 Pacer wagon another one from carlover.com
- 1979 Pacer DL wagon yet another one from stationwagon.com
- 1997 Pacer Corvette concept car.
if you belive it, let us know so we can contact you with important information about a certain bridge for sale.
(here's the unmodified image).
- 1999 Pacer iCar concept car according to Chris O'Riley
offline but not forgotten
- (undated) a gaudily decorated Pacer formerly appeared on the home page of Boston MA radio station Eagle 93.7 FM - page is said to be under renovation for new operator Star 93.7 FM
- 1977 Pacer X coupe named, appropriately, Malcolm
- 1977 Pacer DL coupe was offered as gag gift in the bogus "Red Humiliation tournament" for players of "quake"
did we miss one?
has one of these links decayed?
if so, please let us know.
Pacers are well represented among the other images at the www.carpictures.com site, an ambitious project dedicated to having "at least one picture of every car that has ever been produced in the history of this planet".
Miscellaneous (non-Pacer) AMC pages
for general AMC information, the best sites are:
Discussion Lists
Pacer enthusiasts can chose from two online discussion lists.
- the AMC Pacer list is a relatively recent arrival to the online scene.
its community is small (~50 members) but growing.
because the list is hosted by onelist.com messages arrive with spam tacked onto the end - one quickly learns to ignore the ads.
- the AMC list has been a valuable resource for some time.
with over 1,00 subscribers its message volume can be quite high.
most of the message traffic is focused on other AMC vehicles, but its members posses an astonishing depth of technical knowledge and are always helpful to anybody with a question about AMCs.
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