AMC Pacer Wagon COMPLETED 3-5-2021

[David Bogard]

The little interim build that I have decided to do in between race cars is one of the most unusual cars ever made. Here is my very early progress on it. I am not sure if it was ahead of its time or was so weird that there could never be a time for this thing! Any guesses as to what it might be?

[Bob P.]

Maybe a Plymouth Valiant. Looks like it may be a slant six, can't quite tell from the picture.

I'm just after the $10,000 dollar prize for the first correct guess.

Bob

[Tom Birky]

Several things about it look very Ford like, but then I wouldn't think it would be in the unusual category. Mid to late 60s vintage I'm guessing.

Tb

[Hondo]

Mercedes 300 SL......... ?

[David Bogard]

More unusual than those guesses. 1977 was the year for this "beauty" although it was produced from 1975 through 1979, and it was an American made car and not from overseas. Those rims are upgrades so they may throw you off. I am working on the interior and that will help.

[Marty W]

AMC Pacer?

[Tom Birky]

Good call Marty. I'll agree on that one with you, it may even be the beautiful Pacer wagon! If so, pretty sure it will be the first one I've ever seen built.

Tb

[David Bogard]

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!! Yes indeed, a 1977 AMC Pacer Wagon! Goofy thing was nearly half as wide as it was long and rode on a 100" wheelbase. An old high school friend's parents had one (trading in their Gremlin) and it was actually kind of a cool/weird car. Laughably under-powered and yes, on those hot summer days in the Midwest the interior became a boiling lobster pot, but still, you could do about anything with it/in it and it was cheap on gas. The interior space of this bulbous little gnome was enormous and defrosting the miles of glass in the Winter was nearly impossible.

An awful looking car that made a statement wherever it went. Unfortunately that statement was something like "We do not care that we are driving a horrific looking car because out of all the other cars around us, you noticed US!" Heck, bring back the Pacer!!

[David Bogard]

The little Pacer is coming along. Just a note, I wanted a slight two-toned effect in the tans on the seats and it came out well. The trick was simply to use white primer under one section and then after that was shot and masked off, darker primer (in this case a rust colored primer) on the balance. So just keep in mind that you can get various shades by changing your primer undercoat colors and of course, shooting light color coats as always.



I didn't want to spend the money to purchase paint that might mach a factory color so I just used something I had. I chose Tamiya Mica Red over Tamiya Silver Leaf. Once this dries well I will shoot a light clear coat over it to create some separation between my color and my silver detail work. That allows me to better correct any boo-boo's without harming my color coat.

Also, the little black appearing dot on the door is simply my locator hole for my mirrors. They are poorly molded and they  have to go on after the fact so when I am faced with that I usually drill a tiny hole in my mirror mount and super glue in a small wire. I then drill a similar locator hole in the door (or wherever a mirror is going). After I have snipped the small wire I end up with a very nice and stable way to "pin" the mirrors to the doors without a glue bomb mess or running the risk of it slipping or some such thing.

[Brian Conn]

...I think with this build you will demonstrate what these laughable AMC's could have looked like with w/ non stock chrome wheels and a bright, non stock color.....something more desirable than their regular, mundane offerings.....definitely worthy of a second look.     

[David Bogard]

Part of me wants to leave it clean Brian. I jazzed up the interior just a tad to make it little sportier looking. I shaved off all of the molded side trim, cut the faint door panel lines deeper, and it already looks much better. I didn't want to completely re-do the thing (although tempting!) but rather just wanted to try to turn out a halfway decent looking image of those woeful Pacers. I intentionally left off the roof rack too but I must admit, there is a little side of me that wants to chrome that thing and put it on!

[Hondo]

I guess "cute" would be the optimal descriptive word for Pacers.
But, with the changes, I think it will have a more interesting look to it, David.

[john2]

Aw, c'mon.  Y'all are going to hurt those Pacers' feelings.

[David Bogard]

I just cleaned it up a little but I stayed with the basic kit. I will someday saw this thing up and make something bizarre out of it. Having said that, it's really not a bad kit, goes together pretty well, and I had fun for the few days it took to knock together.

[Brian Conn]

........... I will someday saw this thing up and make something bizarre out of it.

   maybe,perhaps an I.M.C.A type modified??

  What you were able to pull off with this car really makes it look a whole lot better than the 1:1 version