AMC Pacer-Oh the Irony

[Scott P]

Oh, the irony.


When I was growing up we had an AMC Pacer, bought used in the late 1970's. We used to fit our entire family of 7 in that thing (a small car designed for four) by folding down the back seat and all us kids would sit in the flat hatchback part. For quite a while it was our only vehicle. Some memories were when we bottomed it out on a cattle guard because it could cross the cattle guard with all 7 of us and a few weeks worth of living supplies. We broke down on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere (Topaz Mountain) and my uncle had to hoof it out until help could be found. Many trips roasting in the glass bubble because the car had no working air conditioning.


We actually had that thing well into the 1990's. and it was what I took my Driver's test in to get my license (1991).


Even in bad neighborhoods with the keys inside, no one stole it (actually you didn't even need a key to start it, you could just turn the key fob). In fact once I even left it in a bad neighborhood and put a sign in the window saying "please steal me" and someone else left a note saying "no thanks".


Now I found out that the car voted the "ugliest car ever made" back in the day is now a collectors item. You can actually get some pretty good money out of them. Who knew?

[Iceaxe]

They were a real POS....

[Iceaxe]

I come from a family of car nuts and gear heads.... this is the car I took my drivers test in....



My dad loved the car because he thought he was Burt Reynolds....

My mom hated the car because it had a screaming chicken on the hood....

[Scott P]

I come from a family of car nuts and gear heads....

I come from a family where we thought a rich person was someone who had a VCR and where one of the mottos was "it's easier to hitch hike when you have a little kid with you".

When my wife and I got married in 1993 (just after I turned 19), I made $4.85 and hour and my wife made $5.00 and hour. My siblings thought that Kim and I were rich and Kim's side of the family thought that we were poor. We did get a VCR. We also got a Daihastu Charade (1.0L 3 cyl. with 52 horses) as our first car bought together as a married couple (before married I did have a Spectrum). It was the first car ever in my family to have an FM radio. It even had a tape player. It was great. I wish I had photos of the car, but it was just like this one:

[BruteForce]

My first brand new car, just before heading off for the Army:



At full gallop and going downhill, I was lucky to break 60mph!

Mine was tan, had oversized (wide) tires in the back that rubbed on every bump and pin stripes down both windows (flames or something). I debadged it, went to the scrap yard and took the badges from SS Camaro, Corvette, etc and affixed them to my little Chevette. It was totally badass (or so I thought).. Went to trade it in a few years later and a little oriental kid at the dealership bought it direct from me. I turned around and bought a 1987 Z28 Camaro (V8, Black and totally awesome!)

[Sombeech]

I was a Pinto man myself

[Iceaxe]

I turned around and bought a 1987 Z28 Camaro

I'm a HUGE Z28 fan... my first and second cars were both Z28's. Here is a picture of them together. The brown one is a 1974 Z28, I bought it used in 1977. The gray one is a 1980 Z28 that I ordered in equiped the way I wanted it. The six weeks it took for the car to arrive after I ordered it were the longest six weeks of my life.



The third car I owned was a 1984 Mazda RX-7 I bought new.



Both the 80 Z28 and the RX-7 eventually ended up as race cars...







FWIW: If you watch the movie "World's Fastest Indian" several of the hot rods used in the movie belong to members of my family.

[BruteForce]

You're older than I thought you were! I wasn't legal to drive until the late 80's..

That Z28 ended up a race car and I could only drive it a few weeks out of the year without leaving rubber everywhere. After having taught all my nieces and nephews to drive a stick, I finally replaced the trans/clutch with racing units.. couple that with the engine mods and it wasn't a practical daily driver anymore. Still miss that car and regret selling it, especially considering that I sold for a loss..

[Iceaxe]

You're older than I thought you were!

You are only as old as the last woman you slept with ;-)


Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[Byron]

My first was a motorcycle...after that, it was this 1972 Datsun pickup. That thing wouldn't go more than a hundred miles before something broke. Certainly the worst POS I've ever owned, but I learned just about everything you could about engines, electrical, etc... It never left me "completely" stranded. That thing was a bedroom, drug den, whorehouse...you name it. I had it for 3 years and when I finally couldn't stand fixing it anymore, I actually GAVE IT to a young hippie couple. It leaked oil all over that place, but it ran... and I warned him, but they had grins from ear to ear...getting it free like that. Oh, the memories.

[accadacca]

My first car.... 1977 Toyota Corolla Coupe



Then I had 3 different Chevy trucks 85-86.



My senior year I got a 1986 Chrysler Laser Turbo



Later I got its counterpart...one of the only cars I really regret selling. 1991 Dodge Daytona Shelby

[Iceaxe]

Since I currently have all the Bogley gear heads attention.... I'm looking for a 1968 to 1972 Corvette so I have a project to work on over the winter if anyone knows where to find one. 1972 is the last year the Vette had bumpers. I hope to roll the car into the shop before the first snow flies and roll it out in the spring in showroom condition, but I'm having trouble finding the right car at the right price. I know Bogley is a longshot but I never know where my next project car will come from.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[Absolute Gravity]

Thread on POS cars and Bitchin' Camaros huh?, but I repeat myself . I've owned so many $300 hunks of shit I can't remember them all. I received my DL in 1994 so all of these were in really rough shape when I bought and further destroyed them.

I don't think I have any pics of my actual cars, but these are pretty close, and only a small sampling

1979 Toyota Corolla just like Scott's '77 above

1972 Maverick Grabber


1984 Chevy Citation


1980 Datsun 210


1974 Mercury Capri

[savanna3313]

My guilty pleasure is watching the Mecum auto auction! I would love to own the following: 1958 - 1962 era Corvette, 1955 Mercedes Gullwing, 1969 Shelby Mustang. My first car was a used 1969 Mustang Fastback. I saw one listed in the Hemmings motor book just recently for $45K. Who knew??!!

[savanna3313]

I love the Camaros as well. My first brand new car was a 1980 (yes - I am dating myself as well) Camaro that was a definite "chick's" car. All white, white leather interior, spoiler and great rims....oh - and T-tops! I just love cars....and I indulged myself for a few years going through my wants.....everything from a "baby" Porsche (944) to a Corvette that turned out to be a lemon. Fun times.....

[DesertDuke]

......Now I found out that the car voted the "ugliest car ever made" back in the day is now a collectors item. You can actually get some pretty good money out of them. Who knew?

I used to have long discussions with my friends about which car should take this title. The Pacer was always in the running and I still remember the ad on TV where they drove another car into the shell of a Pacer to show how wide it is. However, the AMC Matador takes the trophy in my book and is eventually what we settled on after long discussions. A bit bigger than the Pacer so just a bit more ugliness. The dash design is part of the ugly and I can't find a pic of that.

[Iceaxe]

The Matador doesn't even score in my top 10 for ugly....

Here is the dash.



At one time I was a big fan of Penske's NASCAR program when they raced Matador's.

[Iceaxe]

Maybe the ugliest car on the road today.... I'd walk before I'd be seen driving one of these crap boxes...