At $6,500, Is This 1977 Amc Pacer Wagon A Big-bootied Bargain?

Sir-Mix-a-Lot likes large butts, and that intends today's Nice Price aliases No Dice Pacer wagon is correct up his backmost alley. Let's find retired if this fishbowl of a car is priced to make america conscionable arsenic happy.

The mantra of "buy debased and waste high" is sound financial advice, albeit not without risk. Whether it's nan lodging market, banal trading, aliases moreover uncovering that cherry of a woody connected a car, there's nan lure of trying to make much retired of nan woody than you put in.

That appeared to beryllium nan extremity of nan wheeler-dealer attempting to waste nan 2017 Jaguar XE 2.5T Premium we entertained connected Thursday. Based connected immoderate sleuthing into nan car's history via nan VIN, we discovered that nan Jag had been purchased from a salvage auction for a specified $2,050 successful February. Unlike astir of nan denizens of that dumping ground, nan XE still carried a cleanable title. Cleaned up but still mechanically flawed, nan car now asked $5,500, which, while a batch much than nan wholesale price, is good beneath what could reasonably beryllium considered marketplace value. Unfortunately for nan seller, a mostly of you were frightened disconnected by nan Jag's claimed mechanical maladies. That saw nan XE autumn successful a constrictive but decisive 58% "No Dice" loss.

Do we still usage nan word "The Big Three" erstwhile referring to America's bequest automakers these days? Considering that Chrysler is owned lock, stock, and double-barreled carburetor by Italy's FIAT, it's arguable that it's nary longer an American company, but a subsidiary of an Italian one.

Our car industry's history is littered pinch brands that erstwhile shone but yet sputtered out, either being absorbed, blob-like, into different brands aliases simply withering connected nan vine. American Motors Corporation fell unfortunate to some scenarios, suffering financial issues successful nan '80s that first led nan institution to partner pinch France's Renault, and then, erstwhile that didn't amended things, seeing it sold to Chrysler, which killed it disconnected for good, keeping nan Jeep marque arsenic a benignant of spoils of warfare trophy.

AMC's nonaccomplishment wasn't for deficiency of trying, and today's 1977 AMC Pacer D/L wagon is impervious that nan institution could connection invention beyond caller grilles and an occasional sanction alteration for nan 1970s Hornet. The Pacer, and nan later Pacer wagon represented a caller idea—a wide-body compact car—and was designed astir a Wankel motor that AMC had contracted to bargain from General Motors. When that scheme went up successful a unreality of grounded apex seals, AMC leaned into nan company's tried-and-true six-cylinder motor statement for Pacer Power. Initially reasonably successful, nan Pacer's deficiency of ponies and thirst for substance compared to its contemporaries meant income ne'er reached nan company's projections.

This wagon has nan later, much powerful 4.2-liter six, which is paired pinch a three-speed automatic driving a unrecorded rear axle. According to nan ad, nan car is successful "excellent condition," though nan seller notes successful some nan explanation and nan pictures immoderate insignificant scratches successful nan paint. There's besides a missing spot of trim astir nan different charming woodgrain appliqué connected nan rider side. 

A mates of pluses to note: this is nan wagon assemblage style, which squares disconnected nan rear extremity for much cargo abstraction and a little George Jetson look than nan coupe. It has nan added use of pivoting vent windows successful nan rear broadside glass. Aside from that, it still features nan quirkiness for which nan Pacer is famous. That includes a passenger-side doorway that is 10 centimeters longer than nan driver's-side doorway for rear-seat egress. It besides has nan oddball wings connected nan apical of each doorway that effort to disguise nan truth that nan solid doesn't spell each nan measurement down successful nan doors.

The remainder of nan interior looks to beryllium successful awesome shape, and features a crotch cooler vent nether nan dash, making it moreover much of a shame that nan aged R12 A/C doesn't function.

Per nan ad, this Pacer has only 53,849 miles nether its portly belt. Despite that, it's an aged car, and things do neglect complete time. It is simply a driver, arsenic nan seller claims to person added nan past 10K to nan odometer's wide count. It's being taken attraction of, too. Currently successful process, per nan ad, is simply a tune-up, including plugs and fluids. Already connected nan replacement database are nan h2o pump, radiator, and each 4 tires, which person little than 500 miles connected them and deterioration nan mill bluish dye connected their achromatic stripes. Still connected nan to-do database is chasing immoderate gremlins successful nan rear-end wiring harness to guarantee nan brake lamps and move signals function. The car will travel pinch AMC mill work manuals to make that activity a spot easier.

Once that's each done, and possibly giving nan car a once-over for immoderate different insignificant issues, each that'll beryllium near is to waddle astir successful it to car meets aliases arsenic a quirky regular driver. Perhaps someday, moreover fixing and upgrading that A/C to complete nan package.

Once reviled arsenic 1 of nan worst cars successful history—something arguably unearned—the Pacer has much precocious enjoyed a renaissance of sorts and is now seen for its intrinsic worth arsenic an icon of some its era and AMC's astonishing tenacity and invention nether utmost financial deprivation. Plus, who doesn't want to thrust astir successful a elephantine fishbowl?

To bask that acquisition pinch this clean-title wagon, each it takes is to laic down $6,500 successful cold, difficult cash. That's a sizable simplification from nan $8,000 nan seller was asking until only recently. But is that debased enough?

What do you say? Is this Pacer Wagon a woody astatine that $6,500 value tag? Or would you request it to beryllium free of niggling issues astatine a value for illustration that?

You decide!

Facebook Marketplace retired of Waynesville, North Carolina, aliases spell here if nan advertisement disappears.

H/T to Chris Bergman for nan hookup!

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