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1978 Pacer Recon


David G.

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While I'm collecting parts for my 77 AMC Hornet AMX, I decided that I wanted to have some fun with another AMC based project.

I could make it into the car from the movie "Wayne's World"...

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Nah, let's give a .50 caliber machine gun and make it into a post apocalyptic supply recon vehicle.

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We'll need some chunky all-terrain tires and a beefy looking suspension.

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I found a suitable rear axle in the parts box. It's going to take a bit of effort to fit it in.

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I'm starting to like this.78_PacerRecon_04.thumb.jpg.f2d49618033f6dd14050e40c0e1c6ced.jpg

 

As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

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Thanks Gary and Kerry- wait, you guys need to stop rhyming . :)

OK, I got the junk-box axle epoxied to the chassis. I just slapped it over the one that is cast into the chassis plate. At this point I'm more interested in "shelf appeal" than detail.

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It took a bit of fiddling but I managed to get the rear axle lined up nicely. I also raised the front about two inches to offset the rake that developed and give the car a bit more of an off road stance. 

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I'm not sure what I'll do about the engine. I'm still considering a curbside build. Or I may just build the 258 six-banger and slap it in there. 

That stance does make it look ready to pounce, though.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

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Hello again, time for another update.

I got some painting done, sprayed the chassis in black, the interior in tan and selected a dark metallic green for the body. I also cut the AC vents, radio and gauges from the dash board.

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I'm using the mounting point that goes with the .50 cal that I've borrowed from the MPC WWII Army Jeep. This Pacer kit also has roll cage for the rally version- nice coincidence.

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I like the way this one is coming together.

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Nice profile.

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As always, thanks for looking and please feel free to comment.

David G.

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Hello everybody! I had the time and energy to get a bit more done on the Pacer.

I got the engine completed this weekend.

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I decided to use the stock 258 6 cylinder as is. K-Mart oil filter included!

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At home in the chassis.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feeel free to commen,

David G.

78_PacerRecon_13.jpg

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9 minutes ago, freddy_fo said:

:D I was going to say jerky dispenser... seems more in line with the manly post apocalyptic theme.

What do you mean that it would be more manlier are Wayne and Garth not manly enough? Just look at them, don’t they look scary and mean?

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16 hours ago, 426 pack said:

What do you mean that it would be more manlier are Wayne and Garth not manly enough? Just look at them, don’t they look scary and mean?

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I stand corrected:D

 

David, great job thinking outside the box. I look forward to seeing the final product. Proper way to build a pacer!

Edited by freddy_fo
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Thank you all for the comments. I really do find inspiration in your feedback.

I managed to fabricate a simple hinge for the pop-top.

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I removed the rear seat cushion and replaced it with a piece of diamond plate steel. I made the steel plate by using a piece of aluminium foil to take an impression from a parts box trailer deck. I then glued the foil to a thin piece of styrene and painted it to look a little rusty.

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I got the front valance glued into place. I've decided to omit the stock bumper and use a push bar from the parts box.

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As always, thanks for looking and please feel free to comment.

David G.

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I got some paint sprayed last weekend. Yeah, I know that it's the same color as the box art. What can I say, those artists pick good colors.

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The Duplicolor paint was a little too hot and crazed a little bit. I should be able to smooth it down and spray another coat then polish it... hopefully.

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Thanks again!

David G.

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Hello everybody!

When I started building this kit I had planned to build it as a beat-up post-apocalyptic vehicle pieced together using salvage and remnants, a la "Road Warrior". When I saw how the paint looked on the body, I liked it so much that I decided to change my plans. I switched from the "Road Warrior" universe to the "Car Wars" universe.

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Car Wars is a board game from the 80's  set in the 2030's in which manslaughter has been decriminalized and auto manufacturers offer accessories like machine guns and smoke screens.

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So that moves us from a grungy lo-tech motif to a slicker high-tech look. I've started updating the dashboard with techie-looking gizmos.

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For those who may be interested, here is a little Car Wars background from Wikipedia and a video from the Steve Jackson Games

 

As always, thanks for looking and please feel free to comment.

David G.

Edited by David G.
typo
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Thanks Ron.

Here's a little more for those who may be interested.

I decided on color-keyed custom racing seats for the interior.

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The dash detail is mostly finished. I'm currently searching for a twin grip aircraft-style steering wheel.

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I also got some "carpet" laid down.

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As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment.

David G.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I did some work on a few cargo area accessories. They still need some highlighting to punch up the details a little, but it's a good start.

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I know it's not much of an update, but thanks for taking the time to look. And as always, please feel free to comment.

David G.

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