Why can't we find "cool" cars with miles like this :(

[sjordan2]

I think the scene in Woody Allen's "Sleeper" where the Beetle starts right up after 200 years is more believable.

[Junkman]

I think the scene in Woody Allen's "Sleeper" where the Beetle starts right up after 200 years is more believable.

Strangely, I actually would believe the story if the car in question was a beetle.

[Jon Cole]

Having heard the reputation of car dealers, especially back then, it's possible the old lady died from sleaze exposure from the salesman.

Just a thought.

[Longbox55]

The clearcoat didn't survive the first winter,

There's a reason the clearcoat didn't last, there never was one to begin with! They didn't start clearcoating cars until the mid-'80s.

[Jim Gibbons]

I don't know. If I had to make a call, I'd say it is legitimate. For one thing, if you buy a car in NY, and have new plates generated for it, the dealer both inspects and registers it, so the stickers were applied before delivery. I had a '71 Gremlin over 30 years ago (it actually was a pretty decent car,) that had in the mid 70k miles on it. A few things on the Pacer dash stand out for me; no grime in the black plastic trim flutes below the speedometer, the plated plastic trim areas (switch gear, too,) are as new, and the foam "insulation" around the windshield wiper switch slot is intact. My Gremlin had the "grime" from dust on dash trim, the plating was but a memory in most places, and AMC foam stuff didn't last long, especially near heater ducting. The fit of the interior plastic panels is as factory installed. The chassis photos, exhaust, shock mounts, etc. look untouched. If this were a restoration, it would have to be an incredibly expensive one to make it look as it does; hardly worth the value of a Pacer in the collectible market. I still would want to see the car in person, but I think he's likely looking for too much money, as his reserve wasn't met at $10.5k.

[Junkman]

There's a reason the clearcoat didn't last, there never was one to begin with! They didn't start clearcoating cars until the mid-'80s.

Not even on metallics? Anyway, the paintwork cracked.

[Dragline]

Then there's the legit article in Muscle Car Review about the 1970 SS Chevelle with 37 miles on it. All verified by the 3 or 4 previous owners. If there was a car to fake with such milage I would suggest a 1970 SS Chevelle with a big block is that car.

While a Pacer is without a doubt a cool little car, and it's American, there are other cars out there with far more appeal.

At least to me.

Bob

[Harry P.]

Look at this:

http://hooniverse.com/2011/06/13/hooniverse-modern-art-monday-an-amc-pacer-with-only-12-2-miles-on-the-odometer/

Check the last photo. After 34 years sitting untouched, there's still fluid in the washer bottle? That would have evaporated years ago.

Compare the photo of this engine compartment with the photos of the underside that were shown on the eBay listing. The undercoating in those photos was flawless, shiny and clean... as if it had been applied hours ago, not 34 years ago. The engine compartment, on the other hand, definitely doesn't match the pristine condition of the undercarriage shots.

I'm telling you... something here does not add up.

[charlie8575]

I don't know. If I had to make a call, I'd say it is legitimate. For one thing, if you buy a car in NY, and have new plates generated for it, the dealer both inspects and registers it, so the stickers were applied before delivery. I had a '71 Gremlin over 30 years ago (it actually was a pretty decent car,) that had in the mid 70k miles on it. A few things on the Pacer dash stand out for me; no grime in the black plastic trim flutes below the speedometer, the plated plastic trim areas (switch gear, too,) are as new, and the foam "insulation" around the windshield wiper switch slot is intact. My Gremlin had the "grime" from dust on dash trim, the plating was but a memory in most places, and AMC foam stuff didn't last long, especially near heater ducting. The fit of the interior plastic panels is as factory installed. The chassis photos, exhaust, shock mounts, etc. look untouched. If this were a restoration, it would have to be an incredibly expensive one to make it look as it does; hardly worth the value of a Pacer in the collectible market. I still would want to see the car in person, but I think he's likely looking for too much money, as his reserve wasn't met at $10.5k.

I agree with Jim on all counts.

True story.

About six or seven years ago, our area Pontiac Dealer (Swanson, Concord, Ma.,) had acquired a few desirable Pontiacs of vintage for sale. A couple of Trans-Ams and a 1958 Chieftian 4-door sedan. The T/As were pretty low mileage, but that Cheiftian only had 150 miles on it!

Intrigued, I went over and talked to Mr. Swanson. The car had already been sold, but he told me the story behind it.

His dad sold the car new in 1958 to an older man. Shortly after he bought it, he died unexpectedly. His wife, who didn't drive, never sold the car. She had died about a year before and after the estate was settled, their son went back to Swanson's and asked them to sell it for them. I remember it was selling for around $15,000, and from what Mr. Swanson had said, aside from one little rust blister, that car could've been sold yesterday.

Is it possible this lady went drove home, died and it sat in the garage for over thirty years? If she died in-testate, the courts, especially in populous states like New York, are very badly back-logged, so it's within possibility, likelihood is maybe a different story, but even in Massachusetts, whose total population isn't even half of New York City's, it can take three-five years for a particularly complex in-testate estate to work its way through probate.

So it's quite possible. And as Jim pointed out, correctly, I believe, this car is way too nice to have been restored. Even a top-quality restoration wouldn't have the details this car does, like the shock bolts being bolted in from the bottom, and the special riveting on the ball-joints. Those are quite factory.

Charlie Larkin

[Junkman]

Charlie, you should see the Continental I posted. It looks every bit as new as the Pacer, but it has almost 6000 miles on it, undercarriage, shock bolts, everything. I have seen many cars in my life which looked factory fresh despite having a few thousand miles on them.

What I do not believe is that a car with only 12 miles on it, that sat for three-and-a-half decades, can just be started and driven without doing anything whatsoever to recommission it. Apart from that it is utterly dangerous to do so. There could even be legionella in the washer bottle.

Edited July 24, 2011 by Junkman

[jeffs396]

Maybe Chrysler bought this thing to put in their historical museum???

[VW Dave]

The story states the car was delivered in 1977, yet there is a NY inspection sticker on it from 1978. It had to have been driven to the inspection station. Or was it levitated there???

Harry - As another poster speculated, the punch-outs on the regi and inspection stickers are the expiration dates. To this day NYS safety inspections are required annually, and passenger car registration renewals used to be annual as well(vintage regi & vanity tagged cars still are). I'm about 99.9% sure that all new car dealers in NY have licenses to perform inspections, so those stickers were more than likely applied prior to customer delivery.

Based on the Sept/Oct '78 dates on the regi & inspection stickers, and what appears to be part number labels and cosmoline on the suspension parts, I'd lean towards that car being the real deal.