Re: [Amc-list] Pacer Front End

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

I just got the 401 mixed up between Buick and olds... ;> 

You are correct about the rotary engine. AMC had a license to build them in North America (Curtiss Wright had all NA rights from the German firm). I think GM had one too, but may have been using AMCs license. The story goes that AMC made the deal to get the engines from GM as AMC wouldn't be able to build enough to make re-tooling cost effective, and GM had the same problem, so selling to AMC got GMs numbers up -- win-win situation. 

GMs problem was emissions. They couldn't get the engine clean enough. Mazda fooled it -- they came up with a "after burner" (they have a name for it, which eludes me now). An air pump injected some more air in and hydrocarbons burn in the exhaust system before it got to the cat and muffler. 

The only way to really capitalize on a rotary was to design a car around it. It doesn't get any better gas mileage or produce more power than a piston engine, but it does have fewer moving parts and is smaller and lighter for the same power output. Sure, it could be plopped in an existing design, but it would look small in the engine bay and the only benefit would be losing about 300 pounds. The GM X-car (Citation and Pontiac Phoenix) were supposed to get the rotary, but were redesigned for the V-6 and four. Of course GM waited until 79 or 80 to introduce them, AMC had too much invested in the Pacer to scrap the design or wait, so had to reengineer it to take the in-line six. It was always going to be wide and rear wheel drive, many think it was going to be front wheel drive and was widened for the driveshaft tunnel. I did until reading a design magazine with an article on the car that had an interview with Teague and many preliminary design drawings.

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Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:40:56 -0500
From: "KENT ANDERSON" <65marlin327@xxxxxxxxxxx>

Great answer, Frank!  LOL  I know we all hear the stories about our AMC's being made of everyone elses throwaway parts.  My question was based on a couple of things... One; I know very little about the Pacer, in general... Two, AFAIK, the engine was supposed to be a GM version of a rotory, so it didn't seem all that far fetched that they would be furnishing some kind of front end gear.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)


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