The list goes on, but here are a few...
The radiator overheated as I drove the Valiant home on the day that I bought it!!!
The floor wells rusted out to the point where you could clearly see the road!!!
The car's bodywork was mostly rusted out.
The front end was replaced.
The starter motor was replaced.
Kept blowing head gaskets.
Miserable fuel economy (17mpg) on any given day.
Was missing the dicky little VDO strip tachometer that was mounted on the dashboard.
Was missing its original set of mag wheels.
This was my first ever car.
The car was very quick in a straight line and could blow away just about any V8-engined Australian car from the traffic lights.
It took awhile to get used to the floor-mounted three speed gearbox, but once one got the hang of it, the gearbox was a delight to use.
The cabin was very roomy and the "tombstone" front bucket seats extremely comfortable, but the seats could conceal a thundering Kenworth approaching on the car's offside!!!
When the car was written off in a serious accident in 1991, the other car involved was un-driveable, but the tow truck driver was able to start the Valiant and drive it onto the tow truck!!!
This is one car I will never forget as the VF Pacer is now very rarely seen on Australian roads anymore, if at all.
The Valiant R/T E49 Charger is truly one of Australia's greatest production car achievements. They managed to extract over 300 horsepower out of a six cylinder in 1972. The car could accelerate from 0 to 100 in basically six seconds flat; hence easily beating the XY GT-HO Phase 3 on the quarter mile. Also the Charger was the first car in OZ to use Weber carburetters. I think that Aussie so called muscle car enthusiasts should lose the myth that you need a V8 to get REAL performance. The Charger proved everybody wrong 30 years ago... Johnno the Mopar Man
VF Pacers did not originally have mag/alloy wheels as standard so this car could not have been missing them.
With reference to the previous commenter's comments on mag wheels not being standard on the VF Pacer, the commenter is both right AND wrong. Proper mag wheels like the later Chrysler 5-slotters weren't available on the VF Pacer, but, using Chrysler-speak, " 'fake' mag wheel covers" WERE standard on both the VF (and VG) Pacers. Look through both Chrysler sales brochures for the VF Pacer plus the May and July 1969 issues of 'Modern Motor' and you will see that this is the case. Proper mag wheels came into the Pacer range with the introduction of the VH Pacer in 1971.
I had a vh Pacer.I agree it was super quick after a port and polish on the head and planing it to increase compresion I could spin the wheels at 60mph on a wet day by flooring it with 4 people in the car, and it could still carry 9 divetanks in the trunk with the airshocks I had installed. I am a car salesman now in California and sell corvettes I think my old vh would give a vet a run for its money in a straight line.
That power plant in the vh was super strong it's a shame the brakes were so poor, othererwise it or the charger would have won at Bathurst. THe pacer held the record for the fastest saloon in Australasia untill the nissan skyline stole it.
The VF Valiant is not a flawed Aussie muscle car as this review infers. The problems this reviewer experienced with their old VF Valiant were more indicative of poor care and maintenance on the part of the previous owner. The problems experienced were not ones that were originally a problem for new VF Valiants.
I searched "VF Pacer" because I recently aquired I VF sedan and have become completely enamoured with valiants of that era - now particularly lusting after a pacer.
The above comments up-holding the pacer and 6-cylinder charger in such glory I inspiring to say the least!
Anyone in Melbourne knowing of a VFor VG pacer for sale in the next six months or so - email me!
Cheers!
Leo.
Leo@theblueset.com.
I owned a VF Pacer in 1972 it was a great car! White with a black vinyl roof. Of all the cars I have owned in the 36 years since, I miss the Valiant most. Great memories of a very reliable and robust car... Wish I still had it!!!
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