Pacer doors, length of: the passenger side door is 4" longer than the driver's. The idea was to make the rear seat easier to access without making the driver's experience too bad, getting in and out.

Cab Forward is a combination of hype and packaging. Almost all front wheel drive cars are "cab forward", though, some more than others.

The era of Chrysler's very much marketed "cab forward" styling (in the '90s) marked the time when "Pacer engineering" entered the mainstream: the base of the windshield was simply moved forward, and the top of the instrument panel extended accordingly, out over the top of the engine. The passenger room didn't increase, but the appearance of the vehicle made it seem like it was (the extra space created was all just wasted space over the instrument panel).

Most cars today do this to some degree because the low angle of the windshield helps reduce wind noise and wind resistance, but I always hated the look. When Chrysler went strongly the other way with the 300M/Charger/Challenger, and BMW with the Mini, and Toyota with the FJ Cruiser) I cheered because the vertical-look windshield just looks better to my eye!

The alternative for the windshield angle/wind noise/wind resistance is to leave the base of the windshield where it is and instead move the top of it rearward. The Mercedes SLK convertible did this, and to some degree the Corvette. The end result is that you sit in a "convertible", but get no open air feeling because when you look up all you see is windshield and header! And, getting in and out you have to watch you don't hit your head on it (and in a convertible, no less! yuk)

Norm "call me 'Pacer'" Kerr

I drove a Pacer once - a 'courtesy' car while my AMC Spirit was in for warranty work. It was the only vehicle I EVER drove that made me want to drive it into a post so I wouldn't have to drive it any more. Mush for suspension and vague steering - drove like a drunken sow. I wanted to put the poor thing out of its misery.

If you'd compare the position of the front seats in relation to its predecessor the Gremlin, the seats are about the same distance from the wheels. What made it look "cab forward" was the huge greenhouse that extended forward over the engine bay and the low profile hood. Think about a straight six in there. The fat B-pillars emphasized the look, but the doors are actually quite long for a 2-door. They were a problem in parking stalls.

 

 

 

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 If you are clever with a race car you arrange the wipers like early cars.

 Tulka(sitting low)

 

Okay, about the wipers.

Early Minis did not have a "park" feature - you had to have the timing to get them to shut off in the proper spot. I'm not sure about 621 AOK, but on my 68 and 69 Minis (now just memories), both were left hand and stored the wipers on the right, in order to get the highest arc in front of the driver. A right hand car would therefore 'store' the wipers to the left.

Whoever parked 621 AOK there didn't have the knack of parking the wipers. Diver error.

(I doubt anyone would leave THAT car running unattended!) 

 

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

I like the way the Magnum 500 style wheels look on a Pacer. I don't believe they were offered as an option on that car. The white Mini is as pure as they come. NICE !!!

Mark

"That's the story of my life....no respect".

>>or the photo was taken while they were running and they snapped the shutter just as they were reversing at their outwipe position.or the photo was taken while they were running and they snapped the shutter just as they were reversing at their outwipe position.<<

Note that the pavement is wet, so I think this observation may be the answer.

OT, but i have a feeling that someday the Pacer will be the retro-cool car that the Nash Metropolitan has become.

That's why they are outlaws I guess....anyone who would kick out two good looking women and your best friend to drive Miss Daisy around in the backseat must be operating outside the law.

 

Besides I thought the first cab forward design was more like this...

Nothing is so bad that you can't make it worse by doing something rash or going berserk.

come to think of it, the illustration in Pomeroy's book has younger, more busty women in it. The Outlaw Mini illustration has a matronly, grandmother-type in the back seat!

Norm

In 1984 Mini City published a comb bound book called "An Introduction to the Mini". In it is the same drawing that is on the Outlaw T-shirt.

Cheers,

Kelley

"If you can afford the car, you can afford the manual..."

I bumped in to some Outlaw Mini Owners once. They made the Hells Angels look like wimps. Leathers, tatoos, skin heads, the light weights were 300 lbs and those were their women. They were all driving concours correct 850 Minis. The Moke guys had t-shirts with "If you can read this, the *&%!! fell off".

I had always thought that the drawing came from the Laurence Pomeroy's book, THE MINI STORY, but it's not the same one. I just noticed that it's a Cooper.

Don & Mark - I wouldn't mess with those Outlaw Mini Owners dudes. They did some really weird stuff in the 70's & 80's.

 

" The ability to use your hands is terribly important...It is only by manipulating materials with your hands that you get a strong feeling of the art. You can judge the strengths of materials without having to calculate..."   Alex  Issigonis about engineers

If it is anything like my '61 was, it's parked the wipers in the wrong spot because the parking feature isn't working.  In other words, because it's broke!  But, that could never happen with such an important Mini, could it?

Life ain't no use, if you ain't got the boost.  The boost you get from Loosener's!   Loosener's Caster Oil Flakes, the "All Weather Breakfast".

madmat - not sure if the arms are wrong, but the wipers sure are parked funny! It looks like either the wrong wiper motor is fitted (a right side park from a left hand drive car), or the photo was taken while they were running and they snapped the shutter just as they were reversing at their outwipe position.

helpmymini - I was wondering about that too, I guess that the artist just didn't want the steering column to be floating in space in the cut away illustration, so they made up a bracket shape to "hold" it for us.

Norm

what's the box coming off of the intake? Some fuel injection plenum?

What are the rights on this shirt? I can build one quite easy, but I don't want to tick off any originators.

Mark Looman, Ada Michigan 1967 Austin Cooper S

Depending on pricing, 2 in XXL.

------------------
Check The For Sale
1967 Austin Mini Moke & Other Bits

QuickSilversVille: Go Classic Or Go Home

As Mini Mania is back into the t-shirt business we may very well add this one to our recent new offerings!  How many and in what size? I suppose just black and white to keep it period correct!

Now in stock: 

 

Will it be possible for one of the tshirt hawkers on here to make a rerun of this offering?

------------------
Check The For Sale
1967 Austin Mini Moke & Other Bits

QuickSilversVille: Go Classic Or Go Home

6210AOK has the wrong windscreen wiper arms fitted :-)

 

Mad. "LazyGoodForNothingSmartArseKnowItAllBackYardMiniMechanic"

It appears that the Outlaw Mini Owners have gone underground again. I haven't gotten a post card from their Mini meet in a few years.

1630 Elk Street 
Rock Springs, WY 82901
307-362-6623 

 

" The ability to use your hands is terribly important...It is only by manipulating materials with your hands that you get a strong feeling of the art. You can judge the strengths of materials without having to calculate..."   Alex  Issigonis about engineers