Street & Track VG Pacer

This rare and warmed-up 2-door VG Valiant Pacer does everything from tow a caravan and cruise the streets to clocking up track time by running on the drag strip as well as the circuit.

The VH Charger wasn’t Chrysler Australia’s first Valiant-based sports coupe with 6-cylinder Hemi power, the earlier VG model offered 2-door versions of the high-performance Pacer.

“The car was bought sight unseen from Melbourne” begins the car’s owner BJ Donnelly. “It is always a gamble when buying interstate, in particular when it’s a rarer 2-door Pacer.” It was a gamble that paid off in this case, as BJ’s Pacer came with desirable items like “the original hardtop Pacer seats which was a bonus because these are normally replaced by newer or Charger-type buckets”.

“I intended to leave the whole show as per factory bar the (already fitted) 4-speed gearbox, but after a club day with the Queensland Chrysler Association I decided a few mods wouldn’t go astray.” Many of those mods occurred under the bonnet, with period-style improvements made whilst rebuilding the 245ci Hemi 6-cyl motor, including a heavily-worked 265 head, a Tighe cam and a Redline manifold with three Weber 45mm DCOE side-draft carbs.

The rebuild produced quite a good engine. “The final (dyno) run produced 155rwhp, which is fairly healthy for a little 245.” He has also given it a Supra 5-speed and a modified EL Falcon LSD, as well as up-rated suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and larger retro-styled wheels with modern radial tyres.

“Not long after that, the QCA club had our Mopar Muscle weekend in May at Warwick drag strip. I decided it would only be fitting that I tow my caravan from Brisbane to Warwick. I reckon it was the quickest run up Cunningham’s Gap (over the Great Dividing Range) that any caravan has done” BJ said with a big smile.

BJ also loves to get his Pacer out on the drag strip, as well as cruising the car on weekends every chance that he gets. He even likes to get the car on the circuit for some enthusiastic laps (which helps explain the race seat pictured). An outing “at Lakeside Raceway for the All Aussie Day was a hoot, the little 245 quite often gives the V8 boys a bit of a hurry-up”.

There’s a massive 11-page feature with a story written by BJ himself in issue 38 of The Aussie Muscle Enthusiast, along with coverage of the Mildura Falcon GT Run and more features on other iconic Australian cars. Grab your copy now.