The Villages - March 2022 - 11

The biggest challenge was what made the Pacer
revolutionary, and what led to its anonymity -
the turbocharger. " When we bought it, the turbo
charger was in the trunk, " Hal said. Jay and
Hal wanted to get the turbocharger back on
the Pacer's engine, but how? With his oneof-a-kind
piece of technology, they couldn't
exactly just look up how to do it. It didn't
help either that there was scarcely
anybody who believed they could do it.
Jay and Hal were determined, though.
" There's a lot of naysayers that
looked at it, but Jay and I pushed on.
Jay wanted to continue doing it even if
it was going to be a failure. "
Initially, they sent the car as far up
as North Carolina to have a mechanic
who specialized in turbos work on it.
They didn't get the answer they were
hoping for, however.
" He looked at the system, and he decided
that it's not on the car because it won't
work. It was a failed project. Because of that,
he didn't want to work on it, " Hal explained.
It was during this time that Jay and Hal
would also receive a plethora of helpful advice
from The Villages Motor Racing Fan Club.
" These are the kind of guys you want to talk to
when you have a project like this, " Hal said. Seeking
a second opinion, they brought the Pacer to owner Mike
Carpenter of Speedline Performance in Ocala. As if it were
destiny, there was a mechanic present who specialized in
turbos and was willing to take on the challenge.
" It had already been dialed into the car, " Hal said. " When
we looked at it there was just too much specialized work
done for us to believe it failed. "
After 40 years of sitting in anonymity, the AMC Pacer
Centaur made its sound known once again.
When looking back on picking this particular project,
" prototypes are unique because they are what could've
been, " Jay said.
This is surely an understatement when looking at Jay and
Hal's AMC Pacer Centaur. They have continued writing an
unfinished story.
" Persistence brought the car to life, " Hal said.
When he's not showing off the Pacer, Jay continues
to follow racing through various club activities. Hal plans
to one day hit the track. Whenever he has the time away
from being involved with finance, he is pursuing his vintage
racing license.
MAGAZINE
11
The Villages - March 2022

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