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Clean Bird: 1984 AMC Eagle Survivor

I have a thing for AMC Eagles. Although very similar to Hornets and Concords, Eagles are really the only AMC product that gets me truly excited. They are well-built cars with a bulletproof engine, complete with their own unique history and an incredibly wide variety of body styles available. There was an Eagle for every consumer, and in my opinion this car alone should’ve saved the company. This particular Eagle wagon has been an Arizona car since new, which would explain how nice it is, but makes me wonder how the exterior plastics are. This Eagle looks like a nice driver, and can be found here on craigslist in Las Vegas, Nevada with an asking price of $8,500.

There are really only 2 kinds of Eagles available for sale at any given time: the kind that is $3,000 and up, and the kind that is under $1,000. That being said, I think $8,500 is a little optimistic on this car, though there’s no denying that it is nice! I think a deal could be made though. Having owned a 1982 Eagle sport wagon myself, I can say that there is something lovable about these little machines. This particular Eagle has the plaid seat inserts to match the very ’80s red interior, and the only defect to be found is the obvious damage to the driver’s seat. Having covered 112,000 well-maintained miles, this indicates to me that someone did a lot of sliding in and out, as my ’82 had the same seats with 116,000 miles of pure abuse and no tears. 

Did I mention the interior of this car is super clean? Even the cargo area plastics appear to be in good condition. You’ll notice that there are handles on the back seat, because it folds down to fit more stuff! These cars are extremely versatile, being 4-wheel-drive and being able to accommodate most average needs. That is not to mention that they were available in six very different body styles ranging from hatchback to convertible, and available with a variety of engines. This 1984 Eagle is equipped with the trusty AMC 258 straight six, which can really take a beating. The weakest point is that all of these cars were equipped with a plastic valve cover to save weight, which lead to leaks almost immediately. A small handful of Eagles were outfitted with a 3.6 liter turbo diesel engine supplied by VM Motori.

The color combination on this Eagle is really quite nice. The red pinstripes on the white paint are a nice touch, and the white stripe tires add a lot to it. You’ll notice it has all of the correct bumper caps, which is the one thing you can almost always count on Eagles missing! AMC really had a car for everyone in the 1980s, but for better or for worse they didn’t survive. I loved my Eagle, as abused as it was (even for a $450 beater), but I would absolutely own another one in a heartbeat. Have you had a good AMC experience?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Gay Car Nut

    Lovely looking AMC Eagle.

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  2. Avatar photo Mark Nicholson

    I had a 1970 AMC Javelin SST, Mark Donahue edition, with a cold air induction hood scoop, front and rear spoilers, mag wheels, and a high performance 360 cid engine. It was a fantastic pony car, on par with mustangs and Camaros of the era

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  3. Avatar photo CaptShindig

    Had an 82. Black with the solid red interior. What a really great and versatile car. I’m a Ford guy but back in 1990 I got a deal on one for $800. Had a little dent in the rear quarter. Otherwise very clean. Started having tranny issues so dumped it for $650. Wouldn’t mind having this one. Safe, efficient and has a nice style. I’ve always loved wagons.
    Better than any entry level SUV/Crossover you could buy today for the money imho.

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  4. Avatar photo King Al

    Torn drivers seat in an otherwise clean appearing car? The driver must have been one of those people you see on My 600 LB Life trundeling to pick up miltiple orders of fast food in their vehicle every day. To rip that seat, the driver must have hammered it with a gluteus to the maximus.

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    • Avatar photo King Al

      One torn $8,500 driver’s seat coming up…..

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      • Avatar photo Charles

        omg!!’

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      • Avatar photo Charles

        That car seat took a beating! Imagine the suspension on that side of the car was under duress!!!

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  5. Avatar photo Rustytech Member

    It will take me a week to get that image out of my head! Back to the car though. I have always liked the Eagle wagons, and this one looks good ( other than that seat ). That same engine was used for years by AMC and was one of the best from any maker. The plastic valve cover was a pain, but was a simple fix, any 258 valve cover from an older AMC or Jeep would fit. I would love to have this, but I would value it closer to $4500. To be worth the asking price this would have to be pristine!

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  6. Avatar photo Hoberg

    I thoroughly enjoyed my Concord wagon with Dodge cop car wheels and used Gator backs off FHP Mustangs drove like it was on rails . someone near Crescent Beach Florida had an Eagle with at least 31s and a small lift that was cool!

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  7. Avatar photo XMA0891

    I have a good friend who was an AMC Dealer right up to The End. “’84’s” (Eagles) he told me once, “were the best cars AMC ever made”. They are tough to find in good gondition; and yes, I agree, this is the car that should’ve saved the company.

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  8. Avatar photo Nicolas Giguère

    Having owned à AMC Spirit DL 1980 in those time, I corrected my valve cover leak by replacing it with a métal valve cover from a Jeep, never had any problem after. Wish I kept it.🚗😊

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  9. Avatar photo Charles

    Plastic valve covers to save weight??? Don’t think metal VCs would have weighted that much…. And then people wonder why AMC went out of business! Brilliant management…..!

    Like 0

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