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Field Find: 1982 AMC SX-4 Rally Car

1982 Amc Sx4 Rally Car Side

Update 10/15/11 – Bidding ended at $4,351.29, but did not meet reserve.

Racing has always been a driving force in the development of new technology and the rally racing of ’80s brought about a lot of it. All-wheel drive was one of the greatest advancements that came about as a result of rally racing. There weren’t many American cars that could compete with the foreign ones, due to their lack of AWD. When AMC’s SX-4 came out, it was the first car with full-time AWD, which made it a great choice for rally racing. This 1982 AMC SX-4 was built for rallying from new by a Mr. Blagowsky and was raced until the ’90s. The current owner has listed it on eBay with a current bid of $2,550

1982 Amc Sx 4 Rally Car Seats

This car was setup for racing inside and out, but sitting outside all these years has taken its toll. It’s a little rough, but it is complete and running. It also includes its SCCA logbook and some decent race history. Inside all the wiring is intact and hopefully in working order. Sadly the seats are in need of attention, but could easily be repaired. We would check all the wiring and gauges to make sure they work properly before buying it.

1982 Amc Sx 4 Rally Car Roll Cage

Here is a shot of the spares and a better view of the full roll cage. We are not sure it would meet requirements for racing today, but we do know that you will need to update all the other safety equipment. You will definitely want to when you see what is under the hood…

1982 Amc Sx4 Rally Car Engine

The SX-4 originally came with a 4.2L inline-6, but by 1983 Blagowsky had dropped a 390 V8 into the car. The engine was built for racing with high performance pistons, cam, and rockers. The transmission is from a Jeep Wagoneer and is going to need some work on second gear. The seller has changed all the fluids and claims that the engine runs well and has good compression.

1982 Amc Sx 4 Rally Car Shocks

The suspension on this car has obviously been modified to handle some serious rallying. Here you can see a glimpse of the extra shocks installed to keep things steady when the terrain gets rough.

1982 Amc Sx4 Rally Car Front

We hope the seller hasn’t set the reserve too high on this car, as it could make a great budget rally car. It’s going to need some work to get it ready for racing again. Luckily, there are plenty of events where this beast could be used. Check out the Vintage Rally Car Championship website for a complete list. We would love to take this thing out on an icy mountain road sometime, especially with the AWD and that big 390 V8 up front.

Comments

  1. Avatar fw hunt

    Interesting. I’ve never seen an AMC race/rally car.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar john

    I’ve never seen a rally car from AMC, but back in the day a number of AMC products raced in the old IMSA Radial Challenge Series. If they all haven’t been scrapped, there likely are a few Gremlins, Pacers and Hornets still out there! The cars did not do too well on handling tracks but were competitive at places where power was important.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar A J Ewers

    Mark Donate campaigned several Javelins in trans am races and did quite well. ’69-71, if I remember correctly.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar kevin

    this is a eagle amc just as good as a jeep i had one was a great car till i totaled it.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar A J Ewers

    Mark Donahue campaigned several Javelins.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Wilson Baird

    Ive been wanting to build a 2g Eagle Talon AWD Ralley car to specs similiar to this except with a supercharged 3.9 Magnum v6 since the front end is so short. Where could a person go to find legitimate buildsheets or suspension diagrams for a car like the one above? For the measurements of the frame and suspension.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar DT

    Im a few years late here ,I clearly remember seeing this car in 1982,this car is an icon,and hopefuly has been restored by now,or is on its way to be restored, I would not campain this car,in my opinion this needs to go to a
    museum

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Bruce

    google & see the real 82 color scheme from Dean Blagowsky (silver looking) original 2 rectangle actual headlights

    Like 0
    • Avatar Bruce R

      and now just a week later I bought the car from Kyle in Detroit ! restoring it to its original. Under the blue paint is the AMC Silver Metallic. Heres a picture

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Ted G

    This car changed hands again, Bruce had to sell it as it looks in his reply. It is now back in MI undergoing a complete rewiring and then the steering and suspension components will be replaced with new. This car will then be driven but not in rally sanctioned events.

    Like 0

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