Disclosure: This site may receive compensation when you click on some links and make purchases.

High Country Wagon: 1984 AMC Eagle Limited

Good colors, great stance: that’s how I’d sum up this beautiful 1984 AMC Eagle Limited wagon. Sporting some tires that I absolutely will be buying for my Toyota HiAce project, this Eagle looks burly and luxurious at the same time. There’s a good amount of enthusiast interest in these, as they always draw lots of positive comments when they pop up in various web forums and Facebook groups. Find this one here on eBay with under a day left for bidding and the reserve unmet. 

AMC’s were notable for bringing full-time 4WD to the masses in a reasonably priced package. Off-road traction was capable and on-road manners were well-suited for the purposes of commuting and fulfilling the requirements of suburban families. These are still fairly easy to find projects today – you don’t have to look very hard on craigslist – but nice ones like this two-tone example will always stand out. Glass, chrome, lenses and paint all look to be in good shape.

Bridging the gap between basic part-time all-wheel drive vehicles and pricier 4x4s put the AMC is a sweet spot for consumers. But despite not being the most expensive model, accommodations were still fairly luxurious. The interior sports leather seating surfaces that belie its age, along with wood trim inlays in the dash that show no obvious signs of damage. The 4.2L six-cylinder is controlled by a TorqueFlite automatic transmission, and the seller notes that the Eagle will come with a complete vehicle history, which I assume will include maintenance records.

Despite 152,000 miles on the clock, the Eagle presents quite well, even in typical high-wear areas like the rear storage space. The carpets are seemingly stain-free, and the original cargo cover is still in place. The Buy-It-Now is a very reasonable $6,500, so bidding is likely close to meeting reserve. With robust mechanicals and plenty of parts vehicles still available for repairs, the AMC Eagle is a classic with clever packaging and far more style than the Subaru Outback it inspired can come close to offering.

Comments

  1. Avatar Gunner

    Wow Jeff, what a beautiful Eagle. Exceptional condition. More pictures would have helped the auction though. Would like to see engine and undercarriage. I have always had a want for these unique wagons and this color combination presents very well. I think 6500 is right in there for the money considering the condition. Great find!

    Like 0
  2. Avatar jdjonesdr

    With an unobtainium cargo cover looking like new. Unreal.

    Like 0
    • Avatar That AMC guy

      I actually have a cargo cover that color left over from an Eagle I owned years ago. Doesn’t look quite that nice though!

      This car looks great and someone has already snagged it! I think the ’84 models still had the vacuum disconnect on the front axle and you had to stop the car to change between 4WD and 2WD. (The mode switch was designed so you had to use both hands to operate it.) The vacuum system that operates the front axle was prone to problems.

      For 1985 the front axle disconnect was discontinued and you could shift in and out of 4WD on the fly. You can update the earlier system by locking the axle disconnect in the engaged position and modifying the dash switch. (The very earliest Eagles were full-time 4WD only.)

      Most Eagles (including mine) were taken down by the tinworm years ago. Hopefully this one will be kept away from salted winter roads despite that being the Eagle’s natural habitat.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar DF

    What a nice car and unique car. Should make someone very happy new owner. Got to find out what kind of Goose Grease they used to make it glow so nice in the pictures.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar johnfromct

    …and without the need to repair blown head gaskets as the Subaru engines are notorious for doing…still.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Adam T45 Staff

    Yet another car that we never had the good fortune to receive here in Australia. When you compare this to the Subaru wagon of the same era, it’s really no contest. In Australia the Subaru 4wd wagon was a marketing success due entirely to the fact that it had no real competition in the market. I honestly believe that this would’ve made a significant dent in their sales here. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar chad

    $5,500

    Like 0
  7. Avatar XJSLord

    I have a factory roof rack for one of these that I occasionally use on my Mercedes or Jaguar

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Ensign Pulver

    At 16 1/2, this is what my driver instructor pulled up to the house in its sister ship a Concord wagon. I had already been driving my mom’s 71 LTD Country Squire for some time around the block so rather than 6 1hr sessions I did 2 3hr sessions straight behind the wheel. While not something I’d go back to, I see interest in this wagon (my dad had a dark green 72 Ambassador SST….oh my!)

    Like 0
  9. Avatar The_Driver

    Oh baby! Drop in a stroked 4.7 fuel injected engine, and I’d have my perfect skiing vehicle!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Graeme

      I’m glad somebody else bought this car and didn’t give you the chance to absolutely destroy it!

      Like 1
  10. Avatar JW

    She’s a beauty that’s for sure. For it’s condition I don’t think his asking price is all that bad.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    You must be right, JW, the eBay ad says ‘sold’…

    Like 0
  12. Avatar Alan

    This is a pic of my 81 Concord!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Graeme

      Beauty! My family still has a ‘78 Concord hatchback that my Mom bought brand new in Nov ‘78.

      Like 0
  13. Avatar Rustytech Member

    Nice wagon, and 4 wheel drive to boot. Already sold for $5500, somebody got a great deal!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar John

    Always had a soft spot for these, and this one is a gem!

    We had a 1980 version which had the full-time 4wd. Not the greatest, especially for gas mileage, but it was a nice car and drove and handled quite well for its size. The only issue we had was having to replace one front hub. The later models had hubs similar to current FWD cars — easily replaced and not all that pricey. The first year Eagle hubs were much, much more expensive.

    It was a shame that it met its end when we were rear-ended at about 40-45 mph. It protected us well from any injuries, even though our son was not seat belted and laying down on the back seat. That would have been around 1986 or ’87, a different time as far as seat belt use goes. I was belted and thrown forward until the shoulder belt stopped me and then back into the seat. Broke a bunch of welds in the seat back when my back met it!

    This was a good deal if it sold at $5500.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar PeterK

    Sold to somebody for $5500. These are great cars. Somebody got a great deal!

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Mike

    ugh!!!
    very nice! but how do you do a GM steering column, chrysler auto trans and a Ford Mustang shifter?

    Like 0
    • Avatar AMX Brian

      It was cost effective to buy off-the-shelf parts and engineer them to fit together.

      Like 0
  17. Avatar Ken Carney

    My late wife and I owned a concord wagon and found it to be practical and
    reliable–except when that damned torque converter gave us fits. I bought
    the car used in ’91and when the kids I worked with saw it, they thought it
    was a 4X4 due to the generous ground clearance. The 258 straight six
    was wonderfully smooth and quiet not to mention easy to work on as well.
    After replacing 4 torque converters, I traded it for an ’81 Chevy Citation
    that had some issues, but at least I wasn’t replacing the torque converter every time I turned around!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Chelle

    This brought back some great memories. My friend’s dad was a neurosurgeon and bought her a car like this (1984) for her graduation gift. They lived at the top of a mountain in a mansion and it was so impressive that she could go anywhere in the winter in this thing.

    Like 0

Leave a Reply to Rustytech Cancel reply

RULES: No profanity, politics, or personal attacks.

Become a member to add images to your comments.

*

Get new comment updates via email. Or subscribe without commenting.