Reviving a FORGOTTEN AMC Eagle - Abandoned to Daily Driver??
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Today we bring an abandoned AMC Eagle back to life!
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AMC was amazing. They stood toe to toe with the big 3 and gave them all a run for their money. Perhaps I'm just a little biased though. My Grandpa that I unfortunately lost this year used to sell AMCs at the family dealership back in the day, so they're a little close to my heart. That Eagle a treasure.
AMC suffered from mecahanic bias, as most were trained for "big 3" cars and AMC was "different".
@@WCM1945 As a kid we had a 1964 Rambler American Stationwagon. If something broke our mechanic had to pull the part to figure out which auto manufacturer made it before he could order a new one. 😕
Soft spot for AMC too. I learned to drive on a 1960 Rambler with three speed column shift. My father let me loose in an old hay field where I couldn't do too much damage. Tough little car as best recall.
@@c.j.cleveland7475 A call to an AMC dealer could have saved him the trouble.
These had GM steering columns, Ford ignition systems, and Chrysler transfer cases. (This was before Chrysler bought them out in 1987.) AMC engines contained more nickel in the engine blocks. I am wanting to say that the SJ Grand Wagoneer had the Motorcraft 2100 carburetor. That body shell is basically a 1970 Hornet station wagon. Great video!
Happy to see a AMC revival. Best underrated independent auto company..
Agreed! And some of them are pretty rare like my 1966 AMC Marlin! I don't think I've ever seen another one in person!
I would love to have like a 68 rebel.
out of all AMCs, i dig Matador the most. don't ask why but I do
And underpowered in this one😂
@@JunkyardDigs Same with my Marlin haha, mine is the Inline 6, not the optional 327
These are my absolute favorite kinds of videos. When you redeem a car and make it a legit daily driver instead of a lawn ornament. Love this.
Me Too!!...Since y'all live in the "great white north", keep the thing and improve on it ...its neat and unusual....and they are not making anymore of them....
“It does smell like we’re on fire but I don’t think we actually are.”
Famous last words
Lol
Especially if you're in a race car that runs on methanol lol
Thats probably the best interior in the whole jyd lineup.
Without a doubt 😂😂
true they was
The interior of that car is so clean that i’m thinking they may have detailed it before park it
You must not remember the van!
@@JunkyardDigs then keep the car and use it as a winter beater. Perfect ride!
AMC is in my blood. My Uncle worked at AMC in Kenosha, WI. I drove his hand me down Hornet, Concord and Gremlin. Love the Eagle content! 👍
I would love to see an episode with your dad fixing the rust and damage on the front end. And keep that color!
Always upvote AMC. I had a Gremlin with the exact same interior and engine, which was the only thing that still worked when the city decided to get rid of it for me. 3:09 is the perfect explanation of what it was like to go to a parts store, since nobody stocked AMC parts anymore, I would find the oldest guy in the shop and he'd tell me what to get.
“Holy Shit” is right when you were draining the water out of the oil pan. How the hell DID THAT ENGINE CRANK? Crazy motor 🤣!!! Kevin, you should keep it for a little while and try out the four wheel drive in that Iowa snow when it comes. I’m sure you and Mook will have crazy ass fun. Always liked them AMC’s. That one is in great shape for being out in the Iowa elements all that time. It’s cool you got everything working inside, even the clock 👍
I vote for what this guy said. I wanna see you do a review of having this as a daily through the winter and how it compares to other classics and or new awd cars
I was laughing so hard by the first gallon I had to pause the video.. beautyyyy!
Big oil doesn't want you to know this one trick, try just all water today :'D that was just an insane amount of water.
When all that water started pouring out I had to head to the bathroom.
@@peterpenberthy2918 :D
Keep the eagle. Make sure the heater works and believe me, you’ll be impressed how well they do in winter driving. Glad you got it back on the road.
Did they use a Ford heater core?
They were freaking tanks in the snow. My mom bought one of these because we lived in the northeast and her previous car, a 75 nova, was impossible to operate in the snow and just an overall piece of sh*t. The eagle was bumper deep in snow and drove like it was nothing. My mom was so happy with that car 👍
My grandfather had one up up here in Ontario, Wicked in the deep snow of Bracebridge.
$3 a gallon. You guys are so lucky. Here in UK it's the equivalent of about $8 a gallon. Great to see the AMC on the road. I love those Eagles.
in france it's about 7.5 dollars a gallon so about the same and just as bad!
We had an eagle wagon for a time when i was a kid much like this one. I think my dad got it pretty much for free. It was more rust than car and i remember him using his heel on the brakes and feathering the gas with his toe whenever we had to slow down to keep it from stalling. Towards the end the starter went out i guess he decided it wasn't worth it to replace it so we had to always park on a hill or somewhere where we could get a little run in so he could pop the clutch to get it started. I'm sure my folks were glad to see the hind end of it, but i loved that car and lamented its departure from our lives when they got rid of it. They're just cool
I enjoyed this a lot, brought me back to simpler times
Love the AMC content! My dad, uncle, and several neighbors worked for AMC in Kenosha where I grew up. AMC will always have a place in my heart and would love to own/restore AMCs in the future to keep the legacy alive.
So happy
Yes do it !!!
"Some Old Mans Car"? It's an epic AMC! ;) 7:30 hahahahahahahaha yep, that'll be JUST fine!
Thanks for passing along the "Bad Decision" to us, can't wait to see what journey we have ahead of us with this little monster.
me too
Saw you on SRC Garage the other day and now on JYD...subbed👍
@@grizzlybozak we DO have some pretty cool friends 😉
Had finished reading about amc the beginning and end of amc. My daddy drove for kenosha auto transport and pretty much drove ramblerAmericans. He liked Plymouth and last car was a Chrysler. Hats off to amc! Also lots likes to the junkyards digs and mook.
Thanks for giving the safety and responsibility lecture. People need to make sure their cars are safe and functional. Not just for themselves but for everyone else
Honestly there needs to be yearly safety inspections if there already isn't.
I don’t want the government getting involved. There’s no reason to give them any more money or power over our lives. We as people should be able to do the right thing and be responsible
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the tip on installing the front brake pads. The 80s Jeep Wranglers have the same front brakes. I have fought those springs like you did. Your idea will make it so mu h easier next time. Great videos. 👍👍
I should probably tear into my YJ then because I’m 90% sure it doesn’t have those springs
@@someguy332 The brakes changed in the early 90s sometime to Chrysler style. Mine is an '89.
Looks like the front brakes on my 92 xj
Very unique car there. Blows my mind how good that inline 6 runs after being full of water like that. Look forward to future episodes with it if you decide to keep it. As for the Capri I hope Lucore puts the 2J in it.
That Capri is going to be great fun for someone. They ran really well with the 2.8 or 3.0 V6 option
We have had our 1980 Eagle 4-door Sedan for 27 years. It has been a most reliable car in the mechanical sense, we added a New Process 229 2-speed transfer case which gives the car a, low range, making it even more capable off road. A/C works, everything works. The left front frame rail is rusted, the car now sits in the barn. I need to find somebody who would have the patience to fix this, we can't let the car go. I am glad you got your Eagle running, we miss driving ours.
My suggestion is you keep it, at least until the first decent snow storm of the season. I had an 81 wagon I used for work. It was an absolute beast in the snow. I won't say you can't get it stuck, but it takes a lot. The only thing I didn't like about it was that damn plastic valve cover. One of the worst designs ever. You all might remember when Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) did commercials for the Subaru Outback, calling it the "World's First Sport Utility Wagon." Wrong! The Eagle wagon was the worlds first. Great episode!
Sorry but Range Rover's where permanent four wheel drive in 1970 !
@@ogribiker8535 but they weren't "cars." Most people in the 1970s and 1980s were not interested in daily-driving trucks because trucks were work vehicles and handled like poo. The Eagle was a proper family car, with carlike characteristics that also had 4wd, that's what makes it the 'first'.
@@moconnell663 You clearly have no idea of what a Range Rover is !!. IT IS NOT A TRUCK, it was sold as a car (with good handling for the times) that you can use on your farm, building site etc during the day then wash and drive to a restaurant, golf club or country club. That's even before we even talk about the truly iconic Audi Quattro. There is a whole world outside of the US !
@@ogribiker8535 Your English is atrocious, using an apostrophe to pluralize things that don't need it to be pluralized, and using "where" in place of "were". I thought we had bad schools in the USA... lol
@@ogribiker8535 Not to denigrate the Range Rover (it's an excellent vehicle) but it's an SUV at best, a light truck at worst. "Car" here means an otherwise normal "estate" or "saloon" or maybe "coupe" that happens to be fitted with a 4WD system, not "purpose-built big boxy utilitarian thing that looks like the American SUVs (such as the Jeep Wagoneer or Ford Bronco) that preceded it." And the Audi Quattro was introduced just months after the AMC Eagle in 1980, not before, so yes the Eagle was the first mass-market car introduced with permanent 4WD regardless of what part of the planet you're on.
The deal with the yellow line on the speedometer is because back when this car was new, pretty much every highway speed limit was set at 55 mph. This inspired the yellow line, or in some cars with speedometer that measured every 10 mph, a small yellow 55 on the speedometer. Also brought about Sammy Hagars' song "I Can't Drive 55"
Yes from 1974 till 1987 the federal government passed the National Maximum Speed Law, which restricted the maximum permissible vehicle speed limit to 55 miles per hour (mph) on all interstate roads in the United States.
@@cryptodwayne5174 That was supposed to be a gas saving measure.
Sure, because Greyhound drivers and semi trailer drivers couldn't take a screwdriver and unscrew the governor a few turns. 😆
My buddy has a 1982 Honda CB900F, and its hilarious because the bike will do around 140 but the speedo is capped at 85 haha!
@@garymatthys3605 The Feds originally wanted to lower the speed limit even more but realized that would never work.
In 1974 and 1979 we had OPEC oil embargos and more than half of our petroleum came from the Middle East then.
.
I bought a 1982 Concord DL Woodie off a lease 3 years old. Salesman car so all highway miles and it was a well kept great car. Had it for 4 years and was T Boned at an intersection. With full frame this car saved my life. Always a comfortable car to drive, Miss it.
My wife's late Granny had an Engle. She drove it til she could no longer drive. It handled Dayton, Ohio winter snow, no problem.
I miss my old 80' AMC Eagle. Easy to work on, tough as nails 258 inline 6. The 4WD works better than most pickups I have owned and blasts thru snow so easy.
Re: the yellow zone after 55mph on the speedo- At the time this car was made we had a national 55mph speed limit on the highways due to the oil crisis in the 70's. It was in effect from '74 to '95. Most speedos had the 55mph mark highlighted in some way during those years.
Yep. It was a dark time in America. Sammy Hagar was right.
There was also a time there where all of the cars made had speedometers that only went to 85mph. I guess just in case you had to pass somebody? 🤔🤷♂
@@majcrash --Not as Dark as it is Right Now!!!
Yep, my 87 Chevy truck has the highlighted 55 MPH with the 85 MPH speedometer
@@randybeard6040 I was speaking about driving, but you are correct.
That interior is gorgeous @Junkyard Digs
Yup I love the AMC Eagle too. My grand parents had one when I was a kid.
So glad you did this car justice and put her back in service! My neighbor had an AMC Eagle when I was a kid in the 80's and I was fascinated with it. Love these cars!
I’m with you Kevin, I like this “Early Crossover” too. The color is something to be desired, but it really does have character. I’m glad you brought this one back to life and please continue to enjoy it !!! Stay safe and healthy out there !!!
Cars being brown on brown was a thing through the 70s and 80s and much like disco its gonna stay there
I reckon you should keep it . continue fixing it. Have your dad touch up the paint a bit..it's a project..and do some adventures with Mook. We'll watch that🤟
@@lordcantiismyname Super period color ;)
19:27 I bought a deuce and a half for $2,500, and then spent $2,400 replacing the entire brake system for exactly this reason. not to mention, this is a 7 ton Truck.
I have a 74 CJ5 so I'm happy to see you saving the AMC equipment. Good work. Don't forget that the definition of Adventure is taking inappropriate equipment to out-of-the-way places!
My folks back in the 60s & 70s always liked a keen car. Mom wanted the Eagle, I know, but what she ended up owning and driving through snowstorms back and forth 20 miles to work was the Rambler, first (and a I saw a VERy pretty one locally a few years ago)....... and then, the Javelin -- an orange one. Dad became enamored with foreign cars at that time and we owned a Corolla. After that it was luxury sedans and then crossovers, much like all of us.
I never would have thought you'd manage to find a car with more water in the oil system than Mook's truck
One of the most saught after classic rally cars ever !!! Looks like it found a good home!
It's great to see an AMC rescue! I'm currently working on my '83 Eagle wagon.
As a kid my mom had the exact same car. Even the interior was identical and it was an awesome car and a beast in the snow. It was unfortunate the frames were garbage as hers rotted out so bad the rear leaf springs ripped free and pushed up against the floors
Loved that Capri. Lots of those in the angliosphere including here in NZ. Plenty of spares etc are still available. the 3lv6 in those was very cool!
The Capri is one of the more common Fords here in Sweden among the rally/track cars you see. Found one for sale for $800, running and driving in the neighboring town.
@@gundalfthelost1624 Now worth a fortune in the UK
@@HAZYFALKIRK Here it's the old Escorts that are worth money instead.
@@HAZYFALKIRK They're worth a fortune anywhere. Especially the Mk3.
I remember when those things came out and EVERYONE said they would NEVER catch on LOL
Cheers from Tokyo!
We had this exact set-up on our weagle wagon. Could have been that same one but hard to say it was so many years ago. Theyre top 3 favorite cars of all time for me. Definitely a keeper. If i was old enough at the time i would have made damn sure we never lost her. I will have another some day. Blessed little all weather attack wagon ❤️
Kevin, I met you on Power Tour at World Wide Technology Raceway. I don’t know if you remember me, but I was the guy in the Ford hat you were trying to track down for pictures. Lol Thank you again to you, Mook and Angus for taking the time to do that (and another thank you to Angus for wishing my father a speedy recovery after his quadruple bypass surgery). It really means a lot. I’m part of a Jeep group here in Southeast Missouri and we have some pretty gnarly trails if you’re ever in the area with the AMC. I have one Short on my TH-cam channel of a trail ride. Take care, man.
Love AMC Eagles. Great to see someone revive one.
41:10 Every AMC eagle I have ever seen and had any experience with has fallen apart like this. They have all had random issues, this was not 40 years old though these where 10 years old. Frankly I am shocked you found one that was in one peace let alone two.
I've always liked AMC products and I have owned 3 AMC concords in my life. In 1974 President Nixon lowered the speed limit to 55 mph to save on gas and lives. That speed limit was in effect until 1995. The reason the speedometer shows yellow from 55mph on is to remind you that going any faster was speeding. Thanks for keeping AMC alive in your video.
I enjoyed every minute about reviving the AMC Eagle! 😃 I’ve never owned an Eagle, but it’s on my future list of cars I want own. The only AMC vehicle I owned was a 1988 AMC Jeep Cherokee XJ. I miss that Jeep everyday!
They drive surprisingly similar to the xj a bit less bumpy a little less power.
When you drained that oil it reminded me of when I had to prepare for a colonoscopy 2 weeks ago.
Awesome, love me some good production value eagle content. Also, the specific sound of that old 258 cranking and sputtering is both filled with happy moments and miserable ones for me
I loved the sound of that cranking!
My grandfather loved these cars . 4x4 in the Canadian winter. “The eagle has landed” when he got home. Dang water fer daze, and dayz. Drained the oil and filled with water ?! 🙀
For near on almost 28 years my delivery route took me past the the site where AMC once stood up in Kenosha. Never had the chance to own an AMC product myself but several buddies in high school owned either a Javelin or an AMX
Also, my Nana when I was a kid had an AMC Eagle, I always LOVED that car like you said, just because of how unique it is!! I'd really like to see you get that sweet ride cleaned up & lookin good!! There's gotta be SOME company out there that has some improved wiring to bring that thing back to life & make it more reliable!!🤞
Everyone always makes fun of AMC for using parts from all of the other automakers, but look at it this way, if AMC made their own parts then they would be MUCH harder to find. They sourced the best parts from Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Trans is a Chrysler A999, Ford Ignition, GM/Saginaw steering, Carter BBS Carbuerator. Makes working on the car so much better. Glad you got it running, especially with all of the water in the crankcase.
It was cheaper for them to out sourced the smaller parts than manufacture their own. They started doing that in the early 60s. Studebaker did the same. GM did it early in their existence and than bought the suppliers.
@@robertbak4108 to be fair, ford and Chrysler didn't source all if their own small parts either. Alot of the rubber hoses and ignition parts for both were sourced by autolite
@@limprooster3253 Ford actually owned autolite at one time. They had to sell due to anti-trust problems.
@@limprooster3253 yup Ford bought Autolite in 61 Sold them in 63 or 64
I was suprised to see Ford ignition parts on an AMC vehicle. I thought they used AC Delco exclusively. I worked for someone who owned a 72 Matador-all Delco electrical components.
WOW I SALUTE YOU AND ALL MY AMC BRETHREN FOR FIXING AND BRINGING BACK TO LIFE A PIECE OF KENOSHA HISTORY! AMC LOVERS WORLDWIDE LOVE YOU FOR THAT!
My first car was a '79 AMC Spirit. a 4 cyc, hatchback with a 4 speed. The car survived my high school years with me. I loved that car for all it's problems. Cursing it with busted knuckles, push starting it with buddies when the starter died, all of us piling in back and forth to school and many weekend adventures. These Spirits will always have a place in my heart for all of the great memories mine provided.
Definitely something fresh and interesting. Love the project. If you decide to keep it order one of the aluminium valve covers. Not very expensive at all.
I really enjoy your video style. This was a fun video man!
Stuff it Randy.
He works on them,you tinker.
@@jeffkersten5076 Keep enjoying the videos :)
Noone cares Randy. Don't u have some one to hustle and then use and then leave hanging thier balls ?
Really cool revival. Wish I bought one way back then.
Beautiful interior. I love the colors. I wanted one as a kid when they were new. Still do.
Reminds me of my first car, a 1980 AMC Spirit. Had the same color scheme and pretty high clearance. Thing turned on a dime, too.
This 55 yr old geezer would feel like a new man driving this beauty. Grandma's would swarm. 😃
I have been a amc fan since Wayne's World 🌎. Living in Wisconsin there is a amc car show every three years in the mother land Kenosha WI due to covid it has been postponed until next summer. It's a week long event with lots of cruises and amc people are the nicest. I love to hear all the stories about how they used to work there since the plants were in Kenosha and Milwaukee. Keep it on the road a webber carb kit converson really helps with the drive ability.The eagle is the best car ever in the snow and you can't help but smile when you're behind the wheel.
Man the other Eagle video reminded how cool they are, and this one makes me defiantly want one.
Thank you for more AMC content! I have a Concord, basically the lame 2wd Eagle. I'm planning to turbo the 258 and make it a driver.
This was amazing. A true classic, full of character no modern pile could hope to ever have. God bless you for saving it. Hope it becomes a channel regular :)
I had the 2 door eagle growing up loved it. Also had a wagon to. They where awesome rides and loved playing on the dirt roads.
Always loved these cars for the exact reasons you mentioned. Loved the video
1:40 the interior matches your beard man 😂 🤘
Exactly how I felt when I revived my dad's old firebird that sat for 10 years. I daily drove that thing for 3 months and the trans quit on me. You can bet I'm keeping it.
Yeah my grandfather had one of those brand new when I was younger. Used to go EVERYWHERE no matter the weather . Just always felt it a horrifying situation for AMC to go under . And THAT is their greatest legacy ! NEED to keep them going
The eagle was AMC'S greatest legacy?? are you forgetting that they had Jeep, and that all of the jeep vehicles up to the YJ wrangler were AMC designed, including the grand wagoneer, the OG jeep cherokee and the CJ series, i think that was a good legacy, because even though the wrangler has gone through 4 variations since chrysler killed the AMC name, people will still buy the CJs for offroading because they can be kept running with a shoelace and a battery.
I just watched this video and we had the exact same Eagle. My parents bought it brand new in 1984. Not sure but my brother may still have it. Just thought it was cool to see it revived on TH-cam. Thanks for the video.
Glad to see you revived another classic, I think you should keep it, put a roof basket on the roof with a full size spare tire, 4 big kc lights up there and turn it into a daily driver trail buggy!
This oil change reminds me of the part in Austin Powers when he got unfrozen.
Groovie babie yaaa.
Ha ha ha peeing seen lol
He even had time to eat asparagus and smell it during the long piss
That car brings back memories. My best friend and next door neighbor's dad (who was a mechanic & farmer) owned an AMC Eagle very similar to the one in this video. I can still remember riding to school in it in the winter for quite a few years...
One extremely memorable trip in the car was a snow day in 90 or 91 when my dad and I rode along with my friend and his dad to work on a dairy truck that got stuck in the snow on a dairy farm near Lost Nation, IA. The driver had broken the drive shaft on the dairy truck trying to get himself unstuck. We pulled the drive shaft off the truck, threw it in the back of the AMC Eagle, and drove it to a machine shop in downtown Davenport. We had lunch in bar downtown, picked up the drive shaft, and drove back out to install it on the dairy truck. While we were away the truck driver and the farmer had dug the truck out of the snow. After we installed the drive shaft we followed the truck to a milk processing plant somewhere near DeWitt, IA and then drove back home to Davenport. In all we were out for almost 10 hours on that call, in large part due to the snow covered roads. The 4 wheel drive on that Eagle sure got a workout that day!
Keep It Kevin! Its a pretty sweet example of those units.
You'll love it. They're basically a damned rolling swiss-army knife. Extremely useful and comfortable to drive. Drop the rear and front seat and they'll swallow a 6ft. ladder. Not the greatest build-quality, but AMC was coming to an end, at that point. If you grab the dash with both hands, you could rip it right out of the car. The 2.35 rear gear is fun - 50mph+ in second gear. Wait until the winter - you'll, literally, be passing plow trucks and state troopers with no problem. All you have to do is throw 100lbs of salt in the rear and go.
@sese... 💕💕 Sorry babe. Don't know what you're saying, but I'll pick up better, at any bar, on any weekend.
I enjoy the “obscure” cars you find. This and the diesel olds!
My first real job was working as a mechanic at an AMC dealership. I did everything the straight out of vocational school 17 year old did. I made sure all the cars would start every morning, did service and repairs on the used cars, applied rust proofing, assisted the other mechs, ran parts, rolled back odometers on the demonstrator cars, did warranty repairs, got cigars for the boss and flirted with the girl in the parts department.
But what I did get was experience. I also got a house amount of respect for the AMC line of vehicles. The Gremlin had been out for a few years as had the Hornet Sportabout and the Matador. The Pacer was new and a good running and handling car. Of course the Jeeps were an icon even then but the massive Wagoneer had the new Quadratrac all wheel drive. With the exception of all the emissions garbage wrapped around them the 232 six, 258 six, 304 V8 and the 401V8s were good running motors with great reliability.
My dream AMC is the '77 Hornet AMX with the 4 speed and 401.
You have a genuine chunk of American grit and perseverance in your shop. It should be on your list to at least cosmetically restore and drive the snot out of it. That's what it was designed to do!
Cheers!
Terry from South Carolina
I’ve always wanted one of these. That interior is mint!
Ah, the other Eagle! I've been looking forward to this one. And for the state this one is in, I think this might be a nice car to do a bit of paint resto on with your dad, like you did on the Goldsmobile 😊Well, if you can pry him away from his new '79 pickup toy, that is 😁 I'm sure that under those dents and the wheelwell lip rust, there is a quite pretty-looking car waiting to show its face once more. The fact it's been starting right up and treating you so, relatively, well despite having been chock full of water shows she wants to live and see the road again!
You need to do more with that car. It's a great starting point and could easily be a really nice example.
When I was a young high schooler, the Ford Capri Perana was the bees knees, they always featured at the Kayalami race track near Johannesburg South Africa.
Great car. Thank you for putting it back on the road.
It’s on my bucket list to own! They’re everything you need in a car realistically speaking
Love the AMC content. I'm a fellow Iowan, live about 45 mins north of ya. Previous owner of my land left behind a 1970 AMC Hornet 2 door and a 1982 AMC Concord wagon in one of the outbuildings on the property when I bought the place back in 2005. They both sat around for years but I was able to get them both running again and back on the road. They're definitely different to work on and operate, but the obscurity of them makes you just like them more. Always have the random old timer at the hardware store or the gas station who wonders over to ask about it cause they haven't seen an AMC in 30 or 40 years.
The '70 Hornet is the cool one. The first year model with small bumpers. Is it a 2 door sedan or hatchback?
@@mexicanspec I'm not sure what the appropriate lingo is for AMCs, but it's a 2 door with a regular trunk lid doesn't have a hatch or anything.
@@_Frank_the_Tank So that would be a 2 door sedan. The first year is the best for the Hornet. After that they started with the bigger bumpers and changing the grille and stuff. In Mexico we didn't even have the Hornet Gremlin as well, until 1974 but we never had the big bumpers either.
Kind of satisfying watching someone else wash their car, amongst other maintenance tasks... Another fine video, thank you!
My grandpa had one of those cars, and eventually my little sister drove it to college. Least amount of power out of 4.2L I've ever seen, but of course that was with the California smog package.
Also, it was first car I worked on that had a serpentine belt, which melted and fell off one day when the water pump seized. I wish it had a sticker explaining the belt routing, I had to figure it out by trial and error, mostly error. Oh yeah, your gas gauge at the end of the video, on that car all the dials on the panel would simultaneously peg for a few moments every once in a while, so I wouldn't trust them too much.
My dad always figured gramps lost a bet and had to buy the car to settle up, otherwise we couldn't figure out how he got stuck with it.
So random had a guy contact us at the shop asking for multiple parts for his AMC eagle
That is random
Never see those
Ohhhh
I see you have a bunch of rides hope you help them
Sweet
The yellow on the speedometer starts at 55. The speed limit in California for freeways (and a few other states I believe) around the time this car was new was 55mph. My parents had a 1994 Ford Explorer that had a red mark at 55. I suppose it was so that you would know when you were breaking the speed limit if the needle was in the yellow. Also Sammy Hagar wrote a song about it called "I can't drive 55".
"The yellow on the speedometer starts at 55. The speed limit in California for freeways (and a few other states I believe) around the time this car was new was 55mph."
The speed limit was 55 MPH nationwide due to the National Maximum Speed Limit Law which was in effect from 1974 to 1995. I was born in 1975 so it was in effect for all my life until I was 20 years old, which includes the first ~three years that I had my driver's license. However, in 1987 a law was passed that allowed a maximum speed limit of 65 on rural interstate highways, and here in Maine most of i95 is rural, so by the time I got my license the National Maximum Speed Limit Law no longer had any teeth in my neck of the woods.
Love this, my first car was a 1980 AMC Eagle and it’s great to see one being brought back.
Enjoyed! Big fan of the Eagle, despite the misfortune of being British. My 1983 “The New Observer’s Book of Automobiles” has only the SX/4 3-door Coupe with the 2.5 litre 4cyl and a note “six-cylinder optional”. Lifting from the Concord in the same little book: “Front-mounted six-cylinder with hydraulic tappets, twin-choke downdraught carburettor (2-barrel carburator for those less British). Closed loop catalytic system; unleaded fuel (Associated Octel was still producing lead additive for UK fuel at the time; we were waaaaay later in adopting unleaded, part of the reason that elderly British cylinder heads have valve seats made of cheese). Bore 95.3mm, stroke 99mm; capacity 4230cc. Power (SAE): 120bhp (90kW) at 3500rpm; torque 206 lbf ft (285 Nm) at 1800rpm”. For the Eagle: “Power steering and glass-belted radial tyres are standard. DL models have reclining seats, woodgrain facia, styled wheel covers and other detail refinements. Roof rack is available”. Clearly designed for all your roof-based storage needs 😆 Dare I suggest that this one’s a keeper due to its place as a weird but cool footnote to the better efforts during the Malaise Era? Hoping to see more vids on the old 4x4 station-wagonette 🙂🤟🏼
UK calling, back in the 80's virtually every red ford Capri had a white stripe like the car in Starsky & Hutch as it was the only car we had with the same overall shape :)
Interesting car. Nice change from the usual Ford or GM stuff - as someone from the UK it is good to see a car from a less common American manufacturer being brought back to life. I've seen a few different AMC models, and I like. Did they have a bad reputation?
Towards the end they got worse early ones were solid especially their straight 6s are known to be the best straight 6s out there
Thanks for looking after this survivor. I love these things.
We had two of these cars when I was a kid. They were amazing cars and very reliable.
A message for Mook: Safety tip: When using knife curl your fingers back and use knuckle as a guide. Make sure your knife is super sharp and take it slow as you did. Not auto repair related but wanted to help keep your digits intact. There are some great tips for basic knife skills on YT. Thank you guys.
Yes Chef! Good advice.
Love the Eagle! It’s begging for a Jeep 4.0 swap ( or as I call it, AMC 4.0). I did one in a 65 Rambler American, the OBD1 EFI is super simple to work with, and you get rid of all the demons that make these old AMC’s run poorly.👍
Same, putting a 4.0 in my eagle was the best thing I ever did to it
4.0 and then stoker mod to make it 4.6? 😁
I really want an AMC Eagle, shame it can be hard to find them that aren't total basket cases. You got a real gem here my dude!
I really liked this one - because you did everything the right way not cutting corners.
Also because I'm from Germany a Ford Capri has a special place in my heart.
When you turn rotors I recommend hitting it with a wizzy wheel or emery cloth when it's still spinning before take it off, it reduces any chatter 👍
I had the pleasure of spending my youth years in the rear seat of one of these! I was born in 81. I loved the car! It drove me through my mullet years my rat tail years. Tight rolled Jean's and silk shirts years! Picking all the guys up from the skating rink! The good ol days. This ment more to me than you know!! Such a blast from the past right here! I love the channel kevin! I really enjoy seeing you collab with other guys. Hopefully soon I'll see you with ol cleeter in the la mullets or freedom 500. The danger ranger 9000! Cars and cameras is my other fav. So when you go there with them its always a treat. Well thanks again for bring back my memories tonight! Drew
Wow an AMC eagle, what a cool machine! I remember the first one I ever saw was at the beginning of the first back to the future movie. I've never actually seen one in person, not even in a junkyard, I've never even known anyone that owned one. Definitely a unique car that probably brings on a lot of conversation!
I really hope you keep it, the Eagle's character is rich with opportunity. Also its hodge podge of parts makes it's character much more than just another classic daily driver. AMC definitely has a niche, but this model has so many quirks and options. I appreciate the station wagon turned midsize SUV. If not, find it a good home.