My Father, who was in his late sixties at the time, bought a 1982 Eagle Wagon with the inline six cylinder engine. What a fantastic car. My dad didn't drive alot because he was retired, but that car always ran great, never rusted (which was unusual for a car in those days in New England), and lasted him for over six years. I'm not kidding when I say I would buy one today if they sold them. The new cars are good, but they have gotten so complicated and the repairs are so expensive that it's crazy. The Eagle wasn't for everyone in the looks department, and it didn't get super fuel mileage, but it did one thing very well.....the darn thing worked everytime.
Jeff Lucky- Well said. Thank you for sharing that story. I agree with what you said; cars really are too complicated these days and that just isn't for everyone. I'm not familiar with the AMC Eagle but I don't doubt it was a good car from how you describe it.
Also, it's interesting that measurement of 500 feet was used rather than the standard ¼ mile distance for time. And I don't recall hearing a 0 - 60 time statistic. Hmm.
I think you're being a little hard on him. Like the Eagle this show was the first of it's kind. They invented this format. The dialogue is a bit stiff but it was produced by a PBS station. So the tone of the script is not too surprising.
i still see quite a few of these rolling around up here in alaska, the owners rarely want to sell them. they are slow but they will go where you want them to
Gosh, these SPORTY UTILITY vehicles just might catch on! I remember these and wouldn't ever have believed that every car company would be putting one out that resembled this! A true trail blazer. Little did the announcer know that every mom would be driving one of these 4x4 SUVs by the late '90s!
My aunt had an Eagle wagon in the mid-80's. I always thought it looked funny. For a car, it sat too high, and the wheels were too big. As a kid, my friend's Country Squire wagon seemed more sleek and stylish. Now, as other commenters have noted, they were the SUV "crossovers" that weren't commonplace for another 20-30 years. I know my dad would have loved owning one of these, back in 1984 when our Buick Skyhawk slid off the entrance ramp of I-75, and 4 other motorists helped push it back onto the icy pavement, just to get stuck again. A car with 4WD? Yep, we had it, just didn't appreciate it. AMC gave us what the midwest needed, and they died years before we realized the practicality of this type of vehicle... And the "Big Three" cashed in on it.
I remember my uncle having a 4 door hatch version of that car, he was a mechanic and swapped a V8 into it, whenever my moms pontiac wagon got stuck we would walk to the payphone and call him (lol pay phones... remember those?) 20 min later we would hear this V8 roar getting louder as he came down the road sending up 4 snowy rooster tails through 3 foot snow drifts, lol, what would this world be without cool uncles?
@@JeffDeWitt the hard part is retaining the 4wd, as the front axle hangs from the engine. Then there's the matter of routing exhaust around the front driveshaft... It's actually quite the feat successfully fitting a V8 into an Eagle.
Do you have any idea what V8 your uncle put in his? I'd wonder how much had to be modified to get a V8 into one. I know they had the I6 engines in them for several years so I would think a V8 wouldn't take too much to cram in there LOL.
It's too bad AMC didn't add the 4.0 engine to the options list in September, 1986. Could you imagine this car with a 175-horsepower, fuel-injected inline six?
I was thinking the same thing LOL. Well it did pretty damn good considering antilock brakes didn't exist then...and I've found conventional brakes work better than antilock brakes anyhow.
@@kristoffer3000 I have been driving for decades and for the average person ABS probably helps but careful defensive driving is much better then almost all safety that you are in control of. No amount of safety will halp bad driving habits and ABS is no exception.
@@kristoffer3000 ABS isn't a god sent miracle, it increases breaking distances, can be triggered on a dry road when a bump is encountered by a single wheel and generally doesn't help much on ice as it doesn't realize you maybe sliding... Not to mention the increased cost to the vehicle and the extra possible maintenance but I digress. My point was and is defensive driving is better for preventing accidents then ABS but that being said I am not agianst a car with ABS but it really isn't needed if you follow what you were taught in drivers education but calling someone names and telling someone you hope they crash because they too find it unnecessarily is a bit harsh don't you think?
Many of the mail carriers used to drive the AMC Eagles because they'd go anywhere. We used to get quite a bit of snow, and the mail carriers would do great in the Eagles. Many have now switched to the older jeep cherokees.
The fact that AMC, not a member of the former "Big Three", with their minuscule budget could even finance this project is quite amazing. Add to that the sheer innovation of this car, (that to this day is still copied by everyone and their brother) and you have some very good reasons why AMC lasted as long as it did on relevantly small profits. Many people don't realize that, besides their tiny budget, AMC also had to deal with billions of dollars in lawsuits because of their Jeep "CJ", (Civilian Jeep) tendency to roll over. The legal costs and eventual payouts nearly bankrupted the little company. Then, when the US military ended their contract to buy the AMC built military Jeep they seemed to be doomed, however AMC cleverly discontinued it and upgraded it to the Jeep Wrangler, but did so in a very cost-effective manner; they just took in-house parts from their well designed number one selling Jeep Wagoneer and put them in their newly redesigned Jeep, dubbed the "Wrangler", AKA, "The Yuppie Jeep". My father worked for AMC back in the 1960's, yes... I'm old... some of the AMC Rambler salesman demo-cars that he brought home were admittedly a bit on the mundane and on the sparse side, but they were perfect for families on a tight budget and AMC had a very loyal following, (Back then there was a thing called, "Brand Loyalty" in America). On-the-other-hand, some of them were true American Muscle Cars, like AMC's Javelin and Rebel; plus they were very affordable powerhouses, as opposed to the more sporty and detailed Muscle Cars built by Ford, GM and Chrysler.
Mark Donohue won the TransAM series with s Javelin. (Earlier he won the series with Chevy). My K teacher aunt always had AMC vehicles. in the mid-'80's I did some high speed Western back road driving with a then fullsize Jeep Cherokee. Including moderate 'air' jumps at 62 mph. I had an AMC Eagle SX4 in the mid to late '90's. Wonderful for backroad woods' driving on our cabin road. Even a snowy parking lot was fun.
@@landonbenford8369No, all the smaller brands put together to make AMC still didn't equal the sales of one GM division. It was just the Big Three, and then everyone else.
Father in law had one of these about 18 years ago. he ran it as a commuter car for about ten years. he loved it, one of his favorite cars for going to work he ever had before or after. It rode very nicely for it's capability, got really nice MPG, and was very very stable and capable on snowy roads. it was quiet inside, and had a good heater. He sold it to his brother some years back now and rust eventually got to it. Would probably still make a nice car, except for how fast(and selfishly) everyone drives nowdays I think it would be a bit frustrating to drive it in town nowdays.
John Davis has always had a bit of deadpan comedy to his commentary, which always added a little extra to this show. One of my favorite comments of his was about a Japanese car that he said wasn't "everyone's cup of rice wine".
AMC was so great, I can't even COMPREHEND what they would be making today! This is the most GORGEOUS vehicle ever made! The Wagon and sedan too as well as the Concord and Spirit. I have been to buy one but they have become so rare.
AMC probably would be an All-SUV maker today. Just as back in the 80's, they were pretty much about to phase-out all "car" production and focus on the Jeeps. Today, I would imagine they'd have an impressive Jeep lineup with maybe one or two smaller "crossover" vehicles. Once again, because of ridiculous CAFE standards, even GM, Ford & the undead corpse of Chrysler are about to phase-out passenger car production in a few years. They just can't get cars to make 55-60 miles per gallon.
Due to the weight distribution and the 4WD system they were pretty dang hard to beat in snow/ice. Our mail carriers here in Southwest Idaho used to use the AMC Eagles for mail cars because they'd go through the snow/ice like it was just a nice sunny summer day, the snow/ice didn't seem to phase these cars.
I live in Idaho, many of our mail carriers used to drive the AMC Eagles, in one version or another, most of them had the 4 door models though. They did awesome in the winter, back when we used to have real winters here with lots of ice and snow. I don't recall any of them ever having to chain up...many switched to Subarus for a while as it seemed the only logical replacement to the old AMC Eagle...then recently several have started using early model Jeep Cherokees with right hand drive. Funny they started out with AMC Eagles, then to Subaru and now back to an AMC (Jeep). I've had several vehicles over the years and I had a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee for several years and it got me through anything I pointed it at, even if there wasn't a road or trail in front of me, it went through just fine. It seemed to handle the ice and snow better than any other vehicle I had. After several years of an empty feeling without my Jeep I am back in another Jeep Grand Cherokee, this time a 98 with the 4.0L I6 again but this time with the Selec-Trac 4WD system rather than the Quadra-Trac that my 96 had...not that the Quadra-Trac was bad, it did amazing, I just like the ability to select 2WD since most of the time 4WD isn't really needed anymore.
I drove my 2wd Gremlin 6cyl,3spd through a snowstorm on the trails/fireroads at the northern tip and made it.I wish I'd had 3x4 so I could've topped the last hill and gone under and lapped but it was too rutted.(I mean washed out 2-3ft ruts up and down last hill)We walked to the top and could see the city about 10 miles,and both said we wished it were an Eagle.
My Grandmother owned an '84 Eagle Wagon. Had it until '04 when she could no longer drive it. I remember it like yesterday. It was brown with silver/chrome trim and tan interior. Never had any rust on it until the last few years she had it. I remember it was insanely easy to do basic maintenance on and even things like the Timing Belt were pretty easy. (by comparison to other vehicles I have done it on) The only issues she ever had with it was a troublesome Vacuum leak in the 4WD. They were vacuum operated. Turned out to be an old vacuum hose on the diaphragm mounted to the transfer case. Really a decent and reliable car for it's time.
I'm sure that was a spot driver to provide a buffer and notice for other traffic behind them for the few minute bursts when Motor Trend was conducting these tests.
Too bad they only mentioned the gutless Pontiac 4 banger and did not mention the optional AMC 258 inline 6. (Approx 4.2 liters) that had much more power. That engine was later dropped to 4.0 liters and used for many many years in the Jeep line up. My uncle had the AMC EAGLE but the longer wagon model and the 258 inline 6 engine.
dodgeguyz what the actual fuck are you talking about? None of the 3 I have currently leak or have leaked, and 2 years ago I had 5 of them, none of which leaked, ever.
@@robertdevito5001 I have two, in Jeeps. 30 years old and NO OIL LEAKS. I'm in Southern Nevada, so no rust. I'll have my Jeeps till I die. They're irreplaceable.
Actually this would compare most to a Jeep Compass, which was supposed to be a type of Jeep car, but it was terrible. The AMC Eagle SX/4 is the only real 'Jeep' car.
These are great cars. I've owned 2, with my 2nd one (4 door wagon) I just swapped in a Jeep XJ drivetrain (AW4 / NP242 / 4.0L / 8.25" rear axle / 3.54 gears) with all the fuel injection and ODB1 goodness. I truly believe if AMC was a bit more on the ball with the 4.0 + fuel injection, and have released the XJ a few years earlier we would still see AMC on the roads. I might add that the Eagle firewall is identical to the XJ, hardly a difference, even with the bosses and drill spots. I bet AMC had used the Eagle as their XJ test bed and would have put in Renix then ODB1. Oh, the 4.0 feels natural in the Eagle. It's a beast :)
I had an 81 Eagle SX4 Sport. Incredible little car...and it didn't have the switch like the 82's and up. It had the Ferguson 4x4 setup with a viscous coupling in the front driveline to allow some slippage while turning and no binding up of the driveline on dry pavement. The car was unstoppable in snow and bad weather. I absolutely loved it! The only complaint I could make is it had the Sport steering package which was super fast in response. Maybe a little too fast for a car with a higher center of gravity. Had to pay attention to steering inputs on the highway! LoL
I wish someone would bring these back..I loved them back in the day too...they where ahead of their time in every way...that safety switch on the drive selector is something all vehicles should have
I remember friends had one of these, and it had the high-end interior and had "premium audio". The factory stereo looked normal enough, but there was a pull knob, like a headlight switch, which would activate a factory booster amplifier and added a significant improvement in volume and bass in the audio. Weird factory "afterthought" features back in the 1970s and 1980s.
This AMC is both the precursor and the antithesis to modern SUVs. While people buy SUVs for their form, and not their function, you would buy an Eagle for the opposite. I had a chance to buy a very nice condition eagle as my first car but I passed on it due to its age and bought a Jeep some years later. My neighbour ended up buying it and since then it's been left to rust on his lawn. A shame really, such a unique vehicle that was truly ahead of its time.
I instantly got BMW X6 vibes when I saw the side profile lol. Probably because i once owned an X6. But this really looks like a retro SUV coupe that BMW, Mercedes and Audi rob you blind to purchase. Many of AMC designs were forward thinking, imagine what they’d be producing had they survived to this day.
Love the retro MW tests! SO innocent compared to today's tests - nobody would put up with anything close to the dynamics of an AMC Eagle today. Little did John know how much these crossovers would take off 20 years or so after the Eagle!
My grandparents on both sides had one of these in the 80's. Both had blue with wood trim 4 door wagons. I remember my grandmother getting stuck in NH on a steep hill in foot-high snow during a storm within sight of her house. We finally had to give up and walk the rest of the way, but the trip was still fun and the car, for the most part, got us to our destination in a difficult situation. I've always had a place in my heart for the AMC Eagle.
My father owned AMC eagle automatic back in 80-83(?)...and it was purchased with low miles and it was his pride and joy and took it to shops for little repairs once every 3-4 weeks to get things fixed. I remember the ride was pretty good and quirky door interior door handle was odd but ok. It didn’t rust driven through salted highways of Michigan but he took care of it well. It spent a lot of times inside repair shop though. It seems like he would replace one thing and another thing goes wrong. I was around 10 years old at the time but I do remember the car showed signs of not running correctly after 50-60k. Still we managed to drive during winter seasons and it was a pride and joy lol.
These early episodes show the performance testing being done on what looks like a section of finished but un-opened or closed highway. Anybody know what the deal was there?
My mother in law had an 1982 Eagle Wagon 4x4 in Burgundy over burgundy velour with the wood on the sides - it was a beast off road and a little agricultural on tarmac but a fantastic vehicle, way ahead of it's time - a great car!
I like when the guy yells get off my property and you hear shotgun blast of rock salt. Then they drive off with the Christmas tree on top. Good for you Motorweek good for you
Wish they would've tested this car with the 6 cylinder engine instead of the 4 banger, I'm sure the 0-60mph run would've been adequate with the 6 cylinder engine.
I use too work in a restaurant as a dishwasher way back in 1981 as a teenager on the jersey shore, one of the managers had one and for the short time I was there, he said it was a rock solid vehicle. Whenever there was snow, he was the one who always showed up no matter what.
Great little car. My grandparents had one. Pretty dark blue with gold stripes. It looked like this one but had better looking hubcaps and an automatic. Must have been a positive track because it never spun a tire in the deepest snow here in Ohio nor in the lose sand on Daytona Beach. Had a lot more traction than power that's for sure. Was the last car that they ever needed. Lasted them until they no longer could drive. I think it had only 28,000 miles on it when my cousin bought it for their daughter in 1990. A friend of mine had a station wagon (ugly wood grain on the sides) with the 6 cylinder auto and it was a great car also. They would go anywhere.
I wish there were any generous Eagle SX/4 owner who is willing to create a field comparison video against modern ShortWheelBase crossovers like Suzuki SX4, Subaru XV, BMW X6, Nissan Juke, Volvo XC30, Mitsubishi Outlander, or even Lamborghini Urus. Well, this calls for Mr. Jay Leno. So clueless people would be aware of SX/4's ability. From my point of view, this car should be labeled as COLLECTIBLE ITEM.
galihxtreme I had an 81 Eagle Pioneer 4x4 Wagon. Woodgrain Panel & all. It took on a Michigan Winter like it was nothing. I got in 87 for my 16th birthday. I had it for 6 yrs & bought a 93 Ranger STX 4x4. Ive been theough 4 Jeeps since then, & I now have a 2011 Mariner 4x4. Nothing Ive driven since my Eagle was that good. Eagles were just tough in every way! They were way ahead oof their time.
Of COURSE Julie sold it after 6 years. Right about that time, the top of the front fenders were bubbling up with rust and due to rot out. All the 4 wheel drive in the world doesn't help when you can't see out of the windshield.
A friend of my wife had one of these with the 258ci. motor and automatic trans. It had full time 4wd and got about 14 mpgs. It was unstoppable on slick roads though. Great bad weather car.
The perfect car for those northern states where real eagles and a lot of snow flies!! A great concept that was, yes, ahead of its time. Like Marty McFly said, ‘maybe you aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it!’
AMC UNO DE LOS MEJORES! Un señor vehículo que ayudó a marcar la historia del país si bien no fue coche de lujo y se hicieron muy pocos, hoy en día ver uno llama mucho la atención y atrae la vista de toda persona quienes amamos los autos clásicos.
It was that struggle to meet the mileage consumers wanted and keep adding the pollution controls the government insisted upon. Even most of the "Muscle Cars" were anemic in stock trim at this time.
Under powered? Remember back in the day when these cars were built, the speed limits were 55MPH. They aren't underpowered at all, rather people don't get the fact that those cars weighed a lot more than the plastic shit built today and back then with lower speed limits and a totally different driving style they had plenty of power. Also, the vehicle in this test only had the 4 cylinder, they had an option for a 258CID Straight 6 engine which had more power of course but the straight 6 engines had a lot more torque which made them much stronger off the line.
William Todd compare these engines with anything from 20 years prior or after and they were pathetic. I know they used the absolute worst engine possible for these tests, but the 258 had way less power than it had before, compare the 1980 360 v8 to a 360 v8 from 1970 and its not even close. I just pulled the stock carb off of one and slapped on a cheap holley 2bbl, without even tuning it in, the original was tuned in, the engine was way more responsive and got way better gas mileage, of course now that it's getting tuned in the comparison is getting even more dramatic. These engines were good engines, AMC was using forged cranks and rods ffs, but they weren't living up to their potential at this time.
@@robertdevito5001 These were at the beginning of mandated pollution controls and they didn't quite have it figured out. I installed a TBI from a 4.3 Blazer and a GM HEI (on a 258) I still have it and it will smoke the tires on the Jeep!
My 1st American Baby i lost with my DIVORCE IN 2005. I OWNED IT SINCE 1984. I CRIED WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE HER BEHIND SHE WAS NAMED CHRISTINE AFTER THE 1959 PLYMOUTH FURY. SHE NEVER BROKE DOWN FAR FROM HOME. SHE ALWAYS MADE IT HOME SO TO NEVER LEAVE DAD STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVEN WHEN THE TIMING BELT BROKE I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE HER HOME AND REPLACE PARTS. SHE EVEN RAN WITH A BENT CAM SHAFT AND SLAPPED VALVES AFTER BREAK OF TIMING GEAR!💓💓💓 I LOVED THE SJARED LOVE WE HAD FOR EACH OTHER. BEST AMERICAN MADE CAR I EVER OWNED!💯%
Oh god, people today would bitch whine and moan if they had to flip a lever to engage 4WD. That's why so many vehicles are going to just straight all wheel drive, no buttons, switches, knobs, or god forbid a damn lever which means they'd have to put their phone down and actually operate the vehicle.
My mom had one as her first car, she loved the thing. We lived in the test market for Yugos in NY, when the senior prank involved the football team physically picking up the many Yugos and other hatchbacks of students & faculty and rearranging them in the parking lot, they got to my mom's Eagle and couldn't move it 😆
What a wonderful offering from little AMC! I remember when this design first hit the dealerships showrooms, I was in my 20's and took my mother-in-law down to the local AMC dealer to check them out. She ended up buying an AMC Spirit, which lasted her nearly 20 years until she traded it off on a new 'Retirement Cadillac'. AMC was WAY AHEAD of its time with this clever design. In utilizing existing material and equipment AMC ingeniously gave the consumer what it needed, extending the life of the little company in the process, if just for a little while. It's so sad, today you can't even buy a real, American-designed automobile any longer. American 'Luxo-Boats' or American 'Personal Luxury Cars', among every other All-American designs are now just fond memories. Except for those of us who have collections of those wonderful ole American cars, people are now forced into buying combined European/Japanese designs! *WHICH REALLY PISSES ME OFF!* Why the American auto manufactures can't comprehend the obvious marketing potential of older American car designs is beyond me; for example: Every time a U.S. car co. produces a retro type American car they sell like mad! (just look at the success of both Dodge Hellcat & Barracuda!) Whenever a U.S. manufacturer builds an evocative automobile, which the vast majority of Americans truly desire, the offering is short-lived, almost an afterthought. … MADNESS! Other than that extremely rare occurrence, people just have to buy and drive the overcomplicated, over-priced, extremely expensive to repair, ALL Front wheel drive cars which also ALL LOOK ALIKE! At least we older folks had the opportunity to drive Real American Automobiles. So sad too bad, 21st century kids.
There was just no way this car ever had a chance to succeed. The concept was too far ahead of its time but the car itself was shackled to an earlier generation with its Hornet/Gremlin based platform. Those guys at AMC just couldn't win.
+Buelligan88 Actually, it did succeed. It just was so niche that it was just successful in certain parts of North America. They needed a bit to iron out the kinks, and once they did, they designed the Cherokee, but didn't have enough money to bring it to market, and were bought by Chrysler just for that model, which they still claim as their own.
***** I do not disagree with you. However for the typical buyer the stance was likely off putting to say the least. If they had kept the ride height standard or close to standard, AMC would have been the Subaru of it's time and maybe the Subaru of today and still in business. Instead, they are the one (IMO) bright spot in the Chrysler portfolio and no one connects them to AMC except for the cognoscenti.
The AMC Eagle is still one of my favorite cars. Just timeless. Few realize it wasn't innovation that made the Eagle. It was crossbreeding a Hornet/Concord with a Jeep. Jeep was at its best in the AMC family. A great blend.
So sad that America chose shitty truck-based SUVs instead of amazing 4wd cars like this. Eh, we paid for it with all those rollover fatalities I guess..
+Farts McGee Exactly. I thought these were the coolest things on 4 wheels when I first saw a neighbor with one. I think they were what sparked the SUV fire (along with the Cherokee and Bronco II which was tweaked to become the smash hit "Explorer"). I thought they were exciting because they were jacked up 4WD cars, not trucks in disguise. The former is a better balance of things, which American companies FINALLY caught on to just a few years ago.
They didn't though. The XJ was designed with things they learned from this car. It shares the Unibody construction and is just a better performer all around. I love Eagles but a Cherokee is just a better product for a more eager buyer. Every Jeep since then has been unibody. Only full-size SUV's today have a frame.
I am quite astonished that I have failed to spot this channel sooner. Very much enjoy watching these, meticulous and to the point and personally I find, rather retro particularly the review of the 83 Audi Quattro. My old man had the exact same one in the day, that turbo charged 5 cylinder engine sounded wonderful, it just put me in mind of the Group B rally Quattro. This AMC Eagle I think is one of histories forgotten cars, and that's wrong.
I knew a guy that had a 82 wagon with a six in it. We were in HS when he bought it and it was only 4 years old or something like that but you could buy them for damn near nothing because nobody wanted them in the mid 80's. It really was pretty cool and I wish I could buy something like it now that didn't cost a fortune. AMC was waaayyy ahead of the game with this vehicle. If they could have held on another 10 years AMC would have been making millions on this car. Now I gotta find one.
I had an old used 84 Eagle sedan with the inline 4.2 6 cyl auto trans and put the smallest B.F Goodrich Mud Terrains they made on it sounded like a jacked up 4X4 rolling down the road and reminded me of the old Stomper toys i had as a kid lol it was a great car for living in Michigan.
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The AMC Eagle was way ahead of it's time. This was really the first modern day crossover vehicle before the term crossover vehicle existed.
dwilsonjr78 Very true, I wished there weren't so many crossovers these days since I'm more a station wagon guy.
*****
I'm a fan station wagons as well. I would like it if there were more around and they were equipped with a good V8 and rear wheel drive.
Robert Baratheon no v8 , can be swapped in easily enuf tho!
Shawn Dessart crossover is just a fancy name for station wagon in a few years noones gonna want them
It's all about the "HatchUV" now. Toyota C-HR, Eclipse Cross, Mazda CX4, Nissan Juke..a car like the eagle now would crush
This review is epic. They filmed the interior segment in the dark and did the performance testing on icy asphalt.
the fuck?
@Womb Raider when did america stop being great?
@@isaakwelch3451 from 2008-2016 it was going the wrong direction. Thank God for Trump!
They TRIED to spin that thing, but it held firm.
@@Mjc103 I couldn't disagree more.
My Father, who was in his late sixties at the time, bought a 1982 Eagle Wagon with the inline six cylinder engine. What a fantastic car. My dad didn't drive alot because he was retired, but that car always ran great, never rusted (which was unusual for a car in those days in New England), and lasted him for over six years.
I'm not kidding when I say I would buy one today if they sold them. The new cars are good, but they have gotten so complicated and the repairs are so expensive that it's crazy. The Eagle wasn't for everyone in the looks department, and it didn't get super fuel mileage, but it did one thing very well.....the darn thing worked everytime.
Jeff Lucky I always loved those cars
Jeff Lucky- Well said. Thank you for sharing that story. I agree with what you said; cars really are too complicated these days and that just isn't for everyone. I'm not familiar with the AMC Eagle but I don't doubt it was a good car from how you describe it.
Jeff Lucky if he didn't drive it a lot should have lasted a lot longer than 6 years.
My brother had one -- great car!! hard ride though
@@kennyholeater2494 that's why they did well off road we Wyoming people like stuff ride means good off roading
I like how the braking tests were done with an arbitrary percentage of the road covered in snow and ice.
+cptnoremac That what I was thinking... I'm pretty sure it would've done better on dry pavement.
Sounds like a real world test to me
@@phoenixlove76 When producing statistics, standardization is more important than realism.
Also, it's interesting that measurement of 500 feet was used rather than the standard ¼ mile distance for time. And I don't recall hearing a 0 - 60 time statistic. Hmm.
Even without snow or ice, cold/frozen pavement makes a huge difference in stopping distances vs warm pavement.
"Lets move inside, to look inside." alrighty
PFPTHEGREATEST hilarious
The cold must have been getting to him LMAO
Well no shit! why the hell else would you go inside the car, especially when your reveiwing the damm thing!
Allow myself to introduce myself
I think you're being a little hard on him. Like the Eagle this show was the first of it's kind. They invented this format. The dialogue is a bit stiff but it was produced by a PBS station. So the tone of the script is not too surprising.
i still see quite a few of these rolling around up here in alaska, the owners rarely want to sell them. they are slow but they will go where you want them to
Slow but they'll pass every new electronic controlled car out there that's sitting at the side of the road stuck in snow LOL.
siamiam I know this comment is three years old, but I have a complete 84’ Eagle wagon in Eagle River I’ll be getting rid of soon.
Parts must be an issue.
@@a.i.mechanic4236 Actually... Not too bad.
I found one for $800 and so wanted to buy it
The issue was a missing title :(
Gosh, these SPORTY UTILITY vehicles just might catch on! I remember these and wouldn't ever have believed that every car company would be putting one out that resembled this! A true trail blazer. Little did the announcer know that every mom would be driving one of these 4x4 SUVs by the late '90s!
Jeep engineering combined with car comforts... pioneers
My aunt had an Eagle wagon in the mid-80's. I always thought it looked funny. For a car, it sat too high, and the wheels were too big. As a kid, my friend's Country Squire wagon seemed more sleek and stylish. Now, as other commenters have noted, they were the SUV "crossovers" that weren't commonplace for another 20-30 years. I know my dad would have loved owning one of these, back in 1984 when our Buick Skyhawk slid off the entrance ramp of I-75, and 4 other motorists helped push it back onto the icy pavement, just to get stuck again. A car with 4WD? Yep, we had it, just didn't appreciate it. AMC gave us what the midwest needed, and they died years before we realized the practicality of this type of vehicle... And the "Big Three" cashed in on it.
I remember my uncle having a 4 door hatch version of that car, he was a mechanic and swapped a V8 into it, whenever my moms pontiac wagon got stuck we would walk to the payphone and call him (lol pay phones... remember those?) 20 min later we would hear this V8 roar getting louder as he came down the road sending up 4 snowy rooster tails through 3 foot snow drifts, lol, what would this world be without cool uncles?
Some cool videos on youtube of V8 powered eagles.
It probably wasn't a hard swap. AMC did offer V8's in Hornets, and the Eagle was basically a 4WD Hornet.
Prodriver33 he soundes like a true cool 80s man, unfortunately those are becoming a dieing breed
@@JeffDeWitt the hard part is retaining the 4wd, as the front axle hangs from the engine. Then there's the matter of routing exhaust around the front driveshaft... It's actually quite the feat successfully fitting a V8 into an Eagle.
Do you have any idea what V8 your uncle put in his? I'd wonder how much had to be modified to get a V8 into one. I know they had the I6 engines in them for several years so I would think a V8 wouldn't take too much to cram in there LOL.
Brute, simple, straightforward! We miss you AmC
The AMC Eagle is brute, simple with force and resistence
Even with an Iron Duke this thing was 25 years ahead of its time.
It's too bad AMC didn't add the 4.0 engine to the options list in September, 1986. Could you imagine this car with a 175-horsepower, fuel-injected inline six?
Braking was bad... oh we tested it on ice BTW...
I was thinking the same thing LOL. Well it did pretty damn good considering antilock brakes didn't exist then...and I've found conventional brakes work better than antilock brakes anyhow.
@@kristoffer3000 I have been driving for decades and for the average person ABS probably helps but careful defensive driving is much better then almost all safety that you are in control of. No amount of safety will halp bad driving habits and ABS is no exception.
@@AtomicReverend what's your point?
@@kristoffer3000 ABS isn't a god sent miracle, it increases breaking distances, can be triggered on a dry road when a bump is encountered by a single wheel and generally doesn't help much on ice as it doesn't realize you maybe sliding... Not to mention the increased cost to the vehicle and the extra possible maintenance but I digress.
My point was and is defensive driving is better for preventing accidents then ABS but that being said I am not agianst a car with ABS but it really isn't needed if you follow what you were taught in drivers education but calling someone names and telling someone you hope they crash because they too find it unnecessarily is a bit harsh don't you think?
@@AtomicReverend no, go lock your tires up and crash
Many of the mail carriers used to drive the AMC Eagles because they'd go anywhere. We used to get quite a bit of snow, and the mail carriers would do great in the Eagles. Many have now switched to the older jeep cherokees.
The fact that AMC, not a member of the former "Big Three", with their minuscule budget could even finance this project is quite amazing. Add to that the sheer innovation of this car, (that to this day is still copied by everyone and their brother) and you have some very good reasons why AMC lasted as long as it did on relevantly small profits. Many people don't realize that, besides their tiny budget, AMC also had to deal with billions of dollars in lawsuits because of their Jeep "CJ", (Civilian Jeep) tendency to roll over. The legal costs and eventual payouts nearly bankrupted the little company. Then, when the US military ended their contract to buy the AMC built military Jeep they seemed to be doomed, however AMC cleverly discontinued it and upgraded it to the Jeep Wrangler, but did so in a very cost-effective manner; they just took in-house parts from their well designed number one selling Jeep Wagoneer and put them in their newly redesigned Jeep, dubbed the "Wrangler", AKA, "The Yuppie Jeep". My father worked for AMC back in the 1960's, yes... I'm old... some of the AMC Rambler salesman demo-cars that he brought home were admittedly a bit on the mundane and on the sparse side, but they were perfect for families on a tight budget and AMC had a very loyal following, (Back then there was a thing called, "Brand Loyalty" in America). On-the-other-hand, some of them were true American Muscle Cars, like AMC's Javelin and Rebel; plus they were very affordable powerhouses, as opposed to the more sporty and detailed Muscle Cars built by Ford, GM and Chrysler.
Mark Donohue won the TransAM series with s Javelin. (Earlier he won the series with Chevy). My K teacher aunt always had AMC vehicles. in the mid-'80's I did some high speed Western back road driving with a then fullsize Jeep Cherokee. Including moderate 'air' jumps at 62 mph. I had an AMC Eagle SX4 in the mid to late '90's. Wonderful for backroad woods' driving on our cabin road. Even a snowy parking lot was fun.
Were they all called the Big Four back then??
@@landonbenford8369No, all the smaller brands put together to make AMC still didn't equal the sales of one GM division.
It was just the Big Three, and then everyone else.
Father in law had one of these about 18 years ago. he ran it as a commuter car for about ten years. he loved it, one of his favorite cars for going to work he ever had before or after. It rode very nicely for it's capability, got really nice MPG, and was very very stable and capable on snowy roads. it was quiet inside, and had a good heater. He sold it to his brother some years back now and rust eventually got to it. Would probably still make a nice car, except for how fast(and selfishly) everyone drives nowdays I think it would be a bit frustrating to drive it in town nowdays.
2:20 "Let's go inside, to look inside.." Lol I love these old videos
John Davis has always had a bit of deadpan comedy to his commentary, which always added a little extra to this show. One of my favorite comments of his was about a Japanese car that he said wasn't "everyone's cup of rice wine".
2:17 "Let's move inside to look inside." Brilliant writing guys!
AMC, the company with the right ideas. Far ahead of its time, the ideas, that is. The execution however, well....
An alternative to the Big 3 of US, EU and JP. Heard AMC did export its Javelin to RHD countries.
AMC was so great, I can't even COMPREHEND what they would be making today! This is the most GORGEOUS vehicle ever made! The Wagon and sedan too as well as the Concord and Spirit. I have been to buy one but they have become so rare.
AMC probably would be an All-SUV maker today. Just as back in the 80's, they were pretty much about to phase-out all "car" production and focus on the Jeeps. Today, I would imagine they'd have an impressive Jeep lineup with maybe one or two smaller "crossover" vehicles. Once again, because of ridiculous CAFE standards, even GM, Ford & the undead corpse of Chrysler are about to phase-out passenger car production in a few years. They just can't get cars to make 55-60 miles per gallon.
I know two people right now that have the station wagon versions of these cars. They are very impressive in the snow.
Due to the weight distribution and the 4WD system they were pretty dang hard to beat in snow/ice. Our mail carriers here in Southwest Idaho used to use the AMC Eagles for mail cars because they'd go through the snow/ice like it was just a nice sunny summer day, the snow/ice didn't seem to phase these cars.
I also enjoy popping my hood and tugging/ripping at things until they come loose
Man from Nantucket ...and then go in the interior and do the same...especially the gear lever
I bet this car would be great in a place like the Rocky Mountains, or Michigan's UP.
I live in Idaho, many of our mail carriers used to drive the AMC Eagles, in one version or another, most of them had the 4 door models though. They did awesome in the winter, back when we used to have real winters here with lots of ice and snow. I don't recall any of them ever having to chain up...many switched to Subarus for a while as it seemed the only logical replacement to the old AMC Eagle...then recently several have started using early model Jeep Cherokees with right hand drive. Funny they started out with AMC Eagles, then to Subaru and now back to an AMC (Jeep).
I've had several vehicles over the years and I had a 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee for several years and it got me through anything I pointed it at, even if there wasn't a road or trail in front of me, it went through just fine. It seemed to handle the ice and snow better than any other vehicle I had. After several years of an empty feeling without my Jeep I am back in another Jeep Grand Cherokee, this time a 98 with the 4.0L I6 again but this time with the Selec-Trac 4WD system rather than the Quadra-Trac that my 96 had...not that the Quadra-Trac was bad, it did amazing, I just like the ability to select 2WD since most of the time 4WD isn't really needed anymore.
I drove my 2wd Gremlin 6cyl,3spd through a snowstorm on the trails/fireroads at the northern tip and made it.I wish I'd had 3x4 so I could've topped the last hill and gone under and lapped but it was too rutted.(I mean washed out 2-3ft ruts up and down last hill)We walked to the top and could see the city about 10 miles,and both said we wished it were an Eagle.
The original Outback Sport.
If I had been born in the 60's or 70's I'd be driving the wagon. What a great car.
I remember these well. Man I love AMC.
My Grandmother owned an '84 Eagle Wagon. Had it until '04 when she could no longer drive it. I remember it like yesterday. It was brown with silver/chrome trim and tan interior. Never had any rust on it until the last few years she had it. I remember it was insanely easy to do basic maintenance on and even things like the Timing Belt were pretty easy. (by comparison to other vehicles I have done it on) The only issues she ever had with it was a troublesome Vacuum leak in the 4WD. They were vacuum operated. Turned out to be an old vacuum hose on the diaphragm mounted to the transfer case. Really a decent and reliable car for it's time.
4:56 The driver in the car behind the Eagle must have thought the man in front of him had gone insane!
I'm sure that was a spot driver to provide a buffer and notice for other traffic behind them for the few minute bursts when Motor Trend was conducting these tests.
The vehicle behind was also the rear camera car. Re-watch the video and you’ll see it also shows the same evasive moves from behind.
😂😂😂😂😂
Motorweek was based in Owings Mills, MD. Those shots were filmed on i-795, b4 the hwy was completed & open to the public in the later '80s.
3:58
Considering that the driver in question was no less than John Davis himself, it's entirely possible.
I love these retro reviews, and wish I owned almost everyone of the cars that have been reviewed. The Eagle was awesome,
My dad had one of these from new. It caught on fire one day just sitting in the parking lot at work.
Been watching for over 30+ years. Now 39 and still my favorite show.
Ahead of its time!
These cars are still running around here in Ohio... Go to any local junk yard, it's hard to find one that rusted away
AMC inspired the Subaru Outback...Ohio is flooded with POS HONDA
Too bad they only mentioned the gutless Pontiac 4 banger and did not mention the optional AMC 258 inline 6. (Approx 4.2 liters) that had much more power.
That engine was later dropped to 4.0 liters and used for many many years in the Jeep line up.
My uncle had the AMC EAGLE but the longer wagon model and the 258 inline 6 engine.
The old 258 was indeed a good mill. Emissions and a staged 2bbl limited them to around 112hp or so, but they ran forever and were easy to maintain.
That engine would have been way better with much more torque.
Adam Trombino
And leaked oil like....a, well,.........an AMC straight 6!
dodgeguyz what the actual fuck are you talking about? None of the 3 I have currently leak or have leaked, and 2 years ago I had 5 of them, none of which leaked, ever.
@@robertdevito5001 I have two, in Jeeps. 30 years old and NO OIL LEAKS. I'm in Southern Nevada, so no rust. I'll have my Jeeps till I die. They're irreplaceable.
I'd prefer an Eagle over a Jeep Liberty or renegade
Actually this would compare most to a Jeep Compass, which was supposed to be a type of Jeep car, but it was terrible. The AMC Eagle SX/4 is the only real 'Jeep' car.
Jon Doe its not street legal anymore
Horny Pervert huh? Mine sure is.
Jon Doe Jeep should make an sx4
Jon Doe i like the jeeps and wranglers ,i dont see nothing wrong with them.this vehicle is ok, probably before my time,pretty neat car
These are great cars. I've owned 2, with my 2nd one (4 door wagon) I just swapped in a Jeep XJ drivetrain (AW4 / NP242 / 4.0L / 8.25" rear axle / 3.54 gears) with all the fuel injection and ODB1 goodness. I truly believe if AMC was a bit more on the ball with the 4.0 + fuel injection, and have released the XJ a few years earlier we would still see AMC on the roads.
I might add that the Eagle firewall is identical to the XJ, hardly a difference, even with the bosses and drill spots. I bet AMC had used the Eagle as their XJ test bed and would have put in Renix then ODB1.
Oh, the 4.0 feels natural in the Eagle. It's a beast :)
Why not 3.73 gears?
I had an 81 Eagle SX4 Sport. Incredible little car...and it didn't have the switch like the 82's and up. It had the Ferguson 4x4 setup with a viscous coupling in the front driveline to allow some slippage while turning and no binding up of the driveline on dry pavement. The car was unstoppable in snow and bad weather. I absolutely loved it! The only complaint I could make is it had the Sport steering package which was super fast in response. Maybe a little too fast for a car with a higher center of gravity. Had to pay attention to steering inputs on the highway! LoL
I remember back in the day when everyone had one of these in Vermont....and an International scout
Wow it's nice to see this great show. I never missed it when I was a child. I never got in automobile sales but this show got me into collecting cars.
Remember when these were everywhere?
Pepperidge Farm remembers.
And here we see the first Crossover, and it looks really really good. It's a car on a truck frame, perfect!
RIP AMC
I wish someone would bring these back..I loved them back in the day too...they where ahead of their time in every way...that safety switch on the drive selector is something all vehicles should have
I remember friends had one of these, and it had the high-end interior and had "premium audio". The factory stereo looked normal enough, but there was a pull knob, like a headlight switch, which would activate a factory booster amplifier and added a significant improvement in volume and bass in the audio. Weird factory "afterthought" features back in the 1970s and 1980s.
@Lake Nipissing Yeah, I bet they still had an "eight track" available as an option..
This AMC is both the precursor and the antithesis to modern SUVs. While people buy SUVs for their form, and not their function, you would buy an Eagle for the opposite.
I had a chance to buy a very nice condition eagle as my first car but I passed on it due to its age and bought a Jeep some years later. My neighbour ended up buying it and since then it's been left to rust on his lawn. A shame really, such a unique vehicle that was truly ahead of its time.
Has anyone noticed that the old Motorweek set features a Tesla Cybertruck model in the background? 0:09. Mind is blown 🤯
I instantly got BMW X6 vibes when I saw the side profile lol. Probably because i once owned an X6. But this really looks like a retro SUV coupe that BMW, Mercedes and Audi rob you blind to purchase. Many of AMC designs were forward thinking, imagine what they’d be producing had they survived to this day.
Terrific vehicles and so ahead of its time. SUV of the 80s.
An absolutely amazing car. AMC saved one of their best for last.
The shifter sounds horrifying...
+ScaryGhost1 crackling ,,like it will come loose,,,,looks cheap too
sounds agricultural
That would be the T5, leave you walking too
It sounds like the shift er on my Cub Cadet tiller.
Well, the transmission is from a Jeep, so it makes sense that it sounds horrible. My 81 CJ5 makes the same noise when shifting like that.
Love the retro MW tests! SO innocent compared to today's tests - nobody would put up with anything close to the dynamics of an AMC Eagle today. Little did John know how much these crossovers would take off 20 years or so after the Eagle!
the eagle sx4 conquers the great off road with a mastery of 1,000 chariots. oh how i lament the untimely demise of this great American harbinger
My grandparents on both sides had one of these in the 80's. Both had blue with wood trim 4 door wagons. I remember my grandmother getting stuck in NH on a steep hill in foot-high snow during a storm within sight of her house. We finally had to give up and walk the rest of the way, but the trip was still fun and the car, for the most part, got us to our destination in a difficult situation. I've always had a place in my heart for the AMC Eagle.
Man John Davis used to be so serious! Glad he lightened up!
My father owned AMC eagle automatic back in 80-83(?)...and it was purchased with low miles and it was his pride and joy and took it to shops for little repairs once every 3-4 weeks to get things fixed. I remember the ride was pretty good and quirky door interior door handle was odd but ok. It didn’t rust driven through salted highways of Michigan but he took care of it well. It spent a lot of times inside repair shop though. It seems like he would replace one thing and another thing goes wrong. I was around 10 years old at the time but I do remember the car showed signs of not running correctly after 50-60k. Still we managed to drive during winter seasons and it was a pride and joy lol.
These early episodes show the performance testing being done on what looks like a section of finished but un-opened or closed highway. Anybody know what the deal was there?
The state of Maryland allowed us use of the still under construction 795.
Thanks!
***** that would have been a great time!
+deloreanman14 yeah i was listening "on our test track", but it looked like a normal highway lol, I was laughing hahaha
Usually I think these retro cars are not so much my style but this car is bomb. Badass looking. Mad max old school 2d sti.
It's not a car, a truck or a Jeep...its a crossover...from the car company that brought you the Gremlin and the Pacer.
As well as the Javelin.
My mother in law had an 1982 Eagle Wagon 4x4 in Burgundy over burgundy velour with the wood on the sides - it was a beast off road and a little agricultural on tarmac but a fantastic vehicle, way ahead of it's time - a great car!
lol @ 5:24 people in the opposite lane were like wtf is that driver doing! lol
I had a Eagle Wagon AMC 4WD. Was a rank and it was unstoppable in snow!! Way ahead of its time.
the guy behind him at 5;03 is probably thinking wtf is he doing lol
Film crew LOL.
I like when the guy yells get off my property and you hear shotgun blast of rock salt. Then they drive off with the Christmas tree on top. Good for you Motorweek good for you
It's the X6's father lol
+KonaKoo I bet the guys in BMW thought of it instantly when accidentally tune in to this...
I was always fascinated by these things. Thanks for putting this up.
Wish they would've tested this car with the 6 cylinder engine instead of the 4 banger, I'm sure the 0-60mph run would've been adequate with the 6 cylinder engine.
No... no... this was the 80's. Trust me.
Better drivers would help a lot too. They seem to use the worse "drivers" in the world for vehicle reviews.
I had an '80 wagon with the 258 6cyl. Trust me, it was NOT adequate -- only 110 HP. In the snow it was great! Other than that..................
I use too work in a restaurant as a dishwasher way back in 1981 as a teenager on the jersey shore, one of the managers had one and for the short time I was there, he said it was a rock solid vehicle. Whenever there was snow, he was the one who always showed up no matter what.
About 20 years ahead of their time.
This is the coolest car. Got the same 4 cyl as my Cherokee and its absolutely 80's. Have to have one now
1:07 Aw, Gawd! I forgot whitewalls were still a thing in 82. Who under the age of 50 thought that looked good?
Unless its a Cadillac or some other classic American luxury car, sure. Anything else, definitely not. Especially not this car.
whitewalls look badass on anything
Brandon Obaza it needs swampers and a rail guard and it would look sick.
Brandon Obaza White Walls on my '86 Bonneville looked dope
Great little car. My grandparents had one. Pretty dark blue with gold stripes. It looked like this one but had better looking hubcaps and an automatic. Must have been a positive track because it never spun a tire in the deepest snow here in Ohio nor in the lose sand on Daytona Beach. Had a lot more traction than power that's for sure. Was the last car that they ever needed. Lasted them until they no longer could drive. I think it had only 28,000 miles on it when my cousin bought it for their daughter in 1990. A friend of mine had a station wagon (ugly wood grain on the sides) with the 6 cylinder auto and it was a great car also. They would go anywhere.
I wish there were any generous Eagle SX/4 owner who is willing to create a field comparison video against modern ShortWheelBase crossovers like Suzuki SX4, Subaru XV, BMW X6, Nissan Juke, Volvo XC30, Mitsubishi Outlander, or even Lamborghini Urus. Well, this calls for Mr. Jay Leno. So clueless people would be aware of SX/4's ability. From my point of view, this car should be labeled as COLLECTIBLE ITEM.
+galihxtreme not a chance against my Liberty CRD !!!!!
+pzkw108 I your diesel liberty and this eagle are eye to eye when it comes to rarity.
galihxtreme I had an 81 Eagle Pioneer 4x4 Wagon. Woodgrain Panel & all. It took on a Michigan Winter like it was nothing. I got in 87 for my 16th birthday. I had it for 6 yrs & bought a 93 Ranger STX 4x4. Ive been theough 4 Jeeps since then, & I now have a 2011 Mariner 4x4. Nothing Ive driven since my Eagle was that good. Eagles were just tough in every way! They were way ahead oof their time.
Provide me with one to do anything you want. My daily driver SX4 will hang!!
Of COURSE Julie sold it after 6 years. Right about that time, the top of the front fenders were bubbling up with rust and due to rot out. All the 4 wheel drive in the world doesn't help when you can't see out of the windshield.
One of the most practical year round cars of its time. It still holds up today in looks and practicality
Its hilarious how this flopped, meanwhile everyone is in love with POS CUVs now
Oh you mean hatchback cars LOL.
These actually sold decently by AMC standards. It was the failed deal with Renault that cooked their goose.
A friend of my wife had one of these with the 258ci. motor and automatic trans. It had full time 4wd and got about 14 mpgs. It was unstoppable on slick roads though. Great bad weather car.
Does john davis not age?
He and Pharrel are from the same lineage..
The perfect car for those northern states where real eagles and a lot of snow flies!! A great concept that was, yes, ahead of its time. Like Marty McFly said, ‘maybe you aren’t ready for that yet, but your kids are gonna love it!’
Before BMW thought of the X6.
Never see these anymore. I still think there cool as hell.
BMW X6 from the past
+djmhyde AMC had nothing to do with BMW dude
billy heaton i didn't say this....
i just said that this car looks like a 70's BMW X6...
But the BMW isn't as cool.
AE86 of Mt. Akina nice nick
djmhyde Thanks :)
I had a blue 6 cyl auto one and I LOVED it!
How old is the Motorweek host? What a test! Braking in the snow and the use of public roads!
John Davis was born in 1903
Prisoner Alex
John Davis old as hell
Prisoner Alex Damn, my man's 111! lol.
Prisoner Alex
But some say his soul is older by at least 4000 years.
Kinsey Benedict huh lol, maybe im too young to understand
How have I never seen one of these before! These are cool as hell.
I want one
AMC UNO DE LOS MEJORES! Un señor vehículo que ayudó a marcar la historia del país si bien no fue coche de lujo y se hicieron muy pocos, hoy en día ver uno llama mucho la atención y atrae la vista de toda persona quienes amamos los autos clásicos.
Too bad cars from this era were so under powered. They had so much more character than anything today.
You ain't kidding, I saw a road test of a Concord wagon once with this 2.5 Iron Duke and an auto and the 0-60 was 20 sec+!
It was that struggle to meet the mileage consumers wanted and keep adding the pollution controls the government insisted upon. Even most of the "Muscle Cars" were anemic in stock trim at this time.
Under powered? Remember back in the day when these cars were built, the speed limits were 55MPH. They aren't underpowered at all, rather people don't get the fact that those cars weighed a lot more than the plastic shit built today and back then with lower speed limits and a totally different driving style they had plenty of power. Also, the vehicle in this test only had the 4 cylinder, they had an option for a 258CID Straight 6 engine which had more power of course but the straight 6 engines had a lot more torque which made them much stronger off the line.
William Todd compare these engines with anything from 20 years prior or after and they were pathetic. I know they used the absolute worst engine possible for these tests, but the 258 had way less power than it had before, compare the 1980 360 v8 to a 360 v8 from 1970 and its not even close. I just pulled the stock carb off of one and slapped on a cheap holley 2bbl, without even tuning it in, the original was tuned in, the engine was way more responsive and got way better gas mileage, of course now that it's getting tuned in the comparison is getting even more dramatic. These engines were good engines, AMC was using forged cranks and rods ffs, but they weren't living up to their potential at this time.
@@robertdevito5001 These were at the beginning of mandated pollution controls and they didn't quite have it figured out. I installed a TBI from a 4.3 Blazer and a GM HEI (on a 258) I still have it and it will smoke the tires on the Jeep!
My 1st American Baby i lost with my DIVORCE IN 2005. I OWNED IT SINCE 1984. I CRIED WHEN I HAD TO LEAVE HER BEHIND
SHE WAS NAMED CHRISTINE AFTER THE 1959 PLYMOUTH FURY. SHE NEVER BROKE DOWN FAR FROM HOME. SHE ALWAYS MADE IT HOME SO TO NEVER LEAVE DAD STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVEN WHEN THE TIMING BELT BROKE I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE HER HOME AND REPLACE PARTS. SHE EVEN RAN WITH A BENT CAM SHAFT AND SLAPPED VALVES AFTER BREAK OF TIMING GEAR!💓💓💓 I LOVED THE SJARED LOVE WE HAD FOR EACH OTHER. BEST AMERICAN MADE CAR I EVER OWNED!💯%
It's to bad they don't make new cars like this. All utility car with real 4x4
livin life Surburu Outback came to mind.
Brent my 05 Escape fills this role well. My Ranger is needed for hard off roading though.
Oh god, people today would bitch whine and moan if they had to flip a lever to engage 4WD. That's why so many vehicles are going to just straight all wheel drive, no buttons, switches, knobs, or god forbid a damn lever which means they'd have to put their phone down and actually operate the vehicle.
My mom had one as her first car, she loved the thing.
We lived in the test market for Yugos in NY, when the senior prank involved the football team physically picking up the many Yugos and other hatchbacks of students & faculty and rearranging them in the parking lot, they got to my mom's Eagle and couldn't move it 😆
Did he say 16 inches of ground clearance??
Yes, over 16 inches of clearance
From what I'm seeing on forums and such, it's actually around 7".
What a wonderful offering from little AMC! I remember when this design first hit the dealerships showrooms, I was in my 20's and took my mother-in-law down to the local AMC dealer to check them out. She ended up buying an AMC Spirit, which lasted her nearly 20 years until she traded it off on a new 'Retirement Cadillac'. AMC was WAY AHEAD of its time with this clever design. In utilizing existing material and equipment AMC ingeniously gave the consumer what it needed, extending the life of the little company in the process, if just for a little while. It's so sad, today you can't even buy a real, American-designed automobile any longer. American 'Luxo-Boats' or American 'Personal Luxury Cars', among every other All-American designs are now just fond memories. Except for those of us who have collections of those wonderful ole American cars, people are now forced into buying combined European/Japanese designs! *WHICH REALLY PISSES ME OFF!* Why the American auto manufactures can't comprehend the obvious marketing potential of older American car designs is beyond me; for example: Every time a U.S. car co. produces a retro type American car they sell like mad! (just look at the success of both Dodge Hellcat & Barracuda!) Whenever a U.S. manufacturer builds an evocative automobile, which the vast majority of Americans truly desire, the offering is short-lived, almost an afterthought. … MADNESS! Other than that extremely rare occurrence, people just have to buy and drive the overcomplicated, over-priced, extremely expensive to repair, ALL Front wheel drive cars which also ALL LOOK ALIKE! At least we older folks had the opportunity to drive Real American Automobiles. So sad too bad, 21st century kids.
There was just no way this car ever had a chance to succeed. The concept was too far ahead of its time but the car itself was shackled to an earlier generation with its Hornet/Gremlin based platform. Those guys at AMC just couldn't win.
+Buelligan88 Actually, it did succeed. It just was so niche that it was just successful in certain parts of North America. They needed a bit to iron out the kinks, and once they did, they designed the Cherokee, but didn't have enough money to bring it to market, and were bought by Chrysler just for that model, which they still claim as their own.
The first Cherokees came out in 84 (along with the Comanche pickup), several years before Chrysler bought AMC.
This was a pretty handsome car for the time. Always dug these.
Ahead of its time, not surprising for the kooks at AMC, but by God was this thing hideous even in its day.
I agree, but if they had kept the AWD and kept the car at standard height it would not have looked so....kooky.
*****
I do not disagree with you. However for the typical buyer the stance was likely off putting to say the least. If they had kept the ride height standard or close to standard, AMC would have been the Subaru of it's time and maybe the Subaru of today and still in business. Instead, they are the one (IMO) bright spot in the Chrysler portfolio and no one connects them to AMC except for the cognoscenti.
It might look hideous, but AMC Eagle SX4 was actually the first crossover.
I think it's a break for the eyes that see jelly bean cars every day!
alwcurlz I agree
The AMC Eagle is still one of my favorite cars. Just timeless. Few realize it wasn't innovation that made the Eagle. It was crossbreeding a Hornet/Concord with a Jeep. Jeep was at its best in the AMC family. A great blend.
So sad that America chose shitty truck-based SUVs instead of amazing 4wd cars like this. Eh, we paid for it with all those rollover fatalities I guess..
+Farts McGee Exactly. I thought these were the coolest things on 4 wheels when I first saw a neighbor with one. I think they were what sparked the SUV fire (along with the Cherokee and Bronco II which was tweaked to become the smash hit "Explorer").
I thought they were exciting because they were jacked up 4WD cars, not trucks in disguise. The former is a better balance of things, which American companies FINALLY caught on to just a few years ago.
They didn't though. The XJ was designed with things they learned from this car. It shares the Unibody construction and is just a better performer all around. I love Eagles but a Cherokee is just a better product for a more eager buyer.
Every Jeep since then has been unibody. Only full-size SUV's today have a frame.
The XJ is a great SUV, but it's not a crossover like the Eagles were. Also, Wranglers still have separate frames.
Have I been really watching this show this kind. I still want one
I am quite astonished that I have failed to spot this channel sooner. Very much enjoy watching these, meticulous and to the point and personally I find, rather retro particularly the review of the 83 Audi Quattro. My old man had the exact same one in the day, that turbo charged 5 cylinder engine sounded wonderful, it just put me in mind of the Group B rally Quattro. This AMC Eagle I think is one of histories forgotten cars, and that's wrong.
The Eagle was pretty popular in Pittsburgh,PA. Given our hills, terrible weather and even worse roads, It was an ideal family car!
I remember these from when I was a kid and also seeing them in the junkyard for a time
I knew a guy that had a 82 wagon with a six in it. We were in HS when he bought it and it was only 4 years old or something like that but you could buy them for damn near nothing because nobody wanted them in the mid 80's. It really was pretty cool and I wish I could buy something like it now that didn't cost a fortune. AMC was waaayyy ahead of the game with this vehicle. If they could have held on another 10 years AMC would have been making millions on this car. Now I gotta find one.
I miss these AMC Eagles. You never see them anymore.
I had an old used 84 Eagle sedan with the inline 4.2 6 cyl auto trans and put the smallest B.F Goodrich Mud Terrains they made on it sounded like a jacked up 4X4 rolling down the road and reminded me of the old Stomper toys i had as a kid lol it was a great car for living in Michigan.
Hey man, I had forgotten about stompers. Those were blast, used to play with em in the sand box at recess back in the late 70s early 80s.😳