Considering buying an AMC Eagle

Hi folks, I have been lingering for quite awhile and have never posted. For awhile I was looking for an old Mopar wagon, but things have changed and now I'm looking for something to take up North (Pinetop/Show Low AZ) that can be driven year round.

I have been looking at and really want a Jeep Cherokee, but am having trouble finding one in DD quality in my price range. During my XJ search I have looked at a few ads for the AMC Eagle, but I have no experience with them at all and I see a lot of mixed reviews about them.

So I was hoping that someone with first hand knowledge of them could help me out. Are they reliable cars? How hard is it going to be to find parts when needed? Anything at all that you can tell me about them would be great, good or bad.

Here is the CL link to the one I am considering. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/4647209803.html

And thanks in advance!
Dro38

 

Welcome to the forum!

Our resident AMC Eagle expert goes by the screen name 'Eagle Freak'
After a few posts, I think your ability to send PM's kicks in, so send him one. He'll be glad to give you some pointers. He might even have a lead or two on a good one.

 

Welcome to the madness Dro38!

That looks like a good one to start with from the ad!

 

Thanks for the responses. I have always been a wagon person and even better if it is something you don't see very often. Have always been curious about these.

 

Welcome to the forum with nothing. Hopefully we can help you get something nice.

 

I'm in the middle of something right now and will get back in an hour or so.

 

There you go........

I took a look at the ad, and it seems pretty decent. List of work done shows the seller at least tried to keep it maintained.
Are you in that area?

 

A few comments:

1. You're buying a nearly 30 year old car. The concept of "reliability" as far as this car is concerned went out the window about 10 or 15 years ago. Reliability is something you worry about when you're buying a late-model used car. If this car has lasted this long, it's reliable. But remember that you're buying a project. Any car this old is. Using it as a daily driver doesn't change the fact that it will need constant attention from you. But many people consider that the fun of owning an old car, daily driver or not.

2. You can answer the question about parts availability yourself. Just go to the website of a major auto parts chain and do a search on 1985 AMC Eagle. I did that just now at the Autozone website, and there are tons of parts. Suspension, brakes, engine, tune-up, etc., are all available. Generally mechanical parts are not hard to find for American cars, even for ones much older than this. But keep in mind that you may from time to time come across a part that can't be easily found. So you need to develop a strategy.

Set up an automated search on ebay for parts for this car. I do this for both of my old cars, and every day I get an email from ebay with a listing of all the newly listed auctions that match my search criteria. I've gotten some good stuff this way, some rare, and this way, when you come across something that applies to your car and that you might one day need, you buy it ahead of when you need it.

3. The particular car you're talking about is only $1,900. That's practically peanuts for cars like this, especially with everything the ad says has been done to it:

- rebuilt transmission, including new torque converter, front pump, and cooling lines
- new carburetor
- new tires and wheels
- new front driver's side CV axle
- new lift supports on rear hatch
- new front brake pads and rotors
- new driver's seat belt
- new U-joints on drive shafts, rear shaft professionally serviced and balanced
- new spark plugs and ignition wires
- new catalytic converter and tailpipe
- new shocks
- new battery

Getting back to the issue of parts availability for a moment, a look at this list should answer that question for you.

If he was asking 5 or 6 grand, you might question the car's condition down to the screws holding it together. But for less than $2,000, the car doesn't have to answer to much. If you look at it and it runs and drives, it's met the criteria for a $2,000 car. In fact, the car could easily be regarded as a steal at this price. Buy it, expect it to need work now and then, and enjoy it.

 

jaunty has spent some time on this and given you a good answer. I can't bring the add up but sounds like a very fair deal.

 

I bought the wife an 81 AMC wagon when we were stationed in Montana during the 90s. It had the 4.2L engine from the jeep CJ line. It was a reliable little runabout. It wasn't fast but had good torque. Gas was cheep then so I don't remember how the fuel economy was but I'd buy another one.

I would ask the Eagles den members (http://amceaglesden.com/) if you have any specific concerns.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the info everyone. I ran this in a different direction than intended when I asked about reliability and parts availability, I apologize for that. I understand parts are gonna fail and older vehicles like this are going to have issues, especially at this price range.

I am more interested in whether or not this is a good option for the area I am planning on taking it to. I don't plan on doing any heavy off road stuff that would require a bunch of expensive mods. I simply want something that can be used as DD, will be good all year round on the mountain, and something I can use for the occasional camping trip.

 

Yes I am only a few miles away from it. No vehicle currently though, so will have to work out a ride to see it.

 

Thanks for the link, will check it out.

 

I think jaunty hit the nail on the head with his comments.

I have heard those AMC 6 cylinders are tough engines, E Freak will confirm that I bet? :confused:

 

Well, Jaunty covered a lot of what I was going to say. Seeing all the new parts and the fact that it passed emissions, means it probably runs good. Most mechanical parts are readily available. Many parts interchange with other models and even different brands. As far as reliability, it all depends on how it was driven and maintained. The 258 is one of the engines that run for many miles. I've driven mine cross country many times, with only minor issues. One was a belt that fell off and the other was a new water pump that failed after only 6 months. However, it's so easy to work on, the belt took me 10 minutes on the side of the road and the water pump took me 30 minutes in a parking lot.
Here's some list of cons that I can think of.
It's a 30 year old car and really, 40+ year old technology. If you can't work on it yourself, you will need a good mechanic willing to work on an older vehicle without giving you grief and charging you an arm and a leg.
In stock form, the engine is a bit anemic and many came with extremely high gears that also suck the power from them.
Not the best in the MPG department. Some have reported mid to upper 20's on the highway, but that's the exception and not the norm. Most get in the upper teens.
They are not exactly roomy. My little Ford Festiva has more room in the back seat. The way the rear hatch opens makes it difficult to put heavy things in the rear, because you have to lift over the tail lights to put anything in the rear. With the angle of the rear hatch, the cargo area is compromised.
On the wagons, the rear hatch hinges are a weak link. You definitely don't want to drive with the hatch open. Also, you'll have to explain to everyone born after the 80's what an AMC is and you will have to argue with know it alls about all the AMC myths and misinformation.
With that said, I love my Eagle. However, I have done some improvements over the years. I've installed a Jeep 4.0L head on the 258 and put in a Comp Cams camshaft. An AW4 overdrive transmission, NP242 transfer case and Chrysler 8.25 rear axle, all from Jeep Cherokees, was also installed. Plus, I built some custom front and rear bumpers. A Jeep Cherokee would be a more logical choice for me, but they are a dime a dozen and I'm not a conformist. There is a fantastic forum for Eagles http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php.