Nearly perfect
Found my wagon for $900. Had been sitting since about 2003, and had an incurable case of the stalls. However the good thing about this car is parts are cheap and so easy to replace. So the wagon lurched to life in no time.
This car is hilariously interesting to drive.
Remarkably reliable and decent gas mileage.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 1st February, 2013
Not a luxury car by any means
Carburetor needed constant adjustment.
Exhaust and muffler rusted, still loud when replaced.
Seat belts stopped retracting.
Doors wouldn't latch in the cold.
Temperature gage inaccurate.
Rear hatch wouldn't stay up.
Headlights needed alignment.
Four wheel drive didn't work.
Bad heater core.
Heater air smelled like mice droppings.
My father had picked it up from an old man who bought it new and figured with the low-mileage it was a gem and it would make a good car, it wasn't. I had to borrow it while my '87 Caprice coupe was in for body work from a deer.
Hardly stylish when new, the basic body style is from 1970! How dare American Motors let a 70's design with huge fender flares yet, be made in the 1980's!
Nobody could ever figure out the idle adjustment and it would stall at traffic lights.
Bad brakes, skids too easily.
Slow acceleration and embarrassing to drive with the outlandish tan and brown paint, huge wire wheels, and high stance.
Interior motor noise (buzz) was loud, even with new muffler.
Cramped legroom, uncomfortable seats on long trips, shifter digs into your leg, seat belt latches dig into your arm, can't stretch out.
Poor handling, rough ride like a Volvo.
Quick on the highway though, slow in city traffic, don't try any quick maneuvers.
Despite all it's faults, it's a solidly built car. Good materials and quality construction.
Don't let the realistic woodgrain and sculpted seats fool you- it'll make you miserable if you drive it all day between the interior noise, the ride, lack of power, handling, stares from people.
Hard to start at times unless you give it the right amount of gas.
Good off-road when four wheel drive worked right.
Not worth getting- just get a Jeep or 80s/90s Blazer, easier to modify and they have more potential.
Unless you off-road a lot and want to be noticed, for the small amount of time you need the 4x4 (e.g. winter driving) it's not worth getting, too much upkeep and too ugly of a car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 12th June, 2004
Dude, the car is over 20 years old, it's going to have problems. It sounds like whoever had the car before you (ab) used it roughly, or didn't maintain it very well, or both. I had a 1980 Eagle wagon, and it not as bad as you describe. Perhaps you got into this deal thinking you were getting something much better, champagne for the price of beer so to speak. Your carb jets are almost certainly clogged, it's a common ocurrence on these beasts. Obviously, with only 110 horsepower and 3400+ pounds of bulk, it's not going to be quick in any sense of the word around town, but the six is fairly torquey and smooth provided it's in tune. I will give it to you though on the paint, I've seen a few tan/brown colored Eagles, and they are just gross! Mine was a burgundy/red color, and I though it looked OK. The eagles are a bit harder to modify, but things can be done to them. The six can be fitted with fuel injection, you can drop a V8 under the hood if you wanted, a two speed transfer case out of a Cherokee can be fitted. Take a look at the floor pan underneath the car, there's a notch there for a low/high range lever. I'd rather have the wagon over a Blazer or a CJ7, the wagon is more useful. You can haul 4 or 5 people plus a load of groceries or luggage, try that with a CJ7.
Check out http://www.users.nac.net/gr/eagleweb/v8eagle/ for some ideas about what can be done to these cars. Turbocharged EFI 258? Sweet!
I had a 1984 AMC Eagle DL Wagon, and it was one of the best cars I ever owned. It was dark blue with the same interior. I paid 1500.00 for it, and put about 1000.00 into it on regular crap. Drove it every day, down to the States every year, and it was awesome in the Canadian winters; never got stuck once. Only problem was the carb., but that is normal.
Had it for five years, and sold it for 1500.00; that's not too bad.
We have an 86 Limited. The original carburation and smog controls were impossible to fix and tune. So we converted it to TBI with a Howell Jeep kit (about $1100). Now it is a very reliable 4x4 and part of our family in Montana. Taught my kids to drive in it, and my son currently uses it daily for high school.
One other thing, chucked the massive wire wheels for cheap generic hub caps, and it almost looks modern. Get offers and comments occasionally too. Love it, and never want to part with it.
5th Feb 2013, 15:15
Never had one of these, though I wish I had; however we did have several vehicles with this big AMC straight-six engine, and all were very reliable and durable. An Ambassador, a Hornet, and a Matador.
I'm not sure why there's sometimes a reputation for unreliability with AMC vehicles - must've been the electrical system on some cars.