RARE AMC Eagle SX-4 Goes From Scrapyard to Flying with 4bbl Carb on 4.0L Inline 6 + Interior Refresh

We take this rare 1983 AMC Eagle SX4 that was left to rot in a scrapyard from dead to driving with some creative engineering and a 4-barrel carburetor. The floors get patched, the carpet gets cleaned, sound deadener is installed, and I wrap up with a healthy yard thrash to help evaluate the next steps for this budget revival!
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[@vids595]

"Screw some metal back over the top of it" is where I hit pause, and decided that this channel is not for me.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Oh the horror of not spending weeks trying to make a $3000 car perfect

[@brianfairchild7819]

yeah, i thought this was suppose to be some kind of professional restoration channel!!! oh wait, he explains that its not in every video.....frickin idiot

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

@@PoleBarnGarage Even IF -some day- someone decides to restore this near-unique gem of an automobile back to factory "perfection"... It will be in better nick being half-assed back to driving condition for a few years, than if left to become one with the earth in some back yard. To each his own, of course, but I think you have the right idea, Dalton. 2weeks and 1000-ish $ vs. 6 months and many 1000-s of $. Driveable vehicle vs. "pristine" museum piece. It´s a damn car, ffs!

[@vorpalmotors]

Weird... that sort of thing is why I watch this channel.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

I mean, it was literally in a scrapyard waiting for the shredder lol

[@beatermotorsports]

I didn't know that you were a single parent, you're doing a great job man, and your son is sharp as a tack. Keep up the good work with not just the videos but the parenting 😁

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Yep, but his mom is involved too, and we're friends. He's very lucky to have two loving parents

[@beatermotorsports]

@@PoleBarnGarage Awesome! My mom was a single parent too, and she's a badass, lol, but my dad was not active at all. It took us a month to realize that he moved and 2 to find out he passed away earlier this year. You're doing it right 👍

[@BanishedToEarth]

@@beatermotorsports My dad went to the store 18 years ago and never seen him since. He called me months later and was a few thousand miles away.

[@sentenced03]

This channel brings back a lot of memories with my dad working on his piles of junk when i was about jds age.

[@cornbreadntatersalad1634]

For real man. Your a good dude.

[@vorpalmotors]

I love this channel for the general mayhem and irreverence of your builds. Self tappers, ripping out wires by brute force, cobbled-together bracketry. Never change, Dale!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Never will

[@GoTakeADrive]

The most astonishing thing about your eagle is the fact that the front speaker grills are in one piece.

[@dennishernden2264]

I can't believe you found this in a junkyard, this thing id goood. It's like he walked into a speed shop and said gimme all the go-fast goodies. That's not just an HEI dist., its a four hundred dollar street strip D.U.I. hookup, the Clifford performance intake, 4bl and probably high a output fuel pump ... totally worth the effort to get er dialed in. Great work on the interior too. dang what sweet rig

[@alekbarney2727]

The code you showed was the date code for the engine block the first letter is the year the next 2 are the month. The M is for 4.0 multi port fuel injection. And the last 2 numbers are the day of the engine build. 609m30 means September 30 of either 86 or 96. I am leaning towards 86 as I have an 87 4.0 with the same valve cover. You can also check the casting the number on the head of the engine which will give you another hint to what year it is

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Awesome! That means I have the wrong plugs in it, and that's why it runs strange I bet

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@@PoleBarnGarage my dad had a gm big boi v6 truck(400 something cu in) that he was able to buy because it was running so rough. he took the plugs out, and his dad started laughing. it had shorty plugs it that were arcing on the combustion chamber. he put the long reach plugs back in, and it would boil the tires.

[@johnpearson492]

This does appear to be a Renix engine based on the valve cover.

[@williamwallace7299]

So much for moving to the country for peace and quiet!

[@workingcountry1776]

Glad i found this series. Liked these since i was a teen driver back in 2002ish when a famiky friend, a mechanic, bought one as his winter rat and "work truck" for doing side work. Super handy car. Now all cars are awd wagons or hatches but back then nobody had subarus and cros overs were just about to really take over

[@craigbowley6783]

I woulda never put my car carpet in my washer! Until now! Genius!💪👍

[@rantsfromtheroad2055]

Junkyard Digs put me on to your channel and I'm glad they did. I've heard of cleaning engine parts in the dishwasher and powder coat baking in the oven, but car carpet in the washing machine is a new one for me. You might ber on to something.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Trendsetting

[@kellycruz17]

Carpet turned out great! A couple times I’ve hauled them to the local car wash then hung it by the floor mat hooks on the wall and gave it a good scrubbing. Worked great and only cost a few bucks.

[@randallfabian6640]

The engine cleaner gets them spotless too! Discovered by mistake.

[@Luhsteesay]

𝙸 was laughing hysterically at your reaction to those loud pops around 45:25.

[@Mike_Lennox_]

Super Clean for the win!!!! I started using this product because of you and found it is the best bathroom cleaner ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

It's good for anything!

[@ickebins6948]

@@PoleBarnGarage My dog is getting pretty clean but somehow he is very sleepy for the next 2-3 days.

[@lancemclean9273]

Gotta say, having done it for years sneaking time for my stuff , I like that you are honest about this being your spare time - takin what you’re givin when you’re workin for a livin. Not the same as throwing the camera up in your shop that you’re in all day every day as your primary

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Yep. I figure most of my audience is working class guys just like me. I wake up at 5am to go work in a factory, and I'm up till 10pm working on KZbin stuff most nights. Just like Alabama said, workin a 140 hour week for a livin

[@iFixJunk]

@@PoleBarnGarage Whoa! We're still manufacturing something in this country?!

[@shaunchappell784]

I watch your channel all the time, and I'm currently working from home with your videos playing in the background. Best thing for cleaning car carpets, mats etc. Stiff brush attachment in a cordless drill, agitate the shit out of it, hose it off and let it dry or get a wetvac with a hand attachment to speed up drying. Difference us night and day for very little work.

[@mattbrown5511]

Great episode. Love seeing you including your son.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Who else will work for free?

[@lietus4192]

@@PoleBarnGarage good point!

[@jasonpetrich4141]

The best apprenticeship you could ever not pay for!!! Learned a life time of stuff from my dad, in 30 yrs

[@darylm.9432]

Your little guy did a helluva job on that passenger side...details are important to him. Bet hes the kinda guy who does things with a high personal standard. Perfection or not all all

[@PoleBarnGarage]

I hope not, or he'll never get anything done

[@Travis7109]

Floor pans on my 79 Firebird was one of those things where I decided“If it’s not structural then I’m just going to fiberglass over the pinholes. I’m not going to sell the car anyway “

[@daviduglem3213]

You and your son work well together. I'm looking forward to following your channel and watching him grow up.

[@timhardin7287]

My son and I had a relationship like you guys except I might have been a bit mean at times from overtime and farming .After he went to college it all changed, video games and a local girlfriend a lot younger got between us. Now I'm old and broke down in pain but he did learn more from me than I thought now he's 43 and his own family cars to up keep, but he's a youtube looker before troubleshooting. I'm proud of him and he's a great Father.

[@jayh4185]

That's definitely one bad ass ride, you should take it on power tour next year.👍👍👍👍

[@erykzintak4936]

The king of fabricobble strikes again love the videos keep em coming

[@friguy4444]

10:20 Wow in this shot you can really see how much his son looks like him! I could imagine that he looked almost exactly like the kid when he was his age! Cool!

[@m1a1hm]

Amazing what you can do with some self tapers and a can of paint. Man that's my kind of car restoration.

[@armandopatane5343]

Absolutely the budget channel = and I cannot blame you = Jacksonville Florida

[@michigandogman3060]

The same guy who gaped the plugs probably installed the custom length plug wires 😂. The slow-mo of the “soft” suspension was classic!

[@joooools01]

Always tune into the Dalton show - best practical entertainment there is.

[@seanmanness1351]

Had an '81 Eagle Sport. Was a two door coupe but much like the sx-4. 258 with a 4 speed, full time 4x4. Red and black, no chrome, factory marchall driving lamps. That car was incredible. Trunk weather strip leaked. My old man punched a hole through the bottom of the spare tire well to drain it. Turned out the fuel tank was directly below. That 258 ran awesome as long as you didn't have 2 gallons of water in the tank🙄

[@Project_Low_Expectations]

Check your coil wire. I suspect it’s not getting any power when you are cranking. That’s why it sounds like it’s not going to start until you let go of the key and then it fires. If I am right… it’s wired to an accessory circuit instead of an ignition circuit.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Good point

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

bad ignition switch can cause it too

[@Project_Low_Expectations]

@@frigglebiscuit7484 good call

[@BuffsGarage]

On today's episode of "I was left unsupervised".... lol great work as always.. Fixing crap however you can. #whateverittakes

[@UnfinishedProjectDartSport]

Scrapyard Resistant!!

[@gregoryjewell1]

I always use 12x6 state issued stamped aluminum patch panels on my rigs

[@PatrickBrannonSr.]

That what I call them when they expire.

[@billsrq1788]

Morning all from Siesta Key Florida

[@joshjablonicky171]

As always another great video really dig the eagle. My neighbor next to my Grandma had one growing up he had it for at least 20 plus years and he had a couple Outback for parts I helped them strip them down over the course of a couple Summers took everything off of them that you could possibly need if another car breaks down at all it was a good running reliable vehicle put a lift kit on it nothing was awesome in the winter time. He did eventually put 4 L in out of a Jeep Cherokee and after that he drove it until he couldn't drive no more it was sad to watch him have to sell it he had it almost 30 years it was his baby.

[@onceashadetree8833]

Mortske Repair sent me here. Nice Rambler. Good for the snow

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Thanks for coming by!

[@LourensdeLange]

Thanks!

[@jasonbose3507]

It's going to be even more awesome when the 4X4 parts are working, racing on the streets and wheeling will be your options. I'm so excited with the possibilities that the AMC has to offer, plus, you can drive it up the pass and go snowboarding, so cool.

[@ChuckPackwood]

I love those cars. I need one for my AMC collection

[@plainbrownwrapper9688]

Buddy I got one word for cleaning carpets: laundromat. 24 hour ones in the middle of the night are the best. Just like coin op car washes, they get all the really dirty stuff.

[@tdvandy2]

Seeing this video and your channel for the first time. Absolutely love it. Your son did an amazing job. Can't wait to watch more!

[@MyNewYorkCity.]

He’s definitely going to be a master car builder 😂🚨👍🏽 love how you teach him everything.

[@DragPakMerc]

Easy way to hook up an electric choke is to run a wire directly from the "STA" terminal on the alternator. Add a fuse if you want to get fancy. That's how Ford cars and trucks came wired from the factory in the '70s and '80s, and it's always worked well for me.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Reminds me that I'm pretty sure the alternator isn't wired

[@rogergoodman8665]

My best friend has a gimp knee from laying down a Harley 30 years ago. We were in my garage the other day (freezing like you) tinkering around and I told him I could "rebuild" him easy peasy. He said how and I showed him my new battery powered screw gun and some rusty but never used self tappers.....For a gimp with plenty of other metal holding him together, he hobbled away from my doctors bench pretty quick!! Job done!!!!

[@phillipbremer7715]

yep great show

[@thagerdorn2009]

Austin at Lucore Automotive needs to see this! It's the 4wd version of his 79 AMC AMX. This car is so sick. This is the OG SX4 too...because for some reason Suzuki revamped the SX4 name in the late 00s on an ugly piece of junk car. Can't wait to see more of this thing. It's in fantastic shape for an 80s AMC. You're doing an amazing job with your son brother. Keep up the awesome work. He's very blessed to have a dad like you and teaching him stuff that will truly help him in life. Rock on dude.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

He's aware!

[@geengun]

I love this channel it's like "i know the problem i know how to fix it.... SO we're gonna fix it this way instead"

[@stevecr8934]

Somebody call JD. tell him his Dad done gone nuts. Perfect floor work. Invisible when I shut my eyes.

[@mromatic17]

16:03 I'm a single father of a 13 year old son myself and I wouldn't have it anyother way! It me, my son, and my pitbull. best little family ever!

[@bigospig]

SuperClean is the best cleaner/degreaser I have found. Even mixed at 50% it is WAY better than Purple Power or Simple Green.

[@DeadReckon]

Just in time for some winter 4x4 shenanigans! Love this little car man, and seeing as I'm being lazy and avoiding the cold, despite having plenty of work to do on my '93 F150 Flareside, my 2000 Nissan Sentra (Daily beater, known as the Rickety Rickshaw) needs an oil change, and my niece's little 2001 Focus needs the hood latch to be beaten into submission... But it's 30F with a windchill of nope outside 'cause I live in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia, sooo... I'mma hide inside and watch you wrench instead of wrenching on anything myself! Keep up the great work!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Nobody could blame you

[@outsidethebarn]

Wow! Incredible! Life changing! Not biased comment

[@BuffsGarage]

No not at all!! Lol

[@lancemclean9273]

Nope, not even remotely biased

[@travisdrum6760]

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME!!! THANKS FOR THE NEW VIDEO!! So glad to see the eagle running again! Can't wait to see more of it!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Thanks!

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

Ok, one other tip, if you read it cool, One other thing my old man taught me and it's a TOTAL lifesaver. When I do carb gaskets, I lubricate them with grease. Any run of the mill grease from a tub or grease gun. I slather it on both side of the gasket and get the entire gasket wet with grease. Then, 2 years down the road when I change carbs, 1 they come RIGHT off, 2 they absolutely DO NOT let air through and 3 they are reusable every time!! That's a sweet tip that has saved my ass a few times! Especially on boat motors that tend to have zero airflow in the engine compartment and it gets pretty warm under there, the gaskets are perfect every time and I reuse them. It's a great tip..

[@craigroberts3982]

Super good stuff. Love that AMC. We had a Hornet for a while when I was a kid. Mom had a tendency to run them into things so they never lasted too long but I liked that car a lot.

[@someonewhocares5712]

Thanks for sharing again 😊😊

[@MrSpartanPaul]

Never thought I would see a carpet in a washer, brilliant!!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

The super clean can spray foam will take 1/4 thick caked on Oil Off of anything with ease after sitting and soaking dor 10 minutes and blast it off with a pressure washer or just wipe it off super clean is pretty amazing I like the foam more then the spray Dalton @Pole Barn Garage

[@barbqpope1970]

Goddammit man, your comedic timing and editing skills have me laughing only six minutes in. I don't look forward to anyone's video releases as much as yours. If you're anywhere near West Michigan for some bizarre reason, I'll buy you a pack of light blue American Spirits and some beers. And as many boxes of self tappers as it takes to get you home. Thanks for the infotainment, man. Your efforts are appreciated immensely! Jamie

[@PoleBarnGarage]

😂 I might get out there one day. I fly to Detroit pretty regularly but maybe I can drive next year sometime

[@carlbernard4197]

Am in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan myself. I live literally on the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

[@agostinodibella9939]

That looks like a great snowy weather car! Years ago my dad had a 1980 Eagle station wagon that did well in the snow.

[@donwolf5632]

That's a good boy you got!👍

[@lietus4192]

When i saw the adapters i was thinking "what in the red neck was that" , it survived the scrapyard thats impresive :)

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

So this is an actual tip for you, most of the time I'm just having a good time when I comment, I love hanging out with you and JD and whatever, but here's the deal.. as far as automotive carpets like that one, if you set up a pressure washer (even a Chinsy electric one from HF) and run a HOT water line to it, spray that carpet down with some degreaser or purple power or whatever, let it sit for a while then blast it with the how water pressure washer, man.. I'm telling you it'll be BRAND NEW once you're finished!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Like a homemade steam cleaner kinda! I like it

[@allenm00]

I would have taken that carpet to a laundromat.... 3 counties over instead of using my own washing machine. 😂 That is fantastic that you take the time to work with your son. I am really enjoying your channel.

[@kellyscott227]

I gotta say I never thought of using the washing machine, lol. I have used the power washer, and a steam cleaner for carpet cleaning.

[@johnmyers3930]

We had a red SX/4 with black interior as our family car. It was a 5-speed 258 car. I remember my mom doing smokey burnouts in it. We sold it to a family friend and they let their teenager drive it to work one day and he was flying and passed another car at 90mph and lost control and the guy he passed said the car flipped end over end at least 6 times before hitting a tree. He survived the crash without anything worse than bruises. There wasn't a recognizable part left on the car.

[@billoc1255]

PBG - you ROCK!

[@seanfritz1355]

When dumping super dirty water out of the carpet cleaner. Dump it in the toilet. And if it's super full. It will auto flush. But using the washing machine is a new touch. Also noticed the dirty steering wheel use isopropyl alcohol to get it off. Used it on my 70s nasty sticky steering wheel. Worked like a charm to get the gunk off.

[@compu85]

If you're ever doing carpet again, a pressure washer works wonders. Spray on some soap, let it sit, then pressure wash it off! Leave in the sun to dry :)

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Not when it's freezing!

[@compu85]

@@PoleBarnGarage Hehe then you get a carpet slice!

[@playanddisplay3636]

About 33 minutes in, Proto makes driver sets with 1/4 or 3/8 socket drives in the shank of the tool with the handle molded around it. They kick ass.

[@hurlmo198]

No brake trail test ...not for the faint of heart... Nailed it....

[@alanmoore78]

52:39 Dalton pioneered the HAWK TUAH over a year ago. Spit on the thang!

[@LucoreAuto]

Woo woo another AMC back on the road! And just in time for winter shenanigans 🤪

[@terryeustice5399]

Well, the redoing the interior was crazy. Never thought I would see auto carpets washed in a washing machine. Your off the wall methods are just off the chain. This car looks too good. After you get the bugs out of the tuning and brakes. I would flip this one. It looks way to nice for your channel. And good to see your videos as always! Thanks for sharing!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

It's a daily driver! I'm in the process of selling my 2018 Malibu now, and going completely old school

[@AnthonyRBlacker]

A great tip for using a nibbler, keep a handy dandy magnet nearby, it'll suck up all those fancy fine metal punches. Learned that from the old man.. works really well, those new neodymium magnets are a ok.

[@JohnNWOH]

Anyone who criticizes Dalton’s methods should maybe consider that he is a) trying to get these abandoned vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible, and b) trying to produce YT content that is progressing quickly enough to keep our interest. I for one wouldn’t have sufficient interest to watch weekly videos on a project that took a year and a half. So quick and good enough is the right way to keep me watching. Two thumbs up!

[@jamesross4702]

The 4 speed is way more funner than any automatic 😄

[@GENJERM-hl5tk]

You gotta be one of the worlds funnest dads.Keep it up! 👍

[@blodhemn413]

Loving this AMC build. Cool car and great entertainment.

[@twizzy5673]

haha its great seeing my high school era offroad bashers still living :) I remember looking at a few of these buddies had, and 100% they all had homemade parts somewhere on em.

[@idletime]

I love oddball quirky original 80's cars & the Eagles are awesome. I'd love to stick a Buick 350 in one just for fun 😇

[@rikiwakwak]

Next time try taking the carpets down to the car wash with laundry soap in a spray bottle. Hang them on the car wash wall, and go to town on them ; )

[@thejeepdoctor]

As far as the electric choke goes, AMC used an oil pressure switch that screwed in next to the oil pressure sending unit. It allows voltage to flow through it after the engine starts. This way, choke doesn’t open up when the key is turned on. Now to the cam shaft. It is a flat tappet cam. I’ve only had to replace 2 or 3 of them through the years. I was working for AMC when the 4.0 came out. It ran circles around the POS 2.8. Does the HEI distributor have centrifugal advance? As factory didn’t. Really enjoy the show. Your doing a great job with JD. Keep up the good work.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

It's all aftermarket stuff, and any factory wiring is gone (thank god). 12v key power to any electric choke and you're in business. The hei is aftermarket as well, it will have mechanical advance

[@Azzurra2k]

Seeing the filter placement on that, I would bet my reputation on that being am early 4 liter "Renix" block, which is a killer platform to build a 4.0L stroker out of

[@jeffleary1598]

I like that you ain’t to scared to toss the corn to it and dump the clutch..

[@muddboss3309]

yessss..... another new day in the shop got a fella feeling a little better after having bad day

[@kentgoodall8411]

I love the tractor paint solution. I'm redoing my truck floor. Thanks

[@wolfparty4234]

How does a bachelor own a vacuum…?😂 I love this channel!! I’d love to see you link up with Puddin’s Fab a shop one day!

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Don't worry, it's my ex wife's

[@jimm9776]

He might end up welding his patches though...

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Great work on that kill Matt JD future Hot rod Builder And Race Car driver and Drag Racer right there Dalton @Pole Barn Garage

[@dangol6848]

Glad to see JD looks just like you! That's awesome and solid!

[@dowen1511]

Liquid nails works very nice on floor patching too.

[@franktadlock4691]

I think its grear how you and JD work together, its heart warming. Great job

[@Cucvfreek]

Ralley action!

[@haroldboyer1174]

Yes" awesome video.

[@TheRnorman33]

That promo hat checks ALL the boxes! Camo, USA flag, snapback trucker with a logo -- yup. God I hope they send a fanny pack too with the 55 gallon drum of product.

[@PoleBarnGarage]

I'd be thrilled

[@pilgrimsgarage]

I know I saw it during your live feed but dammit that’s funny when you’re cleaning the carpet!! It’s no wonder guys like us are single 😂

[@PoleBarnGarage]

Yeah what a surprise lol

[@MD-lm7fj]

The 4.0 in my 97 Grand Cherokee has the identification on the drivers side of the block. Raised lettering 4.0 96 NVH (can't remember the order) below the intake, above the freeze plugs. Should be visible from underneath with a flashlight. Also check the head casting number. Someone could have swapped just the block.

[@Thom1979us]

"Screw some metal back over the top of it" is where I hit pause, and decided that this is for me, SUBSCRIBED!

[@TheFukmookthe]

A good exhaust has always helped me

[@soundsidetoursnc]

Kick ass video

[@butcher390]

Outstanding work Dalton !!!!! 🙆‍♂️🔧🪛🔩⚙🔨👏👏👏👏👏👏 You & J.D . Definitely did a great job , resurrecting that AMC SX4 , from the mechanical undead 💀🏁🏆🏅 Rustolium & Super clean 🤔🧐 Good to know

[@richhaytonNZ]

A fantastic and humorous watch as always, looking forward already to the next instalment :).