Strangest Features and Quirks of the 1980-88 AMC Eagle

Learn more about some of the strange features and quirks of the AMC Eagle!

[@jrf1130]

My father was/is an AMC employee since 1975 through AMC/Renault/Chrysler/Daimler/Cerberus/Fiat/Stellantis. In late 1986 it was time to replace my mom’s Spirit as it was too small, 7 year old me was pushing for one of these in wagon form. My mom was pushing for a Renault maybe a Medallion. My dad won out with an XJ Cherokee with the “new” 4.0L. I remember the discussion, my mom was like “you want me to drive a truck” and my dad was like “this is called a sport utility vehicle, they are starting to get popular with the yuppie types”. And now we are where almost everything on the road is essentially a lifted 4 wheel drive car, like the Eagle.

[@rightlanehog3151]

😁

[@christinamoneyhan5688]

Yes, I was all beat up for awhile and had to ride in my Forester to doctors. Boy, was I wishing for my 1981 Caddie Coup Divil .SUV are just a bit harsh riding when injured.

[@jnstonbely5215]

Thanks for sharing a very sweet story.

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

You're definitely right about the roads being full of SUVs. When I went to the dealer to buy my new Mazda 6, the dealer had it and a few 3's hidden in the very back. They made it clear they wanted the regular cars off the lot -- the money was in upscale SUVs.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@Duke_of_Prunes You're darn right. Manufacturers spend nearly the same amount manufacturing a CUV rather than a sedan and then charge $5,000 - $10,000 extra for it.

[@vandal21891]

I used to work on these things back when I was starting out as a technician back in the 80's, and it brings to mind the fact that especially towards the end of AMC you didn't need to be an AMC tech to fix these. As long as you had knowledge of the big 3 you could work on them. As was said back in the day: AMC= All Makes Combined.

[@kjisnot]

Having worked for an auto parts store in those days I remember a really grumpy but proud old AMC dealer parts guy. The dealership was previously Nash-Rambler then eventually AMC. I used to needle him about how ugly AMC cars were and how they used parts from GM and Ford. Later I had a girlfriend with an Eagle and I actually thought they were on to something, especially in the snow. Too bad they failed.

[@bryanphillips6666]

AMC- All-Manner-Of-Confusion

[@ohnoohyeah3205]

Dude. 👏👏👏❤️ Used to go to work in a "Bump Shop" with my Grandpa in his yellow AMC Hornet in Warren, Michigan back in the 80's. He would work, I would bring my favorite Matchbox cars and he'd give me a cup of sandblasting sand to drive them through. Also he would let me have as much coffee as I wanted and, in the office, there was a Playboy calendar with tits out. Those were the DAYS 👀🔥

[@flyonbyya]

What do I find best about Adam’s reviews ? He always expresses an ever respectful tone in his critique, even when observing and commenting on the most shoddy of examples.

[@loveisall5520]

You are so right. He never tried to be a smart aleck, never tries to be the star over the cars. Unique on KZbin, for sure.

[@rightlanehog3151]

I concur.

[@jnstonbely5215]

@@rightlanehog3151 Yes, Adam does a Class A review. I’d always believed that AMC’s ‘parentage’ really went back to Hudson Motors, which were outstanding cars . But as he pointed out, the casts for the body of the car were so worn, the sheet metal had a discernible rippled look. And their buying this and that from GM, Ford and Chrysler only proved they were cash-strapped and trying to stay alive . I guess enter Lee Iococca time comes and he buys AMC , then shuts it down shortly thereafter , and utters it was because he only wanted the Jeep brand , and none of the other product line of cars . Alright ; understood: business is business and it’s not for the warm- hearted , - but Iococca would’ve been smart to also retain a nice model like the Concord and to drop some of those k cars. I come from a “ union family”. My Dad was Shop Steward of a metal stamping operation in the.50’s , so I understand about decent wages and working conditions. But look where Detroit has taken manufacturing. To any state where unions do not have such awesome power, and where the payrolls are lower. And the remainder of us buy Japanese or South Korean vehicles, and in the case of Hyundai and Kia offering long warranties on the powertrain, that will be a deal- maker for lots of people .😮

[@dennisschell5543]

He's a clueless soyboy! 🙄

[@audvidgeek]

@@jnstonbely5215 Iacocca actually DID use one of their car designs. The Chrysler LH series cars which included the Eagle Vision, Chrysler Concorde, then eventually the 300m was all an AMC design. They sat on their drawing board (as did the Grand Cherokee) because AMC did not have the financial resources to put the vehicles into production, but after the buyout, Chrysler used their design. Chrysler needed it too, as the K-car platform was getting very old, and didn't lend itself well to upscale vehicles. They were pulling a Cimarron selling higher end cars off the low-end K-car platofrm, like New Yorkers based on the K-car before the LH series came out

[@bennyhill3076]

You have to realize that this vehicle was based, and largely unchanged from the original body panels on the Hornet that was introduced in 1970! It's no wonder that the stamping dies showed signs of wear! Poor AMC, I still miss them!

[@OnkelPHMagee]

And the Hornet was marketed as a compact. Therefore, people had lower expectations on interior and trunk space.

[@noway5590]

Hudson hornet

[@jamesfrench7299]

Poor being the operative word.

[@bennyhill3076]

@@jamesfrench7299 Yep, they were always living hand to mouth.

[@davewallace8219]

yes

[@davidhynd4435]

In some parts of the world drivers still have to deploy squids manually, so AMC were quite advanced for their time.

[@DerrickOil]

😄

[@toronado455]

😂

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

I wish my FJ Cruiser had a squid deployment button. I do enjoy the hyperdrive though!

[@davewallace8219]

luv it man!

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Haha very funny... it doesn't actually deploy squids, it's just a squid squeezer device for the rearward facing squid ink sprayer that not only blacked out the windshield of any potential stalkers but makes a nice oil slick on the road to send them flying off a cliff, etc. It kinda sucked cuz you had to replace the squid every oil change or sooner if the squid was used too often and squeezed to death cuz the rotten fish smell became too obnoxious.

[@ricmeyers1340]

I always loved AMC's door handles. They really cleaned up the lines of the car!

[@jeffmill]

Sign of the times: The clock has a large badge reading QUARTZ, as if someone at the time would brag to their friends that *their* car had a QUARTZ clock.

[@inlangford]

My dad bought one of these in early 90's for $100 because the owner couldn't start it... it was only a dead battery. A neighbor asked about it an hour later and bought it for $800, the same day!

[@ZGryphon]

My father had a coworker who refused to drive anything other than an Eagle wagon. As you might imagine, this got harder and harder as time went by (particularly here in Maine, the land that rustproofing forgot), but he held out until at least 2010.

[@rogersmith7396]

Let me guess, a Subaru guy.

[@ZGryphon]

@@rogersmith7396 ... How do you reach the conclusion that a man who would only drive AMC Eagles was a Subaru guy?

[@TheBrokenLife]

I ran into a guy that was daily driving one in 2011 that should have probably been in a museum instead. I talked with him a bit and it sounded like he had hacked the car up, fiercely, in other ways. I felt less bad about seeing it covered in salt afterward...

[@rogersmith7396]

@@ZGryphon Is'nt that the next 4WD car?

[@ZGryphon]

@@rogersmith7396 Oh, I get it. No, when he finally couldn't get ahold of Eagle parts any more, he somehow found himself a '90s Jeep Cherokee that hadn't rusted out yet.

[@danhogan4093]

I live in the Sacromento mountains in south central nm at 7600' elevation, above the snow line. I had the wagon and loved it, did snowy mountain roads like a goat. My wife hated it so she drove a Jeep Wrangler, Eagle did better. I used a piece of wood to shim a headlight, the hood ornament was spring loaded and could rotate, I would rotate ir 90 degrees and said that turned the car to a racing car, good times.

[@MrJayrock620]

I know someone that worked on the Concord/Eagle assembly line, and he confirmed they were slapped together with all the pride of a lunch lady bologna sandwich

[@bgmcc907]

Your smooth, even delivery is SUCH a welcome breath of fresh air compared to the histrionically hyper deliveries of the auto themed content creators I stumbled onto at first. Thank you!

[@rightlanehog3151]

Exactly.

[@sammolloy1]

Yes

[@philip4193]

Agreed; none of the hyped-up & over-the-top dramatic performances like Doug Demuro and others (Adam also knows his stuff too, unlike many other so-called "car guys"). However, I think that Adam should get together with Bill from Curious Cars to do a collaboration; now that would make for some great entertainment!

[@ohioalphornmusicalsawman2474]

I agree. Adam speaks clearly and plainly, comes off as a well spoken but humble guy.

[@jamesfrench7299]

I like Bill.

[@jonclassical5710]

Hey Adam....I learned to drive in my Mothers 1962 AMC Rambler. 2 door, 3 on the tree.....I also bought a brand new 1978 AMC Jeep Wagoner at a dealership in Allentown, PA and loved it in the Poconos 1978-1980.....BOTH plowed through snow and were very dependable!!!! Your Eagle is a master work....of others parts...I almost bought one, but sold the Jeep for a 1980 Caprice wagon! My best friends Dad was an AMC dealer...out of his residential garage....this was allowed in 1972....little know fact. (Anthony' s Garage, Thomasville, PA)

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

'Parts bin' cars might be seen as inferior. But when you need to replace a part, they're the best vehicles to have

[@jamesengland7461]

... unless you can't figure out where and from what year the part came from :) Ford Escorts and I think Tempos as well were notorious for having all Ford parts. but who knows what year, like alternators with different mounting points even. so they wouldn't interchange.

[@TheBrokenLife]

@@jamesengland7461 "Escort" is a super broad range of vehicle for Ford, but in the US after 1990 they were all made on a Mazda chassis and extremely standardized. I've had 3 second generation Escorts, and outside of options and emissions equipment by year, they were identical twins mechanically. Maybe earlier models or Tempos were more weird?

[@jamesengland7461]

@@TheBrokenLife yeah, the ones I saw were 80s models.

[@bjepper1]

Hi Adam. The package shelf could be had without the air conditioning vents also. I had anSX4 , no ac, with that option. The four eye headlight chrome hide the fact that it covers the original cut out for a single headlight. Another cost saving from a financially strapped AMC. I love Eagles, I drive my Eagle Kammback daily. Thank you for these awesome videos.

[@InternetDude]

Oh I have a wagon but love the Kammbacks too

[@derelict_wanderer]

Same. Ours is an 84, with a dealer underdash unit (originally non-AC). It has the plain shelf. The windshield wiper system is straight out of Ford trucks of the era. Ours also was a 2 speed, so a trip to the junkyard and pulling the switch and plug in delay module from an early 80s f series will convert it to the optional delay unit.

[@MikeSmith-ir7xn]

I had one of those sx4 eagles too always had problems with the 4wd it was a 2 door blue one had a 5sp manual

[@tetchuma]

The AMC Eagle is a marque that needs to make a comeback!

[@rusty14706a]

If you pull the SQUID DISTRIBUTION KNOB and turn on the HEAT, will you get CALAMARI? Considering that it's AMC, I bet there;s no MARINARA SAUCE. Hmmmmm...

[@drakbar5957]

AMC just did it for the HALIBUT!

[@cadesmith4278]

I rented one of these for a month while I was going through Air Force training in Merced, CA, in 1983. It actually was a comfortable little car and there were no problems at all. Thanks for the nice review!

[@TidewaterC]

The 258 inline six is a great engine. A friend had an Eagle wagon for a while and the thing was great in snow and on muddy dirt roads in spring.

[@jamesengland7461]

Hood and trunk closure both sound very good and solid.

[@Primus54]

Ahh… the malaise era at its finest with AMC desperately struggling on its last legs. As you’ve mentioned in a previous video, the Eagle was the first crossover and they did indeed perform well in winter weather. Certainly not the ugliest car of the era… but those body gaps! 😮 I will give AMC credit for having very unique interior fabric designs. Thanks, Adam! 👍👍👍

[@colibri1]

In the seventies and eighties, it wasn't so unusual to see plaid interiors. I myself had a 1986 Toyota Corolla with brown plaid seats. It was actually pretty subdued-looking and tasteful. I think these seats are, too.

[@rightlanehog3151]

Well summarized.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@colibri1 I had custom made plaid/tartan seat covers made for my Pontiac Vibe in 2005 as I awaited delivery of my factory order. They are holding up very well to this day 😁

[@arevee9429]

AMC always did have great seats. Or almost always.

[@Primus54]

@@arevee9429 My parents bought a brand new, fully-optioned 1965 AMC (Rambler) Ambassador 990H. It was creamy off-white with a red top and had a red interior with bucket seats and center console. I took my driver’s test in it in January, 1970 after a 4” snow fall in Michigan. It really was a great car and I’d love to find one in good condition. Cheers!

[@mikebrown4429]

I bought a 77 hornet amx in august last year. 38,000 miles. Locked up 360 in it . Car was in a collision and I have to replace the entire front subframe . It’s a labor of love.

[@jhbb68]

My dad had a 1969 Ambassador wagon when I was a kid. It was the first car I remembered as a kid. He still had it in 1979 when I was in 6th grade, and the front passenger door flew open on a left turn while giving a friend a ride home. He was that 3rd passenger the bench seat. Kid never asked for a ride home again.

[@bennyhill3076]

Ah! the AMC Ambassador ! A.K.A. "The Kenosha Cadillac" ヽ(͡◕ ͜ʖ ͡◕)ﾉ

[@TheRealBlackivy5486]

Wonderful example you have! I miss all the AMC's I used to own ( at least a dozen ) in my shortened driving time. I am seeking to find that last one I may own very soon! Thanks for sharing all your cars with us.

[@InternetDude]

I have an 86 Eagle wagon, check out the video on my channel

[@markbehr88]

Very cool. I like it very much. I have a 74 Gremlin V8. AMC made some cool cars.

[@loveisall5520]

I remember when they came out but here in the Houston area they were seldom seen, as we had neither snow nor hills. I continue to be amazed at AMC's ingenuity over decades when our Big Three were generally so much more conservative. I still think that, had this been based on a more modern design than that '70 Hornet, it could've been a real success. Thanks so much!

[@rogersmith7396]

Dick Teaque was a real pro. They had some great concept cars. They just never had enough money to put them in production.

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

They were pretty popular here in Colorado. I had a boss who had the wagon in the early 80's and some neighbors that had a fairly well used one in the early 90's. They both sweared by them and never had any issues getting around during the winter.

[@stephcrane]

Unfortunately, they had no money after diverting much of their limited resources to the Pacer and the 1974 Matador coupe - the most they could afford was new front and rear ends for the 1970 Hornet body

[@johnh2514]

Adam that is a beautiful car, quirks and all. I continue to be amazed (and quite envious!) of your vast collection of cars from a bygone era.

[@scoldschoolmusic1614]

My parents had a 1980. It was AWD. As a high schooler they let me take it out in any outside condition. It was very good in the snow, but braking was terrible in the rain. I did at least one 360 luckily no damages. I did 4-wheel it and I think I broke the front differential from it, but to AMC's credit they fixed it even though it was out of warranty. You mentioned the seats reclining. They do, all the way flat like bed, a huge plus as a highschooler.

[@jamesengland7461]

Adam, thank you for the personal tour of another gem in your collection. Always a joy.

[@joec1774]

I've not watched the video yet, but "features and quirks" make me viscerally dry heave at the thought of DeMuro infiltrating this delightful, informative, and entertaining channel.

[@RareClassicCars]

I didn’t even know he did that. I don’t watch his channel.

[@joec1774]

@@RareClassicCars - Good. Spare yourself.

[@gsczr1]

I was a Field Rep for AMC back in the early eighties and had several Eagles as company cars. What they lacked in quality they made up by being slow. With the exception of the wagon I thought they were just strange looking. Especially the coupes. They were reliable but even after driving a new one for a few weeks I would find oil on my driveway. Back then AMC was strapped for cash and it showed.

[@TheBrokenLife]

It's genuinely shocking just how much a transmission can change a car. My '83 wagon is a 5 speed and it feels about twice as fast as a comparable automatic, which I saw run the 1/4 mile in 23 seconds.

[@v1-vr-rotatev2-vy_vx31]

These are actually very nice looking cars for their time period. But then again, started driving in 1969 as a youth. Compared to everybody thats driving these new cars of today are actually nothing but spoiled drivers, that just don't get how great the cars are in the 60s. 70s and the 80s, all makers did seem to make chunky cars in the 80s. Just imagine driving the 1930s and 40s cars.

[@johnjeffery6638]

EASILY THE UGLIEST CAR EVER MADE- NEXT TO THE AZTEC... (LOOK IT UP)

[@greggthunderburg7294]

@@johnjeffery6638 my uncle bought one of those back in the 80's.i was embarrassed for him.

[@rightlanehog3151]

👏👏

[@lc2557]

Too bad I wasn't around when AMC was still in existence, thank you for featuring this!

[@rogersmith7396]

Rodekoff Motors in Independence, MO. was the local AMC dealer. He has some fame in the AMC community. His son Brian always had a new AMX when I was in high school. Loved it, a 401. My friends were all Ford or Chevy. I drove moms 70 Eldorado.

[@frankbrowning328]

I grew up in Kenosha very close to the AMC plant. I'm now an hour NW from there but still go back there at least once a month. There are still AMC Eagles to be found in Kenosha WI

[@chrislawson7983]

Thanks for your post. I knew a guy that drove the short two door like yours and couldn't believe he got in and out of it, he was 6 foot 8 and 300. I remember my mom drove ramblers, and a ambassador. Sisters had gremlins, pacers etc. brother had the AMC Harley. I never dreamed AMC would be no more.

[@patthesoundguy]

I had a 1980 Eagle wagon, I bought it for $1200 Canadian in 1997. It was super reliable, got decent milage. It was my favorite vehicle of everything I have ever owned. It was an odd duck for sure, a mixture of different parts from different manufacturers. Ford intake, Ford brakes, Chrysler transmission, Ford shifter, AMC block, Pontiac steering column. I loved that car and I miss it.

[@donmoore7785]

A colleague in about 1984 had the wagon version. I always was a little intrigued by it. The two handles for 4WD is probably to encourage you strongly to stop the vehicle.

[@jjtrucker5950]

The pin you pull is so you don't engage it by accident.

[@derelict_wanderer]

It was a stop to engage version due to the front axle having a disconnect. In later models (post 84) the disconnect was eliminated. The full sized Wagoneers/Grand Wagoneers of the same era also had that style 4wd switch. If you engaged while moving, you could damage the splined collar that engaged the axle halves together.

[@Todd66]

Love that car. Love every version of it. Amazed that coming from Mi that it’s not rusted out. The gaps and wavy panels…character ;) Awesome car, I’m glad you shared it.

[@robertmills3682]

Something else that I noticed is different about AMC from other cars is that you didn’t have to turn the key on to get the trunk to pop. GM and Ford you had to turn the key on for the trunk button to work.

[@SuperGlacierGirl]

On that point, my SX4 had the optional rear spoiler. It covered the hatch lock cylinder,so the only way to open the hatch was to use the button.

[@donaldsalkovick396]

Doug DeMuro is gonna send his lawyers if you keep saying "quirks"

[@ce9345]

When he mentioned the lack of a dome light switch for the rear doors, that reminded me of my 1985 chevy citation. Everything was an option. Mine only had the driver side door mirror. Passenger side mirror was an option. But that was the way cars were built back then.

[@MegaRetr]

Adam, thank you for the personal tour of another gem in your collection.

[@jameshamrick8565]

I rode home from the hospital in a blue Eagle. Think we had it till i was like 10

[@CraigArndt]

Those door handles remind me of my Dad's '74 Hornet. That car was strange. The A/C had a dial that went to "Desert", assuming that was some serious cold... so weird. The car was a hunk of junk as well.

[@markschommer7407]

The Chevrolet Impala only lit the dome light with the front doors. The Caprice had switches on all 4 doors but not the Impala.

[@david4903]

Always loved those many years before there time but even loved them when they came out

[@Ed-pr7jv]

Thanks Adam. It’s great that a young man like yourself can appreciate the odd engineering that went into these AMC cars. Our family had several of them but not the Eagle. A Gremlin, and a Hornet and several Ramblers.

[@cmc5394oparva]

My grandpa bought AMCs exclusively through the mid-90s when he finally switched over to Buicks. I remember he had a Gremlin, their version of the Wagoneer, and this Eagle wagon.

[@wtk6069]

AMCs were the perfect beater cars. I took my driver's test in a 78 AMC Concorde in 1991! I still have a Grand Cherokee with the AMC straight 6 in it. A classic engine that will run forever.

[@toronado455]

That might be the best condition AMC Eagle sedan in existence. Thanks for the video and squid deployment tutorial. 🏆

[@MrJett1971]

I grew up with a 1978 AMC Concord, 258, 2V carb, 4 speed. It was my Mom’s car bought brand new, and became my first car from ‘91-92. Dad bought it back from me in ‘92 (for $1), restored it to show condition, and just recently sold it earlier this year. It amazes me to see how little the interior changed over the years-other than the digital clock, AC, and wood grain it’s prob 95% the same.

[@Andrew-zs5tc]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. My first car was a 78 AMC Concord. At 18 when I got mine, I didn't realize that so many of the parts were shared. I was amazed at how bad the keys were. Mine could come out without it being in park. Occasionally, I would come back to the car and the radio was on. The key was not quite in the park position and closing the door moved it enough for the radio to come on. Two friends had other AMCs and the one was able to open and drive the other's car. That poor guy would come out of work and have to search for his car.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

For some higher end GM models, you could also remove the key with the ignition on, the idea being that you could start the car on a cold morning, lock it, and go back inside to finish your morning routine while it warmed up.

[@chrisgoebel9187]

Hey Adam! My Polish grandmother was gifted a year-old AMC Eagle 4-door sedan by her younger sister in 1983. Antionette bought a new E-class because the Eagle dripped oil on her pristine concrete driveway and on her garage floor at 417 Oleander in Schaumburg. My grandmother had "Eagle" (as she would say) for many years providing very reliable service. Grandma never got stuck in the horribly snow covered and rutted side streets in Chicago.

[@brianp6965]

That last bit about the door handles... when I was a very little boy, the family car was a '78 Concord Wagon. I loved the handles on the "orange car"! They were the only ones I could open with my tiny kid hands. I struggled to open the doors on the replacement '81 Malibu Wagon.

[@tjm3900]

I always liked the look and utility of the Eagle, but it has been 40 years since I bought an American made vehicle, and your video reminded me why I stopped considering one :-(

[@markaustin4370]

Adam's reviews are always first rate!!! Would love to see a feature showing the Hornet from Hudson though AMC

[@Foxonian]

International Harvester also used shared parts from various auto makers for it's Scout II. The steering column in one of those is also a GM one since it has the IH logo on the square GM key. Plus, they also used the Chrysler touqueflight. Automatic.

[@OutnBacker]

The Scout II was probably the best 4X ever made in the US. Only thing that killed them was the rust. The original Scout was in close competition tobe the replacement foer the military Jeep", but two things killed that deal:1) too heavy to be dropped by parachute and, 2) Robert McNamara was on the board at Ford, so we got the MUTT.

[@lawrencelampke6007]

They did the same for their pick ups too. I worked for a roofing company and we had two '73 or 74 pick-ups that were pretty much identical; red paint, 4speed stick,same V/8's. But when you looked under the hood they had many different parts on the motor

[@trainsforbrains]

IH used AMC engines for some years too. The 258 and the 401 I think. Not sure about others.

[@stephengordon198]

What I love about that car is the stance. It has a high ground clearance. Which is very unusual for a sedan. Great for not having to bend down to far to get into the car. The coming Toyota Crown(replacing the Avalon) will have a high ground clearance as well. It is on my wish list as I abhor getting down too low to get into my car now!

[@don1863]

Back in the 70’s and 80’s my father worked for the State, his department issued AMC’s for supervisors. He was issued a 1978 Matador and as a kid I can remember thinking what a strange car (being used to Ford and GM products). However I will say that besides the AMX I think the Eagle/Concord was probably their best car of that period.

[@fhwolthuis]

You should do a winter drive in the snow in this car, Adam!

[@dosgos]

Quirky cars. Fun, comfortable, and incredible in the snow. AMC's vision was decades ahead of the industry.

[@byronpink9061]

This is indeed a rare find! An AMC Eagle Sedan. Wow!! I remember mostly the wagons. Thanks for sharing!

[@timtrinkaus7072]

Can’t wait from the full review and ride and drive! Thanks for sharing Adam!!

[@arevee9429]

Very much a warmed-over Hornet. I loved the early 70's Hornets, but by the 80's, it was definitely past its prime. Old dies producing wavy body panels is a pearl of wisdom I would not have had without Adam's familiarity with the industry. I really did like the original Hornets in stripped-down form. I knew someone who worked in my dad's body shop who'd buy them from the phone company, repaint them and flip them. No radio, rubber mats instead of rugs, power nothing. I'd love to have one of those today. The under hood was a lot cleaner on those early 70's cars.

[@lifterguy]

My first car was a hand-me-down used 1971 Hornet sedan, and it was a bare bones car, just as you describe. Vinyl upholstered bench seats front and back, rubber floor mats - no carpet. I can't remember if there was a liner on the floor of the trunk - I'm sure the sides of the trunk were just painted metal. Of course it had crank windows and no AC. It did have an AM radio. The worst accessory was the vacuum powered windshield wipers that tended to stop working in snowy/icy conditions. When I handed that car down to my younger sister and bought a used 1979 Ford Fiesta, I really felt like I was moving up in the world! (Around the same time, my parents got an AMC Eagle Wagon - which was much nicer than the stripped down Hornet.)

[@canadiandeplorable6413]

AMC was the ultimate mutt of cars. I had zero appreciation for them then, but now i would love to have one.

[@nealsidor1323]

Essentially, the AMC Eagle was way ahead of it's time being the first American crossover. I've always been partial to the wagon but your sedan is a beautiful example of American Motors last gasp. They were always great at stretching their resources, especially at the end...

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

Chrysler got all of AMC's engineers. Later when they had to do some layoff's (I've heard) that the bulk of the AMC folks were retained. They always had to think outside the box.

[@MichaelBradley1967]

My Dad was an AMC nut. We had a mid-late 60's Ambassador wagon, a 69 Ambassador wagon, a 73 Matador, a 76 Gremlin. Sister and brother had Pacers and Hornets. I miss real A/C in cars, but the AMC "desert only" setting was some frigid stuff. Last of the true AMC's, the Eagle had the design lineage of the Spirit(Gremlin) & Hornet.

[@fhwolthuis]

I would love to have an Eagle wagon with a 4.0 engine from a Cherokee in it 😀

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I love these old Eagles. My friend's grandmother had one just like this. Loved riding in it

[@onemoremisfit]

I met a guy who had one of these back in 1982, didn't ride in it but thought it was cool. Back then 4wd in a car was a big deal, and we did have snowy winters where I lived. When you examine it objectively, the car has extra ride height and suspension travel, but it isn't suitable for any off road use. Would be practical for bad potholes, speed bumps and steep ramps, so it could be considered an urban jungle survival vehicle. I have decades of experience driving 4x4s in bad snowstorms and have found that even with a 6000 lb 4wd truck the tires will make or break you. I have 2 sets of wheels for the truck, one with all-terrain tread tires, and the other with full off road tread tires for use from Dec to March. (I don't run my off road tread tires on pavement all summer like all the yahoos with lifted trucks do.) That AMC Eagle has highway tread tires on it. Back in 1982 they didn't really make tires with off road or mud+snow tread for common car sizes. They had snow tires but they weren't all that hot. If you got caught in 2 or 3" of snow with that Eagle you'd have an advantage over a regular car, but you weren't going to strike out into a north-mid-western blizzard and expect to make it. My commute to work used to include 20 miles of rural 2 lane highway thru open fields. At times I'd get caught in a blizzard going home at night from 2nd shift. If the wind was going crossways to the highway the snow drifts coming out of the open fields were insane. I recall one storm just a few years ago where I was picking my way thru huge drifts in the middle of the night in my 4x4 truck with serious off road tires, and I almost didn't make it. I knew every inch of the road by driving it for decades, and that was the only way I could tell where the road was to stay out of the deep ditches. I went the whole 20 miles at no faster than 25mph and my normally half hour commute took hours. The ditches were littered with cars that didn't make it, including these AWD crossover vehicles that are popular today. BTW I'd say from the condition of that 40 year old Eagle that it didn't get driven thru a lot of northern MI snow.

[@THRASHMETALFUNRIFFS]

Haha very funny... it doesn't actually deploy squids, it's just a squid squeezer device for the rearward facing squid ink sprayer that not only blacked out the windshield of any potential stalkers but makes a nice oil slick on the road to send them flying off a cliff, etc. It kinda sucked cuz you had to replace the squid every oil change or sooner if the squid was used too often and squeezed to death cuz the rotten fish smell became too obnoxious.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Absolutely loving this series, and this car is a great oddity! Love the interior in this automobile. Also, is it just me, or are these old American sixes the sweetest, most relaxing engines to just listen to. The mild luxury big blocks sound great too, but there's something so smooth and soothing.

[@rightlanehog3151]

In many cases the inline 6 engines were the most reliable in the manufacturer's fleet. I find that relaxing, soothing and comforting.

[@curbozerboomer1773]

Yes...my old 59 Rambler had the venerable flat six...at idle, you could balance a nickel on it's edge, on the engine block!...I have never experienced a smoother running engine in my long life!

[@norisboren5402]

I lost a 258ci engine because the garage did not know to stuff the oil pump with vasoline while installing OIL pump. Old or New please fill it with VASOLINE or chance oil pump failure, F R I E D the engine rings. Sold to salvage yard. Liked the AMC ,tough smooth car.

[@clintonstubbs2319]

One of my uncles had an AMC Hornet and it was one of the last AMC cars I saw until high school, when I knew a guy that had an AMC Concord. Definitely don’t see many of these cars today.

[@hutchcraftcp]

I owned 2 of them, a wagon and an SX4 . Aside from the plastic valve cover leaking they were bulletproof

[@diez0305]

Really appreciate all the content you've been pumping out recently! I needed a winter car and was between an Eagle with a later model Jeep inline six, or a 79 bronco. Ended up going with the bronco but man that Eagle was clean, I wonder about it sometimes.

[@OutnBacker]

That in-line 6 was the AMC 258, common to most Jeep CJ's in the 70's. Maybe the best 6 cylinder ever made in the US, and we made a lot of very good 6's.

[@richstanton8545]

Besides AMC's 6, the Chrysler 225 Slant Six was bullet-proof except for the exhaust manifold cracking (had one in my '68 Dodge Coronet). A buddy swore by his Ford 300 six in his Econoline van. The US built some fantastic workhorse 6 cylinders.

[@OutnBacker]

@@richstanton8545 Yes. I had two Leaning Towers of Power. One in a well worn 69 Valiant that ran like a watch, another in a 77 Dodge Aspen Wagon SE. Looking back, I miss that Aspen. Excellent size, fully loaded, and one of the top three most comfortable cars I ever owned. Mine was exceptionally clean. They go for about 10K now.

[@johnwalsh7256]

Great video, memories of my 1982 Concord.

[@mammothscott1455]

I had wanted to buy a Concord back in 81 82 years. What was your experience?

[@johnwalsh7256]

I inherited my grandmother's Concord, it was in great condition, had about 36,000 on it. Kept it for 3 years, unfortunately got married, needed the cash and sold it. I regret it today, was a quirky different car 🚗, I would love to have it today. Those cars were so easy to work on.

[@timothymabry6663]

All Makes Combined, as we used to say. A lot of people like to beat up AMC's for their poor build quality, and rightly so as demonstrated in this video. But to be fair most 82 domestics had the same poor quality control. AMC was just first to the party with quality issues starting around 1970. My brother currently owns a 1964 Rambler American 440 convertible and it is a very well built car.

[@stevebyrne4235]

AMC Heinz Eagle; my kids learned to drive on a Hornet Wagon field car. In South Africa, they were built by Toyota and had a Chev 250 CI 6

[@falcon664]

I've driven a number of Eagles, in every body style. The one I liked the most was an SX-4 with the 5-speed manual transmission. These are relatively heavy cars, and benefit from the extra gears and driver participation.

[@rightlanehog3151]

A manual transmission improves almost any car.

[@MrSpartanPaul]

@@rightlanehog3151 I’m trying to think of what car or truck a manual transmission wouldn’t improve………..hmm I got nothin.

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@MrSpartanPaul I'll get back to you if I think of one.........😉

[@69jbr69]

@@MrSpartanPaul Big boat cruisers. I love manuals but they have no place in cruisers like my work car, which is a buick lesabre which is smaller than the old big cruisers and handles like a waterbed on wheels. Only ones I can think of. I just want to sit on the couch inside it and cruise.

[@agostinodibella9939]

There is sure a lot of hoses and vacuum lines under that hood. My father had a ‘71 Hornet and later an ‘80 Eagle wagon. The front seats had a slight tilt towards the doors on the Eagle. I remember the springs on the door handles would break and the handle would flop around.

[@michaelkehm3663]

Started my career in Service at a Pontiac dealership in 1972. My dealer bought the AMC Jeep franchise in 1977 and I reluctantly became familiar with AMC products. Kinda got used to them, even had a few Eagles and Grand Cherokees for demos. Just was glad I didn't have to make payments on them.

[@rightlanehog3151]

😂

[@stevezahn8056]

Everything you showed in this video is what makes the AMC Eagles the best cars ever. They were made for people who know how to work on cars. With multiple manufacturers parts in them your options for repair parts are limitless. Everything available at the local auto parts store. I had a 1982 wagon. Best car ever. You forgot to point out the fender flares. I slid off a snow covered road and hit the guardrail, the flare hit the rail and just bounced off. Didn’t even scratch the paint. 250,000 miles, and a snapped axel was the end for her. Sold it for what I payed for it. The guy that bought it put a CJ rear end under it and took it out deer hunting. Man I miss that old car.

[@brentboswell1294]

If you had one of these in the driveway in the 1980's, you were advertising to the neighbors that you had a cabin in the woods or enjoyed skiing on the weekends. I grew up on the nice side of town, and when you went to someone's cabin up in the mountains, lots of them had an Eagle wagon in the garage that was kept up at the cabin. Of course, this was the poor man's version of the ultimate rich person's weekend getaway vehicle, the Wagoneer (which didn't become "Grand" until AMC introduced a little four eyed Jeep Cherokee XJ with a nicer interior to the world as the "Wagoneer" 🤣 ).

[@cashkenterprises5584]

The new Toyota Crown took inspiration from this

[@larryjohnston52]

I think that is the true joy of owning a time capsule of engineering like an "Old Car". They had to figure it out with a slide rule.

[@craigbenz4835]

We made it to the moon on a slide rule and three significant figures.

[@Inlinetodie]

For anyone who is wondering about car history. My pops had the largest classic car collection in North America, when he passed, it went to Osman Auctions, it took years for the cars to be sold, I like seeing my dad's old cars on these videos. Now, this particular automobile, was taken by Chrysler, rehashed, and developed into the Jeep Liberty, if your not involved with AMC,GMC and Imperial Oil, you won't understand the automotive industry and how it developed. Before gas cars came around, the electric car was king, all cars were electric and all buses and trolleys and trains, became electric, up until the 30s, when imperial Oil bought every Electric car company and all transportation companies who used electric. Till this day, the electric vehicles from the 1900 to 1930 Era, can be found. This AMC Eagle, became the Jeep Liberty, it is honored by a factory Eagle Tire covering with the American flag. Get it, vehicles are only developed into other vehicles, if you would like to know how all the Dodge Brothers designs interpreted into today's trucks or if you have questions about pretty much any vehicle built, even the Antarctica Vehicles Company...yah, there's a manufacturing plant in the Antarctic, makes thousands of vehicles.

[@markwilliams5606]

Had a 81. Ran for ever.

[@DSP1968]

What a nice, honest old car. That windshield wiper/washer switch is probably a Ford part -- they used the type which you mentioned. Also, the dome light was used on concurrent mid-sized Oldsmobiles, I believe.

[@kc9scott]

My dad had a ‘74 Hornet. It used those same headlight and wiper switches. The Bricklin SV-1 also used them! Back then (or back into the ‘60s), lots of cars had a 3-position rotary switch for wiper off/low/high, but the pair of AMC knobs is recognizable. My dad’s Hornet was a really stripped-down configuration; the only 2 options he got were reclining seats and a rear defogger. Not even a radio. But it did have the lower package shelf, on a car without A/C. There were no vents inset into the shelf at that time. It was a hatchback, and the height inside the rear end of the cargo area with the hatch closed was very shallow.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Those Subaru WRX boyz would love those mud-flaps. 😂

[@bennyhill3076]

It's a miracle that AMC was able to make a profit, ( some years) at all with having to buy so many components from the "Big Three" . I can't imagine that the big three were not selling these components at a healthy profit.

[@rogergoodman8665]

I agree. If they didn't buy so much they might have survived longer but probably not. I bet though the big three loved AMC because it was a reliable easy way for them to get rid of excess or obsolete inventory.

[@robjordan2506]

It was cheaper than paying for engineering and manufacturing their own parts.

[@bennyhill3076]

@@robjordan2506 Perhaps. AMC was not a high volume producer of automobiles compared to the big three, so they might not had the advantage of the Economies of scale if they actually manufactured their own components. However, their whole business model was to reuse their existing vehicle chassis and bodies and I can't help but to think that if they had , let's say, engineered and manufactured their own power steering pump in 1965 that the cost of which could be spread over the next 22 years, they might of been ahead of the game cost wise. The truth of the matter is, we will never know for sure.

[@bennyhill3076]

@@rogergoodman8665 Perhaps, I just know that the Big Three would not sell a component to a competitor unless it was lucrative for them to do so. ( at least back in the day anyway)

[@craigbenz4835]

@@bennyhill3076 I've had plenty of Chrysler products with the Saginaw power steering pump instead of the Chrysler one. They seemed to use it without rhyme nor reason, maybe just based on what truck came in that day.

[@timmcshan3881]

They were great cars being 4 wheel drive. And the 6 cylinder was a torque monster

[@EdHelms1]

Great video. I had a ‘76 hornet station wagon that was green with green interior. One quirk that it had was no hood release from the inside. That made me a little nervous that someone was going to walk off with the battery. I didn’t see one near the parking brake on this Eagle so I am assuming it was never added.

[@staffgrimes8106]

Love these short , best of, worst of, over the top , 10 minute videos! Great job Adam.

[@jasonvsd]

We had an 84 Eagle wagon as a family car. Did great in the SD winters. It was a good car. They were very popular with rural mail carriers.

[@nickandros2057]

I bought a 83 (I think) AMC Concord sedan. Nearly the same body. It had the I6 and it was a great beater car. I only got rid of it because it wouldn't pass Illinois emissions.

[@joemccarthywascorrect6240]

Back in the 90’s/early 00’s, I owned a 1970 Ambassador Wagon. Even then, it had various other mfr parts. Probably the most fun thing was taking it to car shows and pulling in between a mustang and a corvette, and having so many people come over to check it out and ignore the belly-button cars. I put over 90000 miles on it before I sold it to another collector. The biggest improvement I made to the car was having subframe connectors welded in - a full-size station wagon and unibody construction do not do well together!

[@kevinbarry71]

It is amazing AMC lasted as long as it did. I remember back in the 80s, as a teenager, looking through Jeep dealer inventory. Even then I was struck by the bad body fitment. With the Cherokees and Grand Wagoneer's it look like the doors were open when they were in fact closed

[@marcusdamberger]

Renault certainly helped them stay alive longer into the late 80s tell Chrysler bought it all out. They probably would have died in the early to middle 80s. They had nothing new but warmed over old car design's as this example shows. Though they did have Jeep and it was the only thing Chrysler really wanted from them.. They did manage to design the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and Eagle Premiere while under Renault. But Chrysler had to take the Grand Cherokee and get it to showrooms in the end. I think AMC basically had the design done but couldn't spend anymore money on the tooling etc that needed to bring it to mass production, while Renault wasn't going to spend any more money as they had built a new automated production line that the Premiere was going to be built on. Heck the same production lines excess production capacity was used by Chrysler to supplement their demand. So Chrysler knew a lot about AMC, having worked with them over the years.

[@kevinbarry71]

@@marcusdamberger my mother had a 1989 Eagle premier. It was a very nice car and had features. A lot of other cars did not. Including the first factory keyless entry system I've ever seen. Even until now. But it was basically a Renault 25 manufactured in Canada.

[@izzyman556]

My mom had one exactly like this. I liked it when I was young. Lost a transmission and it was a yard ornament for about 10 years. Spend a lot of time just sitting it for years before it got sent off to be scrapped. I'd like to own one again.

[@GregorsOutdoors]

From a diehard Landcruiser aficionado, I must say that I am impressed by this ugly duckling that can both swim and fly (so to speak). These Eagles were so far ahead of their time it's unreal. So much so that I purchased two of them in an estate sale recently just because. Who knows where I'll take them from where they are (both currently not running). The ones I landed are both wagons. I happened to like the Landcruiser wagons so this fits neatly into my wheelhouse. Thanks for your video!

[@modelermark172]

This brought back lots of memories (admittedly, not all of them good.) I owned a 1980 Eagle two door coupe with full-time 4WD when it was new, and drove it for over 100K miles. Despite the 'quirks,' I still miss the old girl. Thanks for posting this.

[@markjohnston3502]

I remember those cars and yes later models had "rippled" body panels. My dad's friend/co-worker had a series of AMC's and he wondered if the use of galvanized steel was hard on the dies causing it to wear out faster. He had a pair of concords and they were nicely appointed/optioned.

[@autofox1744]

Fun fact about the Eagle and the Concord: ALL of the 4-door sedans had vinyl roofs. This was not strictly a stylistic feature; it helped to disguise the hacky cut-and-re-weld job AMC had to do to make that particular roof-line. Good cars to be sure, but crudely made.

[@RareClassicCars]

Not all. My 78 AMC Concord wasn’t ordered w a vinyl roof. That came forced on when they added the rear quarter window a few years later.

[@autofox1744]

@@RareClassicCars Ah, my mistake!