These Classic 4x4s Go for Pocket Change! But Should You Buy In? | Buy or Bust Ep. 15

[@NickTarterOKC]

I'd still buy the AMC Eagle. That engine is no big deal to work on. They are fantastic cars.

[@wasabitoburrion4409]

The good is the 258 I6 engine

[@Wornk]

@@ElectronicMusicUndergroundawe the 3 speed kills it for me

[@bldontmatter5319]

@@ElectronicMusicUnderground one of the worst combinations I've ever heard of. 3rd speed autos are ok on big blocks that keep you in the powerband... Not whatever the eagle is supposed to be. Can't even cruise with it

[@NickTarterOKC]

@@ElectronicMusicUnderground Totally worth it. Lol Plus, there is always a manual swap. A T5 would be pretty easy to get in there. An AX15 might even work.

[@jraddd3477]

My buddy had one, it caught fire driving many times haha

[@doug6191]

The best series on the channel. That Eagle is the spiritual predecessor to the Crosstrek, and that's no compliment. I guessed $1,300 figuring there are enough fans who'll be stupid with their money. That Datsun was still quite competitive with the Toyota Pickup of its day. I remember people liking these, and that design looks great when cleaned up with a new paint job. My guess was $1,800. The Yukon... People still want those. My guess was $5,400. I guessed before knowing the odometer issue. 😅

[@christopherhale580]

Agreed

[@rockymountboy]

What's your beef with the Eagle and Crosstrek? Are you morally opposed to small cars with AWD/4WD and improved ground clearance?

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

How does it look like real wood? It's AMC. No wood anything.

[@rpitneyjr]

You forgot the super-cool SX4 Eagle hatch! We had the wagon but always wanted the SX4.

[@metalmaniac-mu9kt]

I agree they missed the coolest one. My dad had an SX4 with a pop out sun roof.

[@seanmorrissey3103]

@@metalmaniac-mu9kt I had one...in the 90s. It was a very poor example, but I loved it. A little door droop, because the doors weighed about 700 lbs apiece (and some serious mechanical issues due to neglect), but there was something about it... the sun roof came in handy, because mine had a chronic exhaust leak, and was prone to overheating, so summer traffic jams meant heat on/sun roof open/stereo as loud as it could get. This brings back memories, lol

[@metalmaniac-mu9kt]

@@seanmorrissey3103 How many junk yards did you visit looking for door handles? lol

[@seanmorrissey3103]

@@metalmaniac-mu9kt I got rid of it before it ever came to that. But yeah they were pretty cheesy considering that each door weighed more than a complete 1970 VW Beetle.

[@jameslunsford8069]

There were three 2 door variations the sx4 the coupe version of the sedan and the kamerback.

[@michaelbrown5980]

I absolutely love the AMC Eagle. I've always wanted one. My neighbor growing up had 2 of them. When he sold them I wasn't in a place to buy it but I sure wish I could have!

[@briantracy1324]

The Hornet wagon was a great looking car.

[@ultimategamingjr]

I daily an 04' GMC Yukon XL and I absolutely love it! I bought it for my 1st car 3 years ago for 5k, did some work to it, and It's been an amazing truck!

[@johninama585]

AMC was always cash strapped and just kept things going longer than most companies. The Eagle is the 4WD version of the Concord, which is just a mild update of the Hornet. My mom had a Hornet Sportabout wagon that looked exactly like this Eagle from the A-pillar back, maybe more. I mean, it had a different front end with two round lights but that's really the only difference (except for the ride height). It even had the same interior. I think it was from the early 70s. So this basic platform has been around for a while!

[@franzvanjulio5523]

Stop hyping the GMT 400s all the time because you’re going to make me buy one! Great show, guys.

[@Wornk]

Best decision I ever made was to buy a k2500 suburban.

[@rustypliers74]

@@Wornk my first vehicle was a 91 k1500 and I still daily drive her after 12 years of course I rebuilt the engine and got a new transmission

[@rnt45t1]

You can tell Brendan REALLY loves his GMC.

[@trwsandford]

You know you do too.. :)

[@matthewcaughey8898]

I worked for a GM dealer for 2 years. You rarely saw those things come in for anything. When they did it was for stupid stuff that someone couldn’t get to or jobs that needed a lift. I have one myself that I bought off a friend who trashed it. He used it like a glorified sports locker. I got new carpet all the way around for extremely cheap. The backseat was always folded down so some leather cleaner brought it right back. I did have to reupholster the front seats and replace the foam which was a job I did one winter Friday night in my living room. I POR-15ed the frame cause it was a bit nasty looking ( POR-15 absolutely bonds to rust btw) then a coat of gloss black rustolium to cover the POR-15. I abused my dealer connections and got new shocks and brakes for a stupid low price and was able to have the bodyshop repaint it in its original white. Some NOS bumpers and a headlight resto kit and the thing looks brand new. Used it as a spare vehicle or a boat/ vacation rig to help my dad. I also used like 3 cans of gunk to clean the engine bay. Has about 85k on it but it’s running good. Was glad I had it cause when I ran into legal problems and was forced to give back my 22 Toyota Tacoma to help pay for fines I did still have something to get me around. The most important thing is I don’t have a car payment right now and I need every dime I can get. So long as the old GMC keeps going I’ll keep driving it

[@FXFBS540]

In the early 2000s, I was looking for a budget classic 4x4 while I was in high school. Ended up picking up 72 Bronco for $500. Cut the fenders out, added a cheap lift, and 33s. Was a pretty cool trail rig for the time. I'm gathering parts now to V8 swap it and put a better suspension in it. I like the Eagle the best out of those 3. I could see myself with one of those.

[@EnthusiastCarHangar]

When I lived in Austria I kept seeing an AMC Eagle over there. Crazy! The Town Car with Austrian plates on my channel is what I drove back then.

[@scottperson9487]

My first car was an 81 Eagle (Golden Eagle version) sedan. A lot of fun as a teen.

[@redmond9653]

Good luck finding an AMC Eagle that is not a clapped out junker. I live in Wisconsin where they were once very popular, and even when I was in college 20 years ago they were almost a curiosity even at that point because so few had survived.

[@HAL-dm1eh]

These cars were the shiznit when I was growing up in the 80s. Not very well known, but the coolest thing we ever saw when discovered. Everyone loved them.

[@tomc8854]

A Eagle SX-4 two door hatchback was the second car I ever owned in the late 80’s .258 straight six with a 4 speed stick. Fun car , ahead of its time. The first crossover and actually good off road. Would love to get another someday.

[@kalebaldwin5398]

In my high school auto shop class, we had an 81 Datsun pickup. But it was a 2WD regular cab. And diesel! I just remember the bed was all rusted out and you could literally stand in between the frame rails.

[@psunitro1]

1500 for the Datsun is a steal, depending on any rust. Had an 82 and loved that underpowered truck

[@vancejohnson4395]

Great memories riding in the AMC Eagle as a kid in Alaska. Save the wagons.

[@jeffbeitinger6565]

The Eagle was a level of cool that those of us who had or grew up with one in the '80s just didn't appreciate until it was too late. First my dad traded in his '85 Cherokee, and then my mother traded in her Eagle wagon (complete with "wood") side panels. 30 years later, I'm STILL not cool with that lol

[@courtney5796]

My friend had and Eagle back in the late '80s in North Dakota and it was phenomenal in the snow. It was really the first crossover.

[@jsSeJaMs]

Nice flatbed Cateye at 16:39 y’all drove past

[@IGmeanwell]

That eagle is worth the trouble to get working reliably. Have a soft spot for them it reminds me of growing up in my neighborhood when it was still mostly woods and our rural mail carrier had an eagle.

[@Stuka87]

When I was a kid my mom got an '84 AMC Eagle sedan. I loved it. Though my dad hated it because the valve cover leaked oil from the dealer. The 258 of the time period has a plastic valve cover, including on Jeeps. Easy fix these days as there are steel and aluminum ones. But it was cool because it kind of sat up high. And it was an AWD car LONG before Subaru falsly started to claim it was the worlds first AWD sport utility wagon (Technically the Wagoneer was the first in 1974).

[@furmanmackey5479]

I know two guys who purchased Eagles in the late 1980s with the intent, right out of the gate, of utilizing them for off road use as hunting and fishing trip "SUVs". Both vehicles are still on the road in 2023 and have undergone numerous suspension and interior changes, not to mention camo paint jobs, etc. etc. We are in the middle of hunting season here in South Carolina but if I can get in contact with either Eagle owner, I will ask them for permission to photograph their vehicles and send them to you. To this day I miss the early model 4X4 Hardbody I purchased used in 1999.

[@jackiejorpjomp]

Good pair of guys to host this series

[@trwsandford]

wow, I absolutely love all three of those. I'd have paid more for each of them than they went for. Then again I don't have a dealers license, so... irrelevant.... Speaking of the auction.. You drove past a sweet looking gen 3 Lincoln Town car each time.. please tell me you did a walk around and review on it! Those big luxo barges are quite possibly the coolest things ever made... and they will never be made again.

[@brendanao]

I actually wanted to buy that one! It was the extended wheel base version and if I had the cash at the time of filming, it would be in my fleet. Good catch!

[@THATBUSDRIVER]

@TFLclassics As a owner of an AMC Eagle SX/4 I am so happy you guys featured an eagle on one of your videos! I love mine and I can't wait to drive it again once I got it all fixed up!

[@NickTarterOKC]

The GMT800 is an amazing platform. I own two of these trucks myself. I'm a shop owner and don't like owning things I hate to work on or are always broken down. GMT800 trucks are dead reliable, especially when well cared for. They are super easy to work on and parts are cheap.

[@thebigguy8306]

Thank you, Brendon and Kase. Great review/discussion. I like to keep one Nice car as a primary driver, and one beater (Audi) for Minnesota winters

[@Dankcatvacs]

subaru did it first in 71 i like you guys buy dang chase is picky its a 42 year old car! its in decent shape just needs a tune up probably a timing chain. only issue with the yukon gmt800 is fuel consumption a dodge dakota with a miss and 335k miles gets better mileage than a 5.3 with all that weight.

[@Tallnerdyguy]

Kase* his name is Kase, not chase

[@AdventureBraten01]

I literally saw an eagle in person for the first time yesterday October 25th and then this video gets released 😂😂

[@herchelleonwood7463]

we had a 1980 Eagle which i loved, i went 4 wheeling in it a couple times, beat a jeep up large hill we 4 wheeled at, We always got deals on amc cars as Dick Teague was friend of family.

[@michaelcrouch4248]

Great video, as usual!You guys know vehicles from all errors and enjoy talking over the details with each other, just like we were there with you 👍

[@DVYoda]

Had a buddy who had an Eagle back in the early 90's when we all lived in Summit County... We would snow off-road it... Also, don't forget about the "Gremlin" body style Eagle...

[@mattlawonn98]

I’ve had an 85 and 86 Eagle, fantastic cars, they can go anywhere, we were one of the only cars on the road during the Blizzard of 97 in Colorado

[@noodlenoggin70]

When I was in high school in the 80's, my friend's mom had an Eagle hatchback that she drove to work every day.

[@zzuave2666]

That eagle....I have never seen a steering column that is so long! A nice one would be great to see. Never got them here in the UK.

[@FlowStateNewOrleans]

I have a VW Golf Alltrack almost entirely because the Eagle made me fall in love with AWD wagons when I was a kid.

[@johnbriggs6203]

@14:22... The 3rd row of seats in the Yukon XL arent folded down. They were unclipped from the floor, and removed.

[@mikefoehr235]

Not that long ago i saw an Eagle being daily driven in SW ONTARIO. Not sure what came of it but it was identical to the one in this video. My understanding is that AMC was not known for hi quality. I still remember Datsun. The most fun car was the 2 or 4 door 510. They were called a poor man's BMW.

[@williamegler8771]

AMC vehicles before their involvement with Renault were well-known for their durability. They were hardly cutting-edge in their engineering and used time-tested engines and transmissions that were usually decades-old proven designs.

[@mikefoehr235]

@@williamegler8771 Many just used parts from GM Ford Dodge.

[@Freddy37022]

My brother had 1 of those AMC wagons about 10 years ago he got for $500, it was a POS then, it’s a miracle that is still alive

[@HoosierDaddy_]

Good picks on this one!

[@frugalterrier8124]

I rented an Eagle wagon for a road trip in New England back in the 80’s. It was comfortable and great on gravel. It did struggle on uphills though. The smogged out 258 was probably lucky to be putting out 100 horses!

[@garretlewis4103]

I remember the AMC Eagle and the Datsun. Seeing that Yukon made me really miss the 1997 Tahoe that I had.

[@roymeyer6837]

Very cool to see different members of the team take their turns at the game! I'd buy that Datsun for sure. And at that $1100 price, even with the unknown mileage and broken odometer, I'd buy the GMC too. The Eagle...only if it went for less than $1k would I consider possibly trying to buy and fix it. I do have a soft spot for '80s 4WD wagons ever since my parents got their '82 Subaru wagon as a family car when I was a kid.

[@dammaman]

I had an 81 AMC Eagle SX/4 as my first car. Was the 2 door hatch with the 2.5 in it.

[@michaelmartin2276]

The Eagles were a really cool car. They all had a problem with exhaust manifold gasket failure. All wheel drive and 4 wheel drive are very different.

[@bikingD]

AMC Eagle also came in a hatchback and Kammback that you didn't mention. Also last AMC Eagles not so all American as were built at the old AMC plant in Brampton Ontario Canada at the corner of Steeles and Kennedy rd.

[@georgemueller8014]

I have a neighbor who has used an Eagle as a daily driver for the past 20 years.

[@workingclassless84]

Love my 4x4 05 yukon xl. My wife and kids destroyed the interior, but I took it back over a few years ago and made it my offroading "rig". It needs quite a bit of work. New rear main seal, steering linkage , and definitely want to drop a 4l80 in it. The current 4l60 is fine, but its only a matter of time running 35s and towing.

[@markryl-kuchar2373]

I’ve driven and ridden in leather and cloth gmt 400 and gmt 800 suburbans and Yukons, all 4 were extremely comfortable seats over the time I was in them

[@richfarfugnuven6308]

GMT 800 has the most comfie, lounge chair seats of all time. My '02 Suburban was my most comfortable long range road trip car of all time...

[@lucasmorningstar6290]

I had the opportunity to own a very clean Eagle Talon, all black on black and was alot better than I thought, never had any issues with it but had it for about one to two years, but it's funny looking back cause alot of us wish we would had kept some of the cars we had, know I do sometimes👍

[@jkholley1118]

Nissan 720 was a great truck. Had one back in the day and loved it. Rust took it out. The GMC was a steal, amazing trucks and the Eagle was over priced but always wanted one. Really cool.

[@Kurtiscott]

Excellent team up. My first car was an un-killable Datsun B210 so I’ve got a bit a a soft spot for the brand.

[@wasabitoburrion4409]

Those old B210’s went head on with the Corolla/Celica on un-killable reliability.

[@capesquirt]

B 210 Sundowner...

[@scottyprice339]

I love you guys and the delivery of your content. Just got to Go with the Datsun on this one. ( I am a Ford guy.) But I agree with everything that you guys do. Keep the content coming.

[@NickTarterOKC]

I get 17ish on the highway and 13ish in town in my 01 Tahoe 4x4. It has the HD springs and the 5.3. My 03 GMC Yukon gets 15ish in town and 19ish on the highway. It is 2wd and also has the 5.3, but is flex fuel.

[@nealewalter]

I had 2 dr hatch, SX4. Great big straight 6. At the time weighed more than my dodge grand caravan. I think it was a 79. In Canada all were factory ziebarted, so no rust in regions where car would rust out. Change oil, just slide underneath. Mine was all wheel drive all the time.

[@thebeast9606]

I see a decent amount of AMC Eagles here in Minnesota, but there is one guy who has a 1985 (I believe) in completely mint condition, and he drives it all year round. It goes through the snow just as well or better in some cases than many of the new CUVs, even better than some SUVs.

[@5150Arcticwolf]

The AMC Eagle was my first car. Loved it even though I got made fun of for driving it. Biggest downside was the rear springs breaking from jumping it too much.

[@Perich29]

1:25 that was the car that was used in Back to the future where Jenifer Father was driving.

[@gradycampbell9933]

that 4.2 is one of my favorite sounding engines. unfortunately in NY nothing that has one of those motors really goes for pocket change

[@BurntTransGarage]

My dad's daily is still a 96 Suburban (GMT400). It's on its 3rd engine and transmission, but he won't let it go.

[@boggy7665]

The Eagle brand was created by Chrysler for former AMC dealers to have a label to sell cars under, in addition to the Jeep brand which had always been separate from the AMC brand. Jeep/Eagle dealers had Americanized Renault cars (Medallion and Premier) that Chrysler was contractually obligated to build and sell for a while. They had a/some Mitsubishis (Talon...?). And some Chryslers too after the Renault cars were retired.

[@DuaneCaldwell]

That Eagle styling has aged better than I would've thought back when they were new. That said, I can't believe dealers paid that much for that example in the poor condition it was in. The Datsun pickup was a vehicle I really wanted back in the day, though. I'd still much rather have that than the Eagle.

[@hitchedtohorsepower]

I can't believe you didn't mention that the Eagle is what Jennifer's dad drove in Back to the Future!!

[@NWI_Steel]

First thing I thought of!

[@rockymountainjazzfan1822]

The Eagle was built in the days of 55 mph speed limits, so its lack of horsepower was not unique. On the plus side, the 258 inline 6 was a long-lived engine. If I recall, the automatic transmission was a Chrysler Torque Flite. AMC's in that era had Chrysler, Ford, and GM parts on them from the factory.

[@maddhatter3564]

my first 4X4 was an 80 eagle wagon. good car but hard to get parts for and the full time 4x4 limited it to 15 mpg.note, the 80 eagle didnt have the 2wd switch.

[@ntme6506]

That Datsun 720 is my favorite I have seen on this show. Sure wish y'all would have bought that.

[@knitterscheidt]

wow that change for the Yukon, somebody went home smiling that day!

[@IKnewMickey]

All 3 were buys for me. Great show guys!

[@nix4644]

I owned a brand new '81 Eagle wagon...let's just say it spent more time in the dealer garage than in my garage.

[@Barbu66]

There was also an Eagle coupe that was very nice-looking. Imagine if Jeep/Eagle was still around today and they produced a wagon along the lines of the Grand Wagoneer…

[@monsta3038]

Eagles are very capable I've had several the only problem is no low range but it's only needed for really steep climbing, but three foot snow won't stop them

[@IraqVet0608]

I saw one of the cleanest eagles I’ve ever seen back in Aug. I started researching them a bit. Man, people think they are gold!

[@74MaverickMan]

All that Eagle needed was a junkyard 4.0 from a Jeep. Even better if the 4.2 crank is still good. Rebuild the 4.0 with the 4.2 crank and maybe a small cam and it's a 250hp 300lbft super reliable family wagon. Will get you anywhere and a 3 inch lift(add a leaf and a spacer maybe $150)to fit some 30x9.50r15 tires. Also s10 or fwd caddy front CV axle handle articulation better. Wouldn't cost a good mechanic another $2000 to make it a nice off-road cruiser. You can go wild with coilovers and 4 links, subframe connectors, np231 tcase, Ford 8.8 axles, and a turbo. Still would be under $15,000 to build something that rides like a roomier Bronco Sport and wheels like a non Squatch full size Bronco. Add a locker to the rear and solid axle swap the front with a long arm XJ kit and you are still way under $20k unless you blow it on rims. They also have muscle car lineage from the AMC Hornet as well as Baja and Rally credentials.

[@peterbutlien1335]

I love these buy or bust videos. Short but sweet

[@JoshKetchum]

Yall never even MENTIONED the AMC Eagle Hatchback! The COUPE/HATCHBACK was awesome :)

[@bradleyw6970]

i had one and i loved it , mine was blue with the fake wood grain on the side.

[@MrSaabviggen]

love my 86 wagon its my daily driver its lifted bigger wheels etc cant go anywhere without questions or storys about them

[@IKhanNot]

I'd love one of those Eagles. Would be a great winter beater.

[@kevinomura5251]

I'd go for the AMC Eagle as well. I owned a Datsun 720 long bed and then a Nissan King Cab. If you look at the one they showed note the black areas along the lower door and bed. On the Datsun the bed was made in two parts with a seam running along the top edge of that black 'trim' that seam always rusted out. Also though I saw the passenger door lower part flopping about. Rust killed those trucks.

[@kgar6769]

Those are actually rectangular headlights. The square headlights were almost square and we're both low and high beams.

[@wushock92]

Someone got a steal on that Yukon XL. My 99 with the 5.7 isn't anywhere near that good of shape but I'll drive it until it won't go anymore.

[@jasonperry7970]

Eagles were unique. Basically a Jeep Cherokee XJ without low range and an independent front suspension. There were as nice and comfortable as Grand Wagoneers too.

[@Kristian_Saile]

Those gmt800’s are the sweet spot of great SUV’s. I had a 2500 and so regret selling that thing. The 1500’s had such a great ride, no AFM bs, only weak spot really was the 1500 trans, 4l60E but those can be built to be more durable. Just great money to value propositions all around fir a highly useful, comfortable, practical vehicle.

[@27Zangle]

Finding a Yukon or Suburban without a ton of miles of that era has nearly become impossible. I'd love to have a fully loaded model with low miles as a back of vehicle.

[@johnfluckiger9693]

The AMC Eagles are not a cheap vehicle and its because of shows like this that show how crazy awesome they still are

[@GreenSigmaTH]

That Eagle may be tired, but considering it's the same engine they were using in Jeeps up until maybe a decade or so ago, they're easy to work on and to get parts for. Besides, you just don't SEE AMC Eagles these days, I really wanted one of these as my first car here in Michigan because I wanted a classic that could be driven in the snow and not a Jeep Wrangler or a bigger 4X4, just couldn't find one. These AMC Eagles are definitely a slept-on classic that one day will become rather desirable, so should definitely get one while you still can! Edit: My guess about why the Yukon went for so little was BECAUSE the odometer was broken, not knowing the exact mileage of the vehicle can be a bit of a red flag to a lot of bidders.

[@stevestanton3083]

Best series on the channel. I will look for the next one.

[@jonzaremba]

That Datsun was great

[@cub1009]

The 5.3lv8 from that era is very reliable. It's pretty common to see them with over 300k miles. Once in a while one will roll in with over 500k miles.

[@richkar1127]

My 02 Sierra has 316k. Daily driven around 90 miles 5 days a week now.

[@cub1009]

@@richkar1127 Awesome to hear! I've put 130k miles on my 06 in 8 years. I purchased with 30k miles and I'm up to 160k now. It's been a great truck and the 5.3l has been reliable the entire time.

[@Jayroro]

I remember being a kid in the 80s/early 90s and thought the AMC Eagle wagon was the coolest.

[@LafemmebearMusic]

It wasn’t please omg 😂cool is such a strong word 😅

[@swron_rules]

I’ve wanted a 5speed eagle for awhile.

[@BradleyRayMilner]

That Eagle is so cool! I've never seen on before...

[@rolo1034]

That eagle really reminds me of the subaru L series wagon (a brumby/brat in wagon form) always loved those and this eagle is super interesting!

[@pcthayer]

I always thought the Eagles were cool. Especially the SX4, but thought the 4x4 version of the AMC Concord was unique too. (Naturally the Eagle Talon but that was a car for completely different purposes.)

[@jeepinspence]

There was a 2 door hatchback as well. I think it was the best looking one.

[@jeepinspence]

My sister had a white eagle sedan for awhile. It was a neat car but this one had a weird overheating issue. It would overheat on the highway intermittently. She got afraid of it and traded it off.

[@danthompson1467]

Boys I worked on the Eagles when they where brand new it was a great car ahead of its time

[@Julian-do7bv]

That AMC was rough but with a little love it would be so nice a good interior makes it worth more