thoughts on amc eagle wagon

redneckjeep87

redneckjeep87

Landscaper Extroidanaire
Joined
Oct 10, 2007
Location
Woodleaf, NC
Whats everybodys thoughta on the amc eagle wagons? Got a chance to trade a guy my 1969 vw squareback, no motor perfect body, painless wiring harness and plethora of parts for it. I love the squareback and so does my wife, but i just feel like this.eagle would be more practical for us i guess. Its in pretty good shape, its a full optioned out 1986, heat works, pwr windows work great, pwr doors work, pwr seats work, ac works just needs to be charged, 4x4 works off the switch(i was amazed), has 103,440 miles, two small dents in the hatch, a exhausteak at the manifold(small) and needs the headliner recovered.....has a brand new set of bfg mts on it, has the 258 with an auto. I know they dont have low range or anything but xj parts could be swapped in.....i was thinkin aw4 or a 5 speed with a 242. My wife doesnt seem to care, she has really been diggin the squareback as have i, but the motor i have needs a rebuild and machine work(read no rings whatsoever) and i would need to start over with the wiring in it so i new everything was right. Really leanin toward the eagle, not to mention the eagle is 4 dr compared to the tiny two door of the squareback wagon
 

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I've got a friend with a wood grain 86, he linexd everything but the wood grain and put 31s on it. Pretty awesome car overall but its got that same engine/trans combo and is beyond gutless. Other problems are the front awd components and lack of parts. Upside is he can drive all over tahoe in the winter--places subarus and awd suvs won't go, and it looks cool as shit.
 
The Squareback is cool as hell, the Eagle is ok.

I think the Eagle could be made to be a really cool car, but that Squareback is something you never see and a lot cooler than the Eagle.

Although if it is between having something you might never finish and having something you can drive, go for the Eagle.
 
eagle, although I have to pose this statement....if you're considering the 4.0/aw4 swap....


practicality kicks in for me and says buy a used xj
 
Joey you know me....im just not big on the xj bandwagon, been there done that kinda thing. I agree the.squareback is.cool as hell and would be a.dream finished, but at the.same time im 6'1" with size 13 boots so its.kind of hard for me to drive vws( my dad has alot)( and i mean more than anyman should). Im swaying more to the eagle, i fit in it its comfortable, i think my dogs would enjoy it better due to windows, i could take it to the beach, it could be driven in bad weather etc. Plus my wife will be driven it also and i feel that a jeep 258 is more reliable than a 1776 aircooled vw motor....i dunno, at the same time ill NEVER find a squareback in this type of condition.

Is the gutless.nature due to that auto thats in it? I had a 258 in my old yj with a swapped in ax15(blew up the peugeot 5 speed) and it would run pretty damn good
 
I say do it, it would be fun and different. I came so close to buying a white w/ woodgrain one this summer.
 
I don't know crap about the Eagle. Do they have single speed TC's or something?
 
Id go with the Eagle.. I always liked those ugly bastards! The squareback is cool and rare but it also seems like ya have alot of work and $$ ahead of you to get the project rolling.. Eagles arent too hard to work on from what I hear either, just parts are a bitch to find. But Im sure the squareback has that same problem!
 
How much are they asking for the Eagle? I know where one is for sale in Boiling Springs for $950.00.
 
Squarebacks aren't that rare, and low on the "cool scale" in the VW world. That said, I wouldn't mind having that one. It looks nice. I'm really looking for an early model sedan, though. 62 or so. Got one of those you're trying to get rid of? ;) As far as the Eagle is concerned, they're pretty cool in my book. I see a LOT less of them on the road than Squarebacks right now, especially in that condition. A small lift makes them pretty capable and "awesome ugly." Even with the straightness of that type 3, you'd have a hard time getting what that Eagle is worth if you tried to sell it. Hell, you probably wouldn't get what those tires cost. They're just not fetching much. Ultimately, the decision is yours. That's a nice Type 3, and it deserves a good home that will take care of it. Do you think he'd provide that?
 
I think that's one of the coolest cars AMC made. I almost bought a 2 door years ago. Anyway it's got BFG mud terrains on it! w wirewheel hubcaps!! It could be one of a kind!!:driver:
 
Well called dude today, less than 24 hours later and now hes hawin an hummin about it sayin that hes not sure.about the trade bc he.would have to pay someone to do the work etc etc. So my dad and i( he has more vws than anyman ever should) got to talkin and offered this guy one of his bugs complete runnin driven...could dd this thing. Its the black and yellow one i posted up pics of that i painted a while back. Its got a LOT of bondo in it but the bodywork(done by me also) looks great, has a good runnin 1600 dualport etc etc......he wasnt sure sayin he really needs aome money etc....whatever, my dad said he would call back about it just to be patient. I would feel much better about the bug goin than the squareback, plus i could just buy the squareback from my dad....again lol
Ray- the guy is real wierd and thinks everything he has is worth a fortune, and thinks i have money bc i drive a diesel. I have none, just an extra vehicle other than my truck and my gmc and my wifes mexicany ford. What kind of shape is that one by you?

Catfish- on samba and whatnot the squares and notchs are more sought after than the others, except for older bus'. Personally i want a notchback but theyre big money in the vdub world. Would this car be given a good home.....there inlies some of my reluctance to do the.deal....i know if it was traded to the guy it would sit and rot away and never have anything done with it. Dude is white trash type with cars scattered thru fields behind his house and malnurished and underloved pits(which were all sweet as could be, i will be taking dog food over to go fill up their bowls on occasion now) chained up everywhere. He has bought a couple bugs from my dad( pretty sweet ratrods actually) and thats what has happened to them....just sittin rotting away. With this new deal that has come to surface maybe it wont have to go sit and rot away.
 
Next time your dad feels like getting rid of a bug or two, keep me in mind. I've got to have something aircooled sooner or later. I've got a motor here waiting for a home! As for the value, well, I haven't seen Squares going for much, and I've been on the Samba, too. Notches seem to be the only ones that anybody really wants right now. I've seen some squares with overly high price tags on them, but they tend to sit. I've passed on a couple big projects for cheap. TV auction shows and fuel prices have driven the cost of average VWs through the roof, and I think it's on it's way back down.
 
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