AMC Eagle Den Forum
Information and News => Hatchlings => Topic started by: Sasquatch on April 20, 2019, 08:24:50 PM
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Hello everyone.
I had no idea Eagles existed until late last year when I was cruising the internet at lunch break and I stumbled upon a footnote somewhere (Wikipedia maybe?) that ended up launching me down a rabbit hole of fixation. I was immediately obsessed with getting my hands on one.
I found this forum not long after and put up a post asking about an SX/4, as that particular sub-model caught my eye the most. Unfortunately I live in the Pacific Northwest and Eagles are practically unheard of around here. The few that I managed to find were all wagons, heavily modified, lifted, cut up, welded onto a Blazer frame, or just generally torn to pieces.
And then I saw one on Craigslist. A white wagon. Not exactly the mint SX/4 I was looking for, but I decided to drive a few hours and take a look, just to see if the obsession was justified. It was overpriced, neglected, filthy, and sinking into the ground. But it was beautiful. So of course I couldn't leave it there.
The good news is it's solid. Rust isn't really a problem up here, so I've managed to skirt around the major downfall that seems to plague many Eagles.
Most of the bits and parts are there, with some trim missing/broken, but the drive-train is all intact, all original, with a T-5 (and A/C). The interior is a little torn up. Some absolute fool decided to cut bigger speaker holes, so that's great; and the headliner was sagging and torn so that's gone. The front doors droop so much they won't even close right, and both handles are trashed.
After a thorough inspection and much research this is the plan: Swap in a 4.0, and keep the T-5 and 129. The 258 was, sadly, quite neglected, and would need a complete rebuild anyways, so why not swap in my buddy's '97 Cherokee engine and go for MPFI instead? Yes OBDII will be difficult, but I've got time, and the turn-key reliability is something I can't pass up; and who doesn't want more power?
As for the interior, I was going to redo quite a bit of it, but then, just now, I stumbled on a post on here where someone mentioned how rare the "garnet" is. So should I keep as much of it as possible? The carpet and headliner are trashed, but the rest could be salvaged.
Opinions are very welcome, and a fond (and formal) hello to you all!
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Welcome! Sounds like you have a good starting point, and some ambitious plans with that 4.0 swap. The T-5 is a nice perk also. No idea if the 129 will work behind the 4.0, somebody here will surely chime in. Depending on how beat up your interior is, I personally wouldn't worry much about how "rare" it is. Make it your own. Of course, that's coming from a guy that painted his Eagle red white and blue!
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The 129 will be fine behind a 4.0. However why not take what the xj has for a transfer case as well.
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Transfer case is gone already. Axles too.
The 129 suits me well enough. This will primarily be a daily driver, so 99% on road.
Amarshall: Red, white, and blue, eh? Sounds like you have a 'merican eagle! I briefly considered doing the same but I don't have the moxie for that.