News: Putting FUN and FRIENDLINESS, FIRST into owning and learning about AMC small bodied cars, primarily Eagles, Spirits and Concords as well as vehicles built in AMC's Mexican subsidiary, VAM.

The AMC Eaglepedia can now be accessed using the buttons found below  This is a comprehensive ever growing archive of information, tips, diagrams, manuals, etc. for the AMC Eagle and other small bodied AMC cars. 

Also a button is now available for our Face Book Group page.


Welcome to the AMC Eagles Nest.  A new site under "old" management -- so welcome to your new home for everything related to AMC Eagles, Spirits and Concords along with opportunities to interact with other AMC'ers.  This site will soon be evolving to look different than it has and we will be incorporating new features we hope you will find useful, entertaining and expand your AMC horizons.

You can now promote your topics at your favorite social media site by clicking on the appropriate icon (top upper right of the page) while viewing the topic you wish to promote.


  • December 04, 2024, 11:12:55 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Author Topic: My First Car - 86 Wagon  (Read 5887 times)

0 Members and 3 Guests are viewing this topic.

Online 89 MJ

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Thumbs Up 16
My First Car - 86 Wagon
« on: March 27, 2024, 04:25:02 PM »
Up to now, my build thread for this car can be found on Comanche Club. Both threads will be updated from here on out. The build thread is linked below:

https://comancheclub.com/topic/66355-1986-amc-eagle/#comments

If you don't want to read through 8 pages of me turning a bunch of Comanche guys into Eagle guys, I'll give a brief summary with what has happened on this car.

2016: I acquire this car at the age of 12. It needed an engine. It was originally an AL car.

2017: I put in engine in it and sold it in early 2018 to buy my Jeep Comanche (pictured with the Eagle in a couple of shots). It moved from WI to PA.

2020: I got in touch with the owner and said if he ever was going to sell it, I would like a chance to buy it back, or at least know where it went. I wanted to know what was going on with my first car.

2021: I get a call from the owner. He was ready to move on from it and offered it back to me. It came back later that year loaded up with a bunch of parts to install. I installed the Gronk performance carb, DUI distributor, new fuel tank, and built some ball joint spacers to I could clear the 225/75R15s. The car is driven with a Christmas tree on the roof for the month of December

2022: The car gets a transmission rebuild in the month of February. The car hauled stuff to my graduation party in May. In July, it went to the Kenosha Homecoming show along with my Comanche. Here I made two new AMC friends, one of which I later got some interior pieces from. Not much else happened because I started my first year of school in AZ.

2023: The windshield in the car had been leaking water for years, I knew there was some floor rust, and I wanted to change the carpet. I replaced the floors, carpet, and windshield all in one go. I also swapped in a Chrysler 8.25 from an XJ and regeared the front axle to match. The new gears are 3.55s. I returned to college. Over winter break, I moved the driver seat backwards 2" to give me more legroom. I helped a friend move stuff around their property earlier in the summer.
1986 Eagle: 258, Auto, Chrysler 8.25 rear, 3.54 gears
1989 Jeep Comanche: 4.0, AX-15, 8.8 rear, 4.10 gears
1940 Chevy PU: 350, 700R4

Offline maddog

  • a long haired redneck country boy
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ********
  • Posts: 1834
  • Thumbs Up 50
  • AMC Eagle the original crossover
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #1 on: March 27, 2024, 07:22:06 PM »
That is a pretty good looking wagon, the Comanche ain't bad either. :rotfl:
1998 CHEVY S10 (DAILY DRIVER/PROJECT) INTIMIDATIN'
1980 AMC EAGLE WAGON (PROJECT) EAGLE EYES
http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=30758.0
1983 AMC EAGLE LIMITED WAGON-SURVIVOR (gone)
http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=32372.0

Online 89 MJ

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Thumbs Up 16
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #2 on: March 27, 2024, 07:37:16 PM »
That is a pretty good looking wagon, the Comanche ain't bad either. :rotfl:
Thank you!
1986 Eagle: 258, Auto, Chrysler 8.25 rear, 3.54 gears
1989 Jeep Comanche: 4.0, AX-15, 8.8 rear, 4.10 gears
1940 Chevy PU: 350, 700R4

Offline vangremlin

  • Administrator
  • AMC Eagles Den Addicted
  • ******
  • Posts: 4488
  • Thumbs Up 218
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2024, 11:26:46 AM »
Thanks for sharing the story.  It's cool that the guy you sold it to actually sold it back to you.
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Online 89 MJ

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Thumbs Up 16
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2024, 09:31:58 PM »
The Eagle got a workout wheeling over the weekend. I did hit the right rear door and damaged the flare and rocker molding. I do have parts on the way for an NP231J swap, so hopefully I can get that in before the next wheeling trip June 8th. The car also got a new air filter.
1986 Eagle: 258, Auto, Chrysler 8.25 rear, 3.54 gears
1989 Jeep Comanche: 4.0, AX-15, 8.8 rear, 4.10 gears
1940 Chevy PU: 350, 700R4

Online 89 MJ

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Thumbs Up 16
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #5 on: June 14, 2024, 09:40:18 AM »
My Eagle now has an NP231J in place of the NP128. It is much better. I just need to figure out a speedometer cable.
1986 Eagle: 258, Auto, Chrysler 8.25 rear, 3.54 gears
1989 Jeep Comanche: 4.0, AX-15, 8.8 rear, 4.10 gears
1940 Chevy PU: 350, 700R4

Online 89 MJ

  • Eagle DL
  • ***
  • Posts: 150
  • Thumbs Up 16
Re: My First Car - 86 Wagon
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2024, 01:21:13 PM »
For anyone interested, here is a video about my Eagle ownership
https://youtu.be/fOfxNYnNkdw?si=X_bGoMYyUC6j5s5E
1986 Eagle: 258, Auto, Chrysler 8.25 rear, 3.54 gears
1989 Jeep Comanche: 4.0, AX-15, 8.8 rear, 4.10 gears
1940 Chevy PU: 350, 700R4

 

SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk