hello from youngstown ohio! NOW WITH PICTURES

[boardmanMJ]

Just wanted to stop by and say hello and hopefully some of you guys will be able to answer some of my questions. I might have a chance to buy an eagle sx 4 sometime soon. There are a few questions i have about it. I dont know the model year of it but from what ive read it seems to be an early model, but maybe you guys can pinpoint what the exact year might be. its red with a black interior 2 door hatchback (it looks like the spirit) the badging says sx 4 sport on the side. from what ive seen (i cant open the doors and it was pitch black outside) its a 6 cylinder manual. what ive seen under the hood really surprises me. it says "Clifford" real big on the valve cover and the valve cover seems a whole lot taller than it should be. now i did some research and found out that Clifford high performance race products are pretty nice (and a pretty penny also...) i dont know what else Clifford it might have on it but the the distributor was a GM style HEI that seemed very out of place. I'm waiting on the kid to call me back so maybe i can get a better look at it. from what i know its been sitting for some time now (last titled in 06) and the kid wants to sell it. How much would something like this be worth? the body doesn't seem bad at all, will need some new paint and maybe a front drive fender and some outside trim. there is almost nothing left in place of the interior. the dash, seats, interior panels everything is sitting in boxes and laying allover the place inside the car. i wasn't thinking more than $250 for everything since it will need alot of work. is that about accurate or will i be experiencing sticker shock when he tells me what he wants for it? thanks for taking the time to help a guy out!


Josh

[IowaEagle]

Welcome Josh.  Hard to say what mods were done to it.  The Clifford valve cover replaces the leak prone OE plastic cover, that is a good thing.  The HEI distributor is also a good mod if done correctly.   If there is no or minimal underbody rust/rot and it has a good drive train then with all the bits and pieces there I am thinking it should go for about twice what you are thinking.  If there are drive train issues then the amount you are thinking is probably a good place to start.  I would find out why the interior is not in place.  The SX/4 was only produced for 3 model years, '81 - '83.

[boardmanMJ]

right now the car is sitting in an empty lot at a local indurstrial park. the owner of the industrial park said that the kid wants it gone. he took it apart to possibly restore it but the guy i talked to wasnt too sure. it looks like almost the whole dash is apart and laying in the back seat, but nothing seems proben or ripped. i too would like to know why he took it apart. i read somewhere that its was either an 82 or 83 because it has the black grille to match the fender flares and it has fog light holes on the bumper but not orginal fog lamps (cheap autozone brand ones) is there any other way to tell which year it is without looking at the inspection tag on the door? i cant get the driver door open.

[IowaEagle]

With the VIN tag in the dash it will be hard to tell unless its visible.   Black grill and flares indicates it might be a sport model -- but that is easily replicated with a rattle can.   Are the bumpers coated in a black substance (not just paint)?  If the black does not scratch off it probably is a sport model, especially if the sport logos are on the front fenders.  If the emissions sticker is still on the passenger side of the fire wall it should have the year on it.  There are not a whole lot of differences between the three years, and those that are are subtle.  I am guessing most of the emissions stuff is missing so those spotting items are not there.  If it should still have an air (smog) pump then its the first two years, in '83 AMC switched to pulse air and the pump is gone to begin with.

[boardmanMJ]

I believe some of the early '81's were AWD. They won't have the 2wd to 4wd shifter.

would it say "4 wheel drive" if it was AWD? I didnt notice if the shifter was there or not. i guess i should have been paying more attention to details instead of drooling allover myself 

[IowaEagle]

AWD would have the "automatic 4WD" logo instead of the plain 4WD logo.

[boardmanMJ]

AWD would have the "automatic 4WD" logo instead of the plain 4WD logo.

ok cool i now know that it is indeed a 4 wheel drive emblem. now does that mean that it has a low range gear, or am i just able to swtich from 4hi to 2 hi?

[IowaEagle]

No low range, unless he put a jeep case in it. 

[boardmanMJ]

just wanted to thank everyone for their input and help! hopefully ill be able to talk soon with the guy and maybe ill be able it to pick up another project!


Josh

[boardmanMJ]

Alright for thoes of you that have been reading this thread, i got a call back from the guy the other day. now according to him the whole unside of the car has been 'restored' and that he has all the pieces to it. he is asking $450 but that is alittle out of my price range. Now i have two more questions; it needs a front fender for sure so are all of the fenders interchangeable between all years? my next question is that didnt some of the wagons come with the 304 v8? everyone has been really helpful!


Josh

[mudkicker715]

Never came with  any size v8

[boardmanMJ]

I went and looked at the eagle in the daylight today and i snapped some pictures. Right now I have a Jeep Comanche that i have for sale for $300 so that was going to be my limit for this new project. I was able to look under the hood and there is A LOT of oil so im guessing the motor needs rebuilt. Now come the questions; How much work is it to make a 4.0l fit inside this eagle. There is already the 4.2l but if i recall the width of the 4.0l is alittle smaller. plus im not sure how it would bolt up in the rear. my goal would really be to build a carbureated 4.7l stroker motor. also im still not to clear with the whole fender thing. as you can see i need a driverside fender for sure and possibly the fender flare. also if anyone could pinpoint the year for me i forgot to check the inspection tags  enjoy the pictures and see what everyone thinks is a fair price for it! Thanks for all your help!


Josh

[mudkicker715]

4.0 is a direct same dimensional bolt in. its as as easy as popping a new 4.2 in

[mudkicker715]

You could combine the 2 and get a stroker.

[flamingchariots]

 From your pics, the driver side fender looks repairable. 
You won't find too many AMC products still in good shape in NE Ohio.
If you're able to do the work, I'd say go for it.  Maybe you can work a partial trade???

$450 seems fair if the underside is OK.