You're either gonna love this, or really hate it...

[johnbendik]

I thought about this for a long time, but I finally just had to do it.  It's like it was calling out to me...

At rest:


With the ignition on:


At night:


John B.

[Prafeston]

Different! Do the eyes light up?

[johnbendik]

Yes, you should be able to see the yellow glow in the second and third pictures.

I drilled out the pupils and installed 5 mm yellow LEDs, then ran a wire between the hood and the 'engine blanket' thingie to the back of the hood.  Used a pin on the diagnostic connector (bottom row, second from left)  to get access to 'ignition on' power.

John B.

[vangremlin]

Nice job!  Now you just need to install an auxillary horn that sounds like an eagle screeching 

[Prafeston]

I kind of like it, but I'd like it more if it was a little smaller! Still pretty cool though. Let's see some night pics or at least dusk. I wanna see the glow more!

[johnbendik]

Prafeston, I know what you mean.  I bought it (over a year ago) from a vendor on Amazon, and when it arrived, I was dismayed at how much larger it was than it looked in the ad.  Too large, I thought, to actually install on my Eagle.  So I set it on a kitchen counter top and lived with it for a while, and I started to think it was not so bad. Also, it kept staring at me like it was p*ssed off.  Eventually I decided it was just too badass not to install.

I'll try to get a good nighttime picture. I tried to get one for my OP, but the light from the LEDs throws off the light sensor in my camera, and the resulting picture just shows two yellow glows in a pitch black background.

And Vangremlin, I like the way you're thinking.  I could mount the speaker behind the hood latch so it sounded like the screech was coming right from the eagle.  Imagine the reaction from pedestrians in the crosswalk when I was stopped at a red light...

I've always struggled with the urge to turn my cars into 'art cars'.  Just promise you guys will stop me if I start talking about adding wings to the old bird...

John B.

From the Houston Art Car Parade:

[matt1971]

Hi. Matt here. I love it! That's really cool how the eyes light up!

[Amc1320]

I give it a like, the eyes are a bonus too!

[matt1971]

Hi. Matt here. Judging from the blacked out trim on the front of your AMC Eagle, it looks like you own an AMC Eagle with the sport package! Got anymore pics to share?

[JayRamb]

That would be cool as a magnet for the top of the wagon top going down the road above the rear hatch/roof!

[johnbendik]

matt1971,

Yes, It's a Canadian-built Sport model with the 258 and a 5-speed.  I searched for a couple of years trying to find that combination (5-speed and 258); I bid on a couple of rough ones on EBay but dropped out at the $3000 level.  Finally found one in Idaho on Ebay with a 'Buy it now' price of $1000.  I bought it with no inspection of any kind and really lucked out; no rust, no wrecks and engine in good running condition.  It cost me another $1000 (and several years off my life, stress-wise)  getting it shipped down to Texas, but I'm real happy with it.

Here are some good pictures of it from another post:  http://forums.amceaglesden.com/index.php?topic=42205.0

John B.

[matt1971]

Hey John, Matt here. Thanks for the link. That is a wonderful 1984 AMC Eagle Wagon with the sport package and the 258 5 speed! I am happy you finally have the Eagle you were looking for!
I currently have a 1979 AMC Pacer Limited Hatchback. It is a 258 auto on the column. Alpaca Brown with a Tan Interior!

[shanebo]

I'm going with love it. An illuminated Eagle hood oniment on an Eagle, what's not to love....it goes with the car like the bull dog on a Mack...I had An ornament on my first Eagle, a 1982.limited coupe, that was a pig with illuminated wings, I found it fitting as the day they build a 4x4 coupe pigs will fly.

[recomer]

To each their own. Can't say it does anything for the car besides putting a hole in the hood.

[macdude443]

To each their own. Can't say it does anything for the car besides putting a hole in the hood.

I have to agree.  In my opinion what that hood needed was some paint, not a hole drilled through it.