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Wheelin' in an Eagle |
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NMEagle
AMC Apprentice Joined: Sep/20/2008 Location: Edgewood, NM Status: Offline Points: 20 |
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Posted: Sep/25/2008 at 7:30pm |
I have an '86 Eagle Wagon named Erma. It's pretty much stock except for 2" lift front and rear, and an ignition upgrade to the Ford TFI using a Pertronix 40,000 volt coil. I live in the mountains in central New Mexico. There are firebreaks everywhere, so if the mood hits, I can four wheel the last 10 miles or so on my way home from work. It's really amazing how competent this car is off road, especially without low range. I've only ever been stuck once, and that was when it slid into som ruts that were so deep, none of the tires were making contact with the ground. 4 hours of jacking and putting rocks under the tires, driving off of them, then doing it all over again. In the dark. While it was snowing.It's great seeing the looks on the faces of the people on ATVs wondering how the hell I got way out there. The Eagles relatively compact size, and low roofline make it ideal for the trails around here. I try to take it easy on her, as she is my daily driver, and if I break her, I'll never hear the end of it from my other half. Enjoy the pictures..
CaptCarl
Erma on a hillclimb. Diagonal ruts made it interesting
This was before I installed the front end lift. Kinda Surfin' Safari look, huh?
Just before I blew a tire, and tried to make it out on the space-saver spare. Didn't work out.
7 inches of snow and still falling. Power line maintenance road note the only tire tracks are mine. My buddy, whose new Jeep was stuck at this point, snapped this photo.
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72AMX
AMC Nut Joined: Aug/07/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 476 |
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Very cool stuff there thanks for sharing. Eagles are great little machines, it's really a wonder they weren't more popular, maybe it had something to do with the less then attractive interiors they normally came with.
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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WOW! Yes, thanks! Love it.
Great photos, fantastic, an Eagle at play!
Obviously, there's nothing wrong with the t-case in that one!
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matt167
AMC Addicted Joined: Apr/01/2008 Location: New York Status: Offline Points: 1439 |
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Eagles are still around in these parts, not really many at all, but a few.. that's the first 1 I'v ever seen offroading tho..
I don't think it was the interiors, I think it was the company. they were pretty much dead by the time the Eagle came out.. and Suburu had a pretty good handle on the market the Eagle was in |
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AMXGT
AMC Apprentice Joined: Dec/16/2008 Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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I have had several Eagles, still own a 84 woody wagon, loaded even power leather seats.
They are great little 4x4s, my SX4 would get through mud fields when the bigger heavier trucks would sink and get stuck. And for a 4x4 the milage was good. Love them !
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"Many of the truths we cling to, depend greatly on our own point of view"
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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My SX/4 has a bad coupling in the transfer case. Spin a wheel and you are DONE. (I couldn't get out of my driveway half the time last winter)
So I need to swap or fix the t-c. (and replace the engine, rebuild the interior, etc.)
I'm HOPING I can get over 20 mpg with it. I've heard some claim as high as mid-20's but I'm skeptical. Mine got 15-16 average last winter and 16-17 in the summer. But it's well-worn.
Solid body, solid car - 0 rust.
I owned an 84 I bought new in Feb of 84, special order, and ran it for about 3 years. Only time I got it stuck (and I farmed back then) was when I took it into an open pasture area north of the barn into very deep snow and it climbed up the drifts then settled onto the skid plates and floor........
otherwise, ice, mud, whatever, it was great.
I drove it to Clear Lake one Sunday with the snow over tire-deep and was stopped for speeding driving 55 in a 55 zone! "too fast for conditions". LOL. Just because they had trouble going that fast with their lame cars........jealousy, that's what it was. (the roads hadn't been plowed yet)
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purple72Gremlin
AMC Addicted Charter Member Joined: Jul/01/2007 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 16614 |
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Great pics.......where I live, dont really need an eagle, but they were good cars. and I see a wagon avery once awhile. bodys is in decent shape yet.
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AMXGT
AMC Apprentice Joined: Dec/16/2008 Status: Offline Points: 65 |
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The SX/4 I had would pull just over 20mpg in the summer, with cruise on. Overall it was in really good shape with 62,000 miles when I got it and high 80s when it got torched. I still get cranky thinking about that one....
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"Many of the truths we cling to, depend greatly on our own point of view"
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billd
Moderator Group Forum Administrator Joined: Jun/27/2007 Location: Iowa Status: Offline Points: 30894 |
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Mine is a 258 with a T5 (overdrive stick) and I think 2.73's...............
The goal - a daily driver.
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