Junkyard Find: 1983 AMC Eagle SX/4 Sport
Ahh, the AMC Eagle! So much car-industry history wrapped up in the Eagle, which was a highly innovative machine made during the very last gasps of American Motors (and continuing as a Chrysler product, briefly, before Chrysler killed the Eagle and kept the name for its new marque, which was then slapped on a rebadged and modified Renault 25). Since I live in Colorado, I see Eagles on the street all the time— there are several daily-driver Eagles living within a few blocks of me— and I see them in the local wrecking yards. So far in this series, we’ve seen this ’79 wagon, this ’80 coupe, this GM Iron Duke-powered ’81 SX/4, this ’82 hatchback, this ’84 wagon, this ’84 wagon, and this ’85 wagon. The AMC Spirit-based SX/4 is much less common than the larger AMC Concord-based Eagles, so today’s find (in Denver, of course) is quite interesting.
I don’t see any SX/4 badging on this car, but I’m fairly certain that any Spirit Liftback was sold as an SX/4. AMC experts, please fill us in on the details of Late Malaise Era AMC branding/badging.
This one seems to have just about every possible option, including the optional center gauge cluster with clock and vacuum meter.
Automatic transmission, sporty steering wheel, air conditioning— this car is loaded!
I found an old German 1-mark coin from the pre-Euro era on this car’s floor.
The good old reliable AMC six, which Chrysler kept making into the current century.
These cars aren’t tremendously valuable, so it is not shocking to see this rust-free example about to be crushed.
Yes, the SX/4 was pitched as a sports car.
Two-wheeling in style or four-wheeling in the wild!
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I wish I saw this earlier. Last week when this was posted, I was busy dragging a 2wd 1982 AMC Spirit lift back down to FL for the Grassroots Motorsports $2014 Challenge. This one has all sorts of cool parts on it! Our car runs a Megasquirt powered 1997 Wrangler 4.0 with a 60-trim turbo. It is a lot of fun. Very cool cars, and the SX/4 ones rule!
Does anyone have access to this vehicle? If so, please contact me.