This very nice 1983 one family owned Eagle Wagon popped up in this recent article on BarnFinds dot com: One Family Owned: 1983 AMC Eagle Wagon Finding a classic car with a known ownership history is desirable, but the thought that the vehicle in your sights has been part of the same family for forty years can prove irresistible. That is the story of this 1983 AMC Eagle Limited Station Wagon, which has been a valued family member since the day it rolled off the showroom floor. All things must end, with the family deciding it needs a new home. Therefore, they have listed the Eagle Wagon for sale here on Facebook Marketplace in Hailey, Idaho They set their price at $18,000 for a classic that established a new benchmark for others to follow. AMC introduced the Eagle to its model range in 1980. Based on the Concord platform, it remained in production until 1988. The seller describes this Eagle as being in great shape, and it is hard to argue with that assessment. Its Copper Brown paint shines nicely, and the faux woodgrain has no visible significant defects. The exterior is missing the rubbing strip off the passenger side back door, but the remaining trim is in good order. The panels are straight, and there is no evidence of restoration or repairs. AMC focused heavily on corrosion protection strategies to stand apart from the competition, with each vehicle receiving Ziebart Factory Rust Protection. Unlike many features, its five-year warranty was transferrable to subsequent owners. Therefore, this Eagle’s rust-free status is unsurprising. The owners ordered this Eagle with tinted glass, and as is the case with the distinctive wheels, there are no issues that could cause the buyer to feel shame when seen in public. The Limited was the range-topping Eagle model, bringing buyers luxury and comfort features to make life on the road pretty pleasant. The new owner of this Wagon receives air conditioning, seats trimmed in leather, power locks, a six-way power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped tilt wheel, an AM/FM stereo radio, and lashings of faux woodgrain trim. Interiors of this age often appear tired due to constant use and the impact of UV rays. However, there are no such issues inside this Eagle. The leather looks supple and inviting, the remaining upholstered surfaces are excellent, and the pad has avoided the typical cracking problems. I can’t spot any aftermarket additions, and while describing the overall condition as “showroom” probably stretches credibility, there are no problems demanding attention. AMC pushed the boundaries with the Eagle, introducing a full-time all-wheel drive model when comparable vehicles from companies like Subaru during this period were only available with part-time four-wheel drive systems. It made the Eagle a competent performer on sealed roads, but it showed its true potential on icy or loose surfaces. The seller supplies no engine photos, but we know this classic is powered by a 258ci six-cylinder motor producing 110hp and 210 ft/lbs of torque. Shifting duties fall to a three-speed automatic transmission, with power assistance for the steering and brakes standard equipment. Modest engine power and a curb weight of 3,437 lbs means this classic isn’t a high-performance model, but it will cruise effortlessly all day at freeway speed. The seller claims this Wagon has a genuine 47,600 miles on the clock without mentioning verifying evidence. However, the ownership history means they may hold service records or other documentation supporting the claim. It is a turnkey proposition ready to provide its new owner with years of motoring fun.
Another "The Machine" popped up for sale Article on BarnFinds dot com: 390 V8/4-Speed! 1970 AMC Rebel “The Machine” In 1970, most muscle car buyers were shopping for Pontiac GTOs, Chevelle SS 396s, and Plymouth Road Runners. Only a couple of thousand customers wound up driving off with a Rebel Machine from their friendly American Motors dealership. The Machine essentially was a Rebel SST with AMC’s most powerful engine and custom graphics that were hard to miss (in most cases). This ’70 Machine is an older restoration that looks mighty fine after 53 years. Located with a dealer in Hilton, New York, this hot “Rambler” is available here on eBay AMC was no stranger to souped-up cars. There was the 1968 AMX (an abbreviated Javelin), then the 1969 SC/Rambler (an American), and then the Rebel Machine, a one-year offering in 1970. It came with a higher level of trim and high-back bucket seats, functional Ram Air induction, upgraded chassis and suspension, and a 390 cubic inch V8 that had 15 more horses than the AMX (340 vs. 325). Production estimates vary depending on the source, but only about 2,000 were produced and half had the white paint job with blue and red striping and accents. A dealer is handling the sale of this beautiful “machine”, so its heritage is a little unclear. It was treated to a restoration a few years ago (frame-on) with some sheet metal replaced at the time. The engine and 4-speed manual transmission were rebuilt with a swap of the intake manifold and carburetor, and the addition of headers (the seller has the original parts). With an odometer reading of 4,000 miles, it’s probably on its second time around. One deviation from stock appearance is the seller’s use of Magnum 500 wheels which look pretty good on this AMC. The dealer made some minor adjustments in prepping the car for sale. That included restoring the heater core and wiper fluid reservoir and doing an oil change and a partial tune-up. We’re told the Rebel drives as great as it looks. Wouldn’t you really rather have a Machine than a Goat? US $49,567.00 37 bids Ended 12/11/2023 Reserve not met
I guess that by removing the drive line, rear axle and the engine subframe, they think it's something that's similar to a frame-off restoration? I see so many Camaro's and Mustangs advertised with "frame-off restoration" in the text or title. Even MECUM is using it in the description of this 1969 Camaro: Click image to visit this old listing
Article on Jalopnik about a custom 1978 Matador Barcelona: There's Something Different About This 1978 AMC Matador. Something Better. This AMC Matador for sale is a bit of a mystery, and it may be what Matadors should have been all along Published October 28, 2021 I remember AMC Matadors quite well from my childhood because I had a Scoutmaster who had one, and I remember that, as a small 12-year-old Boy Scout, I could sit very comfortably on the Matador’s front bumper, right in front of the turn indicator, with the weirdly pronounced grille forming a very cozy seat. The Matador had kind of an ugly face, but this one 1978 Matador that was for sale, somehow, doesn’t. What’s going on here? My unofficial, unpaid, untamed research intern Hans found this AMC Matador for sale, and noted the peculiarity. In case you’re not familiar with AMC Matadors, somehow (perhaps you’ve just awakened from a coma, or emerged from a hiberniculum?) here’s a picture of what Matadors generally looked like: See that front end, with that weird, massive grille protuberance that formed the part of that seat I was talking about? See the single round headlamps and off-the-AMC-parts-heap turn indicators? See that whole, kinda phoned-in front end? That’s how Matadors were, in every reality I’ve known. And then we’re faced with this Matador face, from this (now sold) Classic Cars ad. This is not the same Matador face at all: The Matador was AMC’s top of the line car, and the front end on this particular Matador fits the part so much better than the normal one, it leaves me wildly curious. Who did this? Why was it done? Why didn’t AMC do it this way? What’s even more interesting about this redesign is that it uses parts from AMC, which makes it feel like perhaps it could have been some sort of official factory styling study? The new quad rectangular headlight units are from the 1979 (or maybe 1980, for those full amber indicator lenses) AMC Concord or Eagle, and absolutely fit the upscale position of the Matador better than the basic round single sealed beams of the actual Matador. The grille design, with the vertical bars that actually make the dramatic bend interesting looking and the classy center split is extremely well done, and looks like a professional plastic-casting job. This can’t just be some amateur customizer’s work, can it? I mean, why would anyone spend all this effort slightly classing up a Matador? It only makes sense to do that for one entity in the known universe, and that’s 1979-ish-era American Motors Corporation. The only hints as to the history of this Matador in the seller description is this: This Beauty was AMC Dealers Demo, Dealer liked it so much he kept it for over 20 years! Could a dealer demo car possibly have also been a factory styling exercise? Perhaps sent to a dealer to gauge public reaction? I reached out to the seller contact, but they had no further information to provide. Personally, I think this has to be some kind of official styling study; the work is just too good, the parts are all AMC, there was an actual reason for AMC to consider facelifting the not-so-wonderfully-selling Matador, and, again, why the hell would anyone else bother to do this? I’ll keep digging, but for now, this remains a mystery. Another, perhaps better known mystery about the AMC Matador has to do with how is it that somehow AMC was the only major automaker with the ‘nads to not just make their dashboards covered in fake woodgrain, but the faces of their instruments, too. Gotta admire that commitment to texture.
Yes the “custom” front end looks better! I just can’t get past the center 2/3 of the hood projecting that far forward in stock form, to me it’s a bit much
New article on BarnFinds dot com: Go Package 390 V8: 1969 AMC AMX When American Motors introduced the AMX in 1968, the only thing close to it being built by a U.S. manufacturer at the time was the Chevy Corvette. It was a GT-style performance car with seating only for two. They were fast and somewhat nimble machines, but not big sellers even by AMC standards. Located in Staten Island, New York, this beautiful two-owner muscle car is available here on Ebay where the reserve is north of the current bid of $32,211. Currently at: US $34,800.00, 48 bids Ends in 2d 0hSunday, 06:28 PM Reserve not met As AMC would later do with the Hornet/Gremlin, the AMX could be thought of as a Javelin with 12 inches cut out of the wheelbase. The smallest engine you could get would be a 290 cubic inch V8, but most were sold with much more power including the 390 4-barrel like the one in the seller’s Regatta Blue edition. In three model years, just over 19,000 AMXs left the factory, so when the Javelin was redesigned for 1971, the decision was made not to have a separate set-up for the AMX. It then became the performance version of the Javelin with the same body and 4-passenger configuration. In 1969, AMX built 3,620 copies of the AMX with the engine/transmission pair that’s in this car. We’re told this auto has the Go Package option, also known as Go Pack in AMC circles. It included performance upgrades that differed by model and year and were not factored into the VIN or fender tag so you’d need the build sheet or window sticker to verify. The make-up of the Go Pack was constantly changing, and we don’t know exactly what that means for the seller’s auto. This is a two-owner car that looks stellar from head to toe. This AMX has 3.54 gears, Twin Grip, and aluminum rear louvers, the latter added by the seller. It also has a new side exhaust by Trendsetter and a clutch with less than 200 miles. No mention is made whether the paint has been redone but the carpeting has, perhaps the only update to the interior. We’re told this fairly rare AMC product runs and drives just like new. Here’s a video to help with your assessment:
Also on BarnFinds dot com: 50k Mile Survivor: 1983 AMC Concord American Motors lacked the deep pockets of General Motors or Ford. So, when it came time to replace the aging Hornet compact, all they could afford was to do a makeover and rebrand it as the Concord. That would give them an additional six years (1978-83) at a time when the competition either downsized or began shifting to front-wheel-drive. This Concord station wagon is from the car’s last model year, 1983, Only 5,300 Concords were built that year, with just 867 like the seller’s vehicle. Located in Gresham, Oregon, this survivor has low mileage and looks great for being 41 years old. It’s available here on eBay where the no-reserve auction stands at $3,400. (sold for $4,851) The Concord was a better-equipped automobile than its predecessor, the Hornet, and provided a quieter ride thanks to additional sound deadening. It went up against Ford’s new Fox-body cars, the Fairmont and Zephyr, and also the Chevy Malibu whose diet in 1978 had brought it to the same wheelbase size as the Concord. By 1983, only two trim levels of the Concord were available, base and DL, which we assume applies to the seller’s wagon because of the faux woodgrain paneling. As AMC and Renault had hooked up, Concord’s successor would be the FWD Alliance with more economical engines. The standard engine was a 258 cubic inch inline-6, which is what’s in the seller’s car, not a 4.2-liter V6. These vehicles were probably middle-of-the-road when it came to either performance or fuel economy, which may be one reason sales trickled off every year from 1978 to 1983. At just 50,000 reported miles, this Concord is said to run well, and the seller doesn’t mention anything needing attention. The body and paint look good, and we assume the latter is original though wearing the customary dents and dings for four decades. The interior looks especially nice and quite comfortable, suggesting this could be a great second vehicle for toting around the soccer team. The back seat folds down, so there should be plenty of space for hauling stuff besides people. Would you give this AMC a new home?
And this project car just popped up on BarnFinds dot com: No Reserve 1970 AMC Javelin SST Project The first generation AMC Javelin only lasted three years, beginning with the 1968 model and continuing through ’70 until the car got a major restyling for its second-gen in 1971. But before the more curvaceous body took over, for just 1970 the car got some one-year-only mods outside, including a longer hood and a new grille up front, plus a single taillight spanning the rear with a back-up light incorporated in the center, making the 1970 Javelin SST like this one on eBay an easy model to distinguish for AMC enthusiasts. The car is in Lawton, Oklahoma, the auction resting at $7,600 and one penny. The 1970 Javelin also featured a one-year-only interior, with several changes from the prior model including revised trim on the door panels, a different dash with simulated woodgrain for the SST model, and redesigned seats which were also available in corduroy as can be found here. The inside area looks to be in the midst of some renovation already, but the seller believes all the parts are still there except for the door panels. Though the next owner might also want to BOLO for a black steering wheel. This is one of those cases where much of the exterior work was completed before the mechanics, and even though we don’t get any details on what the Javelin looked like prior, it’s presenting nicely outside now with the finish seeming to be of high quality. There’s some dust on the surface so it might have been sprayed a while ago, but I’m not spotting any obvious defects or scuffs that may have occurred since the paint was applied, just a few vacancies where some components need to be reinstalled like the wipers and driver’s side door handle. The level of quality here extends to the engine bay area as well, with plenty of attention to detail being given here along with a new Control Freak front suspension already in place. But the engine itself is a different story, as the 360 is currently apart, with the block looking like there’s a long way to go before it’ll be ready to run again. However, the seller says several motor parts not pictured are also included, just no mention of specifically which ones. Even with the engine in pieces, I think this Javelin is at a good point for the next owner to jump in and take over, and I’m imagining a nice ride once everything gets put back together. What are your thoughts?
I went to a car show last night and saw this 70 AMX. It looked pretty nice all over including inside. The last picture… Well I was taking a side view picture of the car from the front to the back. This nice looking blonde said, Oh, am I in the way. So I told her the truth. I said, No, you look fine!
