AMC Eagle Spotters Guide

Here is Dan's guide to AMC Eagles. Information is accurate, but can not be guaranteed. Only changes that happen from year to year are highlighted. If you find an error or omission, please send me a note.

1980 AMC Eagle 30 series 2 door sedan

1980 Eagle Spotting Features:

• All 109 inch wheelbase / 2 Door – 4 Door – Wagon models
• No Select Drive (Only 4 wheel drive) model 119 transfer case
• "Automatic 4 W.D." cast metal emblem on rear quarters
• Non-integrated bumpers (ed. note: I like this look the best...)
• Thin horizontal bar grille
• 13 Digit VIN

1980 Production Numbers
2 dr sedan - 80 - 10,616
4 dr sedan - 80 - 9956
4 dr wagon - 80 - 25,807
Total 1980 production 46379

1981 AMC Eagle 50 series 2 door Kammback
photo courtesy Dennis H. Orcutt Jr. denniso@sound.net

1981 Eagle Spotting Features:

• Six cylinder head and engine block redesigned for weight reduction - aluminum intake manifold, plastic valve cover and better casting techniques
• Idle speed control on six cylinder engine
• 4 Cylinder GM 2.5 liter engine made available
• 4th digit of VIN is C for AMC 4.2 / B for Pontiac 2.5
• Select drive full time 4 wheel drive / 2 wheel drive with Model 129 transfer case and disconnect front axle available late in the model year production
• "4 Wheel Drive" cast metal emblem on rear quarters
• Rotary A/C Compressor introduced mid year
• 1^st year of egg-crate grille
• 1^st Year integrated bumpers
• 50 series (96 inch wheelbase models) introduced - 2 door SX-4 and 2 door Kammback
• All 50 series Eagles come with a "power bulge" hood and no hood ornament
• 1^st year 17 digit VIN / 10^th digit B
• An Eagle available one-year-only  was the Sundancer convertible conversion

1981 production numbers
2 dr sedan - 2378
4 dr sedan - 1737
4 dr wagon - 10,371
SX-4 - 17,340
Kammback - 5603
Total 1981 production 37429

1982 AMC Eagle 50 series 2 door sport
photo courtesy John W. Rosa - JohnRosa@JavelinAMX.com

1982 Spotting Features:

• Six cylinder emission control system includes feedback carburetor and three way catalytic converter
• All cars equipped with select trac full time 4 wheel drive / 2 wheel drive (model 129 transfer case and disconnect front axle)
• 5-speed manual transmission available
• VIN 10^th digit C
• 30 series 2 Door production just under 2000 units

1982 production numbers
2 dr sedan - 1968
4 dr sedan - 4091
4 dr wagon - 20,899
SX-4 - 10,445
Kammback - 520
Total 1982 production 37923

1983 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door sedan
photo courtesy John W. Rosa - JohnRosa@JavelinAMX.com

1983 Spotting Features:

• Knock sensor added to six cylinder engine
• Air pump dropped / pulse air injection added to six cylinder engine
• Four cylinder 2.46 liter AMC engine available late in '83 (4th digit of the VIN is U)
• Pontiac 4 cylinder engine dropped late in production year
• 2 Door 30 series (109 inch wheelbase) dropped
• 50 series Kammback dropped
• VIN 10^th digit D

1983 production numbers
4 dr sedan - 3093
4 dr wagon - 12,378
SX-4 - 2259
Total 1983 production 17730

1984 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door wagon
photo courtesy John W. Rosa - JohnRosa@JavelinAMX.com

1984 Spotting features

• Six cylinder 4.2 liter AMC and Four cylinder 2.46 liter AMC engine available (when was the 4 dropped completely? - Send me a note!)
• 4th digit of VIN is C for AMC 4.2 / U for AMC 2.46
• 50 series SX-4 dropped
• Roof Rack changed from a fixed rail type to a sliding rail type
• VIN 10^th digit E

1984 production numbers
4 dr sedan - 4241
4 dr wagon - 21294
Total 1984 production 25535

1985 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door wagon
photo courtesy John W. Rosa - JohnRosa@JavelinAMX.com

1985 Spotting features

• Four cylinder 2.46 liter AMC engine dropped
• Standard alternator is 56 amp (instead of a 42 amp)
• Shift on the fly introduced - front axle once again a non-disconnect axle
• 5 speed overdrive manual made standard equipment
• VIN 10^th digit F
• hood ornament dropped - all cars have "power bulge" style hood
• Digital Radios Introduced

1985 production numbers
4 dr sedan - 2655
4 dr wagon - 13,353
Total 1985 production 16190

1986 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door station wagon

1986 Spotting features

• Lockup torque converter dropped
• Model 128 transfer case (open differential in transfer case)
• VIN 10^th digit G
• All cars have tinted glass
• 4 Wheel Drive emblem on rear quarters is plastic

1986 production numbers
4 dr sedan - 1274
4 dr wagon - 6943
Total 1986 production 8217

1987 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door station wagon with "limited" trim package

1987 Spotting features

• Model 129 transfer case is back
• GM-Style ignition key lock "wings" (ribbed instead of smooth)
• 30 series 4 door in last year of production (about 450 units)
• VIN 10^th digit H

1987 production numbers
4 dr sedan - 454 (varies with source)
4 dr wagon - 5468 or 4564 (varies with source)
Total 1982 production 4564 to 5922 (varies with source)

1988 AMC Eagle 30 series 4 door station wagon
photo courtesy Nicholas McIntosh njmac@us.net

1988 Spotting features:

• Some cars equipped with aluminum valve cover
• 30 series wagon last year of production - about 2400 units
• VIN 10^th digit J
• Last AMC car produced December 1987

1988 production numbers
4 dr wagon - 2306

AMC Eagle Production by Model and Year

Total AMC Eagle production - all models - all years

197,449

more or less

Things I would like to know:

better production numbers (I have received some inconsistent numbers)
Other spotting features

Please send me a note if you can answer any of these questions, or just want to leave a comment: n0kfb@mediaone.net

AMC Eagle Hub Cap Guide

10 spoke "wagon wheel" cover used
1980 – 1984

9 spoke cover used
1984 – 1988

Plain full cover used
1980 – 1987

Wire spoke wheel cover used
1984 – 1988

Wire spoke wheel cover used on
Buick Rivera 1979

Tech Tip: When I was looking for a replacement wheel cover for my '87 Eagle, the folks at Hub Cap Warehouse, Saint Paul, MN (651-631-2760) knew that the hub cap was the same as a '79 Rivera. They had the cover, and an AMC emblem to put in the center. I've dealt with them several times, they are always professional, reasonably priced, and always very helpful.

AMC Eagle optional aluminum wheels

1980 - 1983 optional aluminum wheel

1984 - newer optional aluminum wheel

For more information, see Dan's AMC/Rambler FAQ and Dan's AMC Adventures!
Any comments or questions should be directed to Dan Meyer.

Thanks to the following contributors to this page:

Alfred Koos - akoos@juno.com - Alamo AMC - http://ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/~cbrodsky/alamoamc - for many details,
Josh Quick - cjq2155@ritvax.isc.rit.edu - for wheel cover information,
Thomas M. Benvie - tbenvie@bu.edu - for the production numbers.
RHETTROACT@aol.com - for 4 cylinder engine information and other information
and
John W. Rosa - JohnRosa@JavelinAMX.com for the many photographic examples of various Eagles he sent me.