Is this a bad idea or a horrible idea?
Sometimes, a YouTube channel does something so wonderfully creative we can’t help but stop and salute the effort. That’s how we feel about Junkyard Digs buying a couple of AMC Eagles to have one complete wagon, then taking that rugged beast to a Jeep park to see what it can do. Despite what some in the Jeep crowd might tend to believe, there are other vehicles which can take on rugged terrain, but an AMC Eagle might be pushing it a bit.
Watch a WWII Jeep go on a long off-road trek here.
Admittedly, an Eagle is not a hardcore off-roader by any stretch of the imagination. It has no set of low gears, no lockers, and the ground clearance is pretty laughable. In other words, this whole video is just a bad idea in the making.
Despite what Subaru might try to convey, the AMC Eagle was the first wagon to put power down to all 4 tires. These of course had a unibody construction instead of the body-on-frame setup so common on off-road trucks up to that point. What’s more, they sported an independent front suspension, making them quite comfortable for on-road use.
While it was truly an oddity, yet the Eagle helped usher in the crossover craze we have today, which we know isn’t a great way to get you excited about this wagon. That’s the thing about the Eagle, you either are really into it or you think it’s ridiculous.
Speaking of ridiculous, Junkyard Digs got this Eagle running at the last minute, but it’s still super rough. The thing is literally a rattle trap and is leaking oil, so pushing the envelope on an off-road course doesn’t really sound like a great idea. However, pretty much any entertaining YouTube video involves at least one element of a bad idea, if not several.
What’s even more amazing is Junkyard Digs paid a mere $50 for this Eagle. Yes, that’s right, there are still some amazing deals to be had out there, despite the microchip shortage, but you have to know where and how to look. Also, you might have to be willing to buy cars which require some assembly.