It’s a sporty two-door hatchback. It’s a selectable four-wheel-drive vehicle with some legit off-road chops. It’s pure Malaise, but it’s the kind that can be corrected with some reversed engineering and some basic hop-up skills. And the chances of you ever seeing another on the road are slim. The AMC Eagle SX/4 was more or less AMC’s last hard throw for a hit…the Eagle Wagon and Sedan would be the final model the company would be known for, as the Concord it was based upon would be phased out by 1983. The SX/4 and the Eagle Kammback wagon (read: Eagle-shaped AMC Gremlin) got a three-year test hit to see if they would be a hit. Sales weren’t favorable, and by the start of 1984 both were dead. Too little from the “last independent”, or a case of looking way too far into the future? A little of both, really…the Hornet-based platform wasn’t getting any newer and a four-wheel-drive sport coupe would be a few more years down the road before the idea would gain actual acceptance.

But there is a pretty cool thing about the SX/4…if you go back to every last review of the car, the one thing it is universally praised for is when the car is being worked, putting that four-wheel-drive system to use. Sure, the 258 inline-six is a bit of a fuel hog and leaks a bit, but why not a fuel-injected 4.0L Jeep mill? There is no faulting the Chrysler-sourced TorqueFlite transmission as long as it works, and for our Rough Start find, it appears to have lived quite a charmed life. So why is it being offered for sale? The California smog test. This SX/4 recently failed Cali smog and after inspection, the owner’s mechanic said “engine rebuild” and the owner decided it was time to cut ties.

Twenty bucks says that the car runs like a gem and drives surprisingly well for a budget find. Maybe you just need valve seals, or maybe it is time to start looking at engine work or engine swaps. But for an Eagle SX/4 this clean? That’s a project base that isn’t getting any more common and honestly, a small lift, 33″ tires, and that 4.0L swap and we’d be all over this car.

Craigslist Link: 1982 American Motors Eagle SX/4