AMC Eagle: Why Do I Like This Car?

Back when these original crossovers first came out in the early 1980s, I would have been embarrassed to drive one, even if I had my license. Then why, more than 25 years later, do I find myself strangely attracted to this 1983 AMC Eagle? Perhaps because it was a sign of things to come. Subaru beat AMC to the 4x4 car game, but the Eagle, unlike the Japanese offering, looks like it might actually survive a mud bog, with it's big meats and decent ground clearance.
This SX/4 Sport model is for sale in Tysons, Virginia, for a bit over $3,0000. It's in surprising good shape, with a new set of rims and wheels. If I remember correctly (I think my uncle owned one), these things rusted like Volkswagens and suffered from full-time four-wheel-drive wear, so this one is surely one of 10 or so left on the road. Judging from the epic description of the car on Craigslist, the owner is really into AMCs, which is a first. A quick cruise of the Internet shows, however, that there is a dedicated owners group for these things (one guy even installed a 454 in the ample engine bay). We have no idea how well Eagles fare in the woods, but we'd love to find out.