By the late 1980s, the American Motor Company was breathing its last gasps as an independent automaker. While the Eagle brand would carry the last remnants of AMC into the 1990s, by the turn of the millenium AMC was no more. While it struggled to turn a profit in its waning years, it still introduced some cars and trends that soldier on to this day. Some might say AMC was instrumental in kickstarting America’s love affair with the SUV.

While the AMC Eagle has never garnered a place for itself at the pantheon of automotive excellent, and small-and-devoted group of early Eagle enthusiasts keep these rides alive, and then some. Bangshift came across this Tennessee craigslist ad for an AMC Eagle unlike any other, with a GM-sourced 5.3 liter V8 and a big lift kick that jacks this bird up into the sky. This AMC proves it can still hang with the big dogs.

The original AMC Eagle, not to be confused with the Eagle brand, was the first American car to offer full-time all-wheel drive. This primitive system added more than 300 pounds to the curb weight of the Eagle, which was already considered woefully underpowered thanks to a suite of low-power engines, including the dreadful GM “Ironduke” four-cylinder.

So naturally the first change an Eagle enthusiast would want to make would be to the engine, and to wit they’ve dropped a 5.3 liter GM truck motor into the engine bay. Backed by an automatic transmission, this setup offers more than double the horsepower and torque of even the 4.2 liter I6 that was an optional motor on the original Eagle.

That would be cool in and of itself, but a whole new suspension setup, including a Dana 44 front axle and a Ford 8.8 rear end, with Fox shocks and a pretty serious takes this Eagle to the next level, literally. Add to that one of the cleanest interiors we’ve ever seen on an old AMC, and you’ve got a wicked ride that can be yours for just $8,000. Hard to say no at that price.