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gotta get to a pc to post details but I did the deed. Not perfect but way more solid than the Lemans.
🔧 BUILD My 1982 amc eagle
- Thread starter Mr_Roboto
- Start date
Okay, so I did look this car over for about 20 mins before buying it. This was a father/son project that sat for about 20 years. The dad was a diesel mechanic so I suspect the work's overall fairly decent/at least won't get me killed (probably)
The good:
-Rebuilt 258, supposedly has a Comp Cam in it. Didn't find the cam card yet, curious what it was. Oil looked used but nice when I checked.
-Has a set of SX4 gauges that came with it. These definitely seem sportier than the current ones although I'm betting both have the Claybrook-bitch 85mph speedometers now that I think about it.
-Dash is in good condition, doesn't seem cracked
-The heater hoses are silicone, not rubber. Probably will never have to replace em.
-There's a basically brand new 500 CFM Edelbrock Carb on top of an Offenhauser Intake.
-There's boxed front LCAs
-New bushings all around
-New shocks all around. Cheapies but we'll see how they do
-Rockers were done. Not a rust free car but initial assessment is relatively low rot
-subframe connectors have been welded in
-Battery relocated to the trunk
-The alternator appears to be a 10SI.
-MSD 6AL, so old it almost certainly isn't counterfeit
-It appears as if I have a full set of marker lights, which I didn't think it did. That'll save me ebaying and scrounging
The bad:
-The linkage to the trans from the carb needs to be redone entirely. The throttle cable also needs to be redone entirely.
-Alternator's flat out not hooked up may well be missing a bracket.
-The charging wire gauge from the alternator looks off or at the very least skinny OEM wire/fusible links
-The interior needs some cleaning
-Getting an inkling some of the body work may be sketchy. Not really 100% on that
-The rad is try. I suspect I'll find something seeped somewhere. The oil was at the correct level and didn't give any sign of being overfilled e.g. leaking coolant internally
-All the tires are shit. They hold air for 2 hours or so. I got a used set of tires I'm going to put on the wheels to at least roll shit around
-The interior is a bit rough. At least needs a crapton of cleaning.
-Headliner is gone. Will sort that later.
The first thing to do is to get tires done so it's at least a roller. It's got Grand Prix Wheels, so I'm not sure how that will turn out since they're 5X4.5 vs 5X115.
The good:
-Rebuilt 258, supposedly has a Comp Cam in it. Didn't find the cam card yet, curious what it was. Oil looked used but nice when I checked.
-Has a set of SX4 gauges that came with it. These definitely seem sportier than the current ones although I'm betting both have the Claybrook-bitch 85mph speedometers now that I think about it.
-Dash is in good condition, doesn't seem cracked
-The heater hoses are silicone, not rubber. Probably will never have to replace em.
-There's a basically brand new 500 CFM Edelbrock Carb on top of an Offenhauser Intake.
-There's boxed front LCAs
-New bushings all around
-New shocks all around. Cheapies but we'll see how they do
-Rockers were done. Not a rust free car but initial assessment is relatively low rot
-subframe connectors have been welded in
-Battery relocated to the trunk
-The alternator appears to be a 10SI.
-MSD 6AL, so old it almost certainly isn't counterfeit
-It appears as if I have a full set of marker lights, which I didn't think it did. That'll save me ebaying and scrounging
The bad:
-The linkage to the trans from the carb needs to be redone entirely. The throttle cable also needs to be redone entirely.
-Alternator's flat out not hooked up may well be missing a bracket.
-The charging wire gauge from the alternator looks off or at the very least skinny OEM wire/fusible links
-The interior needs some cleaning
-Getting an inkling some of the body work may be sketchy. Not really 100% on that
-The rad is try. I suspect I'll find something seeped somewhere. The oil was at the correct level and didn't give any sign of being overfilled e.g. leaking coolant internally
-All the tires are shit. They hold air for 2 hours or so. I got a used set of tires I'm going to put on the wheels to at least roll shit around
-The interior is a bit rough. At least needs a crapton of cleaning.
-Headliner is gone. Will sort that later.
The first thing to do is to get tires done so it's at least a roller. It's got Grand Prix Wheels, so I'm not sure how that will turn out since they're 5X4.5 vs 5X115.
It's a selectable hi-only AWD System. It's a NP style transfer case. I'm getting some Sy/Ty vibes here and that's kind of where I'm thinking I want to go with it. I believe the body is based on the Spirit.
The long term goal is to definitely do forced induction. I'm eyeballing Mook's T66 for this one. I may fallback on a stocker GN turbo because it'd be simple and easy. I have a few other turbos I want to sell off to add some funding to this and clear out space I'll never use.
There's an absolute fuck ton of 4.0 parts that will swap to this thing. Supposedly the EFI stuff from a Cherokee is practically a bolt in, down to stuff like the firewall hole for the harness already exists. At the same time I just wanna drive it though not fuck around a ton at this point.
An XJ tank will supposedly fit with mods as well so I can get EFI that way too. What sucks is I don't know that my Aeromotive 390 will fit without some mods.
I've eye fucked the shit out of the four door AMC Eagle wagons. They're super cool. Can't wait to see what you do with this thing.
Well, time to get to it. This is the first thing to go. The carb was on a stack of adapter plates including a clever 3 piece one that appears home made which rotates the carb 90 degrees. It appears to be an effort to use the stock linkage. I'm going to order a unviersal throttle cable and an A904 universal detent cable to get rid of the mechanical linkage. Decided to get to work ripping shit off.
And it's gone. The intake is a single plane as you can see, I'm really curious to know how a single plane and a 500 CFM carb do on this inline 6. I'm wondering how it won't be a pig.
Also went on Rockauto and got the first batch of parts. I'm going to upgrade the cap to a TFI style cap and rotor from the Duraspark stuff, got some wiper blades and ordered a few accessory belts. I think I'm misisng significant bracketry here. I may say fuck it and go to a 4.0 serpentine setup if I can find a JY here with one any time soon. If I was in Joliet that'd be easy. Looking online I can't say I'm 100% thrilled with my alternator options, I may try to trade my 10SI up for a CS144 I got from a Tahoe or something like that. I think it was a 140A which is why I picked it up, can't recall what it was from. Definitely had a Vortec 350 in it though.
The other concern is going to be if the universal cables are long enough. I think I need a bit more length than the typical V8, so I really am kind of curious to see what fits and what doesn't. The throttle cable will be the easy one I think, the questionable one is the kick down cable on the trans.
I also pulled the skid plate tonight to get in there and do some stuff. I think the engine was done but the trans was not. Oily AF in there. I also found out that the axle and the trans have vacuum controls on them, I believe that is stock. I should really check the toe tag on the transfer case to see what model it is.
Lastly, I dropped 2/4 tires off to get swapped. I want to upgrade this to roller status at least. It definitely won't roll right now.
Also, I've been looking for a manual for the offy 258 intake manifold that came with this. Good fuckin luck, I will say that they're a black hole to get ahold of so far. Zero documentation on their web site but they do have a catalog from...............1987. Haven't they come out with any new products since? This is a "C" series intake I believe, so it's saying 6K with a 3/4 race cam. I am kind of giggling at them even mentioning 3/4 race cams, I'd be curious what the specs were quite honestly. I'd also be curious to actually see them stick enough cam in one of these 258s with the head they ahve to really go to 6 grand.
And it's gone. The intake is a single plane as you can see, I'm really curious to know how a single plane and a 500 CFM carb do on this inline 6. I'm wondering how it won't be a pig.
Also went on Rockauto and got the first batch of parts. I'm going to upgrade the cap to a TFI style cap and rotor from the Duraspark stuff, got some wiper blades and ordered a few accessory belts. I think I'm misisng significant bracketry here. I may say fuck it and go to a 4.0 serpentine setup if I can find a JY here with one any time soon. If I was in Joliet that'd be easy. Looking online I can't say I'm 100% thrilled with my alternator options, I may try to trade my 10SI up for a CS144 I got from a Tahoe or something like that. I think it was a 140A which is why I picked it up, can't recall what it was from. Definitely had a Vortec 350 in it though.
The other concern is going to be if the universal cables are long enough. I think I need a bit more length than the typical V8, so I really am kind of curious to see what fits and what doesn't. The throttle cable will be the easy one I think, the questionable one is the kick down cable on the trans.
I also pulled the skid plate tonight to get in there and do some stuff. I think the engine was done but the trans was not. Oily AF in there. I also found out that the axle and the trans have vacuum controls on them, I believe that is stock. I should really check the toe tag on the transfer case to see what model it is.
Lastly, I dropped 2/4 tires off to get swapped. I want to upgrade this to roller status at least. It definitely won't roll right now.
Also, I've been looking for a manual for the offy 258 intake manifold that came with this. Good fuckin luck, I will say that they're a black hole to get ahold of so far. Zero documentation on their web site but they do have a catalog from...............1987. Haven't they come out with any new products since? This is a "C" series intake I believe, so it's saying 6K with a 3/4 race cam. I am kind of giggling at them even mentioning 3/4 race cams, I'd be curious what the specs were quite honestly. I'd also be curious to actually see them stick enough cam in one of these 258s with the head they ahve to really go to 6 grand.
Yeeeeeeeessssss!!! This is the kinda shit I came to see when I joined TCG. This will be a fun project. I can't wait to see how you build up that 6.
So, I haven't been busy but let me pretend like I have.
First off I found a broken off stud top in the parts I got with this. Then I figured out where it was from.
So I figured it would be a pain in the dick but why not try? I stuck a socket in to keep the bit aligned.
A 3/16 aircraft bit was next held relatively level. Precision work if I ever saw it.
A few chips later I have the ability to jam a s2 long bit in.
I turned it out. About 20 mins start to end. I was dreading it too. Can't complain at all.
Last but not least front is back on the ground. I have the rears off and will grab Tuesday. These GP wheels are tight af and probably need 1/8 spacers up front. The weights don't even fit and hit the spindles.
Long term I found out 12.4" cvpi rotors look like a go. That's way off
First off I found a broken off stud top in the parts I got with this. Then I figured out where it was from.
So I figured it would be a pain in the dick but why not try? I stuck a socket in to keep the bit aligned.
A 3/16 aircraft bit was next held relatively level. Precision work if I ever saw it.
A few chips later I have the ability to jam a s2 long bit in.
I turned it out. About 20 mins start to end. I was dreading it too. Can't complain at all.
Last but not least front is back on the ground. I have the rears off and will grab Tuesday. These GP wheels are tight af and probably need 1/8 spacers up front. The weights don't even fit and hit the spindles.
Long term I found out 12.4" cvpi rotors look like a go. That's way off
They stopped making these after a few years, the wagons are far more common due to that. They're arguably one of the first crossover SUVs.
Supposedly this would get 30 on the highway stock even with awd. Then again the axles have 2.34 gears in them supposedly and it was a 110ish hp engine stock.
I ordered the universal trans cable today and a universal throttle cable. I know I don't have anything near stock to work with so I started fabricating.
First with cardboard
Then with metal. I need the cables to show up to finish this job.
Dunno if I am thrilled with an AFB or not honestly. I almost want a quadrajet or a 390dp for this. I lean towards the latter as more known to boost. The problem with an Edelbrock/afb is that they quite honestly don't have solid floats made for them so you are grafting on thermoquad floats or trying to foam fill them.
ED:Said fuck it, found out that a bracket to mount the universal cables was like $10 with the return springs. I'm just gonna mount it that way and be done with it.
Supposedly this would get 30 on the highway stock even with awd. Then again the axles have 2.34 gears in them supposedly and it was a 110ish hp engine stock.
I ordered the universal trans cable today and a universal throttle cable. I know I don't have anything near stock to work with so I started fabricating.
First with cardboard
Then with metal. I need the cables to show up to finish this job.
Dunno if I am thrilled with an AFB or not honestly. I almost want a quadrajet or a 390dp for this. I lean towards the latter as more known to boost. The problem with an Edelbrock/afb is that they quite honestly don't have solid floats made for them so you are grafting on thermoquad floats or trying to foam fill them.
ED:Said fuck it, found out that a bracket to mount the universal cables was like $10 with the return springs. I'm just gonna mount it that way and be done with it.
Did a bit of work on the Eagle yesterday.
Thew on some carb studs amd a gasket. Too short, need 2.5" studs. Fack.
Gotta do something with this. That's a pretty big no for fuel I would think.
Lastly I worked on the door handles a bit. I bent around on this and the linkage rod and got it working well finally. I need the cover for the lock cylinder and to put it in otherwise stuff is gtg for the driver's side.
I bent things a few times and this is where I settled. The lock assembly needs to be lubricated otherwise the locks are very stiff and I think bend stuff.
Thew on some carb studs amd a gasket. Too short, need 2.5" studs. Fack.
Gotta do something with this. That's a pretty big no for fuel I would think.
Lastly I worked on the door handles a bit. I bent around on this and the linkage rod and got it working well finally. I need the cover for the lock cylinder and to put it in otherwise stuff is gtg for the driver's side.
I bent things a few times and this is where I settled. The lock assembly needs to be lubricated otherwise the locks are very stiff and I think bend stuff.
Excellent! Cool to see another one being brought back to life. Yes, a modified XJ tank will work. I've got a 4.0/AX15 swapped 82 Spirit with an XJ tank actually. Thinking about doing my own build post 
Curious about this, for the front? as I've got an 8.8 out of an Explorer that the cv rear brakes are going on.
You should!!Excellent! Cool to see another one being brought back to life. Yes, a modified XJ tank will work. I've got a 4.0/AX15 swapped 82 Spirit with an XJ tank actually. Thinking about doing my own build post
I don't see what the thinking's for I actually have questions to ask when it goes up especially around the tank swap.Excellent! Cool to see another one being brought back to life. Yes, a modified XJ tank will work. I've got a 4.0/AX15 swapped 82 Spirit with an XJ tank actually. Thinking about doing my own build post
Curious about this, for the front? as I've got an 8.8 out of an Explorer that the cv rear brakes are going on.
Anyone know Dana 30s? I know I need low pinion gears but am finding out there were some "super 30s" used in Grand Cherokees. If I wanted to stuff those gears into my diff is that plausible? That's also besides the fact that I may have troubles with this being a 2.34 diff in the same way that Dana 60s are to Dana 61s.
Excellent! Cool to see another one being brought back to life. Yes, a modified XJ tank will work. I've got a 4.0/AX15 swapped 82 Spirit with an XJ tank actually. Thinking about doing my own build post
Curious about this, for the front? as I've got an 8.8 out of an Explorer that the cv rear brakes are going on.
Yeah based on what I found the '99 rotors are 12.4". Looks like minimum wheel size was 16s, so I'd have a maybe chance of them clearing? May end up swapping to CV wheels?
Alright haha twist my arm I'll start a build thread and dump pictures in it when I find the time after work.
Is the SX4 different up front? Because in the Spirit the front rotors are one piece with the rebuildable wheel bearing. Yes, funny enough I also have experience with cv's and the front brakes do not clear 15s
The Eagle I have is basically an AWD version of a Spirit. There's fairly significant differences due to the AWD part in the front chassis. I think some people swap between the two honestly.
I'm hoping that since you own a Spirit and have the name "American Supra" there's some forced induction involved. I'll probably be pestering you about the 4.0 swap as well, although I certainly want to do the auto (strangely enough i'm reading that the auto they used is actually the same as an automatic Supra?) But that's a long term deal at minimum.
I'm hoping that since you own a Spirit and have the name "American Supra" there's some forced induction involved. I'll probably be pestering you about the 4.0 swap as well, although I certainly want to do the auto (strangely enough i'm reading that the auto they used is actually the same as an automatic Supra?) But that's a long term deal at minimum.
Kinda funny, the R154 is the same bell as the AX15, with differences being gearing inside the case, input shaft is different as well. Both venerable inlines. If it russles jimmys more power to it Have a tbird M90 for the 4.0, but hem-hawing about a jag M112. Currently NA.
www.naxja.org
www.novak-adapt.com
Have a tbird M90 for the 4.0, but hem-hawing about a jag M112. Currently NA.Toyota/Aisin trans swap-ability
I got a back channel inquiry regarding Toy and Aisin trannies and their interchangeability. Here's some info that a friend came up with. I think it would be cool to swap in the 4.4 to 1 first gear of a Turbo Toy into an AX-15 to get that last bit of gearing you need. CRASH...
The Novak Guide to the Aisin-Warner AX15 Transmission
The Novak Guide to the Aisin-Warner AX15 Transmission
A heaton would go over well here for sure be it a 90 or 112.
Did a bit of grunt work today on the wheels. Local garage was slow on the work so I just took em back when I got the bead breaker. I did both the oem ones and the alloys.
This thing is pretty awesome but a decent amount of work. It functions much better when you are standing on the wheel. I wish I would have tried some soapy water to lube things up first but oh well. It was 50 bucks shipped via ebay and I don't know how they make any money at all considering it was 20lbs. The wheels may have been a pain just due to being mounted 20+ years.
I scraped these up a bit pulling the tires but they were already rashed a bit so oh well. Maybe I'll end up finding some better spoons if I get nice wheels. Or Pay someone not to scuff em. or just not get nice wheels.
Did a bit of grunt work today on the wheels. Local garage was slow on the work so I just took em back when I got the bead breaker. I did both the oem ones and the alloys.
This thing is pretty awesome but a decent amount of work. It functions much better when you are standing on the wheel. I wish I would have tried some soapy water to lube things up first but oh well. It was 50 bucks shipped via ebay and I don't know how they make any money at all considering it was 20lbs. The wheels may have been a pain just due to being mounted 20+ years.
I scraped these up a bit pulling the tires but they were already rashed a bit so oh well. Maybe I'll end up finding some better spoons if I get nice wheels. Or Pay someone not to scuff em. or just not get nice wheels.
I have a roller! I can now move this in and out of the garage. Not under its own power yet but still an improvement. Now I can start stripping out the old body filler, cleaning it up and giving it a coat of paint to make it weather tight. I have some parts on the way for the locj cylinder to get that back in and the throttle/detent cable.
I also need that fucking head bolt. Should probably pop the vc too real quick and pull plugs.
May keep the front bumper off it looks cool and I don't have the brackets anyways.
I also need that fucking head bolt. Should probably pop the vc too real quick and pull plugs.
May keep the front bumper off it looks cool and I don't have the brackets anyways.
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