AMC Eagle Den Forum

The Shop => Project Cars => Topic started by: singledownloop on January 11, 2015, 02:41:46 PM

Title: AWD hornet
Post by: singledownloop on January 11, 2015, 02:41:46 PM: Hi guys and gals this is my first post,I've been a lurker for a while.I have a 82 spirit with the gm 2.5 and auto and a 76 hornet with a 232 and auto.Since I've had the hornet I've wanted to convert it to awd using eagle parts.I'm not having much luck finding any eagle parts in even the old salvage yards here in Iowa.I've spent a ton of time researching the subject.Any tips or tricks for doing this swap are appreciated........Greg
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: eaglefreek on January 11, 2015, 07:48:33 PM: Buying a donor Eagle would be your best bet. There are so many parts that are needed, that you would get nickle and dimed to death at a salvage yard trying to get all the parts. I would love to build an AWD Hornet hatchback.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: carnuck on January 12, 2015, 01:00:57 AM: There is actually a chunk of the front frame and some re-bracing of the Hornet frame to make it work. We got lucky on SOTE and it already had the frame bracing as do all '81 up Spirits and Hornets.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IowaEagle on January 12, 2015, 01:47:48 PM: I believe the front stub frame on Eagles is longer, towards the rear than the 2WD models, so you may want to consider Hornet subframe connectors.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: carnuck on January 12, 2015, 01:53:56 PM: They inserted pieces of high strength steel to beef up the front subframe (I cut through one side. Sawzall went through 7 blades and it only took 2 to cut up the whole car to that point!)
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: singledownloop on January 12, 2015, 02:04:30 PM: I agree with adding subframe connectors,that's on the to do list.I also plan to reinforce critical area's.I'd rather overbuild something then have it break on me.I don't want to hurt anyone including myself.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: carnuck on January 12, 2015, 02:08:17 PM: You need the whole frame section under the rad or first pothole the front will fold up. My Spirit was already beefed up as they used the same body shell as SX4 after '80.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IowaEagle on January 12, 2015, 02:08:48 PM: I have a set of new subframe connectors that a vendor wants me to test to see if they work on the small Eagles. They come from a company that supplies a lot of after market suspension parts for AMC. They sent me a set of Concord connectors to have trial fitted.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: singledownloop on January 12, 2015, 03:44:23 PM: Carnuck I'll have a good look at my 82 spirit and see what I'm getting myself into.Thanks for the info.

Iowa Eagle do you have some of the control freak connectors?I'm going with a little different connector then theirs.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IowaEagle on January 12, 2015, 03:46:02 PM: I just have the one set that I will be, hopefully, this year welded in.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: 1985amceagle on January 12, 2015, 10:25:26 PM: Quote from: carnuck on January 12, 2015, 02:08:17 PM
You need the whole frame section under the rad or first pothole the front will fold up. My Spirit was already beefed up as they used the same body shell as SX4 after '80.

its good to know this, if I decide to make an eagle, I know a bit more about what I need to transfer over depending on the year of the body.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IowaEagle on January 12, 2015, 10:30:40 PM: You also need to beat the underside of the trans hump so the transfer case will fit. And, the Concord wheelbase is about 1" shorter so there may be a drive shaft issue.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: 1985amceagle on January 13, 2015, 12:42:12 AM: I was figuring on transferring the whole floor pan section with the trans tunnel over myself. I wonder where the extra inch came into play? I've read that eagle front fenders are different, so that might be where the difference would be. Personally, i would leave the flares and ground effects off, so that there would be less places for salt to hide.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: carnuck on January 14, 2015, 11:34:29 AM: The speedometer cable comes up under a cross bar on the floor. Only the left side (driver's side) of the hump changed and mostly under the driver's seat. XJ drivetrain would almost fit with no changes.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IRON HORSE on January 14, 2015, 03:23:02 PM: Hi,

Might be easier to buy an Eagle or SX4 and put the Hornet badges on it !!

Iron Horse :o
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: IowaEagle on January 14, 2015, 03:52:33 PM: yes, getting an Eagle might be easier. The 1980 models used the same fenders as Concord. After that there were wheel opening differences.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: captspillane on February 25, 2015, 11:58:16 AM: I've put Hornet Fenders on my Kammback and also recently purchased both a '79 Spirit AMX and a '77 Hornet AMX that will absolutely return to the road with Eagle AWD underneath them. Its a great idea and a relatively easy modification. It is a marginal difference in difficulty, time, and cost to convert compared to the total difficulty of restoring them to daily driver condition. It has already been done a couple of times by other people too and I've got some of those pictures saved.

Good luck with the project and don't give up on it. Its well worth it and totally reasonable.
Title: Re: AWD hornet
Post by: carnuck on February 26, 2015, 04:52:31 PM: Don't forget to beef the frame of the Hornet! The test mules bent because the frame wasn't designed for the stress there.