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  • March 28, 2024, 03:07:48 PM

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Author Topic: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)  (Read 9396 times)

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Offline djvanyel

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The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« on: November 08, 2013, 03:56:06 PM »
So after nearly having a heart attack from finding the old eagle nest was gone, I managed to find its new home thankfully.  Since my original thread on this car was lost due to a past catastrophe with the old site, I thought I'd start a new one here since I'm a week or two from finally getting this old blue bird back on the road (I hope).

After buying supplies for a full tune up and TFI upgrade, replacing the valve cover with an aluminum one, and many eBay purchases for assorted parts (shifter, hatch hinges, etc.) I'm hoping putting the final touches on her will be as painless as possible. On the other hand... She's been sitting since at least 2000 so I guess only time will tell.

Stay tuned.
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Offline mudkicker715

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #1 on: November 08, 2013, 06:27:20 PM »
Calm the heart we relax here.



Manitowoc WI

Offline IowaEagle

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #2 on: November 08, 2013, 06:51:08 PM »
Had to give you a thumbs up in finding us.  Be still thy heart (or take meds like me) but we are here and under old management, minus one.
Click for Toledo, IA Forecast" border="0" height="100" width="150   


Not a Jeep.  Not a Car.  Its an AMC Eagle!

1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport;
1980 Concord DL;
1970 Ambassador 2 Dr HT, SST
2002 Hyundai Santa Fe;
2008 Jeep Patriot Sport - Freedom Drive II

Offline 1985amceagle

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #3 on: November 08, 2013, 09:26:46 PM »
welcome back! :blob1:
1985 Eagle Wagon

Online vangremlin

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2013, 07:47:34 AM »
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline djvanyel

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I splurged...
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2015, 07:46:36 PM »
So despite the fact that "Big Blue" still isn't running well enough to drive around (she's missed all the New England snow this year!), I decided to take the plunge and buy one of my "most wanted" items for her: a stock AM/FM/CB. I believe the unit is complete and functional right down to the black plastic mic connector and DIN style faceplate bezel. If there's any demand for close-up shots of any aspect of the unit for reference or archival purposes, I would be happy to oblige before the unit goes into the dash.
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Offline captspillane

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2015, 01:23:11 AM »
DO NOT INSTALL THE CB UNLESS YOU HAVE A MATCHING ANTENNAE.

A local gentleman bought a 1979 Spirit AMX new in 1979 and still has it. The factory replaced the CB radio three times under warranty. Each new one kept burning out. The cause of the problem was found to be a non-CB radio antennae. The CB radio needs to have one that is about 4" longer than the normal one or it will burn out the transmitting circuit. I have one Eagle that had a factory CB and measured the difference exactly but I can't find the number easily.

The actual minimum length number can be calculated by the height of the wave that corresponds to the lowest transmitting frequency. In other words it is okay if it is too long. It is only bad if it is too short. All AMC cars that started life without a CB radio also started life with one that is too short.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2015, 01:27:25 AM by captspillane »
Currently Inspected and Insured as of Jan 2013:
-1985 Eagle Station Wagon 258 T5 Stickshift
-1980 Eagle Station Wagon 258 Auto Fuel-injected with GM TBI

Minor Repairs Underway:
-1982 Eagle SX4 258 T5
-1981 Kammback 2.5L Iron Duke T5

Restoration Efforts Near Completion:
-1982 SX4- 401 NV3550
-1983 SX4- 4.5 MPI NSG370 (6 Speed)

Restoration Efforts Underway:
-1985 SW- 4.0 MPI AX15
-1982 SX4- 4.0 AW4
-1981 SX4- SD33T NV4500 (Turbodiesel 5 speed)

Future Rescue Efforts- '85 Maroon SW, '87 Limited SW, '84 Limited SW, '87 4 door Sedan, '81 2 door Sedan, '88 White SW, '77 4 door Hornet, '74 2 door Hornet, '79 Spirit AMX, '81 Kammback.

RIP- Red '81 SX4, '84 4dr Sedan, '84 SW, '81 SW, '80 Spirit, '83 SW, '83 4dr Sedan

Offline carnuck

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2015, 02:49:49 PM »
Checking the match is the best way. It's not a length thing. Regular AM/FM antennas will throw a 3-1 or even higher match ratio which messes with the signal and forces it back into the radio. Kind of like how a microwave reacts when you put metal in it.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline djvanyel

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #8 on: March 06, 2015, 05:47:01 PM »
Well thanks to both of you for the warning... my knowledge of radio could probably be best characterized as: enough to get into trouble haha.

I believe this car may well have started life with the CB, since there is a mic holder on the dash and the existing stereo is clearly an aftermarket replacement (doesn't really fit the cutout) which I'm assuming it's probably dead as it had a ballpoint pen jammed into the cassette player when I bought the car. I've never powered it up so I'll consider it untested, but assumed dead. I'm also thinking the build sheets are likely hiding somewhere in the car, although I'm not going to bank on finding them to find out for sure what options she had from Kenosha.
Since this was a factory option, wouldn't the antenna size be standard across the years for the CB-equipped models? I could always measure the antenna since I have two different cars, one of which ('87 sedan) has a stock DIN style electronic head unit in it (not sure if it's original). If the antenna on the 87 and the 83 match, is it safe to assume they're the same (non-CB)?

Also, this, hypothetically, leads me to a follow-up question: it is possible to swap the antenna?

Perhaps I should open this to the broader forum since it's a definite good tip since these run upwards of $450 on the current market and they have many components made of unobtanium. Would love to hear your thoughts/input.
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Offline djvanyel

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Fun with math (aka CB Antenna Length Computation)
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2015, 06:46:09 PM »
Ok, so I did some researching and fancy math and, correct me if I've got an error here but, I found that since the lowest frequency length comes out as ~11.12m, ideally a full-wave CB antenna should be ~33.377 feet long?! That translates to even a 1/4-wave antenna length of 8.344 feet, which is definitely shorter than the antenna on the car. However, I've seen notes a few places that suggest part of the car chassis acts as a ground plane for the antenna in mobile applications, therefore adding to the overall length.

Since the car doesn't yet live with me, I resorted to my photos of the car, and realized that it also had a CB mic stashed on the passenger side package tray when I first got it. I can't remember what the wires looked like under the dash, but I do know there aren't any extra holes in the car for an after-market antenna.

I also just made the painful realization that the chassis-side connectors for the speaker and power wiring were probably amputated and are probably long gone...   :banghead:

But that aside, I'd love to know the correct length of the CB antenna. Probably a good figure to add into the eaglepedia since I'm sure there are a few people out there who wouldn't have known about the difference between the two.
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Offline captspillane

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2015, 03:38:32 PM »
I found a note to myself saying the CB version is exactly 40 inches long. The regular wagon here at home that I measured just now is 32" long. If you unscrew the antennae part from the base the longer one screws in to the same base. Notice that the straight round shaft part is only 31" long but I included the hex part at the bottom but did not include the base. It is 32-3/4" from the top to the upper surface of the fender but only 32" of that is the removeable part that should be 40" for a CB radio.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2015, 03:39:33 PM by captspillane »
Currently Inspected and Insured as of Jan 2013:
-1985 Eagle Station Wagon 258 T5 Stickshift
-1980 Eagle Station Wagon 258 Auto Fuel-injected with GM TBI

Minor Repairs Underway:
-1982 Eagle SX4 258 T5
-1981 Kammback 2.5L Iron Duke T5

Restoration Efforts Near Completion:
-1982 SX4- 401 NV3550
-1983 SX4- 4.5 MPI NSG370 (6 Speed)

Restoration Efforts Underway:
-1985 SW- 4.0 MPI AX15
-1982 SX4- 4.0 AW4
-1981 SX4- SD33T NV4500 (Turbodiesel 5 speed)

Future Rescue Efforts- '85 Maroon SW, '87 Limited SW, '84 Limited SW, '87 4 door Sedan, '81 2 door Sedan, '88 White SW, '77 4 door Hornet, '74 2 door Hornet, '79 Spirit AMX, '81 Kammback.

RIP- Red '81 SX4, '84 4dr Sedan, '84 SW, '81 SW, '80 Spirit, '83 SW, '83 4dr Sedan

Online vangremlin

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2015, 05:58:17 PM »
I had an AMC AM/CB radio repaired by a member who hasn't been on the site lately.  Here are a couple tips he gave me, I have yet to install the AM/CB radio so I haven't followed his instructions yet.  There are directions in the Eagle TSM on how to do this procedure.

"...and if your going to use the cb don't forget to SWR the antenna system , If you need instructions ill copy the information from the Eagle service book you can also put the CB radio on a proper CB antenna."

"...by using a normal CB antenna it still will require to test and adjust for the lowest reading SWR the antenna, in which means that all of the power of the transmitter will go to the antenna and not back on the RF finals of the radio transmitter, Heat will cause transistors to Fail. Remember that 90% of the radios performance is in its antenna system so buy a good one like Wilson or K 40 ,SWR meters can be got at truck shops radio shack , and they do not cost a lot. "


Good luck!
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline mudkicker715

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2015, 06:35:17 PM »
You do not want the lowest SWR but you want 1 SWR.



Manitowoc WI

Offline carnuck

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2015, 02:02:02 PM »
1:1 is about the lowest you can get but less than 1.5:1 is useable.
AMC/Jeep gauges are for amusement only. Any correlation between them and reality is purely coincidental!

Offline djvanyel

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2015, 10:08:10 PM »
So I finally remembered to take a tape measure to the antenna after doing some poking around under the dash earlier today... the antenna body is 31". Also, after looking very closely at the wires and the mic clip, it became obvious it was installed after market. So the prospect of having a functioning CB seems somewhat remote right now.

I've been contemplating finding a longer antenna, but if my understanding of the theory is correct, wouldn't I still need a significant length of lead to add to the length of the external antenna? The CB head I have included the original antenna splitter but that doesn't seem anywhere near long enough. Did the factory-equipped models have different antenna wiring or was it "plug and play" with the longer whip antenna?
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Offline djvanyel

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #15 on: October 30, 2015, 05:56:03 PM »
Also, just so I can keep a record of it (evidently there's no trace of my prior posts):

I have found a source for the GE H2 T3 halogen bulbs for the factory Marchal fog lights. Grainger supply stocks them under Item Number: 6VL13
https://www.grainger.com/product/GE-LIGHTING-Miniature-Lamp-6VL13?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/6VL13_AS01

I have a pair I ordered years ago. I can add this to the part interchange list if anyone thinks it's a good idea.... there was a post about these many moons ago which I added to, but I don't see it here any more.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2015, 05:59:54 PM by djvanyel »
'94 Crown Vic P71 (my baby) [permanently out to pasture :'( ]
'96 Crown Vic P71 (the new beast) [the primary driver]
'83 Eagle Sport Wagon [almost flying again]
'87 Eagle Sedan [running!]
'80 Honda Accord HB (aka Boing Boing) [the little one]

Online vangremlin

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Re: The 1983 Lipman Sport Wagon (part deux)
« Reply #16 on: April 08, 2022, 01:45:43 PM »
The bulb listed in the previous post is discontinued according to Granger.  This may be a suitable replacement:

https://www.grainger.com/product/LUMAPRO-Miniature-Halogen-Bulb-2FNC8?opr=APPD&analytics=altItems_6VL13
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

 

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