Eagle Envy

[TheWraith]

Hello All.  Posted up in the 'advice from a newb , to all the other newbs' thread and a kind soul suggested I start my own thread.  Sounded like a good idea.

Someone asked in the other thread where I'm located at.  Southern Indiana close to Louisville Kentucky; my zip:  47161.

Named this thread what I did because I've always wanted an Eagle.  Now I'm going to bore you to tears:  I'm a '71 model and back then Mom & Dad bought a new AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon.  Loved that car.  Older sister cashed it in (crashed it) when I was 14.  Two more years and I could had driven it myself.  First time I saw an Eagle was a couple years after that and I instantly recognized it as a Hornet wagon (exact same body).  I also love 4x4/AWD vehicles, so the Eagle is the best of everything.

My cousin owns an Eagle SX4 that he might sell (he might be on here on occasion too).  Thinking about buying it, but I have to decide soon.  Of course I'd prefer a wagon.

I'm a member of a local 4WD club.  Been playing around with 4x4s for about five years now.  I think the Eagle would be the perfect vehicle for getting from and two different wheelig spots (some up to eight hours away) and for light trail riding.  Not looking for a hard core Eagle...must have A/C. 

Couple newbie questons if you guy/gals don't mind.

Anybody do an AX15 swap?  I've searched the forum and can't find any information.  Seems like it would be a bolt-in job for the most part.  I've looked at the different speedo cable 90 degree adapters, so that shouldn't be a problem.  Curious as to what shifter(s) will fit in the factory location, if any.

Being doing some reading/research.  Looks like the later NP249 would be an ideal tc for the Eagle.  Looks like it has full-time AWD, high range, low range, 2wd high, and the later ones are lockable front-2-rear for those times when the going gets rough.  Anybody try swapping to the np249?

Sorry for the long post.  I'm known for that.

[eaglefreek]

Welcome. Yes, an AX15 has been swapped into a least one Eagle and so has a Jeep  NSG-370. Close to a bolt in, but since they are longer it requires some fabbing to be done. I'm not sure about the 249, but a few have installed a 242 case. Similar as the 249 but a differential instead of a viscous coupling.

[Prafeston]

I'm pretty sure there are a couple wagons for sale right now in Indiana. At leas one here on the forum.

[TheWraith]

I'm going to pay for it today.  I made the mistake of looking at Eagles on YouTube last night.  I think I watched every single last video I could find, some two or three times.  Didn't get to bed until late.  Boy am I tired this morning.

Searching the forum for more info on an AX15 swap.  Found one thread that was last posted up in back in January.  Anxious to know if the OP has made any progress.

[68AMXGOPAC]

I have this car mentioned , Touge's old wagon, but yet have not done any work or gotten a chance to crawl around under it and check it out. Now that spring is here , hopefully I can spend some time on it.

[TheWraith]

Thanks Mernsy.  That covers every thing I wanted to know.  Don't know how I missed it when I searched the forum.

Anxious to see your progress GOPAC.  Best of luck with it.

Went over to my cousin's to check out his '83 SX4.  The car is in great shape.  It is no show car, but I could find no rust on the body anywhere.  There are a few small dings.  The doors could use some hing pins.  Pretty standard stuff for a car from the '80s.  It has been sitting for about two years but it was a driver when he parked it (outside).  As is such the interior has the lovely mouse mess odor, so a good cleaning would be in order.  Might even consider junking the carpet and going with a truck bed liner in its place.  Thinking that would do away with the smell and be durable.  The car was originally white but the original owner had it painted close to that factory tan/brownish color.  I apologize as I know that color has a proper name.  As a result the paint is pretty nice, but the firewall and inner fenders are white.  The hood hinges, while not rusty, are stiff and as a result the hood has a little curve to it on the passenger side.  Are new hinges available?  My experience is that they wear and try to push sideways causing this issue.  Some oil might help.  Hope the hood can be made straight again as it is the power bulge (is that the correct name?) style which I prefer.  Along the way my cousin swapped in a factory gauge package from a junkyard.  Originally it was a manual but he switched it to an auto as years back he had a donor car.  He has everything to put it back to manual, which is what I would want to do in time.  Sooner then later I guess as he said the auto was starting to feel sluggish when he parked her, but still drove nicely, so it isn't shot.  Tires are good.  It has the aluminum 4.2 valve cover.  Factory A/C didn't work when parked but it is all there, so I can repair that myself.  The engine ran strong, so with a battery, fresh fuel, bleeding the brakes, and cleaning the interior it might be ready to roll if there are no surprises.  He also has a NIB Motorcraft carb, which I understand is the preferred upgrade, and a TSM.  I understand there is an adapter I'd have to purchase for the Motorcraft to fit.  More research.

The bad:  the passenger side of the frame (behind the front wheels - I know it is a unibody) looks ok, but the drivers side has a hole big enough for me to put all my fingers in.  I'm going to search the forum as I'm sure somebody has tackled how best to repair this common problem.  Hoping it can be patched and still be safe and highway/road ready.  Lastly, it was getting late and I didn't feel like climbing in the dirt, so I didn't get under it and check the floor pans.  Here's hoping they are as sound as the rest of the body.  My cousin will check it out this weekend and let me know.

We didn't come to an exact figure, but we tossed around $500 plus maybe another $75~$100 for the Motorcraft carb and TSM.  In addition, my cousin is more then happy to help me get her up and running again.  The great unknown at this point is the frame and if it can be patched and made safe.  I have several friends that are competent welders, so if I cut out the bad and make a patch, they could weld it in for me.  What I can't afford right now is a big project.  I can get into this if I can mess with it for a day or two and have it running/driving, and then spend a day at a friends house putting in a proper frame patch.

Sorry for the very long post.  Mind if I ask for opinions?  Does this all sound doable in short order barring no surprises?  I need a reality check, so be brutal if you must.

[Prafeston]

It all sounded pretty good til you said Frame Rust and HOLE!

It's not dead by any means, but it sounds like it will need some work in that area to make it safe and make sure the rust doesn't just keep spreading! There are some very talented welders on the forum. Check out juhap's thread.

http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=5401.0

That dude is pro at getting rid of rust and welding in new sheet metal.

[TheWraith]

Ok, things are getting critical here (I say this lighthearted of course).  Had my cousin over last night to hangout over a few beers.  He wants the Eagle out of his yard and doesn't want to have the Craigslist go-around routine.  You know, a hundred emails, promises to come with the money then never show up, etc...  I didn't try to nail him down as he is family, but he throw out a figure of $300.  The only reason I hesitate is because I have a few projects I'm juggling and our first baby will be here Friday, Saturday at the latest.  These are the things that are holding me back.  I honestly can't afford anything that is a complete full-on project.  If my cousin's Eagle can be made road worthy fairly easily, I can take it in, enjoy it, and upgrade it as time goes on.  What I need is some advice on the sub frame problem.  After searching the forums for a couple of hours (I usually end up speed reading entire threads) I haven't found a step-by-step how-to on sub frame repair.  Any idea on what the 'average' repair entails?

Tomorrow I'm heading over to my cousin's house to pull the front wheels so we can size up the extend of the rust.  I'm hoping it is just on the drivers side as we witnessed it there.  I'll know how bad it is tomorrow, but regardless, I'm interested in knowing what the *average* experience is.  Can the average rust be cut out and a patch be welded in?

Wish me luck.  And as always, advice is welcome.

[Prafeston]

Did you check out the thread I linked you? There is some really good stuff in there. Let me just send you right to the page where he is doing some frame repairs. If you asked me it's something that requires quite a bit of work. Precision cutting and welding. Plus, I believe you'll need to coat the inside of the frame with something in order to keep the rust from spreading as water and stuff has likely gotten into the hole in the frame and now it could be rotting from the inside out!

Actually I sent you to the wrong thread. This is the one I was thinking about.

http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=36947.105

It's not quite as long so you can skim it much quicker.

[TheWraith]

Sorry I haven't posted up in awhile.  A guy I know from the 4wd club owns an automotive repair and fabrication shop.  I sent him some pics of the frame 'rust' and he quickly corrected me in that it is frame 'rot'.  I was hoping he would take on the project of repairing the frame for a price that would fit my budget.  He has all the equipment and skill.  After looking at the pictures he said he just couldn't take it on unless I was willing to commit a good deal of cash (around $1k possible more) and even then he's not sure he would do the job.  That and his shop has been very busy since the economy is in the dumpster...glad someone is able to stay in business.

So I find myself at a cross roads.  I really cannot take on a full project meaning that if I can't get my cousins Eagle on the road in short order then I'll have to pass.  I really want this vehicle as it is complete (comes with extra parts even) and I know the history of it.  My cousin has owned it for a good long time now and has never hacked on it.  Over the years he scoured many salvage yards and added all the factory options such as the gauges ahead of the shifter, etc...  He has also converted to manual using all factory pieces, and then back to the auto, all bolt-in, no hacking or welding so it has been done cleanly.  I like this as it means there is no mess to correct before the vehicle can be worked on.  If I got my hands on it I'd be looking to do the AX15 and np242 swap over the next couple of years.

To be honest, given that the Eagle has such a strong following, I'm surprised nobody offers a replacement subframe for a reasonable price.  If such a thing was available, I'm sure the shop owner I know would be willing to cut out the old and weld in a new one for a reasonable price.  He really likes things that are different and the Eagle falls squarely in that category.

What to do, what to do?  Need to meet with my cousin tomorrow and give him a yes or no answer.  Darn frame rot.

[68AMXGOPAC]

Pretty sure there are no replacement pieces that your wondering about. there are replacement rocker panels that are for wagons and can be cut to length for SX/4's.We really can't comment a whole lot as to your situation, as we don't have any pics.Also maybe the issueisn't as "structural" as it seems ?? Good luck with it whatever you decide, it's a tough decision. I bought one, and a tree fell on it before I could pick it up,major crush damage, but managed to bring it back to run.

[TheWraith]

What's the best way to post up pics on here.  This forum is very similar to that of what my 4wd club uses but just different enough that I can't find the option for uploading pics.

Either today or tomorrow after work I'm going to head over to my cousins and have an exploratory look at the extent of the damage/rust/rot.  I'll make a final decision then.

Saw another SX/4 on Pirate4x4 that appears to have no subframe issues, has been sitting a couple of years, and over all doesn't appear to be in bad shape.  The asking price is pretty low.  It might be a better way to go then my cousins Eagle but I can't take on anything with such an unknown history right now.  Life is keeping me too busy at the moment with the new baby and all.

[Prafeston]

You don't upload photos to the forum. You'll have to get a photobucket account and then link to the photos you upload there. There should be several links you can grab from each photo you upload. The very bottom link for each photo should have the and will make your photo viewable in the thread if you copy and paste it into your reply.

[TheWraith]

Alright, let me see if I can get these pics to work...

'83 Eagle SX/4.  Body is pretty darn clean as is the interior.  The interior needs a good scrubbing but nothing is broken or missing.  Eagle was running/driving two years ago when it was parked.  Comes with all the factory bits and pieces to swap it over to a manual to include the four-speed tranny and another tcase.  Tires are old but low mileage and I'd run them, no sweat.  These pics are of the frame rot on the drivers side subframe.  Passenger side is showing early signs of rot.  My cousin took the pics, not me, but I think the first pic is of the passenger side.  One of you may know better.  I could buy the whole ball of wax for about $300, and for another $75 or so he'll throw in a NOS Motorcraft carb for the carb conversion.  Already has the aluminum 4.2 valve cover as well.  Eagle really is pretty clean and has been well cared for over the years.  Only reason I haven't bought it yet is the wife and I had our first baby on the 3rd and with the list of projects I already have I can't take on another full project.  If I can spend a weekend flushing the fuel tank & lines, bleeding the brakes, putting in a fresh battery, and cleaning the interior, then I can justify buying it.  What do you guys think?  Can this subframe safely be patched by a competent welder and driven safely?

[Prafeston]

Wow...yeah, that's bad!!

To be honest, this sounds like a much bigger project than you are looking for. Frame rot is a lot harder to just patch up and having someone cut and patch up a frame is gonna be considerably more time consuming and cost you more money if you aren't doing it yourself. It's awesome that it seems pretty clean everywhere else, but I just don't see this thing back on the road as quick as you are hoping. I highly doubt it would pass inspection the way it is now.

If I were you I'd just start saving up some money and wait it out until you can find an SX/4 in better condition. Be prepared to drive/fly a distance to find one in good condition and be prepared to drop more than 300 bucks.