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Author Topic: Perkiomen Project Pics  (Read 66079 times)

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Offline captspillane

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #15 on: October 25, 2011, 12:39:20 PM »
I haven't purchased them yet. I'll post it once I do. I'm going to go one size larger than a stock 4.0. It's a daily driver, so I don't want an aggressive engine. Its got a 401 spouse I'll drive when I'm angry or running from the law.
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 El Matador

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #16 on: October 25, 2011, 02:24:04 PM »
My Red SX4 was purchased in 2001 when I was 15 years old.

Waaaaaaait a minute, hold the phone... 2001 - 15 = 1986... and if you were born in 1986, that means you are (or soon will be) the ripe old age of 25:o

Based on the level of knowledge you display here on the forum, the sheer number of vehicles currently and formerly owned, and the extensive work done to said vehicles, I had always assumed you were way older than that... like maybe late 30s at the absolute youngest.

I must say I was shocked and impressed when I learned your actual age just now.  It seems like you've accumulated about 25 years of practical knowledge in less than half that time.  I also must say I'm envious of the amount of spare time you have to work on your cars.  You're obviously single, or have a very understanding and tolerant other half.

You can measure your spare time in hours per day, mine is more like minutes per week.  :P
1973 Matador 2 door
1979 Concord 2 door
1980 Concord 4 door
1980 Eagle 2 door
1980 Eagle 2 door
1981 Eagle SX/4
1981 Eagle wagon
1982 Concord 2 door
1987 Eagle wagon

Offline captspillane

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2011, 03:07:08 PM »
Why thank you. Indeed I'm still 24. I turn 25 on December 17th. I've got a reputation for a fast learning curve. In college I graduated with an unlimited tonnage 3rd Mate's license to drive ships along with two diplomas, one in Naval Architecture and another in Electrical Engineering. Both are an ABET accredited Bachelor of Engineering. Two others at my college had set a previous record for the most credits taken at once at 33 credits, which I exceeded several times. I took 20, then 34, then 35, then 39 credits simultaneously in the same semester. I graduated a year early with 220 total completed credits and a 3.2 GPA.

I know alot about Eagles because in Elementary school I was flying airborne in an Eagle station wagon with my brother driving. In 6th grade I actively started day-dreaming about a red 401 Eagle SX4 with axles that didn't break (my brother broke one around then due to his propensity to lean his Eagle on two wheels). In high school my immediate family had seven cars insured at any one time. Four of those were Eagles I was responsible for maintaining. I've personally driven about 200K miles combined in AMC Eagles in the 8 years I've had a license. I've escaped four severe accidents without any damage as a direct result of all wheel drive and have a great respect for my parents mandating all three of their children drive Eagles as a first car. I've lost control and completed a full rotation in an Eagle four other times. I would have rolled my other Jeeps in each of those experiences.

I now live on a ship for two weeks and then I return home without any obligations for a consecutive two weeks. It provides both time and money. I believe time and workspace is much more valuable than money in completing these projects.

 
« Last Edit: October 25, 2011, 03:08:41 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

Offline vangremlin

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2011, 08:55:09 PM »
Add me to the ranks of the impressed! You really have a ton of knowledge and obviously aren't afraid to tackle some ambitious Eagle projects!  Eggs to you!
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline captspillane

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #19 on: October 26, 2011, 01:06:32 AM »
My first red Eagle SX4 cost $250 dollars. I got it in 2001 for my 15th birthday. My second white Eagle SX4 cost $200. I got that in 2002 for my 16th birthday. I actually learned to drive in the second SX4. The red SX4 did not successfully complete a round trip without mechanical intervention for over a year of weekly driving. It was never towed but it constantly limped home without brakes, or a broken SR4 shifter, or leaking radiator, or roadside belt changes or crawling underneath to pop the transfer case back into gear. I routinely did a preflight to spot what will break next and headed off to school with every tool I owned and lots of spare parts. Both of them were Iron Duke four speeds.

We went to a privately owned junkyard near me and stripped some parts for my brother's Eagle station wagon. My mother totalled an Eagle Sedan before I was born and my sister (12 years my elder) totalled our beautiful blue and silver Eagle station wagon when I was 5 years old. At this time my brother and sister both drove a brown on brown Eagle station wagon and my father drove either his maroon and silver Eagle sedan or a white and brown Eagle station wagon. I’ve adopted each of those since. The owner said we were not allowed to take parts from the red SX4 parked next to the junk Eagle. We asked about buying it and he said he bought it at auction and gave it to his son. The son used to drive it around the field behind the junkyard and absolutely beat the snot out of it. A week before my 15th birthday my father took me to our friend's place and I saw the red SX4 sitting on his trailer a hundred yards away and started sprinting over. The junkyard owner sold it to Dad because the slave cylinder had gone bad and the son had driven the clutch master cylinder through the firewall and broken the SR4 shift handle out of frustration. He had given up trying to fix it or find the shift handle. The exterior was in great shape, but it was a mechanical mess. The white SX4 was advertised as “bad engine” and sold as a parts car. I ended up putting about 170K miles on those two cars without replacing the engines or clutches.

I’ve since purchased a pristine 258 T5 white SX4. That replaced the Red SX4 as my daily driver for a year and a half since graduating college. I also purchased a black Spirit GT because it had 200 miles on a remanufactured 4.5 with 4.0 head and Motorcraft 2150 conversion. That’s the new engine for my Red SX4. I also got a 2006 Unlimited Rubicon as a reliable backup for my father, sister and I. My sister has actually driven that more than my father and I combined. Our family has grown up with Eagles and we buy new cars as backups to our antique ones. I got a 1985 CJ8 Scrambler from Nick Cappa, the brother of the chief editor of JP Magazine. It was saved from a Texas junkyard for a magazine article. I bought that to see how they had successfully installed a NV3550 while retaining the mechanical clutch. It came with a full Hesco MPI kit installed and a full brand new TBI kit in a box. The TBI was installed briefly before the MPI in order to compare the two for a JP Magazine article. I also transfer a pristine 1980 International Scout Traveler with a SD33T turbodiesel engine into my name next month to replace my Scrambler while I remove that drivetrain. The NV3550 adaptor is needed for my 401 SX4 and the Hesco MPI is going to my red SX4. The Scout comes with a spare engine destined for an Eagle. I adopted my buddy’s 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado project when he left for Navy nuke school. I’ve also bought two Kammbacks and two Eagle station wagons the last few months for 500 dollars or less, as well as three other parts Eagles over the years.

I’ve dreamed about a 401 5 speed red SX4 since elementary school, and I hope to finish it along with three other Eagles before the end of the summer.
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 Baskinator

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #20 on: October 26, 2011, 02:06:58 PM »
I see you started using those dollies to move the red SX/4 over, looks like it worked out pretty well! Btw, you've got the same birthday as my mother, so it shouldn't be too hard to remember.

I think I'll go with that same radiator when I have the money, possibly as well as that leaf spring set up. I found the radiator on the bay, but not sure which springs, shackles, or bushings you got. I sprayed down those bolts with like a full can of liquid wrench this past weekend, and I plan on doing it a few more times before changing them out.
1982 AMC Eagle SX/4 (Work In Progress)

Photobucket Album: http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/Baskinator/

Offline captspillane

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #21 on: October 26, 2011, 02:42:44 PM »
A CJ7 leaf spring is the exact same width and sleeve diameter, but a stock CJ7 shackle is an inch shorter than the stock Eagle shackle. I used a greaseable CJ7 shackle from ebay advertised to lift a Jeep 1.5 inches. It worked out perfectly because the half inch pedastal in the unibody was eliminated when I drove my shackles through the floor. I suggest looking for a 1 inch lift version for yours. The reinforced shackle eyes are for a CJ7 too. The radiator I took out of the white SX4 was brand new when I bought my Spirit a few years ago. I can set you up with that one if you can't afford the aluminum one just yet.

The harbor freight dollies worked better than I expected, it was easy to push it over myself.
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

Prafeston

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #22 on: October 26, 2011, 02:52:37 PM »
Dude, I'm very impressed. I'm also kind of an idiot when it comes to mechanical things. I can do some light wrenching...could probably do more if I had the proper tools, but we are pretty close to the same age and I couldn't imagine doing some of the stuff you are up to! :)

My birthday is December 10th and I'll be 26.

Offline Baskinator

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #23 on: October 26, 2011, 07:27:59 PM »
The radiator I took out of the white SX4 was brand new when I bought my Spirit a few years ago. I can set you up with that one if you can't afford the aluminum one just yet.

I may just have to take you up on that then. I'm not sure how well mine will perform, since one- it's been sitting for 7 years with coolant in it, and two- the old cooler holes are epoxied up to hold any fluid leaking into the internal cooler. Replacing it is my best bet, as usual ::)

Oh, and about the spring pedestals, mine might be rusted out enough that I'd have to remove them anyway lol. That area isn't pretty on either side.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2011, 07:30:27 PM by Baskinator »
1982 AMC Eagle SX/4 (Work In Progress)

Photobucket Album: http://s1237.photobucket.com/albums/ff479/Baskinator/

rohnk

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #24 on: October 26, 2011, 08:41:22 PM »
Dude, I'm very impressed. I'm also kind of an idiot when it comes to mechanical things. I can do some light wrenching...could probably do more if I had the proper tools, but we are pretty close to the same age and I couldn't imagine doing some of the stuff you are up to! :)

My birthday is December 10th and I'll be 26.

Darn smart%^$ kids! Whipper snappers...think they know everything.... LOL

Offline vangremlin

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #25 on: October 26, 2011, 09:07:19 PM »

Darn smart%^$ kids! Whipper snappers...think they know everything.... LOL

How does that old saying go - They know more than I've forgotten....or something like that. Its hard to remember things at my advanced age lol.
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

rohnk

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #26 on: October 26, 2011, 09:19:36 PM »
Seriously though, I have 10 years on these guys and I know a few things but not as much as they do. I swear I knew more at one time though!

Offline vangremlin

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #27 on: October 26, 2011, 09:38:38 PM »
Seriously though, I have 10 years on these guys and I know a few things but not as much as they do. I swear I knew more at one time though!

Its nice that they humor us old guys and not make us feel ignorant when they teach us a thing or three lol
1981 Kammback 258 - "Pepe"
1980 Coupe 258 - "Ginger
1972 Gremlin X 304
1978 Gremlin 4 cyl 121 - sold
1964 TBird 390 - sold

Offline Mac

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #28 on: October 26, 2011, 11:28:24 PM »
The first picture shows how an Eagle floor plan humps up almost two inches. The biggest reason for this hump is to make room for an automatic shift lever, but my manual transmissions don't need this space. My Automatics won't either if I use a Lokar cable shifter.







Just a suggestion from another old guy...  (who's pictures you referenced)
The "hump" in the Eagle floor isn't just for clearance for the automatic shifter...
It"s for clearance of the transfer case!
The nice smooth tranny tunnel of the Spirit just doesn't have enough room underneath for
a transfer case...
You're gonna have to make room for it somehow...
That's gonna ruin your line for the Spirit console/armrest...
Even if you just made the tranny tunnel wider, there still wouldn't be enough room for the
height of the transfer case!

Ask me how I know!  ;)




Offline captspillane

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Re: Perkiomen Project Pics
« Reply #29 on: October 27, 2011, 01:05:46 AM »
Oh wow. It has been several years since I saved those two pictures from here on the web. Thank you! How long has it been since you completed that conversion? I'm pretty impressed by the finished product. Its awesome to know that someone has pulled it off in the past.

In my red SX4 I have no intentions of narrowing or lowering the Eagle floorpan to the Spirit height all the way back. I just need the hump a few inches before, an inch or two on either side, and a few inches after the silver part of the automatic shifter in your picture to be lower. I need it to be just low enough for the gauge cluster to fit under the ashtray. The armrest assembly will be tilted downward relative to how it sits in a Spirit, but I can smooth out a landing area under the rug for it to sit soundly. The seats overlap it enough to cover up any space that develops from it tilting that way. Its just the area up forward that needs to look right. The wide portion near the seat rails and around the transfer case will not be affected. I have a little more room than usual because the 6 Speed transmission is an inch longer and I will be adapting a Jeep crossmember to be installed a few inches further back and possibly an inch lower than the original Eagle crossmember. I realize that the transfer case will be smack up against the floor and still lower than usual if I take the hump off all the way back.

I will also be converting my Spirit into an SX4 at least a year from now. I have a complete Eagle floor pan from a cut up station wagon I specifically saved to do that with. Once I looked at the underside, I saw how difficult it will be. Eagles have a spacer between the floor and the subframe shown in this picture. How did you compensate for that? I would love to see a picture of your floor from underneath. The conversion seems rather complex there around the subframe. I do think it will be worlds easier to shoehorn the armrest into an existing Eagle than to smush a transfer case under a Spirit. I did measure to see if I could just widen the Spirit tunnel without a donor Eagle tunnel, and saw that its not that simple.

« Last Edit: October 27, 2011, 01:10:31 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

 

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