Author Topic: Eagle II (Read 8355 times)

macdude443 · « **on:** February 11, 2014, 11:03:15 AM »

For a little over a year now I've been looking for an Eagle wagon in decent shape. I've finally found the one! It's a 1986 with power everything, 80,000 miles, automatic with a few add-on accessories. It's located in Spring Run, PA which is about 2 hours east of where I live in central PA. The only real problem with the car is it has a completely shot transmission, but the price was right. The owner had tried to sell it and was a day from stripping it for parts and scrapping it out. Luckily I got out to see it. Sadly, the mirrors had already been sold on ebay, but that was ok with me. It needs to be towed, so until this weekend it'll still be parked at it's old owner's place. It will be towed to eastern PA where Capt. Spillane has been nice enough to offer his heated garage and parts for a trans swap. Will also do leaf springs and whatever else is necessary to be roadworthy. The tires look good. Suspension parts will be necessary. The bushings are a little dried out and a CV boot is torn. Anyway... photos!

eagleman · « **Reply #1 on:** February 11, 2014, 11:48:09 AM »

I'd say you did well and its future is much brighter then where it was headed. Looks like the twin to mine. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine.

MudPuppy · « **Reply #2 on:** February 11, 2014, 12:45:24 PM »

I had been watching on FB. Nice save! This Eagles undercarriage is so clean looking. Glad it ended up in good hands.
And a kudos goes out to Capt. Spillane on the wonderful offer on the parts and warm place to get work done.

macdude443 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 11, 2014, 12:54:59 PM »

I'm thinking that when spring rolls around I may scrape off all the undercoating and treat any rust that might be underneath. Then I'll paint it all and re-undercoat with something. There are only a few areas where it looks like there might be some rust beneath the undercoating. Oddly though, the coating is flaking off part of the floor pan and no rust has formed there yet.

The plus is, in theory, the only thing I should have to worry about after the transmission is keeping the underside as nice as it is now for years to come. This Eagle will see snow and salt, so I want to make sure it's protected. Until spring gets here I'll keep driving my Jeep primarily, washing the Eagle every week to keep salt off. After I repaint the underside, I'll take it and get the internal panels/doors/etc professionally oiled.

Prafeston · « **Reply #4 on:** February 11, 2014, 01:13:37 PM »

You found you a good one! Can't wait to see you get it back in good working order! Bye bye XJ!

captspillane · « **Reply #5 on:** February 11, 2014, 02:13:42 PM »

Thanks Mudpuppy, I appreciate it. You might find it interesting to know that Matt had just agreed to buy one of mine on Saturday a couple days before someone posted my name on that discussion. I had been ignoring it. It really worked out like clockwork.

He gets a great Eagle and I get to keep the one of mine he would have bought. Everyone wins, especially the poor Eagle that nearly died.

Prafeston · « **Reply #6 on:** February 11, 2014, 03:16:00 PM »

Was he gonna buy the one you wrecked recently and are putting back together?

macdude443 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 11, 2014, 03:25:42 PM »

Quote from: Prafeston on February 11, 2014, 03:16:00 PM

Was he gonna buy the one you wrecked recently and are putting back together?

Only if I pried it out of his cold, dead hands. That's a stick model.

I was looking at a maroon '85(?) he has. It needs some mechanical work and the interior put back together.

Prafeston · « **Reply #8 on:** February 11, 2014, 03:45:36 PM »

Yeah, that blue 5 speed is a cool one! Well however it all went down it's great you are saving another Eagle Matt, and hope you guys can get it all straightened out this weekend.

macdude443 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 11, 2014, 04:20:25 PM »

This wagon is really nothing special in regards to color combo or optional dealer upgrades, but I really like it as-is. I may have to add some fog lights though.

Prafeston · « **Reply #10 on:** February 11, 2014, 04:40:49 PM »

Yeah, I hate that color Eagle!

No offense!

I will have a spare set of fogs still that came on my Eagle when I got it...I'll have to decide if I wanna let them go after I see how I like the yellow ones.

captspillane · « **Reply #11 on:** February 12, 2014, 10:24:54 PM »

Quote from: macdude443 on February 11, 2014, 03:25:42 PM

Only if I pried it out of his cold, dead hands. That's a stick model.

That's hilarious. If Matt did smother me in the night and steal my Eagle, however, it would be the Green Sport wagon obviously. That's the only one I wouldn't be able to easily replace. I've never even seen pictures of another Green Sport wagon in existance!

I will say that one ride in the stickshift wagon changed Matt's opinion of the Carter. I enjoy driving it hard. All that talk about the Carter not being capable of any power or acceleration like the M2150 got blown out of the water when you compared his horrid M2150 automatic SX4 and my bone stock stickshift wagon. Indeed his SX4 immediately tripled it's power output once a Carter was back on.

vangremlin · « **Reply #12 on:** February 12, 2014, 10:39:50 PM »

Nice wagon! Have fun with the restoration!

Prafeston · « **Reply #13 on:** February 12, 2014, 10:42:54 PM »

Sure hope the guys at the shop can get the Carter dialed in on my 4.0 swap!

JayRamb · « **Reply #14 on:** February 13, 2014, 01:12:42 PM »

Nice! Get a power scrubber like a Bissel Green Machine and scrub up the seats and carpet as I did when I got mine...good as NEW!

macdude443 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 13, 2014, 03:55:39 PM »

Going to try an upholstery cleaner by Blue Coral.

SpreadEagle · « **Reply #16 on:** February 13, 2014, 04:29:47 PM »

Let us know how it works. I have a wagon that needs cleaning.

macdude443 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2014, 11:39:44 PM »

So the wagon is now in Capt Spillanes garage awaiting a transmission and a much needed carb adjustment/cleaning. I have plenty of suspension parts ready but we'll see what we get to tomorrow.

Prafeston · « **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2014, 01:19:51 PM »

Let us know how it all goes. I'm interested in doing some suspension upgrades to my Eagle soon too!

macdude443 · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2014, 03:28:20 AM »

So after two solid days of work and with a nasty cold developed along the way, the Eagle has a new transmission and transfer case. The '86 case seemed to work fine, but it was the 128, and no one likes that one. After getting the trans in, we had a leak in the aftermarket pan, so it had to be taken off and fixed. Then the cooler line sprung a leak and the exhaust wasn't too happy about that, but it now drives. She needs some Carter attention, so she's parked at Dave's for the time being while I recoup physically and rebuild a spare Carter at home.

IowaEagle · « **Reply #20 on:** February 18, 2014, 11:45:07 AM »

Are you going with a feedback or non feedback Carter?

macdude443 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 18, 2014, 01:12:22 PM »

Currently everything is stock, so I'm going to put it back that way, for now.

Is it practical to drive it with all the emissions gear and computer running, as original? Will it be very flaky?

eaglebeek · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2014, 01:23:01 PM »

It should be OK under these conditions:
1) Everything should be in good working order...carburetor stepper motor, computer, Duraspark ignition, EGR valve.
2) There are no vacuum leaks...from rotten hoses and lines or loose/faulty gaskets at the carburetor base or intake manifold joints at the head.

There are probably some other considerations. These are the big ones.

The Captain is very good about working with the stock Eagle systems. You're in good hands there.

I can tell you that mine is bone-stock and doing OK with 178k miles...even my 90+-year-old mother can drive it.

Prafeston · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2014, 01:28:02 PM »

Sounds like you are almost up and running! That's good!

macdude443 · « **Reply #24 on:** February 21, 2014, 11:17:34 AM »

Goodbye, junk.