Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary

[captspillane]

I am officially opening my Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary. Just a few days ago I secured unlimited parking at a storage facility for my rescue efforts. So far I've moved seven vehicles there and I will be posting pictures once I have all my current vehicles moved there.

If anyone has an AMC Eagle they wish to store in order to protect it from the crusher or as a temporary home I will provide a free parking space. If anyone wishes to "donate" a car to my sanctuary, I will also pay a flat rate of $300 for any Eagle in any condition. It is a donation because that is below the scrap value of the car. Donating will give you the peace of mind knowing that it will be preserved for other AMC owners.

I will eventually offer parts available, including whole project cars, for purchase at scrap value to those that already own an Eagle. I will not offer any parts for sale until I have completed my primary restoration efforts and until I have successfully created my first production run of louvers. Realistically that will take about a year to accomplish.

The Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary is located in Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania. The zip code is 18074. This is the current list of AMC vehicles nested there:

[I include International vehicles because they were offered with AMC engines and I include Jeep vehicles through 2006 because they were offered with the AMC inline six]

-82 Red SX4
-82 Blue SX4
-83 White SX4
-81 Blue Kammback

-81 White SX4
-81 Grey Sport 2dr Sedan
-83 White 4dr Sedan
-85 Brown SW
-87 Brown SW
-84 White SW
-88 White SW
-81 Grey Kammback
-85 Maroon SW
-84 Silver 4dr Sedan

-82 Spirit GT
-79 Spirit AMX
-74 2dr Hornet Sedan
-77 Hornet SW

-77 Scout Terra
-80 Scout Traveler Turbodiesel

-06 Jeep Rubicon
-85 CJ8 Scrambler
-84 CJ7
-79 CJ7
-78 CJ7
-82 J10 Jeep Truck
-78 J10 Jeep Truck
-92 2dr Cherokee
-00 4dr Cherokee

[Prafeston]

That's quite the list of vehicles...it must pay to be a Capt.

Good luck with all the restoration efforts man. Can't wait to see some pics of the place.

[rollguy]

That's quite the list of vehicles...it must pay to be a Capt.

Good luck with all the restoration efforts man. Can't wait to see some pics of the place.

X2!

[carnuck]

I'm cleaning out my place to be able to get permits for my septic field and put in the waterlines from the well FINALLY

[captspillane]

These are the two pictures of the Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary that I've taken so far. Since they've been taken one other Eagle has been moved there and five more of mine are on their way. Two other SX4s are headed there soon to wait for their pending sale. I'll buy them if no one else does, although I'd honestly like to see the number of Eagles here diminish instead of increase. I already have all the Eagles I personally plan on keeping and maintaining for my own use. I also welcome any AMC car that can accept an Eagle AWD crossmember, like the '74 and '77 Hornet pictured. Both of those will be converted to AWD in their future. My four nicest Eagles are in my garage, this parking is mostly reserved for the rough ones that would have been scrapped if I hadn't interfered.

Right to Left:
('77 International Scout Terra)
'85 Eagle Station Wagon
'81 Eagle 2dr Sedan
'77 Hornet Station Wagon
'79 Spirit AMX
'74 Hornet 2dr Sedan
'88 Eagle Station Wagon
'81 Eagle SX4 (not shown)

[thereverendbill]

I really need to get myself out that way to take all of that in

[captspillane]

Not pictured are 13 other Eagles in my ownership. I may buy four other Eagles soon, but I'm hoping someone else adopts them as projects before I go to save them.

Four of them that will be housed in my garage or driven daily:
-'82 SX4 currently on the road
-'81 Kammback currently on the road
-'83 SX4 under restoration, near completion, with 4.5 MPI 6 Speed being installed
-'82 SX4 under restoration, near completion, with 401 AMC V8 and NV3550 Five speed being installed.

One of the 13 is already in the process of being cut up for scrap, to join several others I've laid to rest over the years.

There is also a '80 Spirit I agreed to buy a year ago that is still buried. That will end up here once I can pick it up, but I won't list it as mine until I've paid for it. I'll probably pick that up this winter. Unfortunately that Spirit is too rotted to repair. It will donate the hatch panels for my "VAM Lerma SX4" project.

One of them just moved there yesterday and six others are being moved there this month:
-'81 SX4 (already listed because I got it there yesterday)
-'81 Kammback
-'87 Station Wagon
-'87 Sedan
-'82 Spirit GT ("An Eagle with a limp")
-'85 Station Wagon
-'84 Station Wagon

I also have 3 CJ7s, a CJ8, a '80 Scout Turbodiesel, '78 Jeep J10, '06 "Unlimited" Jeep Rubicon, a '66 Olds Toronado, '67 Pontiac GTO, '70 Chevy C20, '68 GMC pickup, '99 Subaru Forester, a '91 Olds Bravada, '89 E250, '83 Turbodiesel VW Quantum, '92 2dr Cherokee, '00 4dr Cherokee, and four '68 Subaru 360 microcars. Some of them will be stored there as well.

[MudPuppy]

Impressive Captain! That's quite the collection you've got going there. Look forward to seeing most of these hitting the roads once again.

[Prafeston]

That's just crazy. Sooo many Eagles!!!

That white woody looks quite nice? Any plans for it?

[jim]

I had to look twice to make sure you didn't have my 88 white woody there. 

[captspillane]

You guys might recognize that white '88. I bought it in October from "Lasteagle." It was for sale here on the nest for almost a year. The car is beautiful inside and out with a new rug, black and brown color theme with seats upholstered with black center inserts, and a very nice drivetrain recently installed. It has over 300K miles on the body and its on its third engine. The problem is that salt sat in a wierd place and rotted out the center of the subframe. The normal rust spots are all really nice, it's very strange the way this one rotted. As a result the metal the steering box bolts to deflected and the steering box moves when you move the steering wheel instead of the wheels. The wheels got stuck to the far left and stayed there no matter how the wheel was moved.

The mechanicals and interior of this Eagle are going to be installed in my relatively rust free 250K mile Limited '87 Station Wagon next year. At that point I'll be able to inspect the damage. I expect to be able to repair it. Its worthwhile because the outside is gorgeous and all the other usual rust spots are above average.

[rollguy]

I had to look twice to make sure you didn't have my 88 white woody there. 

I immediately thought it was your car too!

[captspillane]

The Perkiomen Eagle Sanctuary is located across several places in Perkiomenville, PA. The ZIP Code is 18074. I will host a meet here each year in late June, either the third or fourth weekend in June starting in June 2013. I announce the exact date at least two months in advance each year. The meet will be an entire weekend with several blocks of things to do during the day to make it both educational and productive, as well as social. Meals will be provided for free to any attendees that choose to participate in the work activities as well as the fun ones.    

If anyone would like to store an Eagle here at my Sanctuary it can be arranged. I will also purchase just about any Eagle, Hornet, Gremlin, Javelin, Spirit, or Concord at scrap value sight unseen, no titles required.  

I both buy and sell at scrap value. Most parts from my donor cars are free if you remove them yourself competently. If you need a TF998 transmission core to rebuild, I have several you can have for $10 if you remove them yourself and $50 if I've had to remove them myself. I have several 258 engines that are available for $10 to $150. An entire drum to drum Eagle rear axle would cost $10 to $50 from me. I have no interest in gaining a profit from this venture.

I will help people mechanically and offer my garage, tools, and knowledge to anyone who puts their own effort forth. All of my tools are available to use for free if I am present. I've had tools break while working on other people's cars, but I don't mind as long as I know I was there when it was being used.

In the future I will also be offering several kits for sale. The first one will be SX4 louvers, then an automatic-to-stickshift conversion kit. Then an SX4 electronic liftgate button relocation kit. Then an Eagle specific push bumper that installs without drilling the bumper. Any time I perform an upgrade or restoration to my Eagles I will put effort into making templates and detailing the work for efficient replication. I welcome any ideas or requests for worthwhile kits I can add in the future.

If you can't afford my kits, a service, or part, they are still available to you for free if you schedule a time with me to show up and work at my Sanctuary. There are a great number of tedious and time consuming jobs to be done and we can always work something out.

[Prafeston]

Capt, you are one stand up guy. ^^^ That is exactly how any good sanctuary should be run. You deserve like a million good eggs!

[vangremlin]

Capt, you are one stand up guy. ^^^ That is exactly how any good sanctuary should be run. You deserve like a million good eggs!

Make that 2 million!

[rollguy]

Kinda makes you wonder, what did we do before captspillane came along?

[85AmCfreak]

Egg to you captspillane

[drock87]

2nd that egg to you. I definitely need to make a road trip out there someday...it is a hike from Ohio though; I need to make sure my little devil is up to the task first   All joking aside though, I definitely want to come to the social in June of next year, so make sure we are updated.  Thank you for all your efforts.

[captspillane]

I will be inviting guests to my home and shop this June 29 and 30. Private Message me if you want to come.

My zipcode is 18074, about an hour north of Philadelphia PA.

This invitation will be offered every year at the end of June and at the middle of December, at or near the winter and summer solstice. I've found AMC enthusiasts to be great people and I hope to meet as many of you as possible. Thanks!

-Dave Spillane-

[captspillane]

These pictures probably belong here to show what it means to be an Eagle Sanctuary. We can't save them all but this one did get saved. Hopefully more will get saved too.

Here is how it looked when I picked it up in April 2013 with a wheel ripped off, then working on it myself in May just to get it back on four wheels, then finishing the work in August 2013 along with forum members Drock87 and Baskinator, then the new photos taken Dec 2013. It has come a long way and being able to pick the tree up with his wagon is a Christmas miracle all its own.

[IowaEagle]

Yes!  That is what an Eagle Sanctuary should be!   Not a Pigg Penn.

[1985amceagle]

Yes!  That is what an Eagle Sanctuary should be!   Not a Pigg Penn.

'Id be careful, I don't think we need a recurrence of what happened at Evo here.

[IowaEagle]

What happened?  I have not visited for a while.

[1985amceagle]

What happened?  I have not visited for a while.

PM sent

[drock87]

Captspillane, absolutely. You and Baskinator did amazing work on my wagon. And I'll tell you what...it was a little nerve racking driving it 600 miles after it hadn't seen the road in 9 months. Knock on wood though, other than a few minor things (u-joint, tranny mount, starter), it has been very reliable and trustworthy thus far. I've put almost 6000 miles on it already. But, it is people like you for why Eagles can stay on the road. Excited to come back when I can!

[captspillane]

I will be available on Saturday 21st for this year's Spring Solstice Meet for anyone who wishes to attend. It is in Perkiomenville PA, 18074, and is an opportunity to tour my shop and fleet of AMC vehicles, as well as to utilize my tools and help on your own Eagle.

I haven't been on the forums for awhile but that won't stop me from hosting this each year, every year, on or around the Spring Solstice, June 21st.

Contact me by private message for exact details.

[Eagle Groupie]

I had a great time yesterday. Major thanks to the Captain for showing me around. 

Below is a link to a few photos that I took, but there was a whole lot more that I didn't get pictures of. The cars in the photoshoot from left to right are the Captain's green wagon, a gray turbocharged wagon (I'm not sure who he is on the board, sorry, but did I mention it's turbocharged?), Baskinator's SX/4, and some random dude's Honda. (Thanks for photo bombing, random Honda dude.)

http://s1315.photobucket.com/user/eaksqueak/library/Eagles%206-21-2014

This was my first time seeing an SX/4 in the flesh. Those things look so cool. I don't know if Baskinator was worried I was going to steal his car, but he should have been

[captspillane]

I stopped by a shop with a few AMC cars outside it and met Brian, the owner of the grey Eagle. He just swapped in a 4.0 last month and then installed a custom made turbo this past week. He's not on the forum yet.

[Baskinator]

This was my first time seeing an SX/4 in the flesh. Those things look so cool. I don't know if Baskinator was worried I was going to steal his car, but he should have been

You wouldn't have gotten far 'cause something is always bound to go out (e.g. brakes, ignition, etc.) 

In all seriousness, it's gotten a lot better since you saw it. I have a custom front skid plate, cdi/tfi redundant ignition, door seals, and a new(er) rear axle. Soon it will have hydroboost brakes too (they use power steering hydraulics instead of vacuum).

[milliard431]

I wish that black two door was a little closer! Someday I hope to find a nice white Hornet wagon like that one. I remember as a kid my dad had a white one with Keystone mags and white letter GT qualifiers on it. It had  slight lift in the back and stainless steel mud flaps with rubber on the bottom. In fact I have a nice used set of this flaps that came new from the dealer on my Eagle that I removed for painting and I have some NOS Eagle flaps to replace them. I am saving the others just in case I find that white wagon. They are pretty rare!

[RookieSX/4]

Is this Sanctuary still active?

[Mitch]

The last time the OP was active on the forum was July 21, 2016. It's hard to say if it is still in existence or not. There's no other contact info...

[vangremlin]

Many people have tried to contact CaptSpillane without much luck.

[Still Pat]

I seem to recall somebody (may even have been back in The Nest days) saying he lost his Eagle to this Cap Spillane guy. I'd say this is pretty much dead (unfortunately, guy seemed to know what he was doing, unlike something I won't mention)!