Author Topic: Just joined the site, and just bought a 1983 eagle sx/4 hatchback (Read 7995 times)

1983EagleHatchback · « **on:** April 23, 2017, 01:20:19 PM »

Hi. I just bought a 1983 eagle sx/4 2 door hatchback. It is white in color with a black interior and most every available option. The car is very solid and used to belong to car collector Kenny Buttolph.

The car needs either a carburetor or a total rebuild and needs a brake booster, mater cylinder, and has a lot of other issues such as the driver door handle just broke yesterday on it and the driver door won't open from outside anymore along with a lot of broken small vacuum lines and a ton of rotted rubber hoses in the engine bay and all 4 tires have sever rot and cracking. It is a cute but weird looking car and I spent $900 to buy it.

No auto stores sell any hayes or chilton manuals for this car anymore. So I will need help in getting questions answered by more experienced members if I am to get the brakes done and other things fixed and diagnosed. Thanks for allowing me to join.

vangremlin · « **Reply #1 on:** April 23, 2017, 02:40:03 PM »

Welcome and congratulations on your new SX/4! Sounds like you have some work ahead of you, but none of the problems seem insurmountable.

In terms of manuals, your best bet will probably be AMC Technical Service Manual (TSM). If you look at the blue menu bar above, you'll see an option for the EPedia, which is short for EaglePedia. In it you'll find copies of the 1982 and 83 TSMs. You can also find them on eBay, both hard copies and on disc.

And don't be afraid to ask questions, we're a pretty helpful bunch. And we'd love to see pictures of your Eagle!

Prafeston · « **Reply #2 on:** April 23, 2017, 04:39:01 PM »

Can't wait to see some pics and hear about you getting some work done on this thing. I've also got one of the final year SX/4s! Mine has a Feb. Build Date.

Still Pat · « **Reply #3 on:** April 23, 2017, 07:19:00 PM »

Congrats & welcome to The Den! Pictures are welcomed here, so don't be bashful.

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #4 on:** May 06, 2017, 10:41:57 PM »

Thanks to all who responded. Feels good to know other people know stuff about a car I haven't got a clue about. I owned 4 amc pacers but never had to do any major repairs on them, they were great cars except for the one that literally broke in half due to rust on the way home one day (but it still got me home as the bottom scraped heavily on the pavement).

I didn't know 1983 was the last year for the hatchback body style. I'm saving my money to get the brakes done (likely will be $800) and to then have the carburetor rebuilt. After that I'll do a tune up on it but I'll definitely be saving up to have a timing belt or timing chain put on and for sure tires.

I found the car has a back window washer squirter and a rear defroster but has no rear wiper, whats up with that? Now that's weird. I'll go out tomorrow when its sunny and take a binch of pictures and try and upload them if I know how.

Prafeston · « **Reply #5 on:** May 06, 2017, 11:15:08 PM »

I would think if it has the rear washer then it had a wiper. You are likely just missing the arm.

Draekon · « **Reply #6 on:** May 07, 2017, 02:48:57 AM »

Quote from: 1983EagleHatchback on May 06, 2017, 10:41:57 PM

I didn't know 1983 was the last year for the hatchback body style. I'm saving my money to get the brakes done (likely will be $800) and to then have the carburetor rebuilt. After that I'll do a tune up on it but I'll definitely be saving up to have a timing belt or timing chain put on and for sure tires.

A brake job should not cost $800. There is nothing special about the brakes on our cars. Drums out back, disc in the front. I would say at most $400.

amcfool1 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 07, 2017, 01:35:29 PM »

hi, and welcome. you are on the right track, brakes should be FIRST thing you do. don't forget to replace the soft brake lines as well two up front, one out back. still available most anywhere. good luck, gz

vangremlin · « **Reply #8 on:** May 07, 2017, 02:29:01 PM »

If it is set up for a rear wiper, then there is a motor attached to the glass of the hatch. Should look like this

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #9 on:** May 07, 2017, 04:09:16 PM »

Thanks for all the replys. My car definitely DOES have the rear washer squirter thing on top of the roof AND the rear window defroster, but it definitely DOES NOT have the rear wiper through the glass, or a hole for one, this stumps me big time, who would order a car with the window squirter washer and rear defroster glass but not the rear wiper? Talk about weird.

I took some pics of the car. I noticed one reply mentioned a build month. I am not sure how to figure this out.

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #10 on:** May 07, 2017, 04:11:09 PM »

another pic

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #11 on:** May 07, 2017, 04:13:05 PM »

another picture

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #12 on:** May 07, 2017, 04:14:09 PM »

picture

amcfool1 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:04:45 PM »

hi, wow that is fully loaded SX4! bonus points for not having a hacked up dash! especially the radio facia!. Definitely keep that radio/cassette combo, quite rare. If you need more (radio) power, check out www.randbvintageradio.com, he can rebuild yours with updated new guts, bluetooth, all mod cons, etc. good luck, gz

amcfool1 · « **Reply #14 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:07:49 PM »

sorry, thats www.randbvintageautoradio.com, thanks, gz

vangremlin · « **Reply #15 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:28:15 PM »

Quote from: 1983EagleHatchback on May 07, 2017, 04:09:16 PM

Thanks for all the replys. My car definitely DOES have the rear washer squirter thing on top of the roof AND the rear window defroster, but it definitely DOES NOT have the rear wiper through the glass, or a hole for one, this stumps me big time, who would order a car with the window squirter washer and rear defroster glass but not the rear wiper? Talk about weird.

If you have the rear squirter on top, I'm guessing you also have the rear washer/wiper switch on the dash next to the radio? The only thing I can figure is that the car came with the rear wiper and at some point the back glass got broken and the only replacement available was a standard glass. Even with AMC, I doubt you'd be able to order a rear washer without a rear wiper lol.

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #16 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:44:22 PM »

I was curious so I went out to the car and looked at the area next to the radio where you said the rear wiper control would be. I was very scared and freaked out by what I saw. There is no wiper control switch there, but there is a squirter control switch and a defroster control there. Freaky. It's like twilight zone stuff. I am including pictures.

Also I found a control know below the steering column and under the 4x4 controls. I don't know what this does. I took a pic of it, hopefully someone will know. Thanks.

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #17 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:45:33 PM »

another pic

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #18 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:46:44 PM »

another pic

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #19 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:47:39 PM »

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #20 on:** May 07, 2017, 07:48:55 PM »

pic of weird knob control underneath 4x4 control, no idea what its for

vangremlin · « **Reply #21 on:** May 07, 2017, 08:39:57 PM »

Quote from: 1983EagleHatchback on May 07, 2017, 07:44:22 PM

I was curious so I went out to the car and looked at the area next to the radio where you said the rear wiper control would be. I was very scared and freaked out by what I saw. There is no wiper control switch there, but there is a squirter control switch and a defroster control there. Freaky. It's like twilight zone stuff. I am including pictures.

Also I found a control know below the steering column and under the 4x4 controls. I don't know what this does. I took a pic of it, hopefully someone will know. Thanks.

That wiper switch controls both the rear wiper and rear washer.

vangremlin · « **Reply #22 on:** May 07, 2017, 08:41:06 PM »

Quote from: 1983EagleHatchback on May 07, 2017, 07:47:39 PM

pic

That is affectionally known as the squid release, otherwise known as the air vent knob.

vangremlin · « **Reply #23 on:** May 07, 2017, 08:42:42 PM »

Quote from: 1983EagleHatchback on May 07, 2017, 07:48:55 PM

pic of weird knob control underneath 4x4 control, no idea what its for

Not sure if you intended this to be another picture of the squid release, or of the knob on the bottom of the 4WD shifter. The knob on the bottom of the 4WD shifter has to be pulled down to shift from 2WD to 4WD and vice versa.

1983EagleHatchback · « **Reply #24 on:** May 07, 2017, 08:51:29 PM »

Thanks for the reply and the information. Squid release, that's awesome!

It's kinda cool because I make a lot of jokes that have squids in them.

I can't wait until I have the money saved up for the brake repair work. I know it needs a brake booster master cylinder and I'd like to have the wheel cylinders and everything else brake related replaced as well. Including all the rubber brake hoses and if it's up to me...all the metal brake lines as well...again if its up to me I'll have the metal brake lines replaced with the best quality ones available. It'll be about 6 weeks before I will have the $800 saved up for the brake work. After that I'll need to save up to have the carburetor completely rebuilt, and have the other various huge issues dealt with too. Right now the car is basically a yard ornament until then.

vangremlin · « **Reply #25 on:** May 07, 2017, 09:04:14 PM »

Well, its a very nice looking lawn ornament!

Good brakes are a necessity - its nice to be able to go fast but an absolute certainty that you have to be able to stop! Not sure if the steel brake lines are available or whether somebody will have to bend those for your car. You'll save some money if you can do some of the work yourself, but if you don't have a lot of experience with cars, try to find a friend with that type of experience. Most folks with that knowledge are willing to help out their newby friends. Also pick up a Technical Services Manual off eBay, or use the one in the Eaglepedia here at the Den. Its invaluable for you and your mechanic!