Like Lays potato chip, one is never enough..... #2 Eagle in SC

[craigp29690]

Yeah I just couldn't resist, price was right and I caved.  So now I have a second Eagle, equally ugly as the first but instaed of Army olive drab, this one was spray bombed Darth Vader black.  It's a 1987, pretty rough in some areas.

[thereverendbill]

gratz on the new wagon.  Watch out if you place them side by side more just keep appearing

[Smitch]

I like it! Eagles seem to look good painted black.
I'm thinking quite strongly about painting my sedan olive drab. Do you have any pics you could share of yours?

[craigp29690]

Smitch:  If you do a search here and look under my log-in, look for Operation War Eagle, there's a pic or two.  I haven't updated any pics of the project in quite a while.  Been working on mechanical stuff so cosmetics have taken a back seat.   The OD paint scheme is definately different.

[craigp29690]

A few more pics of Vader......  Yes I took off those horrible hub caps, what was the guy thinking?  There is something broke in the steering column, it just kind of hangs there, probably the u-joint where it tilts.  The driver's outside door handle doesn't work.  It doesn't need a key to start it, just turn the assembly without without the key, works just the same.  I actually did get it to start, has a Weber carb on it with a homemade air filter box, yes it's redneck for sure, several orphaned vacuum hoses, had to plug two that were sucking air.   Hood is bent at the hinges, seems like a common problem with this design.  Makes a horrible grinding sound when cranking it to start, not sure what's going on there yet.  I did drive it around the yard a few times, appears that 4wd is working so a plus there.  It has 163K miles on the odometer and it looks like it.  But the big plus is that it is rust free.

[shanebo]

Us Eagle guys are opportunistic buyers. While we may not be in the market for another Eagle if ones discovered at a good price we never miss a chance to add to our fleet.

[ammachine390]

There is something broke in the steering column, it just kind of hangs there, probably the u-joint where it tilts.

If its loose and can wobble around without pulling the tilt lever, it's a common problem with the GM tilt columns. Mine does it too. The reason is because there are 3 or 4 screws inside that over time come loose because they never applied locktight to the screws. All you should have to do is tighten them and put some locktight on them. However, the job looks kind of hard (to me), so I have not done it.

And Congrats on the new Eagle.

[maddog]

my racecar has the same kind of column in it and was doing the samething and yes ammachine390 there are four screws and they are a pain in the to get to to unless you take the column completely apart. oh and they are torq screws.

[rollguy]

Yeah I just couldn't resist, price was right and I caved. 

That has happened to me many times.  I have had over a dozen Eagles in my life (6 at one time), and could not resist getting them because the price was right.   I don't see them much around here any more (So. Cal.), except in wrecking yards    .

[craigp29690]

One thing that is always frustrating is a car with a glove box that won't open.  I keep thinking about what might be inside.   So Vader's glove box was locked and the whole key assembly part broken.  Someone had tried to take it apart to gain access but was unsuccessful.  So as a challenge I started working on it.  The thoughts of some unknown treasure within was driving me.  A few minutes later and it was open.   Inside was one of those dealership envelopes that they used to provide with the owner's manual.  This one was stuffed with all kinds of paperwork from the original window sticker to the paperwork for several owners when they bought the car, had it inspected, and even financed.  WOW!  This was basically the ownership history of this car.  WAY COOL!  Now I feel guilty about not originally intending on restoring it since I've got this much background on it.    It was interesting that in a couple of sales during the 90's the paperwork listed the manufacturer as JEEP not AMC.