here is a pic of my 1983 amc eagle 2 door hatchback sport

[1983EagleHatchback]

Here is a picture of my 1983 amc eagle hatchback. I just bought it about 3 weeks ago or so. I know nothing about these cars so I'm sure everything will be a learning thing for me.

[vangremlin]

Looks great!!

[1983EagleHatchback]

Your very generous with your compliments and praise..thank you. It has many many issues though. The headliner is falling down completely, the tires are totally dry rotted and horridly cracked to the point of definitely being junk and unroadworthy, the carburetor needs a total rebuild, every rubber hose in the engine compartment and every belt, etc. is completely rotted, all the hoses are so rotted that they are literally falling off their connections very badly, the radiator is green on top and who knows how the engine seals and gaskets are. This car sat and has not been driven since 2001. 16 years is a long time for a car to just sit. When I bought it the gas tank had been sent out to be cleaned by a professional company and was re-installed. He also replace the fuel pump. That was it. He took out the master cylinder and removed the nuts for the brake booster and its sort of held in place by a crappy bungee cord. The brake line is all ripped and torn off with jagged edges near the brake booster in the engine compartment. And I'm sure the car will need a lot of other things like front end stuff such as tie rod ends, sway bar links, wheel bearings and God only knows about the 4x4 components. Its definitely going to be a very very very expensive ordeal trying to get this little bird to fly again.

[vangremlin]

Many of us started from the same spot you are.  I picked up my car from a junkyard, and the tag on the license plate was 16 years old, very  similar to yours.  Tackle it in little chunks, its tough to eat an elephant all in one day lol.  Most of the mechanical/maintenance replacement parts are available so this is very do-able.  The main cause of Eagles being scrapped is rust, particularly in the front end.  If you're good there, then there is no reason yours can't be back on the road in short order!

[1983EagleHatchback]

I am very worried about getting taken financially and taken as in the car won't be worked on as it should and just sit if I either drop it off at a brake place or drop it off at a mechanic who will do it on the side. On the side usually means it will never be done unless its a year from then and then they find ways to jack the price up and local brake places invent ways to jack prices way high.

So...I'm going to "try" and do some little things to help myself out if possible. I will go under the car and crack all the fasters loose that hold the lines in place and make sure they turn good and remove and then loosen the brake line holders as well. I figure if I can at least get everything to turn freely and be nice and free and loose this should help me out some.

I'll feel better when I'm back in my element doing stuff I know how to do like remove the radiator and replace hoses and clamps and lines. Never did brake work before. The carburetor is beyond my abilities as well and so is changing out the timing belt or timing chain whichever it has