New Here...thinking about getting one

[1985amceagle]

I think a manual eagle would run just fine. what I think what he was trying to say is that you will have a hard time finding a eagle with a manual trans, most of the transmissions were found in the small eagles like an sx4 or kamback. I don't think that the big cars (sedans or wagons) got them that often.

[DaemonForce]

Why would a manual Eagle not run? It seems that manual Kammbacks and SX/4's are out there. That last paragraph helped a lot.

Yes the smaller ones are out there and the factories seemed to find these more appropriate for manual transmissions. Even the old Grand Wagoneers had some kind of automatic put in. I've never even seen one with a floor shifter. If you find a manual transmission bolted to one of these, it's not because it's being offered to you. It likely has a blown engine and is already marked for destruction in the boneyard. That's how it is around here with all the Comanche and Wrangler configurations. What you will find are plenty of automatics and a few compatibility guides for swapping in an extremely rare manual of your choice.

The biggest issue isn't finding a functional manual transmission, it's finding one that fits the specs of the Eagle without damaging anything. I've been looking into this for a while and even though I know what needs to be done, I'm still kinda lost. I know where to get my engine and transfer case but I have no idea where to look for transmissions without buying a new one. $200 for a used 5 speed gear box is really exciting when new ones are worth more than a fully restored Eagle. That's the game with these things.

[johnbendik]

DBurger,

You're right, the manuals are very hard to find.  Once I decided I wanted one, I spent 3 years patrolling the web looking for one... here at the Eagles Nest, of course, but also on a slew of other online auto search sites.  It just became part of my morning ritual.

During that time, I got a shot at exactly 3 Eagle wagons with the 6-cylinder engine and the 5-speed (all of them found on the Bay of E).  I dropped out of the bidding on the first two at around $3000 (and they weren't even in very good shape).

Then one glorious day, I found a 1985 wagon in what looked like great shape, and the 'Buy it Now' price was $1000!  I have never clicked on a button that fast in my life.  It was in Oregon, so I had to buy it sight unseen and have it shipped to Sugar land, TX.  I was incredibly lucky, because it really WAS in great shape.  So patience does eventually pay off...

However, I remember that when I was your age, 3 years was about equivalent to 3 forevers, so I'm probably not cheering you up any.  I would encourage you to just find a good automatic Eagle and 'convert' it, if you feel like you're up to it.  It'll be a lot of fun, and you'll always find a lot of help and wisdom here at the 'Nest.  And of course, the project will offer many opportunities to 'build character'...

Good luck,
JB

[Dburger]

DBurger,

You're right, the manuals are very hard to find.  Once I decided I wanted one, I spent 3 years patrolling the web looking for one... here at the Eagles Nest, of course, but also on a slew of other online auto search sites.  It just became part of my morning ritual.

During that time, I got a shot at exactly 3 Eagle wagons with the 6-cylinder engine and the 5-speed (all of them found on the Bay of E).  I dropped out of the bidding on the first two at around $3000 (and they weren't even in very good shape).

Then one glorious day, I found a 1985 wagon in what looked like great shape, and the 'Buy it Now' price was $1000!  I have never clicked on a button that fast in my life.  It was in Oregon, so I had to buy it sight unseen and have it shipped to Sugar land, TX.  I was incredibly lucky, because it really WAS in great shape.  So patience does eventually pay off...

However, I remember that when I was your age, 3 years was about equivalent to 3 forevers, so I'm probably not cheering you up any.  I would encourage you to just find a good automatic Eagle and 'convert' it, if you feel like you're up to it.  It'll be a lot of fun, and you'll always find a lot of help and wisdom here at the 'Nest.  And of course, the project will offer many opportunities to 'build character'...

Good luck,
JB

I am looking every day on CL, but haven't really tried eBay yet. There are plenty of automatics around here, and I was surprised that so many came without a console.

[EagleJoe93]

The console was optional. My wagon has it plus the tach in the instrument cluster as part of a 'gauge package'. I do find it nice to have them, but the analog clock down there I feel is very inconvenient. It's still worth having though.

[Dburger]

The console was optional. My wagon has it plus the tach in the instrument cluster as part of a 'gauge package'. I do find it nice to have them, but the analog clock down there I feel is very inconvenient. It's still worth having though.

It seems like cars with the gauge package are hard to come by, and I haven't seen too many wagons with the console. Mainly SX/4's. There was a white SX/4 around here actually.