Mav's Lifted 1985 Eagle Wagon Limited/Sport Stroker - Picture Heavy! - 04/09/10

[Mavericke]

Well if you go to White Castle and get that many Burgers your both gonna be able to swing gas for days....

 

LMAO!!!!!!!!! Seriously, that one caught me off guard... bought fell out of my chair, LOL! Kudos man!

Hopefully, this trip to Chicago is alot less eventful than my last trip, LOL!

[83Eagle!]

For February and March I am pretty much stuck in Omaha.  I have a youth group trip the last weekend in February.  And I have to work the other weekends pretty much straight thru May.  I did work up the rest of the schedule and made sure that I have the meet and the holiday weekends and every other weekend in the summer off throughout the restof the year.  I submit it to the youth tomorrow and to my boss Thusday.

[Mavericke]

Ok, so I need to post updated pics of the Wagon project... it's still going pretty slow. I've been spending alot of time working in the house. Finally got around to running the plumbing for the toilet in the family bathroom and finally got the toilet installed. All the wiring is done on that side of the house as well. Just need to texture and paint in the bathroom and it's done... woot!

So update on the wagon... started cutting away the rust on the front subframe area. Some of the bolts were rounded off into points to look like ice picks. Had to cut the bolts to get the driver's side bumper mount off. Now it's ready to be cut. Still having a hard time getting the pitman arm off of the stearing box, but once we get it off... the cutting will begin.

Also, got the cracked windshield out and removed the dashboard and labled all the wires. Most of the rust spots in the cabin have been sand blasted. I still need to grind a few spots and cut a couple more.... then weld in some new sheet metal and get her taped off and ready for paint.

Even after removing the entire interior.... it still smells like a mouse cage. There was some spilled oil in the spare tire hump and some dead mice were laying in it before...although the mice were removed weeks ago, I still think that liquid has something to do with it. I spread some cat litter over it to help soak it up. Then I'll vacum it out... scrub it and paint it. If that doesn't get rid of the smell... nothing will, lol!

Does anyone know if SX4 rear seats will fit in the wagon... I don't see why the wouldn't... the look almost identical.
Also, how hard is it to remove the black metal insert that covers the spare tire in the hatch area? I'm thinking there coule possibly be more mice up in there out of sight.... plus, I'd like to remove it to make painting easier.

And here is the last thing... I came across another wagon nearby... about 3hrs from home. It appears to be a sport model in great shape... well, excluding the taco'd front end, LOL! But I know I have everything needed to fix it. I could have it on the road in a day assuming the engine still runs. I'm guessing, radiator, water pump and fan... and she'll run. If so... and assuming the body/frame is solid... the project will be shifted to that one. I will continue on this project, but I will not install the new engine in it. I'll just finished repairing the frame/body, sand blast and tune up the old engine, paint both the engine and car, and install interior.... then I will keep it for a spare car for awhile until I find someone that wants to buy it for what I'd have in it.

As of now, the deal has been made and the offer has been accepted... still waiting on these darn taxes to arrive though... I had to mail them out to get the house tax credit so I mailed them priority 3-day mail.... that was Feb 3rd.... I ran the tracking number the other day and apparently they didn't even get my forms until the 13th... so 3 days became 10 days... and the 13th was on a Saturday as well, so they didn't actually get them until the 15th. So... basically, I probably wont get them until closer to the end of March. GRR! I've got alot riding on my taxes! :/ So hopefully soon. And hopefully, this guy holds out for me. I have no idea how the heck I'm going to get it home though, LOL!

Here are a few pictures of the new wagon... $400 - 1985 AMC Eagle Wagon Sport

I found it on craigslist. These are the only pictures I have seen. I am still waiting for more. I guess it was just recently wrecked... so 50/50 chance on how well she runs and how solid the frame/body is. Besides the obvious... she sure looks great though, eh?

[jim]

The shelf in the back of the wagon isn't hard to pull.  It may be somewhat time consuming the first time.
Just look for all the stuff that has to come off first
and then look for the screws.
There is a plate on the passsenger side that needs to come off so it will fit through the hatch.
I had wondered why there was a plate on one side until I took one of these out.

[Mavericke]

LOL... funny how we figure stuff out like that huh Jim? The car is gutted... not a piece of trim in there... I was looking at it and I remember seeing all the screws... I bet I have everything off and it'll probably come out allright. Hopefully, I find at least one more mouse... then I'll fell better knowing I got them all.. otherwise, I'm going to always think there has to be one more because it still smells horrible... omg it stinks...

I don't know what I am going to do once I end up with several complete cars... how the heck am I going to keep the rodents away??? There has to be a way to repel them from vehicles... like those bird repellants with the high frequency sound waves or something. I'd like to think I can seal up that barn comepletely.... but it's supposed to be my shop, not a storage area.

[83Eagle!]

There are ways to keep rodents away.  I cannot think of any off hand, but I know there are.  The cat should help, but I think I saw a thread on keeping rodents away on here awhile back.  Might try a search for the subject.  Setting up a couple of those bucket traps around the shop would help too I'd bet.

[Pat]

Don't know if they work, but a few ways I've read about are moth balls, Downy® dryer sheets, or Irish Spring® soap. Again, not saying they do or don't work. Never had a need to try them Have just read about them from other people who have had to store vehicles.

[Whuntmore]

Sorry Mav, and I know you're busy with everything and all, but you got anymore really cool pics of the work you're doing?  I've been following this thread for a bit now, and as a fan, I gotta see some more work, before/after shots of how it's coming.

Pul-ease!

[Mavericke]

I haven't gotten very far... I'll download them off my phone now though.

Nice to know I have fans! Now if I could just find some fans into my music... then I'd be well on my way to becoming a rockstar!

[Mavericke]

Here's one update on the Wagon... at least another side project I'm working on for the Wagon.

http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=25240.0

And here are the only pics I have of the last couple of weeks. Most of which were taken this past weekend. Basically, all I've done is a bit more sandblasting, some minor cutting with the torch (you can see some pics of cut bolts below), we ripped out the cracked windshield, and I removed the dash and labled all the wires.

The cutting and welding should be done soon I hope. Then she'll be getting some body work... popping all the dings and dents and getting her sanded down. I finally got the black primer in the other day so I'm excited about that!

And, we're working on the custom front end... it's going to be alot harder than initialy expected. Which is bad because we already knew it was going to be really tough. I'd probably back out of it... but since I've already spent several hundred dollars on it... it's going to happen if I have to glue and staple, LOL!

[83Eagle!]

"It's going to happen if I have glue and staple." - Mavericke
Gotta love that.

Nice work.  Keep it up. 

[Whuntmore]

Don't forget to post the pics of the glue and staples!!!!   

[Mavericke]

Ok... so once again now that the car is stripped and I am fed up with the hassle of all the welding.... I have moved this car out to pasture in the Eagle Sanctuary Badlands, lol! She's good from the firewall back so I'm not scrapping her... but work is being suspended on her so that my efforts can be moved forward on the other three Eagles here with REAL potential. First off, I've got that blue SX4 I'm working on... secondly, I still need to finish the body work on the orange SX4 and swap motors.... lastly... here's my newest project. I paid $525 for her and that included delivery. Not a speck of rust. And get this... she runs great! The fan was busted off and the radiator is shot, but she fires up! I drove her off the trailor!

The fenders appear to be good... even the bumper caps look nice. I just need to replace the obvious grill, headlights, trim, buckets, radiator and tranny cooler hose... and then weld in a new front clip... which just so happens to be perfect on the rust bucket out back. We've already cut off the pieces that will go on this one.

Here are the pics... Dusty broke the tip on my welder, but assuming he gets it fixed tonight... we'll spend all day on the wagon tomorrow and I'll drive her up and have her registered on Monday and she will be my daily driver until the blue SX4 is done... then when the blue SX4 and the RAM is finished.... I will pull this wagon back in the garage to swap in the new interior and the stroker.... and of course, give her a nice fresh coat of paint. THEN... work will be started on the orange one... THEN... back to the rust bucket! Woot! Plenty of projects to last me into next summer!

She's a 1985 AMC Eagle Wagon Sport.... I will eventually convert this thread to reflect THIS project rather than the rust bucket (which probably won't see the light of day for another year or more, if ever). I'll be pulling the power window stuff off the Limited... heck maybe even the badges, LOL! I'll have a "Limited Sport".... woot!

Here are some pics I took this morning!

[83Eagle!]

I may be speaking too soon, but that wagon looks to have easy fixes on it.  I believe you do have all of those parts.  So which vehicle are you going to concentrate on so you have a daily driver?  This Wagon, the SX/4 or the Dodge?

[Mavericke]

I may be speaking too soon, but that wagon looks to have easy fixes on it.  I believe you do have all of those parts.  So which vehicle are you going to concentrate on so you have a daily driver?  This Wagon, the SX/4 or the Dodge?

Wagon first because it's the easiest of the three. I have everything needed and it runs good.

Then the Dodge because it too should be easy, but it's not a family rig so it has to be 2nd... and I'm not 100% sure that I won't run into any "uh ohs".

Then back to the SX4.... it's close to being done. The frame repairs are almost complete... then we drop the motor/tranny... and put in the new wiring harness.... then it'll be good to go.