My 1983 Wagon (Eaglerod)

[thereverendbill]

small update on my car:
I picked up an AWESOME automatic transmission console for my car today (almost took mav's .... soooooo tempting) when i got home I just couldn't resist installing it (rear brake line still needs bought, bent, and installed) so here is the picture of my wagon lookin good with yet another place to store stuff

I know it's black and i have a nutmeg interior, but I like it that way so it's staying.  If anyone is looking at the screen puzzled that is my little concrete turtle "chip"  He has been a project mascot for me for years and has been crusing with me cross country at least 6 times (shoulda had him in the bravada, but he don't roll like that )

while installing the console i had a little helper.  he didn't do much but hold that screw driver (and he wouldn't give it up for nothing)

Next thing i have to do is spray my sport steering wheel black to match the console (I got a tan one and didn't realize that tan and nutmeg are totaly different colors) 

[thereverendbill]

We are almost ready for the road!!! I went out today and bought a new brake line (the one I had came up missing), got it bent up and installed. Right now the current project is opening up the hub centers on the ford wheels that are currently on the car so they mount flat against the rotors/drums (gotta think safety).  plains are running straight and true to have it licenced, insured, inspected, and on the road in 2 weeks.  Just in the nick of time because now the Bravada's 4 wheel drive is working and chewing up the front left CV joint.  Hopefully i will make the deadline for this months EOTM and have a picture of the car sitting next to the sign at work (I think that would qualify as an eagle at work ).  That is all for now I am super stoked for the final test drive before legality

[83Eagle!]

final test drives are great.  Good luck.  It was great to talk to you today.  Congrats on the progress on the Eagle. 

[thereverendbill]

the last test drive has been postponed ...... wheels put up a bigger fight than expected ....... i am seriously thinking about getting my semi junk tires mounted on my new rims on monday

[thereverendbill]

Everything is done and we got to take it for a drive tonight.  It drove really well except it didn't downshift when climbing the hill to my cousin's place (kick down not hooked up).  All and all i am VERY pleased with the car, so pleased in fact that it gets to join it's post AMC brothern  out in the front of the house.  Next step is going to be recover the headliner, add a radio that works, get some plates/inspection, and take it for a nice long drive.

[thereverendbill]

1 step forward and 2 steps back has been the motto of my day today.  I took the headliner board out of the eagle tonight so that i can recover it in the next couple weeks.  I decided to put all of the trim, visors, and lights back in place so that noting gets damaged then as luck would have it the pass side visor breaks on me .  No big deal, I'll just hit up some places after the car is all legal and find a new one.

The brakes have been a little funny on the car since the new lines.  They feel great if the car is not running, but once the car is running you have to put the pedal through the floor it feels to get them to engage.  So with the help of my old man we start to bleed the brakes where out of nowhere the horn starts going.  I disconnected the battery to get it to quit and took the horn cover off the steering wheel to find that it is a royal mess (plastic tube that hold horn wire is broken and the spring is somewhere in between the steering wheel and the lock ring).

About the only good thing that came out of tinkering with the car today was going out to get a few extra keys made and the store clerk totally blown away that i have a 1983 AMC Eagle with all power options, leather interior, good looking body, and less than 100k miles.  he was so excited that he asked if it was in the parking lot so he could take a look at it (not legal for the road yet).

So, that is where i am at now broken visor, horn that doesn't quit, and brakes that work but not in the manner that i would prefer them to work

[83Eagle!]

Still progress is good.

[IowaEagle]

Its the story many of us can tell.

[83Eagle!]

Very true Doug

[thereverendbill]

I was talking with the mechanics at the shop today and master cylinder came up twice.  i am going to go ahead and get the car inspected and licenced on Tuesday as planed, then start looking more into the brake issue.  The horn i am just going to unplug until i get some column guts from a GM car and the visor i am just going to live with.  On an interesting side note, i found a spare set of keys for the car on a wire behind the grille so i decided to try out the square ignition key to no avail.  the round door key works on the locks and the ignition so i am guessing that someone has been in the column putzing around with the tumblers at one point

[83Eagle!]

That is a very interesting discovery and a very strange storage spot for some keys.

[thereverendbill]

to be honest I never knew they where there and I had the grille off to install the aux tranny cooler I put them back just in case i ever lock my keys in the car (but i will probly forget they are there)

[83Eagle!]

to be honest I never knew they where there and I had the grille off to install the aux tranny cooler I put them back just in case i ever lock my keys in the car (but i will probly forget they are there)

Not sure you want to let me know that.

[thereverendbill]

brandon, if your ever out here all you have to do is ask

[thereverendbill]

update:  the car is ready for the road, BUT i can't get plates transferred to it because the paperwork was not done in the correct manner from previous owners (thank you common wealth state A-holes!!!).  So today after work I figured i give it a long shot and call the car lot that last legally owned my eagle back in 2002, as a stroke of luck they are still in the same place selling cars.  SO i told the guy that answered the phone what was going on with many times of him saying "I have no idea, I don't know what car you are talking about"  this went on for about 10 minutes until i finally asked if he knows anyone that knows anything that worked there.  He responded "the secretary would know, but she has a second job (like I care if she has 10 jobs)"  so i asked if i could leave my name and number he said yes and took it down then asked "what the year make and model of the car" so i told him 1983 AMC eagle, he interupted with "brown station wagon".  I said "Not Brown, copper brown metallic" he said that he would have the secretary get a hold  of me.  I am just fuming mad over all of this because i have The title for the car, I have the car, and i put insurance on the car, but because I live in a state where it is mandatory to have a middle man in dealings so i can't use said car.  Sorry, i had to vent and get that off my chest.  These are the days where I wish i would have just stayed in Utah