Project Squirrel

[MudPuppy]

Guess I need to officially start my project thread. A quick update as to what I am working on/with.
I first ended up with this '82 258/5spd 92k mi.
So here is the Squirrel

It runs and drives but needs TLC. The undercarriage has surface rust, but it does have holes in the floorboards. Haven't gotten around to fixing my floor issues yet mainly been waiting on nicer (more consistent) weather. And can't get much else done without the floors fixed, so am in limbo for now pretty much. The PO (or someone) had started the interior swap on colors but only got about 60/40 into it (left the hardest part for the next owner- me). It needed so many odds-n-ends pieces that it would have been too expensive to ship, let alone the initial costs of the pieces: we're talking bumpers, all interior, glass, all different kinds of trim and other misc.
So my only option at this point was to hopefully find a cheap parts car nearby.

Then I ran across the '81 258/auto AWD x02k miles for what I thought was a decent price considering what all I needed.
This is the Black Mamba... just too deadly to get near   Looks are deceiving



I was really hoping this car was going to be in better condition than even the '82, even though I initially went needing at least a parts car. Nope, poor car is rusted out from underneath and has moved up on the car in a lot of area's (even the engine is pretty much all rust). Was an original Michigan car, then moved to Wisconsin, then here. The PO had it for most of it's life.  
So it is strictly a parts car, though the looks are very deceiving.
This car came with a lot of little goodies that made me light up: AMC floor mats, intact hood latch, Eagle mud flaps, marchal fogs lights and switch, shifter package tray, hatch popper and of course my favorite seat style. Though if I keep the 5spd in the '82 I won't be able to use the shifter package tray (IIRC, the auto and manual package trays are different), so I might be looking to do a trade with someone on that.

I plan on getting the '82 up and running right and giving it the sport treatment.

List of work needed that I know of so far:
- Last time I drove the '82 it started not wanting to go into gear while running. It would only go into gear after you killed it.
- Brake work
- floors fixed
- fuel system (gauge doesn't work, someone installed the wrong filler neck, no license plate bracket, etc)
- A metal valve cover (both have the plastic valve cover   and even my parts wagon too)
- all exhaust
- saggy doors need fixed (possibly bushings)
- a lot of rusty lines underneath replaced
- odds-n-ends under the hood (fuel vapor canister, vacuum reservoir for the water valve, cleaning up wire mess, etc.)
And would like to turn the York compressor into an on-board air system
And as I dig into it more I am sure this list will just get longer  
This list is just the more major things at this point. Excludes whole interior swap, glass replacement, chrome trim installed, bumpers, other rust repair/prevention, etc.

Unfortunately the '81's license plate bracket is so rusted that it can't be used. And I know from the A pillar back is different between the wagon and the SX/4, but is the license plate bracket the same? I would just take the bracket off my '82 parts wagon and just find out but it is located elsewhere.

Since there are 2 cars involved, 1 being a donor car. Unfortunately demolition will come before restoration.


So here we are to today...

I haven't had much time to do anything really to either one of these cars since I had acquired them.
But since it was such a nice day here, I went out to tackle something small (at least that's how it started  ). Cleaned and repainted the air breather on the '82. Went to take off the side mirrors on the '81 but didn't realize that the cable didn't disconnect anywhere other than the knob on the dash.... so guess what, yup tore the whole dash out of the '81. Was planning on switching it over to the '82 anyways, but didn't really expect to get to anything (dis-assembly or reassembly) done until around springtime. But got it all out and what a booger that was. Mainly all those darn rivets and not having a punch. But it's all out and sitting in the car awaiting the swap. Now just have to tear out the '82's and stick the '81's in it... which will probably wait until spring.
I dread tackling the steering wheel. Last time we messed with an Eagle steering wheel (on my '82 wagon, needed new ignition) we apparently didn't do it right and now when you turn it honks   But when we did that we did it with only a Chilton's available to us. This time we have a TSM in our arsenal.

[Pat]

Looks are deceiving. From the pictures, both look good. Sorry to hear the black one was beyond help. Congrats on finally getting your SX/4.

[txjeeptx]

Nice cars! I'll be watchin this one. Too bad that some of the best lookin Eagles can wind up being parts cars due to rust.

[MudPuppy]

Thank You Pat and txjeeptx 
I am excited and scared all wrapped up into one.
It will be a lot of work and a lot of things I have never messed with before that's for sure.
It will be a slow process. Too much at stake at this point.
Wish I would've learned more from my dad along the way or still had him around for advice.
So here's to not  -ing anything up 

[shanebo]

Thats a shame that car had so much rust...it is decieving,  it looks so good at first glance. Its wierd how the body sheet metal was the last thing to show rust on these cars. Most other cars the first signs of rust are usually paint bubbles on the fenders and doors.

[MudPuppy]

Been sick and with the weather not much has been done beyond my last post. Have tried to tackle removing the bumpers (weather permitting), but this has proved to be a booger to say the least. There is just so much rust on the Black Mamba that it might not budge (think as in blobs of rust, not much of a recognizable object left). Had to go out and buy a shorter breaker bar/pipe (the only one we have is 4' lol). So here's to hoping that does the trick. If not, will be cutting the bolts which they will not be re-useable anyways.

[68AMXGOPAC]

mamba looks like MoneyPit" twin. Good luck with the builds.I ended up cutiing the bolts with a sawzall with a long blade to get in at them.

[MudPuppy]

mamba looks like MoneyPit" twin. Good luck with the builds.I ended up cutiing the bolts with a sawzall with a long blade to get in at them.

I really need to invest in a sawzall, seems to be the fix-all tool   Get mad, just hack it. Maybe it should be illegal for some people to own one of those and I might just be one of those people.


Between work and the weather here I am just doing what I can when I can, which isn't a lot unfortunately.

Since it was nice here today, got out and did a little more demo work on the Black Mamba.
Today we got the front bumper off and supports, headlight trim, fog lights and B pillar trim off.
I know this may seem like a 5 minute job to most but you have to remember that the Black Mamba has rust everywhere, even down to the screws and bolts. So it is quite labor intensive.
Before they get installed on the Squirrel some of it will need to be sanded and painted or rhino-lined.

Was planning on refurbishing the marchal fog lights but 1 screw in each will not come out. Unless someone has a better idea on how to get them out, I am thinking I will try to drill a small hole down the center in hopes it will just break up.

Anyone know where I could possibly get the black/red strips that run all around the car?

What's the best paint for plastic and metal exterior pieces?

[Prafeston]

Replying so I can follow this thread!

Also I see you are in AR. I'm your neighbor from the North!

[priya]

What's the best paint for plastic and metal exterior pieces?

They're two different paints for the most part although one can use the paint for metal and add a flex agent to it and then spray the plastic with an adhesion promoter and special plastic primer.

[MudPuppy]

Thought I'd update this thread since it's been awhile. Weather here has been inconsistent, so haven't been able to get out and do much to the Squirrel.

But now that I have acquired yet another SX/4, looks like the Squirrel will be put on the backburner.
Undecided still and depends on if I part with a couple of my Eagles and which ones as well.
Will be a tough choice if/when I get down to that  



 

[standup650]

 

This might sound weird but I really like it without the front bumper! It would look great with some lights and some mesh

[Baskinator]

This might sound weird but I really like it without the front bumper! It would look great with some lights and some mesh

They do look pretty cool without the bumpers. But I believe inspection almost always requires them, and I wouldn't want to be caught in an accident without one.

[standup650]

Ya your right. a nice tube one built to fallow those lines and leave the middle open would look nice.