August '83 SHOULD have been a 1984 car, but AMC may have been using up some old stock or someone ordered it that way. But you have a stop-and-shift if that's on the front axle.
I would pull the cover on the front axle shift cover while the car is apart and check for the front axle to see if it's locked. If not, you can do it now, or you can leave it stop-and-shift. It's your choice. The stop and shift may get slightly better fuel economy, but the shift-on-the-fly is more reliable and more convenient.
If you're not sure and you want to wait before you do a permanent change, then you can use some vacuum hose to provide a constant engaged front axle until you decide. You can always reconnect the stock vacuum lines if you change your mind.