81 Kammback seattle…LOW MILEAGE SUPER CLEAN BODY GETTING PARTED OUT

[mojobean]

Heres one to get your panties all up in a bunch!

 A friend of mine scours AMC's for sale and sends me lists for our Rambler club newsletter.
Just after fathers day he emails me about a 1981 AMC Eagle Kammback in the yard near him, so i look it up. I'm amazed at the interior, specifically the front seats, so i call and ask them if they sell whole cars and if so, could he keep the general public from pilfering it till i get there? He says yes.
I rush down after work, intending on possibly bringing home a Kammback.
My heart sinks when the like new front seats are missing. So I check the rest of the car.
Rear hatch window was shattered when they got it so no loss there.
MISSING: Radio, brake booster/master cylinder, radiator, trans cooler lines cut off and hanging in the air up front, front seats.

I crawled around. took photos with my crappy phone. my time was up as they were closing.
Called the guy next morning and ask what it would cost me to break the Eagle out of its death sentence. He tells me $1400. Then he tells me it only comes with Bill of Sale. No title, just Bill of Sale.

I call later in the day to find out price for certain parts. They are as follows:

Headliner (just the backing board as the material is gone) $100
Visor brackets with visors $20 ea
the tiny metal strip across the top of the rear hatch window that is shattered $10
Hatch Hinge $10 ea
Hatch latch $10
Rear seats (awesome except for carpet fading in back) $150
Bumpers WITH end caps (two of which are broken) $150 ea
all four wheel flares and two rocker covers $300
rear quarter windows with gaskets (seals) $100 ea
door panels $75 ea
Engine core $350
automatic Transmission $350

i stopped there, it was already $500 more than if I bought the whole car.
So all day it continues to upset me that this kammback is destined for the crusher. More so when i checked the VIN.
It appears to be a 1 owner vehicle, about 74,000 original miles, continually registered/emission checked throughout its life. It was super clean, no rust cancer. no dents, no holes, but needed a wash. was last registered March 2014.  It appears this car ended up in the yard due to someone broke its rear window. That seems to be all. infuriating. :bang head:

CONTACT INFO:
Budget Truck Wrecking
3602 A ST. SE
Auburn, WA 98002
phone: 253-833-9441
hours: Mon-Sat 8:30am - 5:30pm pacific time
if you want to know about buying the whole car.. ask for Colby

heres some photos for you
http://s186.photobucket.com/user/notsofreeway/library/parts58-01

[vangremlin]

That's really sad.  The interior looks just like the inside of Pepe.

What's also sad is the price the guy is asking for the whole car or the individual parts.  Those are eBay type prices from a wrecking yard.  THey might be a little closer to reasonable if he is doing the pulling but still high.

If you're going back there, the top windshield trim for the Kammback is unique and I would be interested in it if it is unbroken.  Thanks.

[Eagle Groupie]

I wonder if the insurance company totaled it. I came really close to that happening to my Impreza... It just needed a new fender, bumper, and some lights. The whole salvage title process in PA sounded completely nuts to me and I'm glad I didn't have to go through it just to keep my car. I can see how someone might be forced to ditch a perfectly good car with minimal damage, just because of the way the crazy laws work.

[mojobean]

They were the ones doing the pulling for awhile.. it was in their storage section so that the general public could not pilfer and break things.
I am sickened by the pricing as well, but more so the fact that this car… had i got to it before the first part pulled… would have paid a few thousand for considering how good shape it really is.  He ruined it for me.
Also, while they told me "its that brown one sitting right outside that door, you'll see it"   this car is actually deep dark metallic GREEN. and a pretty green under the grayish dust layer. yes. its dirty enough that they thought it was brown.

Van - are you talking the inside trim (plastic) or am i missing something on the windows?  the front window trim?

[MudPuppy]

From the pics it looks to be in good condition. Wish there was a body shot though. Even has a straight glovebox door.
I really hope someone can save the whole thing.
Doesn't sound like it needs much yet to get her back on the road.

A Bill of Sale isn't a big deal to some, if someone is interested check their state laws. I know here on anything over 25 years old you only need a bill of sale to get it registered, licensed and to get another title issued in your name. Worth a check for others.

[eaglebeek]

A Bill of Sale isn't a big deal to some, if someone is interested check their state laws. I know here on anything over 25 years old you only need a bill of sale to get it registered, licensed and to get another title issued in your name. Worth a check for others.

Colorado is a notable exception. Here there are two choices as I understand: 1) Find the previous owner of record and get his/her signature on a valid and notarized title certificate; 2) Apply for a bonded title. The state can accept or decline to issue title as it sees fit. Age of the car makes no difference, either in the titling process or the requirement for a passing emissions test.

In almost all of the Front Range an emissions test is required. Emissions-control equipment...cat converter, smog pump, etc...must be present and appear to work. A passing test by itself without the required equipment isn't sufficient. It's the inspector's discretion as to whether or not the emissions equipment appears to work.

It's a laborious process with an uncertain outcome.

[MudPuppy]

A Bill of Sale isn't a big deal to some, if someone is interested check their state laws. I know here on anything over 25 years old you only need a bill of sale to get it registered, licensed and to get another title issued in your name. Worth a check for others.

Colorado is a notable exception. Here there are two choices as I understand: 1) Find the previous owner of record and get his/her signature on a valid and notarized title certificate; 2) Apply for a bonded title. The state can accept or decline to issue title as it sees fit. Age of the car makes no difference, either in the titling process or the requirement for a passing emissions test.

In almost all of the Front Range an emissions test is required. Emissions-control equipment...cat converter, smog pump, etc...must be present and appear to work. A passing test by itself without the required equipment isn't sufficient. It's the inspector's discretion as to whether or not the emissions equipment appears to work.

It's a laborious process with an uncertain outcome.

Wow! Colorado sounds bad.
Here we have never had emissions that I have known of. We use to have inspections (that just checked the basics irrc) but you could always find "someone" who you could just pay the standard $5 and get your yearly sticker. But that was done away with in 1997.

I forwarded this car to a fellow Eagler in that general area that has a Kammy that has been in need of a door for a long time. Also mentioned that it wasn't too far gone parts (missing) wise (yet) & rust free & available to be bought as a whole.

[SpreadEagle]

I'm still in need of interior parts and things for my Kammy.
Wish I had money.
Want a black interior..

[captspillane]

I really need a single rear Kammback end cap. I will be casting reproductions and neither of my Kammbacks had one to copy. I wouldn't need both since I'll can digitize the profile and mirror image it in software. I'll be milling metal ones after digitizing the original for the actual castings.

If it has the bumper filler piece make sure you get that too. Thankfully I have a repairable one of those to cast from already but very few Kammbacks still have one intact.

The Kammback version of a rear endcap doesn't have a little edge like the SX4 has and its about a half inch longer than an SX4. On my Kambacks I cut down Station Wagon ones but the profile is dramatically different so you also need to use station wagon wheel flares to mate up to it, which in turn requires you to slide it down a half inch and redrill all the trim holes. It worked but in the future I want to find a real Kammback one to copy.

[vangremlin]

Van - are you talking the inside trim (plastic) or am i missing something on the windows?  the front window trim?

Yes, the inside plastic trim that runs along the top of the windshield.  The Kammback ones are a unique size/shape.

[SpreadEagle]

Grab any interior plastic that is good. The trim all a long the headliner is slightly different. Gas tank hump and cargo area side plastic is near impossible to get. Rear markers are the same way. Gremlins Spirits and kammback were the only cars that used them. Did it have a center gauge console?

[mojobean]

unfortunately, i am not allowed to spend any more $ till next fall, every penny is allocated for current responsibilities. i've been robbing peter to pay paul trying to get my down cars back on the road. I do not know the current condition of this kammback as it isn't exactly an easy drive for me to get down there due to my work schedule, but i wish i could.
 
i hope whoever MudPuppy forwarded this to was able to get what he needed.

as far as titling.. the wrecking company was on the title, so yes, there are a lot of hoops to go through in Washington to get that mess off it. i have 3 titles to dance for already, not wanting yet another.. BUT the car was very much worth saving, it was rust free and in REALLY good shape.
vangremlin… i am so sorry i did not grab that piece for you.. i should have really thought about the ooak's ,
capspillane.. i should have known about the caps as well.. having two kammys myself. alas.. it was a really hurried trip and hindsight really sucks. 

[carnuck]

I have one title (in hand) to dance for because the PO died and his dad (executor of his estate) signed it, but that lapsed when the son passed. Bill of sale from the junkyard is easy. Take the vehicle to State Patrol and they check the numbers on it and you get registration. As long as the company signs off on it BEFORE you give them the $$, then you're good to go.