Just joined the site, and just bought a 1983 eagle sx/4 hatchback

[1983EagleHatchback]

Hi. I just bought a 1983 eagle sx/4 2 door hatchback. It is white in color with a black interior and most every available option. The car is very solid and used to belong to car collector Kenny Buttolph.

The car needs either a carburetor or a total rebuild and needs a brake booster, mater cylinder, and has a lot of other issues such as the driver door handle just broke yesterday on it and the driver door won't open from outside anymore along with a lot of broken small vacuum lines and a ton of rotted rubber hoses in the engine bay and all 4 tires have sever rot and cracking. It is a cute but weird looking car and I spent $900 to buy it.

No auto stores sell any hayes or chilton manuals for this car anymore. So I will need help in getting questions answered by more experienced members if I am to get the brakes done and other things fixed and diagnosed. Thanks for allowing me to join.

[vangremlin]

Welcome and congratulations on your new SX/4!  Sounds like you have some work ahead of you, but none of the problems seem insurmountable.

In terms of manuals, your best bet will probably be AMC Technical Service Manual (TSM).  If you look at the blue menu bar above, you'll see an option for the EPedia, which is short for EaglePedia.  In it you'll find copies of the 1982 and 83 TSMs.  You can also find them on eBay, both hard copies and on disc. 

And don't be afraid to ask questions, we're a pretty helpful bunch.  And we'd love to see pictures of your Eagle!

[Prafeston]

Can't wait to see some pics and hear about you getting some work done on this thing. I've also got one of the final year SX/4s! Mine has a Feb. Build Date.

[Still Pat]

Congrats & welcome to The Den! Pictures are welcomed here, so don't be bashful.

[1983EagleHatchback]

Thanks to all who responded. Feels good to know other people know stuff about a car I haven't got a clue about. I owned 4 amc pacers but never had to do any major repairs on them, they were great cars except for the one that literally broke in half due to rust on the way home one day (but it still got me home as the bottom scraped heavily on the pavement).

I didn't know 1983 was the last year for the hatchback body style. I'm saving my money to get the brakes done (likely will be $800) and to then have the carburetor rebuilt. After that I'll do a tune up on it but I'll definitely be saving up to have a timing belt or timing chain put on and for sure tires.

I found the car has a back window washer squirter and a rear defroster but has no rear wiper, whats up with that? Now that's weird. I'll go out tomorrow when its sunny and take a binch of pictures and try and upload them if I know how.

[Prafeston]

I would think if it has the rear washer then it had a wiper. You are likely just missing the arm.

[Draekon]

I didn't know 1983 was the last year for the hatchback body style. I'm saving my money to get the brakes done (likely will be $800) and to then have the carburetor rebuilt. After that I'll do a tune up on it but I'll definitely be saving up to have a timing belt or timing chain put on and for sure tires.

A brake job should not cost $800. There is nothing special about the brakes on our cars.  Drums out back, disc in the front. I would say at most $400.

[amcfool1]

hi, and welcome. you are on the right track, brakes should be FIRST thing you do. don't forget to replace the soft brake lines as well two up front, one out back. still available most anywhere. good luck, gz

[vangremlin]

If it is set up for a rear wiper, then there is a motor attached to the glass of the hatch.  Should look like this

[1983EagleHatchback]

Thanks for all the replys. My car definitely DOES have the rear washer squirter thing on top of the roof AND the rear window defroster, but it definitely DOES NOT have the rear wiper through the glass, or a hole for one, this stumps me big time, who would order a car with the window squirter washer and rear defroster glass but not the rear wiper? Talk about weird.

I took some pics of the car. I noticed one reply mentioned a build month. I am not sure how to figure this out.

[1983EagleHatchback]

another pic

[1983EagleHatchback]

another picture

[1983EagleHatchback]

picture

[amcfool1]

hi, wow that is fully loaded SX4! bonus points for not having a hacked up dash! especially the radio facia!. Definitely keep that radio/cassette combo, quite rare. If you need more (radio) power, check out www.randbvintageradio.com, he can rebuild yours with updated new guts, bluetooth, all mod cons, etc. good luck, gz

[amcfool1]

sorry, thats www.randbvintageautoradio.com, thanks, gz