[AMC-list] 82 Eagle rear end LOCKED UP

["Eddie Stakes" <eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From bad to worse catagory: took my 82 Eagle wagon to go get state inspection sticker, get there & horn won't work, worked fine 
before left house as checked everything. So pulled next door to O'Reillys, popped hood, wiggled horn relay near solenoid, horn 
works. Took car back next door to Sticker Shop. Left with kids walked down gesser to Taqueria Cancun, ate, walked back, cars didn't 
have new inspection decal so went inside, guy said, 'everything works except brake lights' so failed inspection, walked back next 
door to O'Reillys, bought bulbs (even though I suspect a fuse) and went back to car, hopped in, started backing out and CLUNK car 
locks up in place.

No forward, no reverse, rear wheels locked, and small of axle oil. The 82 Eagle has been a workhorse for me since early 1990s, and 
210,000 miles on it, no issues, runs fine, but rear end is shot. The guy in shop asked if possibly it was emergency brakes sticking, 
I don't think so with that smell, much less with the metallic noise I heard in rear when it locked up.

4 1/2 miles from home with Noah & Jacob, so called Yellow Cab. Yellow Cab is 'system down' so they not taking any calls! So called 
United Cab, 'due to extreme high call volume we can't answer your call, goodbye' so 0 fer 2. Called Fiesta Cab, almost identical 
message as United, on hold 5 minutes, hung up and decided to walk home.

About 87 degrees, so nice, good breeze, and walked down Eddystone, Shadow something, then Westview towards Beltway 8 which was 
gridlocked at 5:00pm being 1/2 mile north of I-10. Stopped at Sonic boys got a slushie, I walked next door at Shell and found a $10 
bill on floor and bought a Disani. Past the Wal Mart, down gulley past rabbit ditch (yes, wild rabbits) down Church street.

Down Brittmoore & Jacob asked if we could take a break, so sat in front of the Iglesas Mexican church. Looked at phone it was 5:40 
and I said 'wouldn't that be cool if Paige came down about now' and hadn't finished the sentence when Noah said 'there she is!' 
coming down Brittmoore in her 88 Eagle. so we waved, she stopped and we crawled in, I forgot how a back seat of a Eagle is next best 
thing to birth control (not that I need any more kids) but damned small seat all crunched up. She dropped us at house, and took off 
to icehouse at end of street as steak night so she could get a steak and a few beers.

I got in the 82 Eagle and drove back up with kids, this time with tools, and attacked the 82 Eagle from under, but first seeing if I 
could push or pull it with the Concord, nothing that rear end is locked solid. So crawled under it and dropped driveshaft, still 
would not move, so wired up driveshaft to exhaust pipe so wrecker could drag it home, of which it's 10:00pm now and it is being 
loaded into the driveway. I called over 30 wreckers and all were busy, out of business or phone don't work, prices for a 4 mile tow 
$65 up to $200. For $200 I would invite Secret Service & their Columbian lady friends. Then have $170 left over.

I'll tear into this car this weekend, I will probably part it out. I don't want to spend $400 putting another rear end into it when 
front end is wobbly and can't go above 40mph. Engine was rebuilt at 140,000 and it is a original owner car, and have big stack of 
records from 1992 when I bought it, this has been the official Planet Houston AMX Swap Meet Tow Car for 20 years, and the Class III 
hitch has towed more than legally allowed by law. But I told kids 'when the front end or rear goes' that is it. Just didn't think it 
was going to go quickly, hell, just put 8 miles on it yesterday no issues. The Sticker Shop guy told me 'it died several times' when 
he was driving it around. Later while I was under it, the owner came out and asked if I thought it could be the brakes locked up 
since they do check the emergency brakes. But no, this seems to have hallmark of what happened with my 81 Eagle several years ago, 
just cluNk & lock and shot. More later.
Eddie Stakes
713.464.8825
eddiestakes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.planethoustonamx.com

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