[AMC-list] Last long trip?

["Tom" <tnmorrison@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I've been the keeper of a white '82 SX/4 since '98, and have taken a round trip with it from Maine to Michigan in August for 7 of the last 8 years to visit family, attempt the Woodward Dream Cruise, and go to the AMC show in Lavonia(last year the cost to keep it on the road and the price of gas kept me home). This year my sister and I managed Woodward from 8 Mile to 14 and down again; no AC and a clutch in stop 'n go traffic's not that much fun. The show in Lavonia,Sunday, was OK; not as much in attendance as in the past, I think, but good-and Pat Foster was there(got a signed book), and Richard Estermeyer(hi, Richard!). My sister and I hit the road to head to Cadillac Monday to take her home and for me to do a few jobs for her. The Eagle ran really good this year, with mileage in the low 20's, but have, over the past few years, getting more and more oil coming from the top of the valve cover, bad enough that I had to disconnect it from the air cleaner because of soaking the 
 filter with oil. My mechanic replaced that line with a filtered plug last year, but, of course, am getting oil misting along the aluminum cover. Bad some more, but on the way home Saturday(22nd) after spending the night in the Downriver area after coming down from up north, on the first break in Canada, as I pulled into the rest stop parking lot, the oil light flickered on-just a bit, and went out when the RPM's went above a grand, but it was THERE. I checked the oil and had plenty, but the rest of the trip, what with toll booths, road work traffic, and other idling areas, the light would flicker on...I used a quart for the first 1300 miles of the trip, but a whole quart the last 825. The odometer just flipped 170,000(actually more, I have the wrong gear in the tail and its under-reporting). It brought me home AGAIN, thank goodness, but here's the question: is it time for an engine rebuild? maybe a head rebuild and new pump, if the compression's OK? Next year Livonia's hosti
 ng the AMO, and barring personal disaster, I and the Eagle want to be there, and not on a trailer. Does anybody know a REALLY competent AMC engine rebuilder in southern Maine area(I don't trust either me or my mechanic for that...)? Thanks for any and all responses.
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