- new kid in town - ! 7X ! -

[Brien Tourville <HH-7X@xxxx>]

GREETINS' : tho' I have yet to tow it home - it is in Northvale NJ - I
've a 1981 AMC
Eagle Kammback . Tow dollie for Saturday is reserved . I'ave only seen
one other Kammback - which interested me in them - I previously owned a
'72 AMX - Blue /white-T . Travelling on Rte 9W North in Highland NY - 
during a heavy downpour I spotted a white oncoming something with a girl
hell bent for leather over the wheel . In a plume of mist as I tracked
its' progress - heeled over in the right sweeper . Whaa..ah Gremlin ?!? 
Two years later I found the same car in a junk-lot - sitting on the side
of a hill . It was an Eagle - 1982 - one of 500 made . White / tan
interior . 4 cyl / stick . I had no storage and it needed a restoration
. Rust . I went back for it later - the yard had closed . Just a patch
of shade on the grass . Knew from experience that finding a rust free
example of an AMC that was designed for snow travel - which was rusting
as it was being assembled in Kenosha .... Nope . Years later - after
finally finding some printed literature - didn't have the Kleenex box yet
- 'So that's what is what..." . Beginning of summer - I picked up a
Special Auto rag paper printed in NJ- which is about an hours drive down
the NYS Thruway - got lunch at the counter and quickly moved to a
phone.... 'little old lady owner - 62k on clock - air con - 6 cyl - auto
- engine needs work ." $1500.00 I'll bet the valve cover leaks ! It
was 4th of July week - no answer . I called thru the weekend - Tuesday ,
talked with Dan . "Don't you want to see it first....? " - I sent in a
$550.00 deposit . Coundn't get away for the next three weeks - finally
got to Northvale - nice area to cruise - Dan runs a Tuesday nite cruise -
turns out Northvale Auto is an autoparts store....and Dan collects
Edsels ! So... the paint is shot - the clear coat has let go..the car
was not garage kept.. four new tires..original exhaust.. paint touch-ups
... one ding..sheet metal straight.. missing two 4 x 4 center caps ..
door molding on passanger door recently reattached with four sheet metal
screws (!) interior is original - carpets are mint - spare tire has had
two people check on it - the person at the AMC FACTORY who installed it
and me . Seats are a little grimy - otherwise perfect . Doors aren't
sagging - no rust around windshield - rust around RR side glass - broken
RF plastic bumper closing valence - Eh - ......kinda steep price with a
bad motor and bad paint .....got under car...no undercoating - surface
rust on drivers side - perforation thru driver side rocker panel -
passanger side is ok - exhaust needs everything - boots are intact on
axal shafts - no major leaks - surface rust needs attention - everywhere
- A case of Rustoleum rusty red metal primer - then a top coat of
Rustoleum dark blue . There is rust in the right front wheel well frame
. That needs to be cut out and filled and braced. POR-15 is too
brittle for a flexing uni-body AMC . It can lift without ever showing a
condition . By the time you discover damage - you have a hole . Nixx .
Ok .. it is hot out .. I drove down in a bomb '79 Merc Zephyr wagon - I
pop the hood on the Eagle .. hmmm clean .. valve cover is off .. yellow
grease pencil notes everywhere .. dates of service .. radiator is black
and bug less - new cap - new hoses - belts are a perfect tension - air
filter is clean - carb butterfly is clean - all emissions are intact -
clutch fan ok - shroud mounted correctly - overflow tubes connected -
washer container there - battery tray repainted - no holes in that area -
original battery cables - mint - . No parts to install the vavle cover
- Dan provides a nice set up of rubber seals - flat washers and nuts - .
Cool . No battery - he intimates the spare on the shop floor might be
dead . I have cables ... . Live and learn . Battery in and jumper
cables on - I turn the key - dash is lit - nothing ... . Wait - repeat -
nothing . Starter fluid - wait ....nothing .. moved battery jumper cable
hot lead to solenoid - engine cranks three times and quits . I'm ready
to go home . Close up the car - run the key inside . Tell Dan - maybe
solenoid - starter barely turns - can't do it - not what I expected
from a little old lady ad . "Wait a minute .." comes back with the
mother of all batteries - new - "Here...try this "" . Ok - one more
time and I'm gone . Stretch the original battery cable and tilt the
battery to catch the post - just made it . Tighten post clamps - taste
of the fluid for Mr. Carbo - pop the door - toast the key to a twist -
two spins and the engine fires ! Worst metallic crack sound - four
bright schmacks ! I cringe - yet this is not a connecting rod
sound.....hmmm oil level is up ... new filter.... I feather the throttle
to float the crank - motor settles down to about 1200 RPM - lifters pump
up and the thing sounds great ! Bad lifters ! Main bearings are good
and snug . Realize that Dan hasn't heard the thing run - he got it from
a donation organization - free - So I quick shut it down - button up the
car and stride back in - "yep...ain't a knock - sounds worse.. might be
a rod ..." . Time passed - we got to the 'what will you give me for it '
phase - 'not what you want '. I explained what I had seen for prices on
running cars on the net - throw in the battery - you keep my $550.00
and I'm good for another $50.00 - that is top dollar , generous , fair
, and ..... silence .... 20 minutes and I'm still walking around in
Dans' parts store reading labels - he's back in the stock room reading
tea leaves - thought he might retire on this sale......go to Palm Beach
..... comes back in with the Title ......quick toss to the table - Sold
- . Cute little weird car . Plans ? Save IT! Tow 'er back to NY. 
Clean the undercarraige of rust . I spoke with Crane Cams on producing
Roller Rocker Arms for the I-6 engine . I will receive a one cylinder
mockup from them next week of so . Not sure if I'll use the easy
pedestal two bolt mounting that will come in a later production kit form
or have a machine shop put in studs in an earlier '75-76 open chamber 
cylinder head . I also asked about the adaptability of a roller camshaft
for the I-6 . It can be done . Maybe there will be a great performance
upgrade available for our Big 6 Motors from Crane ! With just these two
improvements - the response is crisp - plenty of torque pulling power - .
So we will see. I want to install Lite Blue - Concord leather seats
and door panels - tilt wheel leather wrapped with the round domed lite
blue padded horn pad . Finding these in excellent shape - who knows . 
I've bought a '79 AMX grill and a Gremlin X grill X logo . I'll add
the air spoiler and front flares only . Dual exhaust and eventual disc
brakes to the back axal . I'd like to find an AMC - am/fm/CB nice
cosmetics radio and I would like to add ABS - Anti-Lock-Braking system
.... that will take some research inquiries . Later for that . Paint
will be next year perhaps - for now - my radio delete Kremlin will be
parked here in New Paltz NY. and I will just hang out with my transistor
radio and dig the scene . 
best regards - brien
! 7X !