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'83 Spirit GT

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83GT View Drop Down
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    Posted: Dec/11/2014 at 8:35am
Hello Fellow AMC Enthusiasts!! 

Project thread for work on the GT

Vehicle  :  1983 AMC Spirit GT  -  Black on Black  -  258  -  4-speed
Purchase Details :  NE Iowa  -  July 28th , 2014
Resides  :  KCMO



The Ride Home...


The Engine bay...


The Driver bay...


1st weekend  -  replaced fuel line (pump to carb) , fuel filter , thermostat , both heater hoses and all clamps , rad cap , throttle spring , coolant , belts and swapped the plastic valve cover for aluminum.
2nd weekend  -  replaced transmission mount , fuses , flasher , temp sending unit , oil pressure sender , verified the fuel gauge works , researched fuel sending units , replaced tank to car rubber fuel lines and clamps
3rd weekend  -  drove to SE Iowa to buy a ram-air hood , installed the hood , picked up a hitch-hiker and gave him 200mi of free ride , showed the car to friends/family , reached out to AMC parts distributors
4th weekend  -  found a V8 parts car nearby and bought it , hauled to a storage lot , began parts inventory and made preparations for a tear-down , bought new wheels , made appointment for tires to be mounted

Showing the new wheels/tires and hood...



Throughout August I made repairs or replaced :  rear-view mirror , coolant overflow tank , power steering hoses , motor mounts and steering knuckle



During September I worked on and replaced :  coolant sending unit , throttle linkage , rear main seal , driver door handle , snow tires mounted , looked at my future AMX , headlight hardware , door/hood rubbers , trim-molding clips , speedometer and gauge pod


The month of October was busy with the following items repaired or replaced  :  heater core  ,  gauge pod , tachometer , throttle cable


November started off with upgrading to HEI, then preparing for winter driving










2014 Star Stryker - Only Ride
1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 83GT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/11/2014 at 9:21am
December  -  Suspension , Shaker Hood Scoop , Felt/Rubber window tracks , Hood Release Finger Pull , Wheel Center Caps

The car had weak suspension when I bought it (bad ball joint, old rubber), and was hoping it would last until spring for replacement/repairs.  Unfortunately, the bad ball joint broke on the way home from football back on Nov.16th and necessitated a repair.  Since all the suspension rubber on the GT is over 30yrs old, I decided to go ahead and replace everything on the front at the same time.
Side note here...I was required to use my vacation time before the end of the year, that means I had 11/24 thru 12/15 off work.  Perfect timing for a ball joint to break, although is there ever a 'good time' for that to happen?
I ordered poly or urethane bushings , ball joints , tie rods and sleeves , Idler & Pitman arms , wheel bearings & seals , hardware....everything except brakes (which I plan to do later).
Started with taking everything apart before Thanksgiving.  I was cooking/hosting this year, so that cost me a day or so mid-week, but I had everything apart and ready to proceed which was plenty to Give Thanks for!


Passenger side is bare...


Driver side is barren...


Took everything (almost, I did forget a couple of small items) for media blasting, only a 1hr charge and I'm very happy with the results.


I cannot press the bushings in/out in my garage, so that work was farmed out to a local machine shop.  Unfortunately, that cost me an extra day (they were slow turn-around).
Of course, we cannot install bare metal, so painting was required.  I thought I had grabbed a can of flat, but it turned out to be gloss and quite shiny.  Nevertheless, the parts are painted and ready to go back on the car.


The new parts...ready to go on the car....just need to get after it


Driver-side lower in progress


Drive-side upper completed - yes my springs have been chopped


Passenger-side in progress


Passenger-side showing more parts installed


Driver-side completed from behind


Passenger-side completed outer


All done and about to touchdown!!



Here's my alignment specs printout - the GT drives quite well, no pulls/rattles/shakes







Edited by 83GT - Dec/11/2014 at 9:41am
2014 Star Stryker - Only Ride
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mr. Ed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/11/2014 at 9:50am
Looking good! I too took a coil out of the springs while I had the fender off. AMC was good at having a bit of lift in the front. Better weight distribution under hard acceleration? LOL

Later!
Mr. Ed
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo "Gwendolyn."
1978 Concord Sport coupe "Mr. Black".
1982 Concord wagon. The Admiral. FOR SALE!
1976 Sportabout X, 304, auto, air. The Bronze Goddess

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pit crew Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/11/2014 at 11:39am
Looking good.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pacerman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/11/2014 at 11:52am
Very Nice.  It's nice to see one being refurbished thoroughly.   Joe
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 83GT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/14/2014 at 8:21am
December Update  -  Dash/Gauges/Console
Working to get the car ready as it will be my daily driver moving forward since it's now getting far too cold for the motorcycle.The suspension work was the big job for December, but there were a number of smaller repairs/projects that needed to be finished up to make the GT more enjoyable/drivable.
I had previously done a lot of work on the dash getting the gauges to work.  Still have 1 gauge to go (speedo), but that will have to wait until next year as I do have the working unit I salvaged from the '79 installed.  Since I moved the fuel gauge to the console cluster I had to eliminate something, and that was the vacuum gauge.  Luckily, I found a 1.5" vacuum gauge in the clearance section at SummitRacing and bought it.  Since I wouldn't be using the cigarette lighter, I pulled it and mounted the new vacuum gauge in that spot.  Well, it's a white-face gauge (not black-face like the rest of my gauges), and it sticks out a bit, but it's working and installed (white spot in the pic). 
Installed the convenience/item tray , bundled up and tied-back the wiring , cut the floor mats to a custom fit in each footwell , replaced a few and put a driver to all available dash screws , re-positioned the glovebox door , installed radio knobs , installed shifter boot and faring , installed OEM shift knob , serious carpet vacuuming and overall detailing.  Finally, no more living out of a box....I was able to move back in to the GT...Big smile







Edited by 83GT - Dec/14/2014 at 8:36am
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1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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December Update  -  Fog Lamps
The OE fog lamps on the GT were an item that did not work when I bought the car.  I hadn't really been driving the car, and hadn't really ever had fog lamps in the past, so I wasn't concerned about using them.....until now.
I verified I had power to the system (it is separate from the rest of the wiring but still OE), but could not hear the relay pop when powered.  So A quick swap of the relay and I now had the proper sound and one working lamp.  I had previously verified the bulbs themselves were good, so I'm thinking this is a connection issue.  I disassembled the offending lamp, did a major cleaning service to the terminals, reassembled and there you go....two working fog lamps!!Big smile
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1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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December Update  -  Hood Release
Another broken item that came with the GT...the hood release.  From what I can tell on visual inspection, it looks like the plastic handle is 'attached' to the cable.  That is, not removable/replacable without replacing the cable.  While the OE handle is functional and matches the interior, I'm not a fan of plastic for this item.
That being said, and my handle being broken, I had a new handle made for it out of AL.

I am sorry the pic does not show it clearly, I can take another if needed, but here it is.  The front has 3 angles, but that is not clear in the pic.  The 2nd pic, from below, shows the set screw.  The end of the cable has a groove cut (for the plastic to grab I guess), which is perfect for a set screw.

Still need to label it, with "HOOD"....or "RELEASE"....or maybe leave it blank for stealth.  But it sure works well....Wink

P.S.  the cable is square at this end.  If you are machining this item, you will need a broach to cut the hole.




2014 Star Stryker - Only Ride
1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 83GT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/14/2014 at 9:19am
December Update  -  Shaker Hood Scoop
I did this project on the side, while waiting for paint to dry on other projects.  I've always been a big fan of hood scoops and always seem to be making plans to add one to my ride, even my motorcycle.  Since I recovered a hood from the '79 Spirit I salvaged, I had extra parts in-hand and could finally have something in green....AMC green.
This plan has made it to RL....shaker scoop for the GT...Big smile

The top is an Offenhauser piece, the bottom is a custom piece mounted to the lower plate of the air cleaner. 


The shaker scoop is mounted to the carb on a 2" riser.





Edited by 83GT - Dec/14/2014 at 10:16pm
2014 Star Stryker - Only Ride
1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 83GT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Dec/14/2014 at 9:29am
December Update  -  Wheel Center Caps
I recovered some wheel center caps from another Spirit I'm working on and thought they'd work well on the GT.  As it happens, they are for the same wheels I'm currently using, so I'm expecting a good fit and easy installation.
They were fairly rusty, but after some work made it back to driver condition.  It's good to have something over the end of the axles, rather than just a nut or dust cover showing.





Edited by 83GT - Dec/14/2014 at 10:20pm
2014 Star Stryker - Only Ride
1992 Bayliner Trophy Walk-Around
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