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Topic Closedlate model AMC fenders

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billd View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/26/2013 at 11:27am
Scott if I don't have the books you refer to in my stash, I'd be interested anyway..... I'm going to be restoring the one my brother bought for his daughter, and frankly, plan on AMC work full time as soon as I can afford to quite the real job.
I've got so many books in multiple places, I frankly can't recall what I do or don't have!

Here's a kicker - don't take this as the absolute proven doubtless gospel, however, but before heading out the door today, I ran down to the shop, turned on the little incandescent lights so as to not wait for the big industrial lights to fire up, and using an LED light measured the 80 Eagle fenders under the trim.
First - BOTH fenders had the front lip and edge curled under as if they had made contact with the tires at some point - that in itself was very interesting as the SX/4 fenders are far enough away it's not possible unless you backed up REALLY fast, slammed the brakes and had a strut let loose of the lower control arm, or something got tangled between tire and fender (which BTW did happen on my 82, thus it got a split welded up)
So both 1980 fenders made contact at some time with what I will guess was tires.
Further, I measured all of my fender collection at the VERY bottom of the fender ahead of the wheel - wheel lip to the surface that mates with that front valance piece. The SX/4 (1982) was the shortest distance, 6.5"
The NOS fender was 8"
Accounting for the minor damage on the 1980 Eagle - 7.5"
I checked both sides, measured multiple ways and I could not for the life of me make that measurement stretch out to the 8" the NOS fender or the other 2 Concord fenders I have measure at in that location.
It's as if this is shy of the Concord by a good half inch, but not the full 1.5" of the 82.
I will pull back the trim, straighten that edge and measure again, but following the fender lip and projecting the front bottom end of wheel opening and measuring to where the fender attached to the front valance - it was short of the 8" by an amount it had me scratching my head. I'm not talking a quarter inch which I'd completely dismiss as an error based on damage or my being in a hurry.
Thus - I need to measure this beast again and even pull things apart if needed.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar/26/2013 at 3:15pm
Bill, Here's a link to the crash books I have. I am flexible on price the more you buy.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/01/2013 at 12:34pm
Eagle vs. Concord vs. Spirit vs. 1980 Eagle fender - how to tell?

In photo below, if you measure the lowest point of the fender ahead of the wheel well opening, at the outside just before it is bent to form the lower lip that bolts to the fender brace, it will measure roughly 8" for Concord and 1980 Eagle, and will measure 6.5" (6 1/2") for Eagle 1981 and later.


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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/01/2013 at 12:51pm
   I just measured mine, an 83' Spirit. 7 1/2" where Bill measured his.
greasy                        83 Spirit GT. 79 Ranchero GT.             
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/11/2013 at 11:12am
81 - 87 eagle fenders will all interchange . and that is all . that includes the SX4 and Cammback. (gremlin body) they changed the look of the grills and front hood trim a bit over the years but they all will fit. no 2wd fenders will fit properly unless you want to do some cutting around the wheel wells.
The spirit doors will fit the SX4 .
71 360 Hornet sst 83 2wd 360/727 Eagle wagon (crashed)
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/11/2013 at 12:43pm
Originally posted by greasygt greasygt wrote:

   I just measured mine, an 83' Spirit. 7 1/2" where Bill measured his.


That's precisely why I indicated '  ~8" '  (where ~8 = 'about 8')
Depending on where the measurement it taken, due to a certain radius in the bend back inward at the bottom, the compound curves, etc. - precise won't be easy. But there's a big difference between "about 8" and 6.5" You could be off 1/4 to 1/2" in each measurement and still see a difference between the two.

Quote 81 - 87 eagle fenders will all interchange . and that is all


Yes, that's what we have previously stated here...... (joe thanks for the parts manual scan - that says it all)  and we've explained why.
The 1980 was the same at first until they discovered a lack of wheel clearance on turns under certain conditions. So they moved the wheel well arc out starting at a point between the side marker light (position indicator lamp for Europeans) and the lower body line. The rest of the wheel opening from that point on back up the curve to the bottom of the back of the opening matches up. (I traced this multiple times onto cardboard)

Yes, the doors (and many other parts) interchange directly because the SX/4 is quite literally a Spirit 4x4 (Sx4 or SX/4) - based directly on the Spirit platform (I also have some excerpts from a book outlining the process used). 
Some have called it a 4 wheel drive Spirit/AMX.
The changes were the floor pan obviously, and because of that the seat bottom frames - interior items that bolt directly to the floor pan were changed (Spirit gauge package won't fit an Eagle).
 
The engine is shifted to the right a bit. Because the stick used a hydraulic clutch, the exhaust had to wrap around and clear the clutch cylinder - it also had to swing out and clear the front drive shaft.

The hood is the Spirit hood for the SX/4, Kammback and wagons with the Sport package,
It's the Concord hood for the sedan and base model cars.
They compensated for minor differences with that front hood trim, covering and extending the hood forward and downward with the trim. (remove it and see how different the hood looks)

The grills interchange exactly (see image below) 
The headlight parts, many other parts are exact matches.
The bumper mounts are different because the Eagle was classified as a "light truck" for the purposes of federal rules.
In order of the red arrows, left to right - 1980 Concord, 1981 Eagle SX/4, 1983 Eagle SX/4 (but that ain't no Eagle grill  Wink  )

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/11/2013 at 1:58pm
Thank you for the information. Was always told that they were interchangeable. Haven't had the need yet, but now I know.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jun/28/2013 at 7:22pm
Bill and others. Here is a link to the '79 - '83 parts manual that was rescued a few months ago and incorporated into a new Wiki that is continuing to be expanded.

http://wiki.amcevolution.com/index.php/1979_-_1983_Factory_Parts_Catalog
1970 Ambassador SST 2 dr HT; 1980 Concord DL 4 dr; 1982 Eagle SX/4 Sport.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Sep/25/2013 at 8:29pm
Hi , I am Parting Out A 1981 A.M.C. Spirit 2 dr Hatchback . A FEW Years BACK, I Had a WRECK With MY 1980 EAGLE WAGON . I Took the 81 Spirit to the body shop ** and "Paul" WENT AT IT ! AND Took every part HE NEEDED! OFF THE SPIRIT. It Turned out "Beautiful " I am to OLD to be concerned That the Hood Looked diff and the BIG TOOTHED GRILL WAS AN 81 SPIRIT . But , NOW I HAVE THE LEFT FRONT FENDER FOR SALE ! What do I say ? to an EAGLE CUSTOMER OR A AMX OR Concord full size 2dr or 4 dr or 4dr wagon ? and is the GAS TANK THE SAME OR THE REAR END ( WAS A 4CYL AUTO DL ) WELL, One DAy at a time .. Later , Mike in North Central FLorida#32148
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jan/04/2014 at 2:13am
I would be interested in a set of those crash books if you still got one
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