Joining Oppo, Putting Back Some Parts

Housekeeping note: Beginning with this entry, all entries will now be cross-posted at oppositelock.jalopnik.com, a great car enthusiast blog. My personal page there is ancientofdays.kinja.com. 

For the Oppo-nauts who are just joining us, I've been "restoring", for lack of a better word, a 1985 AMC Eagle station wagon.

You can refer to the earlier entries for the story of how this car ended up in my garage, and for a description and pictures of the progress up to now. For that second part, a brief synopsis. In the time I could find during evenings and weekends:

• I removed the entire drivetrain between the engine and the differentials
• Disassembled and rebuilt the blown and leaking transmission
• Fixed a leak in the transfer case
• Reinstalled the transmission 
  

As the oft-repeated phrase goes, installation is the reverse of removal. All of those posts back at the beginning where I was removing stuff in order to be able to get at the transmission – that all has to go back in now. Recently I cleaned off the starter motor and redid the sealant around the cover. This cover protects what I found out were the very large electrical contacts that carry the 800+ amps of current to the interior of the motor. I’ve had to manually turn over the engine a few times over the course of this project, which has given me great respect for the starter motor’s job.
 

The transmission’s stiffening brace is also back in, and I’ll most likely have a post about putting the transfer case in sometime next week. 

So, is the end in sight, you ask? Well, sort of. As near as I can figure, here’s the list of what still needs to be done. I’ll probably put this in at the end of each entry, for anyone who wishes to follow along at home. Also, this way I don’t have to keep wondering where I put the paper version of the list. You’ll note the dollar signs by the particularly pricey items.

A-hem:

• Reinstall starter and brace
• Put in the transfer case
• New transmission fluid cooler line to replace the one I had to break
• New u-joints for the driveshafts
• A new driver’s side CV axle in the front
• Install new exhaust components, possible re-using the old muffler
• All new neat belts ($$)
• New (stock) rims and tires ($$)
• New shift indicator cable (which keeps the gearshift from moving accidentally)
• Service the front and rear differentials
• New gas springs for rear hatch
• Repair heater core with some stop-leak and a prayer
• Fix whatever makes the A/C compressor scream when it’s on
• New under-hood insulation
• Interior detailing 
• And let’s face it, a new paint job. Desperately needed. ($$$$)