QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:Would an impromptu differential removal be out of reason?
I've thought about possibly pulling the cover, and seeing if I could hammer the pinion shaft back in. Or out. In would be preferred, as I could then likely drive the car onto the trailer. Pulling the diff is a possibility, as well, but as a C-clip rear with drum brakes, things might get a little... floppy back there.
Jesse Ransom said:Congrats!
I am genuinely and irrationally jealous.
It was a genuinely irrational purchase, so there's that.
Ben_Modified said:Nice, and the dog dish caps perfect the look!
Seller bought a set of cheap eBay repro dog dish hubcaps, and tossed a set of GM beauty rings on it. I have a couple sets of MoPar police wheels and correct caps, but I feel that these suit it better than that. It gives it more of a nondescript fleet/government/municipal lowest bidder for maintenance look that is perfect for a '80s TV movie.
Why is the rear end locked up? If it's only the brakes stuck, give the drum a few whacks with a 9lb. shelileagh.
Oh yeah, this .....
In reply to 914Driver :
If it was simply the brakes locked up, I would have driven it home yesterday immediately after I looked at it.
The fact that it only rolls a foot or so in either direction, combined with the gear lube on the ground and the gaping hole in the diff cover lead me to believe one or more of the spider gears spun the pinion shaft, thus breaking the locating pin, which lead to its eventual "Heeeere's Johnnny!" moment, which disabled the car.
NICE. Love me some M-Body. I think that's the same color as the '85 Diplomat I drove in college. I don't remember the last time I saw one that clean.
318/2bbl? Guessing not the police package?
In reply to psteav (Forum Supporter) :
318/2bbl.
Just the Pimp Package-
Cooter said: So here I stand. Not sure what my plans are, but I have an idea.
Hopefully the idea includes "Hellcrate swap".
I've seen those '80s era 318s built to 400 streetable horsepower without anything too exotic.
If I win some stupid big lottery, I will buy you a Hellcrate. I promise.
In reply to Appleseed :
You are bestest Enabler, evar.
Floor jack under diff to get it most of the way on the trailer. Wrestle it for the foot or so until it's on the trailer. Floor jack the rest of the way.
Good suggestions all. Maybe some cheap HF dollies? I think HF has them on sale now. Years ago, i owned an 1986 5th Avenue. The rear blew, and I sourced a junk yard replacement. Seemed at the time, blown rears were common. Funny story, the car was a headache, and I knew when a new problem arose. Whenever I came home from work, and saw a dirty diaper on the trunk, I prepared myself for the worst. My wife was not too subtle at the time. Good luck on this one.
So, I brought it home yesterday.
I overprepped, because I didn't want to go up there a 4th time. (First to check out the car on Sunday, second time to drop off cash and grab the title in case I picked it up when he wasn't home, and the last time to take the car home) Went to the Hammer Store to buy a drain/storage pan, pair of car skates (thanks, Dirtydog!) and uhhh... a big(er) hammer. 
Pulled the cover, and while bad, it was very good for me-
(I had my buddy with the trailer taking photos, as I was laying under the car through all of this "rebuilding the rear end", and not about to get gear lube all over my phone)
Paydirt!
This is going to be cake.
Took my new-to-me short handled mini sledge and went to town on the shaft, hammering it back to flush against the carrier.
Then shocked the seller when I drove his heretofore completely immobile vehicle down the street and onto the trailer for the ride to my house.
Bolted the cover back on with two bolts. Because it would seriously put the harsh on my win if I couldn't drive the car back off the trailer when the shaft decides to fall out on the 45 mile ride home. Likely bouncing and going through someone's windshield. (Probably mine)
It's now resting comfortably at my house, with a bunch of my other '80s-'90s unloved piles waiting for the next step(s).
In reply to Cooter :
Seller is totally dick-punching himself right this very moment
I dunno. He was pretty much over it and ready to let it go. I'm pretty up front when I buy or sell, and told him what I thought the problem might be. He owns three cars, and all of them were broken at the time. I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me, but that's okay. He was more worried about FB people beating him up on his price. I offered $900 on his $1K ask, which he graciously accepted.
He was in a fish-or-cut-bait frame of mind when I bought it, as he had thoughts of upgrading to an Exploder 8.8, which would be a major project and expense for him to undertake, from his point of view, while a set of spiders and/or a carrier could have possibly given him years more service out of the car. But he couldn't get it around the block and into a garage easily with the rearend locked up, and he was sure there was all sorts of bad voodoo going on inside.
I am sure he never expected me to drive it onto a trailer, though.
Those duals look sweet. Ten points to you for scoring the car with them already done. (That said, maybe just take a couple of minutes and check the details of the whole fuel-tank-relocation thing. There are more ways than just a flying half-shaft to ruin your day....)
In reply to Stealthtercel :
The duals aren't going to stay on it.
They are going to end up on the Notchback Volare, along with the headers, while this car will end up with a single exhaust, a fixed rear end, and the gas tank back in its original location when I send it back down the road with a new owner. The tank relocation is a pretty simple and common mod on the F/M/J Body platform- the only thing to worry about is the fuel filler.
Love it when a plan comes together. Seller has a little fatter wallet, and sore nards.
My old man had a mid 80's police package gran fury at one point in the late 80's. Was a cool car and moved pretty well from what I remember.
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