There are some words and phrases in the English language in which the intended image immediately springs to mind. Let’s try one. Quickly, what comes to mind when you hear “St. Louis”?
Good job. Let’s try another. How about “Barney Fife”?
Very good. Now, lastly, what about “Chrysler LeBaron”?
Not so easy, was it? Odds are you only thought of this convertible because I primed you to think it. There were so many variations of LeBaron’s over just the previous decade (or thereabouts), such as the rear drive 1980 model and the K-car based 1986 model. Even at the time this car was built in 1992, there was yet another LeBaron in Chrysler’s product offering. Oldsmobile’s shameless use of “Cutlass” during the ’80’s is likely surpassed by Chrysler’s perpetual use of “LeBaron”.
So what is one to make of the 1992 Chrysler LeBaron pictured here? Introduced in both coupe and convertible forms in 1987 and referred to as a J-Body, it was intended as a replacement for both the Chrysler Laser (think Dodge Daytona) and K-car based LeBaron convertible (think pimped up Aries). It was so strongly intended as a replacement for the Laser it even used the same dashboard.
Upon its initial introduction, power was provided by either a 2.5 liter four-banger, the big brother of the ubiquitous 2.2 liter engine of 1980’s front-drive Mopars, or the 2.2 liter turbo, an engine Lee Iacocca hawked as a serious contender to any V8. Transmissions were standard Mopar fare of a three-speed automatic or a five-speed manual. LeBaron convertibles were built in St. Louis through 1991.
By around 1990, a Mitsubishi built 3.0 liter V6 was offered, as in our featured car. It was available with the frequently equipped and sometimes problematic Chrysler 4 speed Ultradrive automatic. A five-speed was still available, even on the V6, but LeBaron’s were infrequently built with one. For those so inclined, the 2.5 liter engine, with or without a turbocharger, was still available in 1992 as was a limited number of 2.2 liter turbo engines.
1991 brought about an updated interior. Of particular note is the turn signal indicator seen as a toggle switch emerging from the left side of the dashboard; the steering column is truly that short.
In a sense, this car was a first for me. Having found it at a family function of Mrs. Lord’s, I was able to sweet-talk the owner into letting me drive it. Chalk that up as a success.
Opening the heavy doors brings to mind the doors on a ’76 Monte Carlo. They are heavy. Getting into the drivers seat can be a little disconcerting. It is a loooong way down it seems. Yet, once in, it is quite comfortable with all controls readily at hand. The seats feel just right, although less so for the geriatric crowd as evidenced by the seat cushion in the picture below. The weird turn signal requires minimal time to become acclimated to it.
Hit the key and you are greeting with the sweet melodious sound of a Chrysler starter motor. While not as viscerally pleasing as those from the 1970’s, it is sweet nonetheless. Think of it as a more refined and mature sound. Yet you can only enjoy the sound briefly as the engine quickly hits. This car leaves no question the engine has awakened as it has a nice Cherry Bomb brand muffler outback. There is a benefit as it does prevent you from grinding on the starter too long.
The transmission engages immediately and has the same whine that I have heard in other Ultradrive equipped Mopars I have driven. Throttle response is quite good given this Chrysler has 141 horsepower and weighs a breath over 3000 pounds. The suspension provides a rather smooth ride although the 14″ tires do remind you on occasion they are on the trim side.
At speed with the top up the LeBaron is fairly free of rattles and squeaks, although a bit of air noise is present. The 3.0 liter V6 will effortlessly get you to highway speed (and beyond). But from what I have learned, this car is beginning to show its age. The instrument cluster shown above is the fourth one on the car in the past year. It seems the original took fits of having a non-functioning speedometer and/or odometer depending upon its mood. In turn, the next two replacements were faulty, also.
The windows have posed a challenge. The left rear window will eagerly go down but good luck getting it back up. The owner has found it necessary to place a wooden shim between the window and the interior trim to discourage the window from dropping out of sight.
Despite some quirks, this LeBaron is a hoot to drive and it is capable of more than what one might first think. In addition to this Chrysler, its owner also owns a two-wheel drive Dodge Ram and a Crown Victoria, neither of which flourish in snow. He lives down a 1/2 mile gravel driveway. Over the past several winters when the snow was up to 12″ deep, with drifts even deeper, the owner found an alternate use for his Chrysler – it makes a great snowplow for opening up his driveway. He said you can put the top down and stand up to get a very good command of what is going on when trying to open things up.
I would speculate nobody at Chrysler had contemplated such an alternate use when they aired this spiffy ad about yuppies in loose fitting clothes having a secret rendezvous at a discreet location in the late ’80’s. Such was the intention of this iteration of LeBaron.
Finding production numbers for these cars has been elusive, although I was able to find 1988 production numbers when approximately 38,000 convertibles were built. At the time these were new, I do remember an article stating how most of the LeBaron convertibles made were unceremoniously dumped into rental fleets. That and twenty years will explain why I have seen more of these in salvage yards the last few years than what I have witnessed on the road.
The front and rear of these cars was changed for 1993 with the coupe dropped soon thereafter. As of 1996, the LeBaron convertible was consigned to the ashes of history.
Yet some are still on active duty with their owner. Overall, the only complaint the owner stated about the car was how the trunk was a bad joke. He said it makes a good snow plow but can’t haul too many groceries.
A sister in law had one of these – I think it was an 87. I drove it once, and it was a nice driving car. I do recall that the windshield rake was pretty steep and resulted in the top of the windshield being fairly close to the driver’s head. The car was eventually stolen. I do recall that she had to replace either a starter or alternator, and the cost of the part was eye-popping.
I thought that this was a very nicely styled car for the late 80s. This car and the Mustang were really the only two convertible choices when this car came out. I still see a few of these out and about. I still think that the lines are attractive, but none of the powertrains really appeal to me. The Mitsu V6 was problem-plagued and the less said about the Ultradrive, the better. One of the 4s with the 3 speed auto would be fairly simple, but not my cup of tea to drive.
Mitsubishi powertrains appeal to nobody beats me why Chrysler went from having great trannys like the Torqueflyte to renaming dross from Mitsu
Seriously? The only issue with Mitsubishi power trains is they were often polluted and mated to Chrysler components.
I’ll give my personal account of our ownership experience with our 1992 LeBaron tonight with a photo if I have time. Stay tuned…
Zackman, I’m considering shelling out $3500 for a 1992 LeBaron in Greenwood, Mn with 88k mile and a one-owner history of good care. I would like to hear your 1992 “ownership” comments b/c I’m not sure I can afford this car if it’s prone to repairs.Thnx,
Robert Reynolds, Kansas City, MO
>Oldsmobile’s shameless use of “Cutlass” during the ’80′s is likely surpassed by Chrysler’s perpetual use of “LeBaron”.
That’s for sure. My Dad as a loyal Chrysler man had a ’79 LeBaron (Volare-based, slant six with lean burn issues), an ’82 LeBaron (Reliant with vinyl top, 2.2 4-speed, ran like a top), and an ’85 LeBaron GTS (looked like the feature car but 4 doors, the box got an extra gear, also a reliable car)…
…and then he stepped into the future with an ’88 Sable that made them all seem like the dated compromises they were.
And can’t forget this one. True to form, the LeB logo is tacked on crooked. What, you expect careful assembly for your 8000 1973 dollars? 🙂
The LeBaron name goes way further back than your car, too. The LeBaron company was founded in 1920 by Thomas Hibbard and Raymond Dietrich. LeBaron became one of the premier builders of custom bodies for the high end cars of the era. As the depression took hold, Hibbard left to join Howard “Dutch” Darrin before eventually landing as head of Ford styling in the late 40s. Ray Dietrich became head of Chrysler styling in the mid 30s, where he stayed until forced out after Walter Chrysler’s 1938 stroke.
The LeBaron operation was purchased by Briggs, which was Chrysler’s major body supplier. Chrysler bought Briggs in the early 1950s, and thus assumed ownership of the LeBaron name.
Shameless is what that printed ad Chrysler pictured above is.. Man, those ad guys will write just about anything to sell the car, huh? Look at that instrument panel, would a “driver’s car” have such a sparse instrument panels like that? There’s nothing about the product that has anything to do with driving pleasure. It’s like saying a Ford Econoline or Toyota cabover van is a driver’s car. Even the minivan steering wheel sends a very clear message what position do driving pleasure ranked in the designing of this car. And 14″ wheels! Cross lace pattens too. Wow. Just wow.Do truth in advertising law exists back then?
The example shown here is the base model… a “Highline” if I remember Chrysler’s trim levels correctly. Uplevel Premium and GTC models had a full gauge cluster, complete with tach, oil pressure and voltmeter.
Never drove the LeBaron, but I had the sibling: ’93 Dodge Daytona, 2.5 liter, five speed. Not a sports car by any means, but a really nice low buck grand tourer. Enjoyed the car immensely while I had it (year and a half) but it was jinxed. In that time I: hit a deer, then was hit in a parking lot while the car was parked, and finally sideswiped by a drunk driver running a light. By that point in time my sutlery business needed something more than my short bed 4 cylinder Dakota, so I traded both vehicles on a long bed V-6 Dakota 4×4. Still have fond memories of the car, though. Definitely a good Chrysler product.
Syke–
My folks also had a ’93 Daytona 2.5 w/ a 5-speed that they eventually gifted to my sister.
I did a fair few miles in that Daytona and had a similar impression to yours. It was quite good covering highway miles at semi-high speeds. It was certainly a lot more willing and happy at 85mph+ on the empty two-lanes of the Dakotas than my ’92 Mercury Topaz w/ a 2.3 & 5-speed. The Topaz’s only advantage on a road trip was better seats.
And just like your Daytona, my sister’s had a coming together with a deer. The car was fully drivable, but by then it was down to liability only insurance and just wasn’t worth fixing the bodywork and destroyed headlights. I think it eventually wound up being used as a “farm car” by my sister’s hick in-laws and almost certainly not registered & insured. Knowing those barbarians, they probably took off the hatchback and made it a virtual Dodge Rampage.
That Daytona and a ratty first generation RX-7 are the only cars my parents ever owned that I miss.
The problem with the speedometer is probably not the instrument cluster, but the optical speed sensor. I’ve had this happen to two minivans, a ’91 and a ’93, What usually happens is the speedo doesn’t work when it’s cold, then suddenly it starts working, usually accompanied by a chime. The ’93 was interesting – sometimes the needle would suddenly move up the dial and indicate, say, 90 mph, then wildly swing around for a while.
As for the car, this is hands down the best looking of all the K-car descendants. Too bad it never got the 3.3.
EDIT: By a bizarre coincidence:
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/06/junkyard-find-1991-and-1993-chrysler-lebaron-convertibles/
I was wondering if it is really a coincidence. This is the 3rd or 4th time that I’ve noticed that the featured car here is basically the same as the Junkyard Find car on TTAC. (Not a complaint, just an observation.)
See my other comment.
What is this TTAC you speak of? Seriously, I haven’t been there in quite a while, and I have no way of knowing what they’re going to run. We’ve had this piece scheduled for over a week.
I think the implication was that Murilee Martin might be taking inspiration from you, given that he likely has a file of junk cars that exceeds the hard drive sizes of many of our commenters. He could likely pull junk yard pictures of half the cars on this site.
I doubt it, since his post today went up at about 9 AM, and he generally writes and schedules his pieces in advance too. It’s a coincidence, almost undoubtedly.
Murilee is a man’s name? Really? Would have bet for sure it was a fifty something southern belle. I am sure I had a great aunt w/ a similar handle. A boy named Sue is running in my head.
One of my favorite MM quotes:
“Not only that, I’m a burly, hairy, sweaty, balding man who doesn’t worry about butt-crack exposure when bending over an engine compartment with a Mickey’s Big Mouth in one hand and a wrench in the other, so those of you who acknowledge that I’m not female, yet are still clinging to the hope that I’m a lithe young catamite, are just plain SOL. OK? Good!”
http://jalopnik.com/305947/news-flash-murilee-martin-is-a-man
So guess he is not going transsexual? So hard being left coast, pc, modern, non bias, cool. What is wrong with Martin Lee? Wish I knew what he did other than going to wreck yards and guessing what that might have been. Anyone ever find Him interesting? Just personally saw other people’ s junk.
Its a nom de seur, I think its connected to some band or something.
It’s connected to a trashy novel he once wrote.
I’ll take your word for it Paul, but it is an interesting coincidence.
June 9 TTAC Junkyard Find: 1979 Buick LeSabre
June 10 CC COAL: 1978 Buick LeSabre
Before that, both sites were doing a series of articles on Plymouth Valiants in May, including one each on a Valiant Brougham.
We (here at CC) use a joint google calendar, where all the CC writers schedule their posts, by themselves, up to a week or two in advance. Even internally here, it’s almost totally random, except on a few occasions when we have a theme. But I don’t have time to coordinate what everyone is finding, writing and scheduling; it’s just “take a spot on the Calendar”.
And I don’t have time (or interest) to go to TTAC, except on rare occasions. I swear it’s random, unless our writers are psychic, or are in touch with MM. Or maybe MM is just my alias, and I’m moonlighting 🙂
I had a similar issue with my 86 Mitsubishi which had a cable drive speedo (could hear it squeaking), I think my record was about 50mph standing still and getting on 120mph while actually doing 45-50mph. Once whatever the problem was had warmed & freed up it would work normally, probably just needed some lube in the cable.
This is one design of the K-car that I never had any feelings for. Maybe it was the fact that the K-car was so “square” for so long it was hard to take an areodynamic one seriously.
Although it is interesting to note that the 3.0V6 made the same hp as the 318V8 had in the Diplomat/Fifth Avenue/Gran Fury a few years earlier.
…but at what RPM is the peak HP and what were the torque figures of the two engines?
Just mentioning in passing BOC, not trying to start a fight… LOL. Personally I like the LA 318, just wish Chrysler had developed a four speed auto for the car applications and either straightened out the fuel injection mess or made the 4 barrel standard.
Yea, my 318 could really use a 4-speed.
Sorry, it’s a pet peeve of mine. 🙂 Peak horsepower numbers by themselves aren’t particularly meaningful.
I owned a 1989 LeBaron GTC Turbo Coupe that I bought used in 1998 & owned until 2005. I always thought that the design was one of the best for the ’80s. I loved the driving position & the “clunk” sound that the retractable headlights made when I opened & closed them. Another quirk was that I was able to start the car w/o using the key for some reason. I felt like I was driving a stolen car ;-). I did spend a bit of money on the car, starting w/fixing the air conditioner & ending w/fixing the power windows for $179 when they went in a supermarket parking lot.
Your mention of fixing the A/C gives an introduction to my adventure yesterday. I have written other posts of my 85 conv. Nice car, and I thought I’d try to recharge the A/C. Bought a small can and loaded it into the low port. Immediately, the compressor starts to run, and I shut down and go to the store for 2 more 10 oz cans. After 2 more cans, the a/c works perfectly. Even the solenoid that increases rpm is operational. I’m getting freezed out, and decide to take a ride.
Riding up a little back road hill, I can tell that the A/C has gobbled up what little horsepower this little non turbo 4 cyl has, and I turn it off to get up the hill. Drive a few more miles and return home.
I had to go out later in the day, and decided to drive the A/C’d Lebaron. Driving along, the A/C was no longer blowing cold. The refrigerant leaked out in a matter of 2 hours or so. I have no plans to repair the A/C properly. A/C would have been nice, but not something I need. The car needs every drop of HP for driving purposes.
All in all, a fun car. I’m still chuckling over my struggling to get up that little hill.
I also had an ’89 with the 2.2 Turbo. The design of this car is one of my favorites. Every cliche of the car world was on this car. Digital dash, trip computer, side marker turning lights, hidden headlights. Nothing but problems. The back windows wouldn’t roll down. The power top stopped functioning so I simply disconnected the hydraulic pump and it became a manual top. The trip computer totally glitched out. And worst of all, about a month after I bought it, I was driving on the freeway in Los Angeles and the engine just stopped. Coasted to the side of the freeway, and it started right back up. But it kept quitting on me. Took 3 months until I found a mechanic that knew the problem. Apparently the car has a camshaft sensor that determines if the cam has stopped turning and shuts the engine down to prevent damage. The sensor was bad and was reporting that the cam had stopped turning. He replaced the sensor and I never had another problem with the engine shutting down. The hidden headlights would not close all the way. My mechanic said “You want the cheap fix or the expensive fix?” I told him the cheap fix. He brought out a reciprocating saw and cut about an inch off the fiberglass that covered the bumper. It was protruding into the headlight bay and stopping the doors from totally closing.
Kept the car for 6 years. Loved every minute of it. Wish I had it back, even with the problems. What a fun car it was.
Here’s a picture of when I used the car in a parade.
From 1999-2002 I was the easily-influenced owner of a loaded ’94 LeBaron GTC convertible. It had been wrecked and rather shoddily repaired, so in addition to the cheap and non-OEM paint (in a weird metallic green/black) and equally cheap ARC wheels, it also had a slight but definite lean to starboard.
Not my wisest purchasing decision.
I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it. I traded in a slightly worn out but still competent 1994 Saturn SL2 “Homecoming” edition. I’m pretty sure I just wanted a convertible, and this one was pretty cheap.
It was easily the worst car I’ve ever owned, though only a few of its faults could be blamed on Chrysler. The 3.0 leaked oil, of course, and the maligned glory of the A604 transmission was on everpresent display – especially in town, when each stoplight reminded me about the infamous “bump stop” problem that couldn’t be corrected. The motor for the driver’s rear quarter window gave out soon after I bought the car, fortunately in the “up” position. All common maladies for the LeBaron.
What was nice about the car… it was fairly economical (around 25 mpg mixed driving) and a very comfortable road trip car. It had a nice sound system with the Infinity cassette that I later swapped for a same-year CD deck. A good scrub revealed the interior to be in good shape for 68,000 miles, and I particularly liked the dash design. Starting with the 1994s, Chrysler found a way to shoehorn in a standard column-mounted turn signal lever – no more hockey stick jutting out from the cluster surround.
As jpcavanaugh mentioned, the windshield was raked so steeply that the header was unusually close to the driver… which also placed it in the perfect position to rest your hand on the corner when the top was down, while also reducing wind buffeting. If you had the top down with the windows up, you could speak with passengers in a normal tone of voice while speeding down the Interstate.
I enjoyed the convertible top whenever I could – 50 degrees was my threshold, anything above that and it went down. (Did I mention the car also had a very good heater?) In the end, it was a fun car to own and drive… yet in no way do I regret eventually trading it on a new 2002 Focus ZX3.
“I’m pretty sure I just wanted a convertible…” Convertible fever has a powerful grip. Sooner or later you must succumb.
What comes to mind when I think of St. Louis? Toasted ravioli, Imos, The Hill, Amighettis, Carl’s Drive In, Steak n Shake, White Castle and Chrysler LeBarons.
Got a little homesick when you put up that picture of the Arch…
“What comes to mind when I think of St. Louis? Toasted ravioli, Imos, The Hill, Amighettis, Carl’s Drive In, Steak n Shake, White Castle and Chrysler LeBarons.”
Yes & yes& yes – Cunetto’s, yes, not so much, the next three we have in Cincinnati. Next? We’re getting finally the first Jack-in-the-Box in Ohio! Right here in West Chester!
Chryslers everywhere…
Gee – I would have figured that all of the St. Louis folks would think of Budweiser.
Nah – just Busch…
True. I remember for many years everybody in N.E. Missouri seemed to drink Busch, Falstaff or Stag beer more than anything else . . .
Zackman – you mention “Steak and Shake”. I’d visit my Grandmother in Audrain County every summer almost (through High School and even Junior College). I remember stopping in Camdenton, Mo. on the way to Lake of the Ozarks or Table rock lake at either a Steak and Shake or a Dog n’ Suds drive in. Very Missouri indeed!
Also, usually when picked up at STL and heading to Vandalia, the turn off to U.S. 61 North, usually means a stop at the Southern Air in Wentzville for a burger or maybe apple pie a-la mode. Later on, as a young adult, I visited the Southern Air (around 1988) when Chuck Berry owned the place. Same good food, but the waitresses wore real short skirts – looked like Frederick’s of Hollywood French Maid suits.
Zackman – you’ll like Jack in the Box. 2 Tacos – $0.99. Even in Hawaii !!
These were in my mind one of the- if not the- most attractive cars of any US make in the ’80s. The proportions were ‘right’- long hood, short deck. The interiors looked sumptuous- at least on the earlier ‘box dash’ versions, as every one I saw was ensconced in maroon velour and burl plastic. I think that like many cars, it got uglier with each facelift. By the mid 90s, the flush headlamps and tri-colour rear lamps ruined the look of the car.
Here in the UK, you occasionally see them too. I think that ours were actually made in Austria, and were said to have quite good quality control- and were usually right hand drive to boot. If I can ever find a nice coupe with the 2.2 with a 3 speed torqueflite or 5 speed manual, i’d buy it in a minute. I have a hunch that with that powertrain, it’d be good for 200K miles or better. They really were rust resistant, and it was only the combination of poor quality trim, ultraslide and Mitsubishi’s interest in boosting the stock of motor oil manufacturers that consigned so many to the scrapyard.
> Now, lastly, what about “Chrysler LeBaron”?
When I hear that name, I always think of these song lyrics:
She wants a car with a cupholder arm rest
She wants a car that will get her there
She’s changing her name from Kitty to Karen
She’s trading her MG for a white Chrysler Le Baron
> …an engine Lee Iacocca hawked as a serious contender to any V8.
Did you mean “hocked”, not “hawked”? 🙂
When I hear “Chrysler LeBaron” all I think of is the line from Short skirt, long jacket by Cake “she’s trading her MG for a White Chrysler LeBaron”, a line that is now rather dated.
Beat you too it by one post. 🙂
When Lily and I honeymooned on Maui in ’96, the island was covered with these as rentals, and we drove one too. Perfect for cruising around in paradise. Especially along the Hana Highway, the only state highway with a 15 mph speed limit that you really don’t get the urge to break. Seeing one of these cars brings me warm memories.
Renting one was also ideal for quenching my interest in these good-looking affordable droptops. Vague handling, steering and braking, mediocre quality all around, many expensive-sounding little noises, switchgear from Toys-R-Us.
I owned a pristine, bright blue 1992 GTC in in 2008-2009. This was before the recent used car price spike so I bought it for a reasonable $2900 and flipped it for $2500 about eight months later. It was very well taken care of with only 93,000 miles upon purchase, and I never had to put any repairs into it besides an oil change or two. It still ranks as one of the best-looking cars I’ve ever had, and I got many compliments on it (it looked so good I uploaded my favorite picture of it onto Wikipedia and they used it as the cover photo for the 1987-1995 generation!).
It drove surprisingly well. The 3.0-liter Mitsu motor hauled the thing with surprisingly authority – not fast but certainly swift. And, amazingly, it didn’t burn oil. Never had issues with the Ultradrive either. The suspension was a bit hard because it was a GTC with the “sport package” (which also included a unique body-colored grille; the only pre-’93, hidden headlight model to have that), and the body structure had a fair bit of cowl flex, but the top went down, it looked fantastic, and was cheap to buy/own.
The backseat was pretty good for a convertible but the trunk was indeed a joke. The funky dashboard was well laid out (I’ve read it was designed by Renault, believe it or not), but the seats were very, very low, the cowl was high, and the windshield was very steeply raked, which gave it kind of a bathtub feel. It’s not the kind of car I’d want to own as a coupe, or if I was short.
Still miss that car, definitely one of my favorite past car memories. I still see it driving around with the guy I sold it to, unfortunately, he’s driven it hard hasn’t babied it anywhere near as much as I did… “pristine” it no longer is. Kind of pains me to see – I hate it when people don’t take of mint cars like that. Oh well.
Chrysler LeBaron convertibles conjure up the image of my hippy-dippy Humanities professor from my first year or so of college, he looked like “Art by Ross” complete with goatee and white guy afro, he had just bought a new one of these and he boasted about how he finally had the convertible he had wanted all his life, in truth he was a really nice guy, but kinda lame, like the Lebaron.
Fine bit of writing there. Perfect characterization.
Well, I looked for a good photo of our 1992 LeBaron convertible, but the only one on a computer had my wife standing in front of it, and I don’t think she wants her image on a car blog…
Ours was fire engine red, white seats and panel inserts with the rest of the interor charcoal. The top was black and the boot cover was white. It was a base model, 2.5L, auto. PS, PN, tilt, cruise, A/C. We bought it in May 1999 with 101K on the clock and kept it until the engine blew in September, 2007 at 148K miles. I sold it to our mechanic who bought it for his helper, who put a ton of money into it and I think it’s still running around town somewhere. At that time, we felt it wasn’t worth putting anymore money into it and decided to cut our losses.
Yes, the rear windows were problematic, but I fixed ours by kit-bashing in the garage and they ALWAYS worked after that. The headlight doors always worked, too. That car was built like a tank, but some of the components were fragile.
That car was a beautiful car with some of the most comfortable vinyl seats ever. The car had that odd “Chrysler shimmy” around 43 to 46 mph that we could never resolve in spite of CV joints and new driveshafts.
We had lots of nice drives in that car and enjoyed it to the full! One of my favorites!
Brings back memories of High School. Every big haired Daddies girl had a White GTC or a VW Cabrio.
I’m not much for drop tops, I’d rather swap an SRT4 power plant into a Coupe and make my own version of the Phantom R/T.
“I’m not much for drop tops, I’d rather swap an SRT4 power plant into a Coupe and make my own version of the Phantom R/T.”
Me too. The converts were nice, but I really like the coupes. I knew a Chrysler Zone Rep who had a late 80’s GTC with the turbo 2.2 and 5 speed. Nice guy, got my problem resolved with the dealer and let me try out his GTC. What fun!
That is one sad dashboard compared to the kick-ass digital ones from the 1988-1989 years.
My thought exactly, Vent. I had the kick-ass digital. When it worked, it was a beautiful sight. When it took a dump, it wasn’t cheap to fix.
In Coupe version, I think the J-bod LeBaron looked pretty good in the same way that the Thunderbird Turbocoupe “looked pretty good”. The ragtop kinda spoils it, and doesn’t look that good with the top down (as most convertibles tend to).
Like the other Sean said up above, due to the preferences of adolescent girls during the late 80s, I will forever associate this car more as something that should be an extra on the set of Saved By the Bell than an actual automobile… once I eventually made friends with one in the flesh (the car, not big-haired teenagers), it permanently burned much different and horrible memories onto my brain…
When I was just out of high school, one of my good friends had one of these. It must have been older, because it had the older dash – which was way nicer and cooler than it’s replacement – so probably an ’88-’89. It was in absolutely mint condition, black on black, leather interior… looked flawless, only had done about 60k miles and it had every single option that wasn’t a motor or transmission. That’s the one place the original owners shouldn’t have cheaped out, because MY GOD was this car was awful to drive!! Easily one of the most boring and annoying cars I’ve ever driven. My own ride at the time was a 20 year old Honda with over 300k miles that looked like it spent most of it’s life at the bottom of the ocean. From behind the wheel, that car made the LeBaron seem like a Model T with none of the nostalgic charm.
The 2.5l four was good for around 90 horsepower, I think. With the drop top bodystyle and fully loaded up packaging, it weighed something like 3,100 pounds dry. That is not an optimal power:weight ratio for anything. It might have been OK given the fact that it’s a large displacement four that probably made an acceptable amount of torque, but putting this power to the ground was the universal Chrysler 5-speed with the 1980’s biggest piece of trash shift linkage. The clutch was heavy and the motor rough-running. It was a full time job just to drive this car smoothly. The suspension was sprung very firm and danced all over the road when it encountered the slightest imperfection, which sent violent shockwaves through every loosely attached piece of plastic trim in the cabin. For such high spring rates, it was still a total pig due to the weight and decreased rigidity that comes with lacking a metal roof.
The only good way to experience the car was sitting still or looking at it. That’s the only time it was quiet and comfortable and you could appreciate it’s good looks. Otherwise? Impossible to enjoy driving in any fashion, amazing it had survived close to 10 years, although not surprising at all that it had covered so few miles.
Anyway, he kept it for a year or so… slowly began “ricing the shit out of it”. I installed a decklid spoiler off a junkyard Trans Am on it for him at one point. We didn’t have a drill strong enough to bore out the holes in the trunk, so (believe it or not) I borrowed my dad’s Sawzall, found the smallest blade attachment and used it to PUNCH two holes in the sheetmetal. Somehow, this came out perfect with a little cleaning up… then there were the requisite hood stripes, LED lights and some stupid slogan plastered in vinyl on the top of the windshield. Not too long after, the motor spun a bearing and he found some Chinese guy who said he could install a brand new one for $400 (b.s.) – that motor lasted all of 3 weeks or so and the the LeBaron went off to the Great Junkyard in the Sky (probably the part that is equivalent to hell), paint still shiny with well under 100k miles.
I Bought my 1986 Marc Cross Leather LeBaron Convertible in 2000. I Got 2 good years from it. I Paid $450… Plus I added about 900 after I blew the Turbo Out right away… 1350 Aint Bad To Experience The reborn Conv. I so Badly Had Long Wanted, Much Like the 1990 Miata, that I Outgrew a desire to own, so far.
We’ve had a ’92 LX convertible since 1996. As someone else has already said, not the most trouble-free ride, especially when it hit the 7 year old mark, but good since then. The 1987-92 cars are among the best looking cars in that era, IMO—the ’93-95 front end redesign is not very attractive to my eyes but to each his own. At 136K miles, it still runs and handles great and I’m not afraid to drive it anywhere. The 3.0 V6/4spd auto burns no oil and gets 26-27 MPG on road trips.
The revised interior was introduced in 1990, not 1991.
How timely is this? I just unloaded my ’95 LeBaron after five good years at 75k of its 135k miles). I could write a book about that car — maybe I will, if I find the time. My local mechanic told me the tranny was going to go at any time (as it was, when it was cold, it had a lurch that might bring on whiplash, once it located a gear). The AC had long since died, although, more often than not, AC in a convertible seems superfluous (unless my wife is in the car, and we have to go someplace where windblown hair is not the proper coif). The top, which was new when I bought the car, was forming a few cracks; the motor that controlled the top had begun to struggle lifting the top — once stopping midway up one morning as I was preparing to leave the garage for work. The suspension, never firm, had developed a perceptible “float” rarely found on land. The locks on the driver’s door and trunk needed replacements. The front door had to be slammed shut repeatedly to close. And that comment about using the LeBaron as a snowplow made me laugh. Twice had I had to have parts replaced because a design flaw allowed snow to get inside the hood and kill the generator. Not good in Iowa. I long since learned that if we were going to get a typical Iowa snowstorm, I’d be leaving the LeBaron in the garage. I never got used to the hideous pattern on the wheels, which was identical to those on the essay’s subject.
All in all, though, it was a good ride. I have no complaints. I’d still have it, in fact, if my bride hadn’t found a one-owner 2004 Sebring with 49k at a price I couldn’t pass up.
LeBaron…. LeBaron? Isn’t it the red convertible waiting for me in my garage? 🙂 It was imported to Czech Republic in 1993 from the U.S.A. and I bought it in 2005. It had 27000 miles, well maintained, never driven in wintertime. The mileage has doubled since, but the rest is still valid. I had to replace the tranny that gave way when returning from a trip to southern France…
My first car was a 1989 Lebaron convertible, to this day,after many many cars.. it was still my favorite to drive.. sadly it was cliche and really not my style but I kept that car for many years, even while owning others because I loved it so much.. my only complaint, other than standard maintenance, the door sensor broke on the drivers side.. so I was constantly reminded “your Door is Ajar” by the pleasant robotic female voice.. which resulted in slight insanity and many arguments with the Fembot until i finally disconnected the relay and killed her ..
I have a 94 Chrysler Lebaron and I am in need of a black parade boot cover for the covertible top anyone know anyone who has one for sale please email me?
After the lovely experiences we had with our fleet 1989 and 1991 Caravans with the crap Mitsubishi 3 liter V6 I wouldn’t accept that POS if it was given to me for free! Ditto the Ultradrive replace yearly transaxle
The first car I ever purchased on my own is a 1991 LeBaron Premium LX Convertible. It’s fitted with the 3.0L V-6 mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission, a rare option for ’91 (1 of less than 1500 out of almost 60K built that year). It’s gloss black with red pinstripes, and grey perforated leather. It has a black top, and I replaced the original black top boot with a red one to match the stripes.
When I bought it, if only had 64K original miles, and it had just come from Florida as part of an estate bequeathed to a man who lives in my area. He didn’t want the car, and sold it to a local dealer, who happens to be my neighbor. I saw the car on his lot on a Friday evening on the way home from work, and nearly broke my neck looking at it. I swung back around and asked to test drive it, but the dealer said he was fixing to leave to go out of town, but that if I’d come back on Monday morning, I could drive it. Thing is, I’ve wanted one of these since I was about 4 years old. I don’t know why, I’ve just always loved them. Well, I beat him to the dealership that Monday, haha. I got in, and felt like I’d owned it all my life: I knew I had to have it. I got him the money by lunchtime. I brought it home, and the first thing I did was rip off the terrible aftermarket hubcaps, and replace them with the hubcaps that once graced my Mother’s ’79 LeBaron Coupe, many years ago.
I have loved every minute of owning this thing. It’s swift (I won’t say fast, but it’s got a lot more pep than the 2.2 Cavalier I had before it!) extremely comfortable, and looks great. The top is original and works flawlessly, the interior looks great, and all the leather is intact, no cracks or tears. It has the original Infinity 2 stereo cassette player, and trip computer. The only thing that doesn’t work is the driver side quarter window. The passenger side works, but it looks dumb with one up and one down, so I just leave all the windows up. And anyway, it’s more comfortable that way. You don’t get blown away by the wind.
Last summer, my dad and I took it on an 800 mile round trip from home to Bowling Green, KY, down to Nashville, and home again, with the top down all the way. I averaged 28mpg the whole trip, and have never been more comfortable in a vehicle. Dad on the other hand, got his bald spot sunburned. Hilarious!
However, it hasn’t been all rainbows and butterflies. A couple of months ago, it started leaking antifreeze, and I couldn’t find where. Turns out, it was leaking from a little pipe inside the intake, and dripping down on the timing belt. As a result, I had to have that pipe replaced, and while they had the engine apart, I had the timing belt, serpentine belt, upper and lower radiator hoses, thermostat, plugs, and wires changed at the same time.
All in all, the car has been a pleasure to own and drive. I’ve kept it on as a summer car, and only drive it on sunny days. The rest of the time, it’s stored away in our climate controlled garage, safe and sound. Really, it’s shameful the way I baby this car. But whatever, I love it and it makes me happy. It’s never seen snow since I’ve owned it, and on the rare occasion I do get caught out in the rain, it gets washed and shined when I get back home. I intend to keep the car forever, and to keep it nice.
Right after I got it, I had the chance to trade it for an ’89 TC by Maserati (another car I’ve lusted after since I was very small), but I kept the ‘Baron because it has a back seat, where I can ferry around my nieces and nephews, who love it just as much as I do.
This little beauty is 25 and runs like she’s new looks that good to fun car to drive