Model: Chrysler LeBaron Convertible
Year: 1988
Mileage: good point
Tax: September 09
MOT: April 10
Location: Edinburgh or Hertfordshire
Price: £950
Additional Information:
P0rnotastic! dust off your aviators, roll up the sleeves of your white jacket, toss the mullet over your collar and transport yourself back to 1988...yeah...that's not the North Circular you are on that's a Californian road! You aren't going to Sainsburys - you are going to a roadhouse to pick up some bird with a huge perm and shoulderpads. so start the engine, drop the roof and slot that Bon Jovi CD into the stereo...and whatch the cheeseometer explode!
Yup - my lebaron's up for grabs. I bought it 2 months ago after a bottle of claret and a late night on ebay and paid £1500 for it at the time - I also taxed it. Since then I have been using it as a daily driver at home in Edinburgh. It is...a complete hoot.
Now - be careful - the photos show this car to be what it is - all fur coat and no knickers. The Chrysler lebaron came in 3 different engines - turbo or non-turbo 2.2 or 2.5lt or with a Mitsuishi V6 (the Shogun engine). My one is a 2.5 lt non turbo...yahh boo you say..well, bear in mind that this is an American car with american suspension, an american gearbox and american brakes and I can tell you that the measley 100bhp the engine agriculturally spits out is ample for UK roads - if you are used to European cars and have never driven a yank before - well this is better than most yanks but still way off European car standards.
The engine is a the Chrysler K series engine common in the Chrysler K cars which were sold under a variety of badge engineered models. The good news is that the runnig gear on these cars whilst rare in the UK - is common as muck in the States so parts avaliability is OK. The engine is a long strokin' lazy old 4 lump which is pretty much indestructible and easy as you like to fix.
Spec
The car comes with:
Halogen Headlight conversion
electric windows (usually reliable)
electric hood (keeps the rain out but will need replacing in a year or so - about £200 imported)
courtesy lighting
CD player
Trip computer
vinyl faux leater interior
aircon - needs gassed
cruise control - doesn't work
sports wheel
carbon fibre gear knob
This car has Manual Transmission having had the useless autobox removed and replace with a manual 5 speed at somepoint.
Good points - very amusing car to drive, stands out, cheap 4 seat convertible, easy to fix, not complex
Bad points - some pillock has lowered the suspension and put low profile wheels on it. This makes it look cool but is one of the reasons why I am selling it - Edinburgh has a lot of cobbles and you lose your fillings driving this car - literally - I can't be arsed lifting it or changing the wheels. On the open road this isn't an issue and the car sits quite smoothly
electrics - work..usually...round town when you are being joggled the stereo and the trip computer keep swithcing on and off - sometimes - but then resolve themselves. loose connection somewhere and to be hoest I can't be arsed tracking it down. I have fitted a new 12volt socket and fag lighter.
roof - is aged but functional - the usual drips you would expect from a non modern convertible but solid enough
Steering column - now these cars had the GM tilt steering column generic to many US cars of the 80's and 90's and it is one of the worst designs you will ever find on a car - the issue is that the top end of the column is anchoed to the tilt mechanism by 3 bolts that essentially work themselves loose after years of use - now this doesn't effect the steering but at the same time doesn't fill one with any confidence as the top of the comumn has play. There is a repair for this and I have part carried it out - essentially you dismantle the column to access the 3 bolts which you extract, coat with superglue and re tighten the glue ensureing they don't work themselves loose - I have done 1 bolt so har - the worst one to negate the worst of the wobble - the other 2 need doing - I am pretty sure the 3rd one is unreachable but 2 should hold it fine - there are many documented repairs for this issue online. I will try and sort this issue in the next day or so and will reconnect the headlight flashers and the horn which I disconnected during the last repair.
there is a slight oil leak from the bottom of the dip stick tube - a good cleanse up and a dollop of Chemical Metal will sort this nicely
the thermostat is knackered as the engine runs too cold and the heater doesn't work - straightforward repair - new thermostat - I haven't got round to replaceing it yet.
Mechanically the car is fine I have driven over 2000 miles since buying her but - the ODO doesn't work - the last 3 MOT certificates have the same milage!! The car comes with a load of spares including an instrument panel which may have been sourced to fix this issue.
Body Work
there does not seem to be any rust
at some point the car has been resprayed - some light bubbling to lacquer on the boot but the paint still polishes up well. A few scrapes and touch ups but nothing serious. The bumpers could do with repainting and I will include a can of paint and some masking tape in the sale.
then why am I selling it?
well those of you who know me know that I do get though cars. I do love it in many ways BUT the lowered suspension combined with the lap belts n the back seat mean that the family do not enjoy driving in it which was the reason to get it in the first place. I'm not hugely worried if it doesn't sell as I will put it into storage at the end of the summer and sort out the issues.
car is currently in Edinburgh but I can take it down to Hertfordshire and might do so next week
Year: 1988
Mileage: good point
Tax: September 09
MOT: April 10
Location: Edinburgh or Hertfordshire
Price: £950
Additional Information:
P0rnotastic! dust off your aviators, roll up the sleeves of your white jacket, toss the mullet over your collar and transport yourself back to 1988...yeah...that's not the North Circular you are on that's a Californian road! You aren't going to Sainsburys - you are going to a roadhouse to pick up some bird with a huge perm and shoulderpads. so start the engine, drop the roof and slot that Bon Jovi CD into the stereo...and whatch the cheeseometer explode!
Yup - my lebaron's up for grabs. I bought it 2 months ago after a bottle of claret and a late night on ebay and paid £1500 for it at the time - I also taxed it. Since then I have been using it as a daily driver at home in Edinburgh. It is...a complete hoot.
Now - be careful - the photos show this car to be what it is - all fur coat and no knickers. The Chrysler lebaron came in 3 different engines - turbo or non-turbo 2.2 or 2.5lt or with a Mitsuishi V6 (the Shogun engine). My one is a 2.5 lt non turbo...yahh boo you say..well, bear in mind that this is an American car with american suspension, an american gearbox and american brakes and I can tell you that the measley 100bhp the engine agriculturally spits out is ample for UK roads - if you are used to European cars and have never driven a yank before - well this is better than most yanks but still way off European car standards.
The engine is a the Chrysler K series engine common in the Chrysler K cars which were sold under a variety of badge engineered models. The good news is that the runnig gear on these cars whilst rare in the UK - is common as muck in the States so parts avaliability is OK. The engine is a long strokin' lazy old 4 lump which is pretty much indestructible and easy as you like to fix.
Spec
The car comes with:
Halogen Headlight conversion
electric windows (usually reliable)
electric hood (keeps the rain out but will need replacing in a year or so - about £200 imported)
courtesy lighting
CD player
Trip computer
vinyl faux leater interior
aircon - needs gassed
cruise control - doesn't work
sports wheel
carbon fibre gear knob
This car has Manual Transmission having had the useless autobox removed and replace with a manual 5 speed at somepoint.
Good points - very amusing car to drive, stands out, cheap 4 seat convertible, easy to fix, not complex
Bad points - some pillock has lowered the suspension and put low profile wheels on it. This makes it look cool but is one of the reasons why I am selling it - Edinburgh has a lot of cobbles and you lose your fillings driving this car - literally - I can't be arsed lifting it or changing the wheels. On the open road this isn't an issue and the car sits quite smoothly
electrics - work..usually...round town when you are being joggled the stereo and the trip computer keep swithcing on and off - sometimes - but then resolve themselves. loose connection somewhere and to be hoest I can't be arsed tracking it down. I have fitted a new 12volt socket and fag lighter.
roof - is aged but functional - the usual drips you would expect from a non modern convertible but solid enough
Steering column - now these cars had the GM tilt steering column generic to many US cars of the 80's and 90's and it is one of the worst designs you will ever find on a car - the issue is that the top end of the column is anchoed to the tilt mechanism by 3 bolts that essentially work themselves loose after years of use - now this doesn't effect the steering but at the same time doesn't fill one with any confidence as the top of the comumn has play. There is a repair for this and I have part carried it out - essentially you dismantle the column to access the 3 bolts which you extract, coat with superglue and re tighten the glue ensureing they don't work themselves loose - I have done 1 bolt so har - the worst one to negate the worst of the wobble - the other 2 need doing - I am pretty sure the 3rd one is unreachable but 2 should hold it fine - there are many documented repairs for this issue online. I will try and sort this issue in the next day or so and will reconnect the headlight flashers and the horn which I disconnected during the last repair.
there is a slight oil leak from the bottom of the dip stick tube - a good cleanse up and a dollop of Chemical Metal will sort this nicely
the thermostat is knackered as the engine runs too cold and the heater doesn't work - straightforward repair - new thermostat - I haven't got round to replaceing it yet.
Mechanically the car is fine I have driven over 2000 miles since buying her but - the ODO doesn't work - the last 3 MOT certificates have the same milage!! The car comes with a load of spares including an instrument panel which may have been sourced to fix this issue.
Body Work
there does not seem to be any rust
at some point the car has been resprayed - some light bubbling to lacquer on the boot but the paint still polishes up well. A few scrapes and touch ups but nothing serious. The bumpers could do with repainting and I will include a can of paint and some masking tape in the sale.
then why am I selling it?
well those of you who know me know that I do get though cars. I do love it in many ways BUT the lowered suspension combined with the lap belts n the back seat mean that the family do not enjoy driving in it which was the reason to get it in the first place. I'm not hugely worried if it doesn't sell as I will put it into storage at the end of the summer and sort out the issues.
car is currently in Edinburgh but I can take it down to Hertfordshire and might do so next week
