Nose swaps

[AMC Diplomat]

10/10 would not do again. There's a ton of fitment issues. 40 year old parts don't play nice with each other.

But at least that stupid Fifth Avenue nose is gone

The whole time I was doing this, I kept thinking of this scene:

 

[Aspen500]

That does look better. Having the parking lights above the headlights looks awkward somehow JMO.

 

[Camtron]

It’s the 4square grill that looks weird. I don’t even think 5th Aves came with that grill option. Just Dips. This is the only grill that looks right on a 5th Ave.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

It’s the 4square grill that looks weird. I don’t even think 5th Aves came with that grill option. Just Dips. This is the only grill that looks right on a 5th Ave.

View attachment 51029

Yeah it's the "Dodge" grill.

That does look better. Having the parking lights above the headlights looks awkward somehow JMO.

Turn signals above the headlights looks like they asked the design team for 10 ideas by 5pm on a Friday and some a-hole said "ok, I'll show 'em" and the bosses ended up loving the worst idea

Like this

 

[Mikes5thAve]

The over headlight turn signals is from lebarons and older chryslers. Probably at some point during design they realized that the lights all looked identical and had to do simething to make the chrysler different. Dumb move to stick that front on diplomats tho.
But it looks like someone already swapped parts on your old front before because thise are chrysler headlight bezels with the chrome tops not the dodge ones.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

The over headlight turn signals is from lebarons and older chryslers. Probably at some point during design they realized that the lights all looked identical and had to do simething to make the chrysler different. Dumb move to stick that front on diplomats tho.
But it looks like someone already swapped parts on your old front before because thise are chrysler headlight bezels with the chrome tops not the dodge ones.

There's definitely been someone in there before. I'm not sure the passenger side fender is original.

See how the front lip of the driver side is painted and the passenger side is primered?
The Diplomat badge on the passenger side was glued on and there are no holes for it. I'm wondering if that fender was a replacement.

I bet the Diplomat turn signal lenses broke and someone found it easier just to get fifth Ave bezels than to hunt down those goofy plastic lenses

 

[Camtron]

There's definitely been someone in there before. I'm not sure the passenger side fender is original.
View attachment 51032
See how the front lip of the driver side is painted and the passenger side is primered?
The Diplomat badge on the passenger side was glued on and there are no holes for it. I'm wondering if that fender was a replacement.

I bet the Diplomat turn signal lenses broke and someone found it easier just to get fifth Ave bezels than to hunt down those goofy plastic lenses

I for some reason have 2 passenger/corner side marker frames if you ever find yourself in need, lol

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I for some reason have 2 passenger/corner side marker frames if you ever find yourself in need, lol

View attachment 51033

I'll keep that in mind. I haven't road tested this new nose yet so there's always a chance something will fly off. I had that happen with the cornering lamps on my old town car. The lens flew off the original, so I replaced the whole assembly. Then that one flew off too. So I bought a third one and glued the lens down with epoxy.

 

[Justwondering]

Generally what flies off my vehicle is the soda can or drink glass I set on the roof while I'm loading everything... then drive off and it rolls over and drains itself all over the roof and down the back glass...

sometimes you just can't fix stupid... I'll go to my grave and one of my brothers will, no doubt, epoxy a plastic glass to the top of my headstone.

JW

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Generally what flies off my vehicle is the soda can or drink glass I set on the roof while I'm loading everything... then drive off and it rolls over and drains itself all over the roof and down the back glass...

sometimes you just can't fix stupid... I'll go to my grave and one of my brothers will, no doubt, epoxy a plastic glass to the top of my headstone.

JW

I've got this one beat.

I was on a trip with the dog in the winter. After I cleaned up after the dog, I inadvertently left the poop bag on the roof and took off down the highway. About 30 mins later I realized I left the poop on the roof, so I pulled over at the next rest area to check. I thought someone must have gotten a windshield covered in dog crap.

Nope.

The bag had got caught by a roof rack and then frozen into a poop rock. It was barely hanging on. What was potentially funny had become potentially destructive.

 

[SonOfaTomP]

nice to see the white car's front end live on

 

[AMC Diplomat]

JB Water Weld helped a lot with this project

 

[FredMcJoe]

Like them or not, the original over-the-headlight turn signal was on the 1977 LeBarons. It was updated in 1980. This later design wrapped the lens up and over the top of the bezel and repeated at the rear fenders with the taillights/reflectors that ran up onto the top of the fenders. These were above the backup lights. At the time, it was kind of cool. I always thought they should have had little clear nubs on top that would confirm the operation of the turn signals but that never came about.

Before the '77 LeBarons, the 1961-63 Imperials used a turn signal lamp above the free-standing headlights. In that Imperials had a LeBaron model, this could have been a retro design cue pointing back to those cars.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

There's definitely been someone in there before. I'm not sure the passenger side fender is original.
View attachment 51032
See how the front lip of the driver side is painted and the passenger side is primered?
The Diplomat badge on the passenger side was glued on and there are no holes for it. I'm wondering if that fender was a replacement.

I bet the Diplomat turn signal lenses broke and someone found it easier just to get fifth Ave bezels than to hunt down those goofy plastic lenses

Looking back at that it might actually be the passenger one that's original. They painted the cars with the nose and end caps on so they usually didn't get full paint coverage under them.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Looking back at that it might actually be the passenger one that's original. They painted the cars with the nose and end caps on so they usually didn't get full paint coverage under them.

It's definitely a Frankenstein car. But on the upside it's such a nice car to work on compared to regular NY cars

 

[greyghost]

The 2 things that I dislike the most about my '79 LeBaron is the front end and the Landau roof! The turn signal lights above the headlights reminds me of Grizwald's car in the "Vacation" movie and the front bumper looks like it belongs on a pickup truck! Just day dreamin' I pictured a '70 'Cuda front nose on my LeBaron! That made me smile but knew that would never become a reality. As I said, "jus' dreamin'" lol! Another idea I had was converting my '79 Chrysler 300 into a pickup. Kinda like an El Camino or a Ranchero. Once again, "jus' dreamin'".

 

[FredMcJoe]

Take off the vinyl roof and the crossover band, grind off the stubs for the trim clips and go with paint, l like that better

 

[FredMcJoe]

The 2 things that I dislike the most about my '79 LeBaron is the front end and the Landau roof! The turn signal lights above the headlights reminds me of Grizwald's car in the "Vacation" movie and the front bumper looks like it belongs on a pickup truck! Just day dreamin' I pictured a '70 'Cuda front nose on my LeBaron! That made me smile but knew that would never become a reality. As I said, "jus' dreamin'" lol! Another idea I had was

The 2 things that I dislike the most about my '79 LeBaron is the front end and the Landau roof! The turn signal lights above the headlights reminds me of Grizwald's car in the "Vacation" movie and the front bumper looks like it belongs on a pickup truck! Just day dreamin' I pictured a '70 'Cuda front nose on my LeBaron! That made me smile but knew that would never become a reality. As I said, "jus' dreamin'" lol! Another idea I had was converting my '79 Chrysler 300 into a pickup. Kinda like an El Camino or a Ranchero. Once again, "jus' dreamin'".

my '79 Chrysler 300 into a pickup. Kinda like an El Camino or a Ranchero. Once again, "jus' dreamin'".

I put in these new LED lites that turn from white to amber when the turn signal is on for my 79. In the running lamp position of the headlamp switch, its almost like they are thin headlights... l like the look

 

[AMC Diplomat]

I put in these new LED lites that turn from white to amber when the turn signal is on for my 79. In the running lamp position of the headlamp switch, its almost like they are thin headlights... l like the look

Holley sells "retrobright" led headlights. I've been curious about those.

 

[FredMcJoe]

Holley sells "retrobright" led headlights. I've been curious about those.

I use E-code lamps but l dont have a rectangle set yet. My round lite F body car has them and the lens light pattern is much more even and direct with a distinct oncoming traffic cut off than SAE fuzzy beam lites that are the standard for US cars. The E-codes still use an incandescent bulb, not sure how well the LED replacement bulbs are when used in those.