1977 Lebaron Turbine Video
- Thread starter Dr Lebaron
- Start date
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
Turbine
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
Interesting.
I never knew they were still playing with the turbine engines that far along
I never knew they were still playing with the turbine engines that far along
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
The EPA was still giving them money, so they ran with the ball.
Too bad it didn't continue because they run on almost anything.
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
Crushed and scrapped.
How can you be sure? Maybe a museum somewhere has one. I know of at least one that made it into private hands. (Jay Leno) Allot would probably have to do with who owned them. I'm not sure if the last generation was owned by Chrysler or The Department of Energy.
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
The 63's where from a time with different legalities.
Remember they crushed all those Viper prototypes due to modern legalities.
I've been looking for any trace of the F/M/J era turbines for over 20 yrs and long before the Germans bought Mopar.
Chrysler Heritage had no information then.
Remember they crushed all those Viper prototypes due to modern legalities.
I've been looking for any trace of the F/M/J era turbines for over 20 yrs and long before the Germans bought Mopar.
Chrysler Heritage had no information then.
metallicaman0258
Well-Known Member
I heard a rumor that the turbine program continued until 1980 and that they had installed one into a LeBaron in the late 70's. This is the first media confirmation I've seen to support the hearsay.
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
80 Mirada turbine
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
The last turbine kick of the can was a K car, but never actually got a engine.
Just blueprints and a foam engine mock up.
By that time the program looked good as most of the faults had been addressed.
Might have been feasible if Chrysler wasn't hurting for cash at the time and got out.
Just blueprints and a foam engine mock up.
By that time the program looked good as most of the faults had been addressed.
Might have been feasible if Chrysler wasn't hurting for cash at the time and got out.
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
Until the first pic, I had never seen the headlights.
Just pics like these.
Just pics like these.
Jack Meoff
Mopar Maniac
metallicaman0258
Well-Known Member
Just think if they could have engineered a way to get the take-off time to improve to the point of an ICE what could have been...
That and not had the financial problems.
That and not had the financial problems.
Dr Lebaron
Well-Known Member
In the last kick of the can, the K car turbine was lighter than the previous platforms and 90hp was more suited in small car.
With all the lip service about fossil fuels, boiled down to a very simple solution.
If the EPA ran with the ball, if there were 10% turbine,10% electric and 10% other like bio, propane, natural gas, plus diesel, there would be 40 or 50% drop in demand for gasoline just like that.
With all the lip service about fossil fuels, boiled down to a very simple solution.
If the EPA ran with the ball, if there were 10% turbine,10% electric and 10% other like bio, propane, natural gas, plus diesel, there would be 40 or 50% drop in demand for gasoline just like that.
Mr C
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I love the look of the LeBaron turbine-it's like they grafted the J body Imperial nose on to the M body.
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80mirada
Well-Known Member
The Mirada and the Aspen were production "pilot" cars. They both reportedly had V-8 VIN codes and were converted after their stint with the dept. of energy. The other production based cars they used in the program had various fates ranging from conversion back to regular configuration, sold cheap to factory race teams to become race cars, or crushed. The Lebaron was shown to be in Chrysler Historical's collection, but I don't know if it was ever displayed or still existed.
