1979 LeBaron Service Manual

[Justwondering]

Went to pick parts today.
Scored a replacement hood so if my practice at taking the crimp out of my hood fails, I have a fallback.
Got a choke pulloff with the correct shape at the bottom to fit my car... although as BudW has pointed out, I probably won't need it nor more often than I drive in cold weather.
Got a replacement plastic grill engine cowl covering for engine compartment. My old one has holes in it.
Got a replacement wiring harness, for the most part, that will let me fix the LeBaron without too much pain. Butt-splicing here I come.

Guy sold me the hood for $25 and gave me everything else for free.

Also got the forklift guy to move my hood from , yes, the very last freaking row on the lot back down to the front and put it in my truck for me. Suh-weet.

I should have taken my drill and removed the wheel well alumnum bits and I need to review the manual for removing the chronometer and the radio.

Darth-car says I should pick those two items up for my LeBaron.

I have two more nearly 70 degree days to do it before it gets cold again.

I do like the way the bonnet roof is attached to the roof. Looks more upscale than what I did. Ah well.

Manual controls on the passenger front seat so I didn't bother with it.

Might pull the wipers off of it... they don't look as woe-begone and mine.

Will see.

JW

 

[BudW]

Removing an FMJ hood solo might be an impossible job - unless you have some kind of a crane, rope (from a tree) or something. Otherwise, all one will do is damage a lot of things (including yourself).
Even with two people - it is still a challenge (more so with install).

Then moving the hood by one self - also challenging.
Don't forget to add some wind to the mix...

What vehicle did you get these goodies from?
Pictures?

 

[Justwondering]

Got the hood off.
Boy was I a popular gal yesterday.
Every one of the guys that stopped by 'on my way home from work' came over to me and asked to borrow my tools to get whatever parts they needed off the cars they were working on. lol
Reminded me of high school. Only substitute homework answers for wrenches and its just about the same feeling.

I was late getting to Reno and of course all the Chryslers are on the very last row farthest from the office/parking lot. So after the 20 mile hike (lol), I found the car.

82 New Yorker..maroon bonnet and interior and white exterior with two of the ugliest red stripes on the hood.

of course, by the time I got to it someone had busted the window out of the passenger side.

I'll be going back over there on Wednesday or if that doesn't work out, I'll head back over this weekend for a few more bits and pieces.

I was wondering if you think I should pull anything else, like bumper fillers or headliner-backer -- some of the chrome bits or window shades?

Doesn't seem like anyone is terribly interested in Chrysler products.

They did take pity on me and after I got the hood moved from the lineup over to the middle aisle they did use their forklift to move it to the front and put it in my truck. But I agree with you Budw, getting it off the car wasn't too difficult, but hauling it from the lineup over to the middle aisle -- ugh.

JW

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Which one is the hood for? 79 is a bit different.

For radio you need to take out a bunch of Phillips screws across the top and bottom of the wood dash face and pop it off. The radio may or may not have security screws holding it in place.
The glove box also has a bunch of Phillips screws holding it you see with the door open.
Thst front bumper filler is already twisted a bit.

 

[Justwondering]

Hood is for the 87 fifth avenue.
My current plan is to see if I can use the dollies my husband bought me to get the diagonal tweek out of my hood. Put this white hood on my 87FA to keep the leaves/limbs out of the engine bay and drive it to get my inspection done.

Once I get the orig hood tweeked back and on the car, I can use the 82 white hood to practice painting.
I'm hoping to get some paint on the fifth avenue this year.

Weather folks say we will be in a drought until June or July --- that should give me time to get new paint on it OR decide that I really am out of my element.

JW

 

[Aspen500]

Here's how you install a hood solo, when you don't want to wait until someone is available to help, lol.

 

[BudW]

Which one is the hood for? 79 is a bit different.

I was wondering that myself - which was why I asked. It makes no sense to get a hood that won't fit.

I'll be going back over there on Wednesday or if that doesn't work out, I'll head back over this weekend for a few more bits and pieces.
I was wondering if you think I should pull anything else, like bumper fillers or headliner-backer -- some of the chrome bits or window shades?

From what I can see from this picture - and all of this is strictly optional.

Black arrows
Headlight doors and grill frame. Check chrome for pitting. I found a Fifth Ave with wonderful looking chrome and grabbed it a few years back. These three chrome pieces on my '86 Fifth are full of pits (which is very hard for a chrome shop to fix).
The grill frame looks damaged on this car - as well as the bumper filler(s) - possibly.

White arrow
Antenna - if car has a manual antenna, grab it. This works good as a power antenna to manual antenna changeover (for you or someone else). Power antennas are nice when they work but not so nice when they don't.
I had converted my '86 Fifth Ave to manual antenna (and gave you the old motor).

Blue box
Not sure what to call this but "gills" maybe. These get torn off via car washes. If you got time, I would like to get a pair, but don't go out of your way. The black inner fender usually has to be removed to gain access. They might have large nuts on outside, clips or even held on via double-stick tape. The Fifth Ave "gills" are speicific to M-body (Fifth Ave) only, I believe. They are different from Left to Right and there are minor differences over the years.

Blue arrows
Door handles (inner and outer's). These break from time to time - so nice to have a spare. They make two different outer versions: one with recess for paint (or a sticker) and those without a recess. The ones on this car should be recessed with a (white) decal on them. Left and Rights are the same - but the plastic clip (to rod) is different from Left to Right.

Red arrows
Wheel well trim - ALWAYS grab these, on any FMJ, when one in decent shape one is found. Always mark (on back side - so it can't be seen when installed) what position on car, the trim came from, for all 4 wheel wheel trim are different (as well as 2-door rear is different from 4-door rear).
Body sill trim - if not beat up. The plastic clips that hold this trim on can be hard to find, so if removing the sill trim, grab the clips, as well. To remove the trim - push up on the metal part - about 1/8 to 1/4" then pull out on bottom edge (if I remember correctly).

Red oval
If side mirror chrome is not pitted and if glass is not scratched up, it might be worth saving the side mirrors. The important part is not to kink the cables!

Inside car
ashtray - if it hasn't been used.
Cigar lighters if in decent shape. The heating element can be replaced if in bad condition (with old knob).
Trim or bezels that are in decent shape.
Headliner - if in decent shape (the backing or board, not the cloth overlay).

Rear of car
Tail lights maybe (if decent)
The rear bumper fillers (if decent)

BudW

 

[Mikes5thAve]

Body sill trim - if not beat up. The plastic clips that hold this trim on can be hard to find, so if removing the sill trim, grab the clips, as well. To remove the trim - push up on the metal part - about 1/8 to 1/4" then pull out on bottom edge (if I remember correctly).

Its the top you pull out or gently pry from with a flat screw driver.

It's usually easier to start from the middle. When you start pulling at it you'll be able to tell where the clips are, you can twist with a screw driver at that spot and it'll do no damage. To get the clips off once the trim is off the bottom pushes one way and then they slide up. Put the same screw driver on the side near the nail head (it'll make sense when you see it) and give it a palm whack and it'll come loose. Being in Texas they might be brittle and break. If they're missing the two little curved spring things on the bottom they're broken.

 

[BudW]

Not related. My original headliner, for my '86 Fifth, was taken out on a wendy day. I got it out of car, in one piece but shortly afterwards, the wind got it and tore it into several pieces. I have about 4/5th of the pieces to put it back together. not sure what happened to the rest of it.
A few years back, I bought a recently recovered headliner (dark red - for my (all) gray car) as a replacement. The ice story we got October 2020, I had a few limbs puncture my metal roof on one garage. I had my headliner out of the way in my garage - so it wouldn't get damaged. The weather didn't damage it, but the roofing company hired to replace the metal sheets on my my roof (3 sheets total) moved my headliner and broke the cardboard in two different places (so three pieces now). I didn't see this until a couple of weeks after they were done/gone and was (well. frankly, still am...) furious.

If you can find that one in decent shape, I could use the trunk "Fifth Avenue" emblem - which is double-sided taped on. A plastic trim stick should be able to remove it without much difficulty.

I'm not sure what to do about my headliner, now ...
BudW

 

[Justwondering]

I'll be going back over there for more parts but it is cold today and tomorrow... so it will be this weekend.
Reviewing the manual to see how to remove things.

If the driver side door window is in the up position, how do I get it down to get access to the trime and screws to remove the side mirrors? Window is busted out on the passenger side, but I've never busted a window before.

I did remove the driver side door inner panel (mostly) but not quite all the way. Guess I could just cut the wiring but I wasnt sure if someone would want the door controls.

I'm definitely getting the radio and the chronometer and had considered all the 'bling' inside the car but hadn't considered the outside belt, etc.

JW

 

[BudW]

If the driver side door window is in the up position, how do I get it down to get access to the trim

The door glass needs to be in either a full up position, or completely removed, to access the three 3/8 inch mirror nuts. Use a 1/4-inch drive 6-inch extension with a 3/8-inch deep socket into three holes on inner door frame:

Pictures provided by @old yellow 78
When you get the mirrors removed, there will be a bracket (red arrow) on inside of the door:

Which is held on by two plastic clips (blue arrow). A flat blade screwdriver (or something) will pop those clips off.

The most IMPORTANT step is to NOT PULL on the CABLES at these clips (yellow circles):

You WILL (not if or maybe), I repeat, you WILL kink the cables rendering the mirror useless (for mirror will always go back to the kink which is never where you want the mirror pointed at).
Just cut the clips. A person can find something to attach cables to the door frame (another clip, or zip-tie, or something). Those black plastic clips are almost impossible to remove intact to begin with.
When I worked at a dealership, and car was needing the mirror replaced, I would take diagonal wire cutters and clip/cut on the circle. I would then gently pull the cables out of the "cut" ring then (gently) push the cables back into the original clip leaving the new clips still attached to new mirror.
BudW

 

[Justwondering]

I think I have gotten the household in good shape to leave my husband for a full day at the pick tomorrow. BudW really appreciate the info. I've been reading my manuals and will take them with me.

JW