Before, (During), After

[Jack Meoff]

Okay, so we've pretty much put the discussion of whether our F,M,J's are on par with the "other" guys to bed. The general consensus is yes. We have beautiful cars. But they didn't all start that way. Some are close to finished, some are in the middle and some are just getting started.

So, How bout pics? Show your baby's transformation here.
Even if you're at the before stage, post 'em up and we can watch the progress as it happens. Or, if you just have after's..
PUT 'EM UP!

If nobody minds, I'll start us off.

My steal of a deal Caravelle didn't really turn out to be. Once I got it home I realized I had just bought "Pandora's Plymouth". It took me $2900 worth of stuff just to get her a safety. Wait for the novel.

I was rolling the dice when I bought it. it was in a seniors home parking lot, no plates and no insurance. All I could do was roll it around the parking lot at about 10 km per hr. Knock it into reverse.... Yep... tranny works, I'll take it. Didn't know what I was really dealing with till I got her home.

I got a 10 day sticker so I could get it home. I drove out of the parking lot and started cruising along in my new baby. Got to the first set of lights. leaned into the brakes to be greeted by... WHAM..WHAM..WHAM! (Ahh... cracked rotor). Then I could smell the overpowering waft of gas. (Ahh... gas leak).
I brought it over to one of my buddy's shops. 3 weeks and $2900 later, she was AT LEAST ready for a safety.

Pic#1 is Me with my baby after I finally got her a safety, lots left to do.

Pic#2 is at my good friends Geoff's shop (that's his touque, eh?) along with Petey the wonderdog (he used full sized pylons as chew toys). Geoff is explaining to me that I just bought a rusting hulk and it needs LOTS of work. He told me to be at his shop Saturday morning at 8:00 am... DON'T BE LATE! He let me use all of his tools and his shop for the entire spring, summer and fall so I could fix my baby. Whadda great guy.

Pic#3 is my Plymouth as "The Primermobile" Just waiting for enough dough to get her painted.

Pics#4 & 5....VOILA!

She ain't done yet, but well on her way.

Let the posting begin.

 

[8D5 Gran Fury]

I'll have to get some more shots of my GF up- the only ones I put up were from when I got it out of my buddy's barn and washed it. Got it over to the shop (another friend) and began working on it- full tune, servicing, and then...the coolant dribble was cured by replacing the timing cover gasket (and water pump since I was there). So the air pump seized up (okay, just pull the belt). Then the starter started to act up (it is 28 tears old according to casting date), so took a core mini starter down and got a reman'd one. Now I need to get into the carb- idle solenoid circuit is acting up, my buddy agreed with the diagnosis everybody here gave when I described the symptoms. Not quite a $2900 (Loonies, I presume?) tale, and not too unexpected since the car sat around for so long doing nothing, but still a little frustrating!
By the way Captain, the Caravelle looks nice in those shots...

 

[Jack Meoff]

Thanks man, yep $2900 loonies. I was rolling the dice when I bought it. it was in a seniors home parking lot, no plates and no insurance. All I could do was roll it around the parking lot at about 10 km per hr. Knock it into reverse.... Yep... tranny works, I'll take it. Didn't know what I was really dealing with till I got her home.

That's showbiz.

Post what you got.

 

[efriedrich]

Man them steelies look great on that Plymouth. What color is that, could you get a Caravelle Medallion.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Man them steelies look great on that Plymouth. What color is that, could you get a Caravelle Medallion.

Don't think so.The Caravelle was the budget model. I know you could get a Dippy Medallion, but I don't think so with the lowly Plymouth.

The color is as close to stock as I could get. (it's pretty damn close). Got the code written down somewhere.

 

[Yellowdart69]

In Canada, before the cancellation of Plymouth, there were Chrysler Plymouth Dealers, and Chrysler Dodge Dealers. Chrysler was the premium model, Dodge or Plymouth, the lower priced models. All Lebarons sold here were Medallions, all Plymouth or Dodge, were the base model.

 

[Jack Meoff]

In Canada, before the cancellation of Plymouth, there were Chrysler Plymouth Dealers, and Chrysler Dodge Dealers. Chrysler was the premium model, Dodge or Plymouth, the lower priced models. All Lebarons sold here were Medallions, all Plymouth or Dodge, were the base model.

Yep. By the time Chrysler got into M's Plymouth was the low boy, Dodge was the "Everybody can own one" and Chrysler was the cat's ass.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Let's not forget "The Leaning Tower Of Power".
Still beating out those 110 ponies. :headbang:

 

[Jonno]

In Canada, before the cancellation of Plymouth, there were Chrysler Plymouth Dealers, and Chrysler Dodge Dealers. Chrysler was the premium model, Dodge or Plymouth, the lower priced models. All Lebarons sold here were Medallions, all Plymouth or Dodge, were the base model.

Hey there, sorry to digress but I don't totally agree with this.
There were Chrysler Plymouth dealers and there were Dodge dealers. Although Chrysler Plymouth also sold Fargo trucks until the early '70s they did not sell Plymouth branded vans or trucks later (ie early Plymouth Voyager full size B series vans and Plymouth Trail Duster trucks were never sold in Canada). I do not remember Dodge dealers selling Chrysler cars, they sold Dodge cars and Dodge trucks. I remember Dodge Ontario on Yonge just North of Finch in T.O. was one such dealer.

In regards to only Chrysler LeBarons being the only Medallions and all Plymouth Caravelles and Dodge Diplomat being base models I do not believe this to be true. I think most 77 - 79 Dips and Velles were Medallions or at least the mid Salon model. Case in point, most two doors have the Landau vinyl roof with the brushed metal moulding on them either with the regular or the smaller slit style opera window.

Captain Caravelle's car is very unusual in that it is a stripper two door without the vinyl roof.

The Caravelle/Diplomat/LeBaron was sold as move upmarket from the Aspen/Volare, and as such had more bells and whistles. I remember my parents rented a new Caravelle Salon and drove it Florida in '78. My father was impressed by the slant 6 and the fact that it had air conditioning.

Just my ten cents, plus HST of course.

Hey Captain, I just love your Caravelle, did I tell you that today yet! :tshirt:

 

[Jack Meoff]

Hey Captain, I just love your Caravelle, did I tell you that today yet! :tshirt:

Thanks Jonno. Actually, no you haven't told me today.

Don't mean to disagree with you BUT, as far as I have ever known, The Caravelle (M's anyway) was a Canadian ONLY Model and I personally don't know of any "Medallion" Caravelles. To the best of my knowledge they were all bench seat strippers.

Keep in mind in Canada, Caravelle's were primarily fleet cars. Taxis, patrol (not pursuit) cars, etc.


I could be wrong.

 

[Jonno]

OK Captain, I don't mean to derail this thread but the race is on to find some Caravelle Medallions or at least Salons!
Any out there? Anybody got any '78-79 Caravelle brochures?
Just checked my "Car & Parts Catalog of Canadian Car I.D. numbers by Bill Watson and it lists base Caravelle's only for '78 and both base and Salon Caravelle's for '79 so you could be right about the Medallion thing, maybe they are only Salons! Phew learn something every day!
Also, going back to what was just said about Mopar dealers in Canada. I think at that time it was possible to get a small town Chrysler/Plymouth dealer who also sold trucks, or a similar Dodge dealer that sold Chrysler cars.

That's it I'm going to bed - my head is full, too much thinking!

 

[Jack Meoff]

10-4 good buddy. Yep, search all ya want ( Lord knows I have). Don't think you'll be finding any 78 Caravelle Medallions.

 

[Yellowdart69]

I went to the basement, to look through my old car brochures. It took a while, but I found the '78 brochure for Caravelles.There was one model only, that year.A padded vinyl top was an option on the four dour. The vinyl top on the two door included the brushed aluminum crown. Standard interior was cloth and vinyl, all vinyl was optional. By the way, my first new car was a '78 Lebaron. In 1982 I got the Cordoba, which I still have.

 

[Jack Meoff]

I went to the basement, to look through my old car brochures. It took a while, but I found the '78 brochure for Caravelles.There was one model only, that year.A padded vinyl top was an option on the four dour. The vinyl top on the two door included the brushed aluminum crown. Standard interior was cloth and vinyl, all vinyl was optional. By the way, my first new car was a '78 Lebaron. In 1982 I got the Cordoba, which I still have.

Check your PM's.

 

[Jack Meoff]

I went to the basement, to look through my old car brochures. It took a while, but I found the '78 brochure for Caravelles.There was one model only, that year.A padded vinyl top was an option on the four dour. The vinyl top on the two door included the brushed aluminum crown. Standard interior was cloth and vinyl, all vinyl was optional. By the way, my first new car was a '78 Lebaron. In 1982 I got the Cordoba, which I still have.

Wow! Didn't even know you could get one with a vinyl roof. Ya learn sumpin' new everyday. ccasion14:

 

[Jack Meoff]

Wow! Waaaayyyy off track.

HOW BOUT SOME PICS!?!?

 

[bremereric]

A cig, a car, a dog, a buddy and a drink can't be beat. Nice car.

 

[Jack Meoff]

A cig, a car, a dog, a buddy and a drink can't be beat. Nice car.

You're right.

It don't get a lot better than that.

Thanks Eric.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Wow! Didn't even know you could get one with a vinyl roof. Ya learn sumpin' new everyday. ccasion14:

Ok. Learned even more.

 

[Jonno]

OK I do believe you guys are onto something here - no such thing as a Caravelle Medallion.
But I think there were two lines of Caravelles, Base and Salon.

Check out this link to my buddy Mike's Web page featuring his '79 Caravelle Salon:

http://www.angelfire.com/ca/mikesspot/frames.html

(Go to his "my 1979 Caravelle 360" area)

This car is parted now, having lived it's life on the streets of Nepean, ON.

But, road wheels, 360, vinyl roof, car ain't no stripper.