My M on the Cheap

[Dr Lebaron]

In 1997, I still searched 'newspapers' for car ads. I saw and estate auction that had a 1979 Lebaron to be sold no reserve at 7pm.

I show up. First thing, I knew it was gonna be triple green [or maybe triple brown] Yep, triple green.
Still wearing a Texas windshield sticker, all I could see wrong was a crappy center pipe and door dings. No rust, 59,000 miles.

Now I get more info from the family. A Dr from Texas bought it new at Preston Dodge, moved up here to work and died.

Bidding came up. Someone said $200. I went $300. SOLD! SOLD! SOLD!.
So 10% buyer's fee and tax. $352.

This is one of the early pics besides Poloroids.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

So I get it home. Well I just happen to have a 15 yr collection of F parts.
Brand new complete exhaust, rad, belts hoses, water pump.
[Water pump as fine, but if I have the rad and hoses and belts off, now is a good time]

As I'm taking old things off, I notice all 78 date coded stuff. At the time, I didn't think all that much, but later on....now that's further on in the story.

The wheels.
In Sept, I took it to a Mopar show with the intent to flip it.
A guy in the vendors area had them on the Dip 4dr he drove there.

I overheard him say to his buddy, I could have sold them 5 times.
I said 'Make that six'
So $125, plus my stock wheels, hubcaps. He would do the grunt work on the tire swap at the show. SOLD!

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Paint.
There was no rust issues at all. The paint was still bright and shiney. But the door dings brought it down a notch.

Then one day I run into a guy I knew from the 70's.
He just opened a paint shop. Next to a local guru's paint shop.
We stuck a deal. $1200 and I'd hand out business cards.
It wasn't just masked off. All the chrome was popped.

Now 13 yrs later people still ask, 'Just get it painted?'
I guess he did a decent job.

Now another thing with the paint. Flipped open the 79 paint code book and the color wasn't there. Looked at 78, it was right there.
Again...at the time, didn't think about it...until later.

 

[Jack Meoff]

You scored bigtime Doc. What's up with all the 78 stuff?

 

[efriedrich]

Ya, what's up Doc. :icon_lol:

 

[Jonno]

Could it be a '78 sold and titled as a '79. That is my call on this car.

Or, it was built early in the production year of '79, say September, and used a bunch of '78 parts.

I remember going to Windsor September '80 to meet my new wifes family, and seeing the new '81 Imperials driving around, I don't think they were officially released yet so it was pretty exciting.

Anyway, great score and story there Doc. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

When I finally did the data plate decode, the build date was 4/22.
So it wasn't an early 79.

When I got all the brochures, US and Canadian, the paint was dropped in early 79.

When I got the dealer order pages, I didn't have one package, I had a bit from all over.

Well since the previous owner didn't do anything, I thought this was getting odder.

Then in more searching, St Louis was still building 79's in June.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

I went through Chrysler Historical to get more info. They don't have much about 1979.

But it could be a 78 that didn't sell, and Chrysler put another grille, tail lights and re Vin as a 1979.
I know the car didn't sell until April 80.

Or, it was at the Dallas autoshow, to showcase the /6 option.
It's has all the touchy/feely stuff on it, just no power stuff.

Since I've owned the Lebaron, even the couple painted the same color I've seen on the net, is not close to what I have. The others where V8s and had different options.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Hard to say what was going on. At that point Chrysler was hurtin' in the wallet department. It's highly likely they were using leftovers from 78 on their 79's.

 

[Jonno]

Wow great story if they were updating already built '78s and selling them as '79s!

Very cool colour, is that Frosty Green metallic?

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Paint is SG4. Mint Green Metallic.

With Chrysler Historic, I was told doing the rebadge in those times wasn't unheard of.
Is it a rebadged 78? With what I found, that would make sense of the 78 parts and the paint color that was canned by 1979.

As for being a show car. I have no pics. Chrysler has nothing.
But on the stage, you would have the /6 A/C car, then you could upgrade to the Medallion.

I even got the rocker chrome pc between front bumper and wheel well along with full bumper rub package. I see a lot of other Lebarons that didn't get that.

 

[Jack Meoff]

My Caravelle is good ol' MU3.
Sounds like you got a rare girl.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Google image 1979 Chrysler lebaron 2dr
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&g...urce=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=skc9T8v0IcPr0gGU_JHIBw

or 1979 Chrysler Lebaron 2 dr.

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&g...f.,cf.osb&fp=60554670f231e089&biw=819&bih=457
I used to be #1 on Yahoo, but that changed.

And I'm not the one posting the pics.
I just laugh at the $352 deal.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

I ended up with the fender mount turn signals, underhood and trunk lights. All interior lights except for the doors and full tint [standard w/ A/C]. Trunk dress up.

I didn't get the cornering lamps, interior door lights,clock, defrost, intermit wipers, power windows, seats, locks, leather, cruise, petal dress up, Medallion glass, defrost [but it was a Texas car], tilt. Only one speaker AM/F/M.

But isn't that just the stuff you check off the box when you order one or are on the loaded Medallion on the stage.

Hmmm....all I can say for sure is show me another like mine.

I still have more ammo when I break out the sales order catalog.
I have seats from one package, door panels from another, on a interior color that wasn't available then. [at data plate build time]
If it was a 78, then it gets a bit easier in the color dept. But it's a 79. And a later 79.

Also the mint green seat belts. NEVER seen another on a 2dr. Any other SG4's I have seen are black.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Hey Doc, did you ever find any build sheet on that baby. Seems like a total custom order to me. From what I understand Chrysler was pretty loose in those days with what they'd let you get on your car.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

And of course..no build sheet. Unless it's under the carpet up front.

 

[Jack Meoff]

And of course..no build sheet. Unless it's under the carpet up front.

Yeah. Sucks ass. I tore my Caravelle apart when I was redoing it. Nothing. Same with my 5th. BUT I have a one owner Dippy now. Let the exploring begin.

Always wanted to find the f**king build sheet.

 

[inmywj]

Cool story Doc...

My build sheet, on my '88 Diplomat, was under the rear seat. I removed the rear seat, along with everything else in the rear of that car, to replace the speakers and there it was.

I left it there...

 

[8D5 Gran Fury]

Helping the one guy source parts for the resto's on the Seattle Metropolitian Police Museum cars, got a double bonus- I still have the unit number in the drivers door pillar area, so I gave it to him (along with the VIN). When he gets a chance he'll be able to pull the fleet records of the car for me. Right off the bat when he looked at the car, he said "Arson investigation car. It's fire department, but has no red paint, so it is an investigator's car.

 

[Dr Lebaron]

Hey Doc, did you ever find any build sheet on that baby. Seems like a total custom order to me. From what I understand Chrysler was pretty loose in those days with what they'd let you get on your car.

The car wasn't an order car. If it was a 78 that didn't sell the first time, it almost didn't sell again.
The Lebaron wasn't sold until April 80. Jeez, the 81's are just around the corner.

Which now goes back to the show car, displaying the different options? That's why I have a mix match?