M is in the house

[rapidtrans]

Dad had two of these, though 4drs, 318 LeBarons. One ran great and one never ran right. The whole top end of the engine and all ignition and computers were eventually replaced to no avail. Hard starting, stalling, rough idle you name it. Highland Park had that car parked in the lab more than we parked it in our garage. Our loaner was a nice running 360 gorgeous triple dove gray w/leather interior LeBaron though.

 

[sixpkrt]

Is your car an original California sold vehicle? That package was usually used only in California but could be had as an option in other cases.

Steve, I am not aware if this car was originally sold in California, but when speaking with the seller he did mention the car came from Phoenix AZ, purchased from an elderly woman. So it could be possible its from Cali. Maybe that "elderly woman" he mentioned moved to AZ from CA for her retirement.
The car must've been in a friendlier climate out west it's entire life, because in general, you just can't find anything this original and rust free in the Midwest.

Love the original 15 X 7 wheels and covers. I vote they go back on the car.

Will, those Ridler wheels/tires were put on the car by the guy I bought it from. He had just bought a 64 Fury that came with the Ridler wheelsAfter he found his dream car, they were removed and put on the LeBaron to help sell the car.
The original wheels and tires were included with the sale, and will most likely go back on the car where they belong.

 

[ayilar]

The 1978-9 318-4 bbl was a really good package (...) I developed both calibrations because I was fed up with the crap the proving grounds fed California so we did our own

@sixpkrt, how cool is it that our friend Steve is directly responsible for the engine setup in your new toy?

 

[saforwardlook]

Dad had two of these, though 4drs, 318 LeBarons. One ran great and one never ran right. The whole top end of the engine and all ignition and computers were eventually replaced to no avail. Hard starting, stalling, rough idle you name it. Highland Park had that car parked in the lab more than we parked it in our garage. Our loaner was a nice running 360 gorgeous triple dove gray w/leather interior LeBaron though.

They may have been different model years. In the first year of the LeBarons, 1977, the federal and California packages (M and F bodies) were released by the proving grounds with input from the fuel systems lab. They were all 2 bbls and ran terrible. They were so bad in California that the California Air Resources Board forced a recall because in emission compliance testing they were unable to complete the test because the cars would all stall a couple times during the emission test on a dynamometer starting from a cold start - all the tests were invalidated. There was nothing but compliants from the field as well and Chrysler was innundated with buyback suits.

GM cars starting in 1975 came out the door running like tops by comparison because they knew how to calibrate the engines when using catalytic converters for the first time because they helped develop the catalytic converter. Chrysler never figured out what to do until around 1978 because of their internal lean burn crusaders that were clueless. I rented a couple California GM cars and Ford models in 1977 to evaluate driveability. We ended up tearing the GM cars apart and sent all the fuel system/emission components back to Highland Park to have them evaluated. That is when the light came on as to how to build a good driving car using the catalytic converter to its full potential. We took what we learned and calibrated a 318-4 bbl very much like the GM cars and they too drove very well and fully met emission requirements with no issues. In 1977 I was working at our emission lab in California and built up a test model and when finished, we sent the components back to Highland Park (Carter carburetor reps helped us get the carburetor calibrations spot on) and had them put on a 318-2bbl that was converted to our 4 bbl package back in Detroit (I was told I could not touch the 2 bbl calibration because that was the sole responsibility of the proving grounds, so we went around the prohibition and built a 4 bbl version). The car was slipped into the overnight driving pool by one of my reps stationed in Detroit and when the Chief Engineer came back the next morning, he wanted to know what was in that car since he had never driven a catalyst car that ran flawlessly especially from a cold start - that is when we got the green light to do our own calibrations in CA from there on. The proving grounds never talked with us again - that was our payback, but at least they too started building calibrations that actually drove well learning from the work we had done.

This is just one reason why I am a proponent of being involved in new technology development from the beginning because it gives real advantages to the companies that make such moves.

The Fords were also pretty miserable in comparison to GM cars too and had more junk on them than even the Chrysler models did in 1977.

 

[rapidtrans]

As a matter of fact was the pale yellow lemon ‘77 model that ran terribly. The ‘78 triple green ran very well.

 

[sixpkrt]

I stopped by the shop for about an hour today and was getting another look at the Lebaron.
Didn't notice this until today, but the sound system has an 8-track player.
Luck has it I just happened to have some old 8-tracks in a box, grabbed a couple of them and tested the player. It works!
Back in the day I always had one of those center consoles that held 8 track tapes placed on the center hump, and always had my favorites in the car. I don't think I'd find one of those today though.
I never would've predicted I'd be driving around listening to 8 tracks in a car again 40 years later.

And as for the Ridler wheels...here's the 64 Fury the seller bought which they came on.

He sold the Lebaron to partially finance his restoration on this very cool ride that he just acquired.....

 

[rapidtrans]

My college room mate had that exact color & model 64 Plymouth with a 361.

 

[Fratzog]

Trower and Seger. The PO had good taste in music.

 

[sixpkrt]

The 8 tracks are mine

 

[furious70]

Chicago II and bs&t, alright.
My last car with working 8 track was a 71 Satellite in 1995.

 

[rapidtrans]

Still works fine. I have made 8 track tapes for a few friends of modern artists complete with cover art. They use them more for curiosity at car shows. People see an 8 track in a car and automatically look at the artist name. Imagine the surprise when the Carrie Underwood tape actually plays!

 

[69b_andmore]

This is SO funny - just yesterday, a 79 LeBaron Coupe Medallion joined my place (in Germany) as well... Unbelieveable.
72.500 km (yes, it's an Euro-Export with Cat-Delete) - and with its really mint condition I'll buy that.
I like that boat tail like rear...

And Steve - thank you very much for your "lean" burn explanation. A cool piece of development history.

(Note to self: C-Body still on shopping list...)

 

[furious70]

Maybe find some 5th ave snowflake mags rather than those hubcaps?

 

[saforwardlook]

The LeBaron I got for my mom was a Medallion version with the leather interior and so on with those original wheels and I thought they looked very good. I am not so sure the snowflake wheels would look right on that model - the 2 door Le Barons looked more Sporty than the more formal looking 5th Avenues. I would leave the originals -and I also value originality on a model as sharp as the Le Barons.

 

[78Brougham]

The original wheels and tires were included with the sale, and will most likely go back on the car where they belong

I'm congratulating you on a great score! I was going to beg you to please dump the rubber bands, but you beat me to it!

he sold the Lebaron to partially finance his restoration on this very cool ride that he just acquired.....

He must really love those crappy wheels and tires!

Nice job, she's a beauty!

 

[sixpkrt]

I frequent this website when trying to determine stats on vehicles not too familiar with:
1979 Chrysler Le Baron Medallion 2-Door 225-2V TorqueFlite (82 kW / 112 PS / 110 hp) (since October 1978 for North America U.S.) specs review (automobile-catalog.com)

The spec pics show 3 different 2 door models, Base, Medallion and Salon with the Base having a different roof line.
When trying to find what the main differences are between the Medallion & the Salon models this link doesn't make a clear distinction the three. Unsure if this car of mine a Medallion or Salon.
I'm not schooled on M's as this is the first one for me, just trying to learn more about the differences.

 

[70NEWYORKER]

VIN BREAKDOWN
F- LeBaron
P- Premium Price Class
22- 2Door "B" Pillared Hard Top
H- 318-4 BBL
9- 1979 Model Year
G- St Louis Assy Plant

Underhood emissions sticker should state if car is a Federal or Calif Emissions package.
Look online for some 79 LeBaron catalogs. Differences between Medallion and Salon should be spelled out somewhere.

 

[saforwardlook]

I agree on getting a 1979 Dealer brochure to determine what the differences were between the different models.

Here is one example:

1979 Chrysler LeBaron 14-page Original Car Dealer Sales Brochure Catalog | eBay

My mother's car was a 1978 medallion that had a different roofline than yours does, but I don't think the roofline in 1979 solely determined a medallion. Hers looked like this one:

Her's was all light yellow on the outside and a brown leather interior inside.

This roofline was available in 1979 I believe but was either a base model or a salon possibly, not really sure but if you get the dealer brochure, please clue us in.

Here is a page from the 1979 brochure showing the roofline that was on all 1978 models on the right side (two door) but I can't read the small print below the photo - but the accompanying interior shot seems to suggest base model in 1979:

 

[LocuMob]

According to this, the opera lights make it a Medalion.

 

[saforwardlook]

According to this, the opera lights make it a Medalion.

View attachment 422804

Is your post for a 1978 model or a 1979? The roofline for all three images in yours suggests the 1978 roofline............but that is the kind of information needed.