My New (to Me) 73 Imperial LeBaron

[Mauser-Oberndorf-AN]

Back in September I had a FB Marketplace 4-door LeBaron shipped from Maine to me in Indiana. Original Burnished Red Metallic paint, quite worn in places and surface rust in others, Champagne top, and interior in Parchment. Has its original window sticker and other paperwork, sold at Johnson Motors in Glencoe, Minn., in June 1973. I believe I'm the 4th owner, and possibly the youngest.

The good:​

-54,000 miles, which I, the last owner, and the mechanic it's currently at believe to be original.
-The rest of the car doesn't look to have been monkeyed with at all. The interior just seems to need to be thoroughly detailed and conditioned, with the only real areas of wear I've found on the driver's lower 'B pillar' trim, the dash wood/vinyl, and a missing seat button in the rear.
-All the parts I've looked at so far look stock Chrysler and original, except perhaps the radiator. It has a cap that is stamped Mexico, and I think I understand that these originally had radiators with a plastic reserve tank off on the starboard side, which this does not.

The less good:​

-I have to get a new title in Indiana, as it didn't have one from its time in Maine.
-It hadn't wanted to stay running, and it turns out to be the fuel bowl in the Thermoquad. The mechanic put an electric choke Edelbrock in its place, which already makes a world of difference. He's giving the Thermoquad back to me, as I'd like to tinker with it.
-Needs a brake overhaul, including master cylinder and booster, which I'd like to do myself. Do any members have any suggestions on which master cylinder and booster to buy? I'm coming into the world of vintage full-size U.S. cars from only having driven 90s-2000s German cars and doing some work on those, so pretty much everything is new to me (I'm even just pleased with myself for being able to follow the service manual, disassemble and lubricate the headlight door motor, clean the contacts and get that working reliably!).
-The rear bumper has some severe pitting (rot?) near the bumper guards that has gone straight through much of the chrome, which is flaking around the edge. Are there any solutions to fixing that, or should I try to find a replacement bumper?

Plans​

-I want to keep it as stock and original as possible, maybe seeing about adding some of the options it didn't come with down the road.
-For now, I'd like to get everything mechanical sorted out before I address the cosmetics on the outside. There is surface rust along the lower rockers, one of the quarter panels, and some noticeable pitting at the base of the rear windscreen. For what it's worth, an area of the hood that I cleaned, clayed, compounded and polished cleaned up beautifully! It's a happy coincidence that it too is red, like my daily.

If anyone is trying to keep track of these, here's the VIN and what I tried decoding of the fender tag:
YM43T3C301093
Imperial LeBaron
Medium
4 Door Hardtop
TC3: unknown
1973
Jefferson Avenue, Michigan
301093: Sequence Number
E85: 440 cid 4 barrel V8 350hp
D34: Light Duty Automatic Transmission
GE7: Burnished Red Metallic
RLL3: Trim - Premium, Leather 3-in-1 Split Bench, Parchment
HL2: Int. Door Frames, Parchment
605: Build Date: June 05
V1L: Full Vinyl Top, Champagne
H53: AutoTemp II A/C
R48: Power Antenna
L31: Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
L35: Cornering Lamps
M45: Fender Skirts
P31: Power Windows
P41: Power Door Locks
N88: Auto Speed Control
G31: OS RH Manual Standard Mirror
G11: Tinted Glass (All)
R32: Dual Rear Speakers

I noticed that the window sticker has option S13 - Heavy Duty Suspension - but that isn't on the fender tag. Was that a dealer-installed option?

 

[CBODY67]

Look in the Order Guides in the "Library" at www.hamtramck-historical.com to see what the S13 option involved on Imperials. Might just be heavy-duty shocks. NOT dealer-installed.

Congrats in the find! You might be surprised at how well the old Chrysler acrylic enamel paints can clean up and shine.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[69CoronetRT]

I noticed that the window sticker has option S13 - Heavy Duty Suspension - but that isn't on the fender tag. Was that a dealer-installed option?

Not all options are coded on a fender tag.

The general rule of thumb is things that get coded on a tag usually mean you had to punch a hole (tachs, antennas, moldings), weld or attach a bracket (consoles, auto pilot), cowl or dash modification (a/c, rally dash) radiator support opening width, paint, trim or other modifications to the body as well as unique car identification (VINs and SO/VON). Suspension and steering, generally, are not coded. Exceptions exist but this is the general guideline.

605: Build Date: June 05

That is the scheduled date. The door sticker will tell you the actual build date. See how close they are together and please report back.

 

[ayilar]

Congrats on buying YM43T3C301093 !

There are lots of FCBO members in Indiana, including @fury fan and @david hill -- both near Indy.

PS: is that an Imola Red E46 M3 next to it?

 

[sprice]

Back in September I had a FB Marketplace 4-door LeBaron shipped from Maine to me in Indiana. Original Burnished Red Metallic paint, quite worn in places and surface rust in others, Champagne top, and interior in Parchment. Has its original window sticker and other paperwork, sold at Johnson Motors in Glencoe, Minn., in June 1973. I believe I'm the 4th owner, and possibly the youngest.
View attachment 687460

The good:​

-54,000 miles, which I, the last owner, and the mechanic it's currently at believe to be original.
-The rest of the car doesn't look to have been monkeyed with at all. The interior just seems to need to be thoroughly detailed and conditioned, with the only real areas of wear I've found on the driver's lower 'B pillar' trim, the dash wood/vinyl, and a missing seat button in the rear.
-All the parts I've looked at so far look stock Chrysler and original, except perhaps the radiator. It has a cap that is stamped Mexico, and I think I understand that these originally had radiators with a plastic reserve tank off on the starboard side, which this does not.

The less good:​

-I have to get a new title in Indiana, as it didn't have one from its time in Maine.
-It hadn't wanted to stay running, and it turns out to be the fuel bowl in the Thermoquad. The mechanic put an electric choke Edelbrock in its place, which already makes a world of difference. He's giving the Thermoquad back to me, as I'd like to tinker with it.
-Needs a brake overhaul, including master cylinder and booster, which I'd like to do myself. Do any members have any suggestions on which master cylinder and booster to buy? I'm coming into the world of vintage full-size U.S. cars from only having driven 90s-2000s German cars and doing some work on those, so pretty much everything is new to me (I'm even just pleased with myself for being able to follow the service manual, disassemble and lubricate the headlight door motor, clean the contacts and get that working reliably!).
-The rear bumper has some severe pitting (rot?) near the bumper guards that has gone straight through much of the chrome, which is flaking around the edge. Are there any solutions to fixing that, or should I try to find a replacement bumper?

Plans​

-I want to keep it as stock and original as possible, maybe seeing about adding some of the options it didn't come with down the road.
-For now, I'd like to get everything mechanical sorted out before I address the cosmetics on the outside. There is surface rust along the lower rockers, one of the quarter panels, and some noticeable pitting at the base of the rear windscreen. For what it's worth, an area of the hood that I cleaned, clayed, compounded and polished cleaned up beautifully! It's a happy coincidence that it too is red, like my daily.
View attachment 687461View attachment 687462View attachment 687463View attachment 687464
If anyone is trying to keep track of these, here's the VIN and what I tried decoding of the fender tag:
YM43T3C301093
Imperial LeBaron
Medium
4 Door Hardtop
TC3: unknown
1973
Jefferson Avenue, Michigan
301093: Sequence Number
E85: 440 cid 4 barrel V8 350hp
D34: Light Duty Automatic Transmission
GE7: Burnished Red Metallic
RLL3: Trim - Premium, Leather 3-in-1 Split Bench, Parchment
HL2: Int. Door Frames, Parchment
605: Build Date: June 05
V1L: Full Vinyl Top, Champagne
H53: AutoTemp II A/C
R48: Power Antenna
L31: Hood/Fender Mounted Turn Signals
L35: Cornering Lamps
M45: Fender Skirts
P31: Power Windows
P41: Power Door Locks
N88: Auto Speed Control
G31: OS RH Manual Standard Mirror
G11: Tinted Glass (All)
R32: Dual Rear Speakers

I noticed that the window sticker has option S13 - Heavy Duty Suspension - but that isn't on the fender tag. Was that a dealer-installed option?

Might consider registering this over at the Online Imperial Club at Online Imperial Club (OIC) for Imperial, Chrysler Imperial, and Chrysler New Yorker Brougham Enthusiasts. All kinds of information and help from members. Beautiful car by the way. In the process of freshening my 73 as well.

 

[Just Carbs]

If you find a nice rear bumper, get it.
Re-chrome cost $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Mauser-Oberndorf-AN]

Congrats on buying YM43T3C301093 !

There are lots of FCBO members in Indiana, including @fury fan and @david hill -- both near Indy.

PS: is that an Imola Red E46 M3 next to it?

Yep, that's my 2004 in Imola Red, black interior. It just turned over 170,000 miles.

Sprice, that Online Imperial Club is one of the first places I went when researching prior to buying! I just registered it there a few weeks ago, and it doesn't appear to have been registered previously.

From browsing another forum, at least regarding the E-bodies in 73, the S13 Heavy Duty Suspension meant 779/778 torsion bars, 594/594 rear springs, and front and rear sway bars. If correct, did that apply across all the divisions and bodies?

 

[fury fan]

PS: is that an Imola Red E46 M3 next to it?

Seems like you sure knew it was.
Better get the fendertag on that one in your database, too.

 

[fury fan]

@Mauser-Oberndorf-AN
Whereabouts are you in IN? (an approximation is fine if you want to maintain anonymity, or send me a PM)

 

[Mauser-Oberndorf-AN]

@Mauser-Oberndorf-AN
Whereabouts are you in IN? (an approximation is fine if you want to maintain anonymity, or send me a PM)

Bloomington 90% of the time, then visiting family in Elkhart way up north the rest.

 

[fury fan]

Ah. Well, if you want to pay a visit sometime on the way to family, we can try to meet somewhere around Indy.

 

[cuda hunter]

From browsing another forum, at least regarding the E-bodies in 73, the S13 Heavy Duty Suspension meant 779/778 torsion bars, 594/594 rear springs, and front and rear sway bars. If correct, did that apply across all the divisions and bodies?

I do not think so. Same code, different parts.

 

[cuda hunter]

Don't get a new one, have the correct date coded parts that were born on this car rebuilt and reinstalled. There are a few services for both MS and BB.

-Needs a brake overhaul, including master cylinder and booster, which I'd like to do myself. Do any members have any suggestions on which master cylinder and booster to buy?

 

[cuda hunter]

-It hadn't wanted to stay running, and it turns out to be the fuel bowl in the Thermoquad. The mechanic put an electric choke Edelbrock in its place, which already makes a world of difference. He's giving the Thermoquad back to me, as I'd like to tinker with it.

Make sure that the Thermoquad is not the original carb. If it is, then have it professionally rebuilt and reinstalled.
Or sell it here to someone who needs that date code part.

 

[cuda hunter]

RLL3: Trim - Premium, Leather 3-in-1 Split Bench, Parchment

I really like that Tan carpet, dash, column and steering wheel. Looks really good with the white leather and interior top.

HL2: Int. Door Frames, Parchment

I don't see the Parchment painted frames. Could you post the parchment paint and where it is at?
Or am I missing something in the pics?

 

[cuda hunter]

If anyone is trying to keep track of these, here's the VIN and what I tried decoding of the fender tag:
YM43T3C301093

Could you post pictures of the trim tag, door sticker, numbers and window sticker?

 

[ayilar]

Seems like you sure knew it was.
Better get the fendertag on that one in your database, too.

I can only ask. Very impressive mileage on that car!

 

[69CoronetRT]

From browsing another forum, at least regarding the E-bodies in 73, the S13 Heavy Duty Suspension meant 779/778 torsion bars, 594/594 rear springs, and front and rear sway bars. If correct, did that apply across all the divisions and bodies?

Not necessarily. Most of the time, what was included varied by make and model.

Both Valiants and Imperials had A01 packages but what was included was different.

Look here: https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/dealerships/DealershipDataBook/1973/73-Imperial_0006.jpg

Did the car come equipped with the Trailer Towing package? That would not be listed on the fender tag but would be on the window sticker. Can we see a picture of the window sticker? That would help us answer the question.

 

[ayilar]

Did the car come equipped with the Trailer Towing package? That would not be listed on the fender tag but would be on the window sticker.

On Snow White, my (Belvedere-built) white N-code 1970 Polara convertible, the A35 trailer package code was stamped on the fender tag. Was it different on Jefferson Plant cars, on Imperials, and/or on 1973s?

 

[Mauser-Oberndorf-AN]

Not necessarily. Most of the time, what was included varied by make and model.

Both Valiants and Imperials had A01 packages but what was included was different.

Look here: https://www.hamtramck-historical.com/images/dealerships/DealershipDataBook/1973/73-Imperial_0006.jpg

Did the car come equipped with the Trailer Towing package? That would not be listed on the fender tag but would be on the window sticker. Can we see a picture of the window sticker? That would help us answer the question.

Here are the fender tag and window sticker. I'm not currently in the same town as the car, so I can't post the door sticker for the moment. I don't see the Trailer Towing Package on the window sticker, but it does have the mount, hitch, and a wire in the trunk. Perhaps someone added that later on in its life?