Sorry Steve it was NOT a shorten Dodge Daytona. It is a Chrysler LeBaron Convertible that was a sent to Europe and shortened. I have been working for Chrysler dealerships since 1985. I worked on those new and also went to the training classes.
I definitely remember when these were new. The lady my Dad was dating at the time bought a new 1990 Plymouth Acclaim and I remember going to the dealer with them to pick it up when I was 13, and one of these was in the showroom (at that time the Chrysler Company dealer network was set up so Chrysler/Plymouths were all under one roof and it was Dodge/Dodge Ram trucks who had their own separate dealers). I remember the details as well: it was red with that saddle/tan interior, and had that V6 engine. I sat in the car while she finalized the paperwork. At the time it seemed to make Chryslers feel more upscale than they really were.
Chrysler had a 3.0 V6 at that time that was sourced from Mitsubishi. It was a very solid power plant-,good power, few issues, good fuel economy. A change in emissions standards rendered it obsolete. I had 4 minivans with that engine and I loved it.
Great video Steve, I’ve owned several of these cars, the umbrella is in the drivers door jamb above the latch. Usually there because no one knows it’s there. Good place for it though, close it, shake it and slide it in its hole. Maserati head is the only engine to get a five speed manual too. Thanks, John Knarr.
"Shake it and slide it in the hole"? Really? Let's keep it P.G. here on Steve's channel! Keep it clean for the young, up and coming car guys (and gals!)
I have one of the 500 per year Le Baron convertibles, bot on a lark really cheap 2 years ago, $1800, no rust, shiny (re) paint, I put 10,000 miles on, and I just did the timing belt. Gets well over 35 miles per gallon consistently, top down fun fun. And it's just a wonderful car, the greatest collector car value of its day today
Dang I was so disappointed when it turned out to be a V6. The Maserati turbo engine was a decent little performance motor. It made it to market before Chrysler’s own 2.2 turbo 3 engine (2.2 turbo engine with lotus designed 4 valve DOHC head). Had its issues but still very cool! Great content Steve!
THANKS for viewing! I think the reason Chrysler didn't try to "nickel and dime" buyers over which engine they chose was a desire not to remind them they were paying 35-GRAND for a glorified K-Car!!! And despite that, records show Chrysler LOST $5,000 per car! The idea was solid but the rest had problems! Thanks again, Steve
Thanks Steve I remember seeing these on the road. Glad to see you in the junkyard 👍 wishing you and yours and everyone here Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 🎊
Thanks Steve. Sure wish I knew about them loosing $50,000 a unit at the time.....I'd have gone into a dealership and offered NOT to order one and they'd only have to give me $40,000
Seems like a sound business plan to me heh, heh. What the Hell, since you're in there why don't you NOT order one for your significant other? Grab that other 40K, buy them a 10K gift and still be way ahead.
Lol, Chrysler were the masters at losing money on projects. Apparently the kit car program lost them money on every chassis they sold, just how much they lost I do not know
The upholstery is beautiful on it I'm supprised that no one took the bucket seats out of it I've heard that it has an un usual master cylinder nothing that interchanges with another Chrysler product
That's the Bosch ABS system with nitro ball. Imperials, Daytonas and other Mopars of the time used them. Very rare to find 1 that actually still works.
Had a white one with the turbo 2 with the intercooler. It ran good traded it in on a 1992 IROC Daytona with the lotus produced dual overhead cam 4 & it's was fast in 1992, high 13s in a quarter mile. I miss that time in my life lol . Thanks for sharing that find ,pretty cool 🚘💯 🎄Merry Christmas to you & yours 🥂👍
Reminds me alot of the Lebarons I had. Sadly those Mitsubishi V6's had a valve guide problem and after several miles they would smoke like crazy when idling, I even had a Dodge Spirit with that same V6. Great find and blast from the past, thanks for sharing Steve!
I had a lebaron with that engine and I know all about t smoking lol 🤣 but here's a little secret change the oil and add a can of 6 Cylinder formula Engine Restore and within 3-500 miles all blow-by and smoking stops and it purrs like a Kitty 😸
Surprisingly, iv seen 3 of these in the past few years in my area out here in San Diego Ca. Interesting cars! I just now learned the 3 engine options so I'll look next time I see one out of curiosity 👍
A friend of mine had a thing for anything with a port hole. He had several early T birds with a the port and of course he had one of these. I had it up on my lift one day and a good laugh at the duel exhaust...it was single exhaust....one was a dummy not even hooked up. He had a collection of Nash Mets...he had me take one and put a port hole in the top...he called it the Metrobird.. One of his Mets was featured in Hemmings Motor news...he re created the one of kind pink Easter day parade from about 1960. He had us paint it pink pearl . Last I heard a couple of ladies own it and are from Long Island New York. The Hemmings article can found on the net....called Pinky Goes to Town.
I remember these well - they were usually purchased by people who were overly impressed with themselves and wanted to tell everyone they drove a Maserati when, in fact, they really drove a Chrysler……😂 I had that Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 in a 1989 Acclaim LX and actually thought it was a pretty peppy little engine - especially for the era!
These "folk" NEEDED "the image"! As my dad told me (in 1965), as we were TRYING to escape Minneapolis, Minnesota in our GREAT '50 DeSoto, as a new Mercedes "600" limousine was next to us in traffic; "Any car that gets your ass over the road is a GREAT car!" I NEVER forgot these words!
While in high school, I worked at a Chrysler dealer in Woburn, ma. I think the Lawless dealership cornered the market on these. When I was there,they must have had 10 at one time. The dealership is still there,and a rare one brand,one house dealership!
Seeing this reminded me of the Maserati wreck someone stored at the Self Storage facility I worked at years ago. It belonged to the tenants Brother who crashed it and died in it. When I started working there it was a mess from over a decade of exposure to the elements but the car was so mangled it clearly wasn't fixable when it was stored.
I grew up when these cars were sold new and i was always a huge fan of their styling. Yes i knew they were based on the Lebaron platform but i didn't care. This was Chryslers attempt to create a high end luxury car to compete with the likes of the Cadillac Allante and Buick Reatta. Even if it did fail in it's attempts, it was still a good effort. I'm so sick of everyone badmouthing ophran cars that weren't giant success stories. These car were appreciated and are still loved today by many. They have their own following, specific car clubs, that cherish these TC's. Just because it's NOT your thing doesn't give you the right to badmouth other people's car interests.
Projects like this show how out of touch Detroit was back then. Instead of investing in the build quality of their everyday cars, they vainly attempted to slap a badge on a poorly built American car to "compete" with actual luxury brands.
Hi Frank, sorry to make you "jones" (you're a "junkie", get it? Get it?) for more video content. But do know that I try to launch a fresh video every day. Longer videos and more ambitious projects are being planned. Thanks again, Steve
A few years back there was one of these in a local wrecker and I got the shift knob with the maserati logo button like Steve shows in the video and I paid like $2.50 and I put it on my 88 k-car wagon shifter :) It's these little stories ya get to tell your buddies when they go for a ride that makes all the difference to car nerds :P
These were planned and designed well before the LeBaron but took a long time to get to market. By the time they did the LeBaron was out and selling well. Everyone thought the TC was an expensive knock off of the LeBaron and sales went nowhere.
They weee supposed to come out at the same time, 1987. The TC was supposed to be offered as an step up to the LeBaron. So the LeBaron competes against the Mustang ragtop and the TC was aimed at the Mercedes SEL560. But Maserati missed the deadline for 2 yrs and buy the time the car was introduced its styling was 2yrs old and the price was NOPE not interested. It was 2x what a LeBaron cost at $17000.
Hi Steve love these junkyard videos. You're looking better than in the past few videos. Hope all is well with you and wishing you and your family a happy and healthy New Year.
Yes indeed, to me the "pick of the litter" would be the Maserati-inspired (but NOT assembled!!!) DOHC four banger. These things are sort of like the older Cosworth Vegas of the mid-1970's, exotic cylinder head on top-dog model to add intrigue to lesser models.
You failed to mention the convertible top that is stowed under the tonneau cover. The TC had two tops in either black or tan. I had a red one and loved it! Car not given justified credit.
Hey Steve , that 3.0 litre v6 is not a Chrysler. it is actually a Mitsubishi engine ,. it just says Chrysler in the intake plenum . that engine was used in thousands of Chrysler and Mitsubishi vehicles , over the years I had probably worked on several hundred of them , and that is may even be a conservative number , they used to be just about everywhere . We used to call them the 3.0 smoker because probably 8 out of 10 of them would burn oil,. most often because of valve guide and valve sealing issues . many of them were in mini vans , and the soccer moms that drove them mostly never checked the oil , so many of them never made it much past the warranty before ending up in the salvage yards .
We had a neighbor when I was growing up in the ‘90s. I always thought they and the same generation LeBarons were good looking cars, and I had a convertible later that was a reasonably fun car to boot. I never knew the Maserati cars were convertibles, cool find.
Had a then new 1992 Plymouth Sundace Duster with the 3.0 Mitsu V6 BUT factory 5 speed standard, was a lot of fun. Put 350.000 plus KM on it with the same clutch and only one timing belt then rust got the best of it.
Yes, you make a good point, these cars were pretty quick and fun - especially with the 5-speed stick. Your 2-door Duster was one of 27,963 two-door Sundances made in 1992.
Cool to hear the history on this oddity! I know where there is a running driving one, turbo 2 version. Worked on it at the shop last year for a customer. Had never seen another one until this video. Crazy they took such a loss on the car selling them. When the guy brought the car in to our shop we all wondered why he wanted to spend money on it. Guess he knew more than we did!
I don't remember this car. All of Steve's info didn't even shake loose any recollection for me heh, heh. This doesn't happen very often so I'm always kinda glad to pick up some new knowledge. This was my thing to learn today, I can go to sleep happy now hahahaaa!
I had a boss that owned one (a manager for a McDonald's no less) and his was one of the ones with the exotic 4cyl & getrag 5spd, one night he drove me home and it was a really nice car. Now what most people don't realize is that the turbo2 4cyl was co designed by Shelby, the exotic 4cyl was a Lotus 2.2L ,and the 3L V6 was a Mitsubishi engine that was found in the Dodge Stealth. Both 4cyl could only be used with the 5spd and the V6 came along so that an automatic could be offered. The reason why the turbo2 was added because of the exotic 4cyl from Lotus was costly and fire prone, everyone had an issue with the fuel line that transition from the main to the fuel injectors ,they alway leaked and most boss eventually got rid of his because of this problem, but it was still a nice vehicle to drive. Oh the exotic 4cyl was sold I believe for the the first 2 years, then it was replaced by the turbo2 and the V6 for automatic customers
I remember peeking inside one of these a few weeks ago at the auto mall where they sell lots of classic cars. Anyways I still remember the way the interior smelled, not bad or particularly good but very unique for some reason not sure if it was the old leather or the adhesives used or what. Weird.
Hi Steve. I think i was at that yard years ago with a friend while he was looking for parts for his 66 T Bird.. I love scouring yards too, and i think in that same yard i found an early Fitch Sprint Corvair in a pine grove WAYYY in the back of the yard. I wonder if you could do a segment at Biliki's in Ware, theyre on Bacon Rd. just past Wal Mart on the left side of rte 32. Back in the 70s I remember Valley Ford, and the Buick Opel dealer across the street, and wonder what gems you could find there.. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families, and thanks for the great videos!
Hi Josh, I sure remember Valley Ford and Gervais Buick across the street. Remember in about 1979 when Ware had that light blue BUICK Electra (or LeSabre???) POLICE CAR? No doubt it was a bit of town politicking at play. Then again, Buick definately offered Police models for many years and some of the earliest police-specific units were the 100-mph-capable Buick Century cars of the late 1930's. The "Century" name was a play on the fact they could nudge 100 mph. As for Balicki's, I've been there many, many times and even got Mike to let me photograph some magazine articles there (I trade him a copy of the digital picture disc in exchange for the access) BUT he (so far) has said "no go" to video crew visits. He says "he isn't ready for the exposure" and I sort of get that. Sometimes after I visit a yard, their telephone / email EXPLODES with calls / visits and this takes up a lot of time. When callers are buying stuff, that's good. But a fair chunk of the callers sometimes just want to chat...which is OK unless you're a two-man-shop like Balickis! Thanks for watching, Steve
Cadillac was selling the Allante at a loss too. The sticker on those was almost $60k in the late 80s and each one cost GM almost $100k to build. Both cars were built in a complex back-and-forth assembly and design process between Detroit MI and Italy. It was as complex and intricate as any logistical process could be, hence incredibly expensive for what was not much in return. OTOH, Mercedes could build a similar car in design, blow both of them away in performance and quality, price them equally, and still make $10k on each one they sell.
I recall a yellow T/C still at the Dodge dealership in late 91 when my dad special ordered his 92 Iroc Shelby Daytona turbo 5 speed. The car was a 1990 with 8 miles on it. It had the turbo 1 2.5L vin J because it was ordered with an auto, a 3 speed. The sticker was originally 38K, no lie! The dealer had it marked down to $22k, and still no takers. Wonder whatever became of it...?
it does , you did leave the hard top in the garage and if it rained you didn't have to rush home , but it was a manual top , no electric lift on the soft top , ny 15 year old son bought one , actually a fun little car and very comfortable
I did a lot of internal work on those mitsubishi 3.0,s. Junk engine. Valve guides slide out holding valve open and smacking piston. They get over 100,000 mi,s and they become oil burners
I mean if you don't mind the labor any vehicle can be fixed and with todays vehicle prices you can always restomod the vehicle to your liking and have basically a new vehicle after making it mechanically sound
Surprised that yard doesn't put some plastic over the driver's side. Then again what demand is there for interior parts out of one of these? I do remember the car but I don't recall seeing them, I wasn't paying much attention to new cars in that era.
I had one of these, a 1991 V6. Not exciting to drive or reliable but I enjoyed the weirdness of it and even won an award at the Concours D'lemons
WOO HOO lucky.........YOU
Sorry Steve it was NOT a shorten Dodge Daytona. It is a Chrysler LeBaron Convertible that was a sent to Europe and shortened. I have been working for Chrysler dealerships since 1985. I worked on those new and also went to the training classes.
Steve - I have missed your Junkyard Gold so much. You need to get MTOD to get the show back!! It was the ONLY reason I subscribed.
Detomaso, say it with me….. Day-toe-MAS-oh… Lol, phenomenal presentation as always Steve! Never knew these existed.
This guy is a fucking genius. Awesome information, great personality, great presenting, this guy is a hero to the automotive industry.
The Infinity Gold Sound Systems that used to be in the Grand Cherokee Limiteds back in the 90's was a incredibe Sound System.
Thanks for keeping the spirit of these old rides alive.
I had a 91. My first car. I miss August nights with the top down.
Never seen one of those going out there junkyard love these videos keep doing them Steve.👍😎
I definitely remember when these were new. The lady my Dad was dating at the time bought a new 1990 Plymouth Acclaim and I remember going to the dealer with them to pick it up when I was 13, and one of these was in the showroom (at that time the Chrysler Company dealer network was set up so Chrysler/Plymouths were all under one roof and it was Dodge/Dodge Ram trucks who had their own separate dealers). I remember the details as well: it was red with that saddle/tan interior, and had that V6 engine. I sat in the car while she finalized the paperwork. At the time it seemed to make Chryslers feel more upscale than they really were.
Chrysler had a 3.0 V6 at that time that was sourced from Mitsubishi. It was a very solid power plant-,good power, few issues, good fuel economy. A change in emissions standards rendered it obsolete. I had 4 minivans with that engine and I loved it.
Fun journey back in time.
You just got yourself a new subscriber.
I like seeing you back in the junk yard again steve love to see lots more of this
Great video Steve, I’ve owned several of these cars, the umbrella is in the drivers door jamb above the latch. Usually there because no one knows it’s there. Good place for it though, close it, shake it and slide it in its hole. Maserati head is the only engine to get a five speed manual too. Thanks, John Knarr.
"Shake it and slide it in the hole"? Really? Let's keep it P.G. here on Steve's channel! Keep it clean for the young, up and coming car guys (and gals!)
I have one of the 500 per year Le Baron convertibles, bot on a lark really cheap 2 years ago, $1800, no rust, shiny (re) paint, I put 10,000 miles on, and I just did the timing belt. Gets well over 35 miles per gallon consistently, top down fun fun. And it's just a wonderful car, the greatest collector car value of its day today
Very interesting Steve never knew this love all your videos thank you for sharing
Thanks Steve for showing us something that many of us have never actually seen.
It's my goal to "give cars a voice", even those cars many ignore. I say EVERY car has something worth learning about. THANKS for watching, Steve
You really haven't missed anything. These cars were junk.
Dang I was so disappointed when it turned out to be a V6. The Maserati turbo engine was a decent little performance motor. It made it to market before Chrysler’s own 2.2 turbo 3 engine (2.2 turbo engine with lotus designed 4 valve DOHC head). Had its issues but still very cool! Great content Steve!
THANKS for viewing! I think the reason Chrysler didn't try to "nickel and dime" buyers over which engine they chose was a desire not to remind them they were paying 35-GRAND for a glorified K-Car!!! And despite that, records show Chrysler LOST $5,000 per car! The idea was solid but the rest had problems! Thanks again, Steve
Was the "Maserati" STOLEN by Burt Reynolds in "The Longest Yard" an ACTUAL Maserati?
@@johnmaki3046 It was a Citroen SM, powered by Maserati.
Thanks Steve I remember seeing these on the road. Glad to see you in the junkyard 👍 wishing you and yours and everyone here Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 🎊
Some of my best and earliest memories include various junkyard (salvage yard to everyone above mason- Dixon)
I'm above the Mason-Dixon and it's always been junkyard to me.
A friend was given one by an investor while managing his property. It was fun to drive!
When I was in high-school, a friend of mine drove a Chrysler LeBaron convertible, it was maroon 4 cyl, that car ran everyday, great running car.
Totally forgot about these! Thanks for the memory jog!
Thanks Steve. Sure wish I knew about them loosing $50,000 a unit at the time.....I'd have gone into a dealership and offered NOT to order one and they'd only have to give me $40,000
Seems like a sound business plan to me heh, heh. What the Hell, since you're in there why don't you NOT order one for your significant other? Grab that other 40K, buy them a 10K gift and still be way ahead.
👏🏻😂
Lol, Chrysler were the masters at losing money on projects. Apparently the kit car program lost them money on every chassis they sold, just how much they lost I do not know
The upholstery is beautiful on it
I'm supprised that no one took the bucket seats out of it
I've heard that it has an un usual master cylinder nothing that interchanges with another Chrysler product
That's the Bosch ABS system with nitro ball. Imperials, Daytonas and other Mopars of the time used them. Very rare to find 1 that actually still works.
Interesting Find never heard of one till now..love the channel Steve keep up the great work man.
Don't forget the Maserati Biturbo of the 80's. I owned five of them, in the 90's. Not very collectible today, but a car of the times!
i loved their design, very underated, but heard they had a ton of electrical problems...what were experiences??
Had a white one with the turbo 2 with the intercooler. It ran good traded it in on a 1992 IROC Daytona with the lotus produced dual overhead cam 4 & it's was fast in 1992, high 13s in a quarter mile. I miss that time in my life lol . Thanks for sharing that find ,pretty cool 🚘💯 🎄Merry Christmas to you & yours 🥂👍
We all miss that time in our lives 😭
Very nice video. Thank you very much. The camera quality on this video was exceptional. Seems like super high definition. Have a merry Christmas!
Neat video Steve
Reminds me alot of the Lebarons I had. Sadly those Mitsubishi V6's had a valve guide problem and after several miles they would smoke like crazy when idling, I even had a Dodge Spirit with that same V6. Great find and blast from the past, thanks for sharing Steve!
I had a lebaron with that engine and I know all about t smoking lol 🤣 but here's a little secret change the oil and add a can of 6 Cylinder formula Engine Restore and within 3-500 miles all blow-by and smoking stops and it purrs like a Kitty 😸
Surprisingly, iv seen 3 of these in the past few years in my area out here in San Diego Ca. Interesting cars! I just now learned the 3 engine options so I'll look next time I see one out of curiosity 👍
A friend of mine was storing one of these for his father in law and it was in great shape.
wish my junk yard had great cars like Steve finds
Great video! 🙂👍 I also spot a 4 door Dodge pickup in the distance!
My grandfather had a strange obsession with those cars. He had a few of them. All turbo, one was also intercooled.
A friend of mine had a thing for anything with a port hole. He had several early T birds with a the port and of course he had one of these. I had it up on my lift one day and a good laugh at the duel exhaust...it was single exhaust....one was a dummy not even hooked up. He had a collection of Nash Mets...he had me take one and put a port hole in the top...he called it the Metrobird.. One of his Mets was featured in Hemmings Motor news...he re created the one of kind pink Easter day parade from about 1960. He had us paint it pink pearl . Last I heard a couple of ladies own it and are from Long Island New York. The Hemmings article can found on the net....called Pinky Goes to Town.
I remember these well - they were usually purchased by people who were overly impressed with themselves and wanted to tell everyone they drove a Maserati when, in fact, they really drove a Chrysler……😂
I had that Mitsubishi 3.0 V6 in a 1989 Acclaim LX and actually thought it was a pretty peppy little engine - especially for the era!
Pretty much Chrysler I mean err Stellantis today. Maserati is a parts bin of Mopar.
These "folk" NEEDED "the image"! As my dad told me (in 1965), as we were TRYING to escape Minneapolis, Minnesota in our GREAT '50 DeSoto, as a new Mercedes "600" limousine was next to us in traffic; "Any car that gets your ass over the road is a GREAT car!" I NEVER forgot these words!
Thanks for sharing very cool
While in high school, I worked at a Chrysler dealer in Woburn, ma. I think the Lawless dealership cornered the market on these. When I was there,they must have had 10 at one time. The dealership is still there,and a rare one brand,one house dealership!
So glad to have found your channel.
Seeing this reminded me of the Maserati wreck someone stored at the Self Storage facility I worked at years ago. It belonged to the tenants Brother who crashed it and died in it. When I started working there it was a mess from over a decade of exposure to the elements but the car was so mangled it clearly wasn't fixable when it was stored.
Paint work looks surprisingly good.
Filling the void that motortrend left when they didn’t renew junkyard gold!
Thanks for watching and for FOLLOWING my trail from MT to RUclips. -Steve
Like 1/4 of the K cars I still see around are TCs. 1/4 vans, 1/4 regular cars, 1/4 chargers/lasers.
Interesting car.
Vans are not K cars. They used K car engines and transmissions but are not K cars.
I grew up when these cars were sold new and i was always a huge fan of their styling. Yes i knew they were based on the Lebaron platform but i didn't care. This was Chryslers attempt to create a high end luxury car to compete with the likes of the Cadillac Allante and Buick Reatta. Even if it did fail in it's attempts, it was still a good effort. I'm so sick of everyone badmouthing ophran cars that weren't giant success stories. These car were appreciated and are still loved today by many. They have their own following, specific car clubs, that cherish these TC's. Just because it's NOT your thing doesn't give you the right to badmouth other people's car interests.
Projects like this show how out of touch Detroit was back then. Instead of investing in the build quality of their everyday cars, they vainly attempted to slap a badge on a poorly built American car to "compete" with actual luxury brands.
Word. My Dad, a life-long car guy had two and loved them. He drive his '89 proudly up until, literally, the day he died.
Man, you really know your stuff - I'd love to spend a day with you walking around a good junkyard, I bet I'd learn a ton!
You know Dodge is rabbitearring their pockets when they have to use Mitsubishi as their go to engine producer. That 3 liter was in *EVERYTHING.*
I'm a Mags junkie. Got my fix but need more!
For real!!!
Hi Frank, sorry to make you "jones" (you're a "junkie", get it? Get it?) for more video content. But do know that I try to launch a fresh video every day. Longer videos and more ambitious projects are being planned. Thanks again, Steve
@@SteveMagnante No problem Steve. I know you lost your helper. Any little "fix" you can give us is greatly appreciated .
A few years back there was one of these in a local wrecker and I got the shift knob with the maserati logo button like Steve shows in the video and I paid like $2.50 and I put it on my 88 k-car wagon shifter :) It's these little stories ya get to tell your buddies when they go for a ride that makes all the difference to car nerds :P
Its all about the DETAILS! Thanks for watching, Steve
@@SteveMagnante it's all about the details. Hmm - sounds familiar (!)
We ran to our local dealer and were less than impressed. We actually giggled at the sticker price. The porthole Maserati side circles gave it away.
That exhaust manifold is the left side from that Dart in background!
These were planned and designed well before the LeBaron but took a long time to get to market. By the time they did the LeBaron was out and selling well. Everyone thought the TC was an expensive knock off of the LeBaron and sales went nowhere.
They weee supposed to come out at the same time, 1987. The TC was supposed to be offered as an step up to the LeBaron. So the LeBaron competes against the Mustang ragtop and the TC was aimed at the Mercedes SEL560. But Maserati missed the deadline for 2 yrs and buy the time the car was introduced its styling was 2yrs old and the price was NOPE not interested. It was 2x what a LeBaron cost at $17000.
These same cars now are sold around $1000 which is less than a LeBaron in great shape
Again good job 👍
Awesome Steve👍👍👍
Hi Steve love these junkyard videos. You're looking better than in the past few videos. Hope all is well with you and wishing you and your family a happy and healthy New Year.
Crazy the 3 engines were priced the same. The Maserati lump was a trick unit,
Yes indeed, to me the "pick of the litter" would be the Maserati-inspired (but NOT assembled!!!) DOHC four banger. These things are sort of like the older Cosworth Vegas of the mid-1970's, exotic cylinder head on top-dog model to add intrigue to lesser models.
Very interesting seeing this today obviously now knowing the two companies would be under the same parent company. Talk about foreshadowing!
Heartbreaking to see such a rare car slowly returning to the earth😪
Too bad the door was missing .a lot of good rare parts left .
Ashes to ashes, rust to dust.
You failed to mention the convertible top that is stowed under the tonneau cover. The TC had two tops in either black or tan. I had a red one and loved it! Car not given justified credit.
Great story,really hope some Mopar fan saves it even if parts for other units.
Real good information Steve
I love your videos ! Keep them coming ! How about a NETFLIX series ?
Hey Steve , that 3.0 litre v6 is not a Chrysler. it is actually a Mitsubishi engine ,. it just says Chrysler in the intake plenum . that engine was used in thousands of Chrysler and Mitsubishi vehicles , over the years I had probably worked on several hundred of them , and that is may even be a conservative number , they used to be just about everywhere . We used to call them the 3.0 smoker because probably 8 out of 10 of them would burn oil,. most often because of valve guide and valve sealing issues . many of them were in mini vans , and the soccer moms that drove them mostly never checked the oil , so many of them never made it much past the warranty before ending up in the salvage yards .
3:47--Ck. out the "Ernie Krinklesac" dash board action. LOL
We had a neighbor when I was growing up in the ‘90s. I always thought they and the same generation LeBarons were good looking cars, and I had a convertible later that was a reasonably fun car to boot. I never knew the Maserati cars were convertibles, cool find.
Had a then new 1992 Plymouth Sundace Duster with the 3.0 Mitsu V6 BUT factory 5 speed standard, was a lot of fun. Put 350.000 plus KM on it with the same clutch and only one timing belt then rust got the best of it.
Yes, you make a good point, these cars were pretty quick and fun - especially with the 5-speed stick. Your 2-door Duster was one of 27,963 two-door Sundances made in 1992.
Cool to hear the history on this oddity! I know where there is a running driving one, turbo 2 version. Worked on it at the shop last year for a customer. Had never seen another one until this video. Crazy they took such a loss on the car selling them. When the guy brought the car in to our shop we all wondered why he wanted to spend money on it. Guess he knew more than we did!
I don't remember this car. All of Steve's info didn't even shake loose any recollection for me heh, heh. This doesn't happen very often so I'm always kinda glad to pick up some new knowledge. This was my thing to learn today, I can go to sleep happy now hahahaaa!
The 1982 LeBarron concerto was also a Roadster no back seat, and no rear quarter glass.
I had a boss that owned one (a manager for a McDonald's no less) and his was one of the ones with the exotic 4cyl & getrag 5spd, one night he drove me home and it was a really nice car. Now what most people don't realize is that the turbo2 4cyl was co designed by Shelby, the exotic 4cyl was a Lotus 2.2L ,and the 3L V6 was a Mitsubishi engine that was found in the Dodge Stealth. Both 4cyl could only be used with the 5spd and the V6 came along so that an automatic could be offered. The reason why the turbo2 was added because of the exotic 4cyl from Lotus was costly and fire prone, everyone had an issue with the fuel line that transition from the main to the fuel injectors ,they alway leaked and most boss eventually got rid of his because of this problem, but it was still a nice vehicle to drive. Oh the exotic 4cyl was sold I believe for the the first 2 years, then it was replaced by the turbo2 and the V6 for automatic customers
An excellent example of how determined Chrysler was to become a purveyor of junk.
I had that engine and steering wheel in my Acclaim! 😂
there is a canvis convertable top that you can put up after the hard top is removed..its under the tonto cover ..
First time I saw one. Thanks.
I remember peeking inside one of these a few weeks ago at the auto mall where they sell lots of classic cars. Anyways I still remember the way the interior smelled, not bad or particularly good but very unique for some reason not sure if it was the old leather or the adhesives used or what. Weird.
This man is a walking encyclopedia.
Thanks for sharing this info, can't say how many times I've mistaken it for a LeBaron.
The interior has may parts that are interchangeable with not only the two door LeBarron but my old 86 LeBarron GTS 4 door hatch or 5 door.
Hi Steve. I think i was at that yard years ago with a friend while he was looking for parts for his 66 T Bird.. I love scouring yards too, and i think in that same yard i found an early Fitch Sprint Corvair in a pine grove WAYYY in the back of the yard. I wonder if you could do a segment at Biliki's in Ware, theyre on Bacon Rd. just past Wal Mart on the left side of rte 32. Back in the 70s I remember Valley Ford, and the Buick Opel dealer across the street, and wonder what gems you could find there.. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and your families, and thanks for the great videos!
Hi Josh, I sure remember Valley Ford and Gervais Buick across the street. Remember in about 1979 when Ware had that light blue BUICK Electra (or LeSabre???) POLICE CAR? No doubt it was a bit of town politicking at play. Then again, Buick definately offered Police models for many years and some of the earliest police-specific units were the 100-mph-capable Buick Century cars of the late 1930's. The "Century" name was a play on the fact they could nudge 100 mph. As for Balicki's, I've been there many, many times and even got Mike to let me photograph some magazine articles there (I trade him a copy of the digital picture disc in exchange for the access) BUT he (so far) has said "no go" to video crew visits. He says "he isn't ready for the exposure" and I sort of get that. Sometimes after I visit a yard, their telephone / email EXPLODES with calls / visits and this takes up a lot of time. When callers are buying stuff, that's good. But a fair chunk of the callers sometimes just want to chat...which is OK unless you're a two-man-shop like Balickis! Thanks for watching, Steve
Wow learned some new automotive facts today…thanks Steve! They were upside down 50k on every unit sold 😮 that’s incredible.
Wouldn’t mind coming up there and doing some parts hunting for my Coronet and Charger.
They have lots of goodies you could probably use! You can call Gary LaPlant / Winkel Auto at 603/673-4616.
Why sold at a loss? Didn't sell enough of them to offset production?
Cadillac was selling the Allante at a loss too. The sticker on those was almost $60k in the late 80s and each one cost GM almost $100k to build.
Both cars were built in a complex back-and-forth assembly and design process between Detroit MI and Italy. It was as complex and intricate as any logistical process could be, hence incredibly expensive for what was not much in return.
OTOH, Mercedes could build a similar car in design, blow both of them away in performance and quality, price them equally, and still make $10k on each one they sell.
@@joe6096 But the other side of that argument is that German cars have no soul, much like the people who buy them.
Thanks Steve! Kills me to see that nice Infinity cassette deck wasting away.. I could use it.
That car is exactly where it needs to be
I recall a yellow T/C still at the Dodge dealership in late 91 when my dad special ordered his 92 Iroc Shelby Daytona turbo 5 speed. The car was a 1990 with 8 miles on it. It had the turbo 1 2.5L vin J because it was ordered with an auto, a 3 speed. The sticker was originally 38K, no lie! The dealer had it marked down to $22k, and still no takers. Wonder whatever became of it...?
Love that interior!🤠👍
Awesome info!
Pretty sure those 3.0 engines were made by Mitsubishi?
Correct
We had a 1993 Chrysler minivan with that same 3.0 Mitsubishi engine.. we sold it at 235,000 miles...it still ran good, but burnt a liitle oil...
I always thought these had a second soft top under the trunk lid as well for when you leave the hardtop at home
it does , you did leave the hard top in the garage and if it rained you didn't have to rush home , but it was a manual top , no electric lift on the soft top , ny 15 year old son bought one , actually a fun little car and very comfortable
There's a sof top under the tonneau cover, just like the Allante and Mercedes 560sl.
Thank you!
I did a lot of internal work on those mitsubishi 3.0,s. Junk engine. Valve guides slide out holding valve open and smacking piston. They get over 100,000 mi,s and they become oil burners
I mean if you don't mind the labor any vehicle can be fixed and with todays vehicle prices you can always restomod the vehicle to your liking and have basically a new vehicle after making it mechanically sound
Gawd, I remember seeing this guy in muscle car magazines 20 yrs ago!!!!
Was a cool car.
Surprised that yard doesn't put some plastic over the driver's side. Then again what demand is there for interior parts out of one of these?
I do remember the car but I don't recall seeing them, I wasn't paying much attention to new cars in that era.
I cried to see the neglect of this vehicle 😔
Theirs a guy in my town that has a yellow one he’s had it for years and brings it to car shows around here Cookeville Tennessee. It looks like new
Wasn’t the V6 actually a Mitsubishi motor?
I think it was.