Nile

Jim - This is a long shot, but did the "rod" with the detente that latches into the mechanism get twisted? - Nile

Hey Teke - Seems like the main issues are cosmetic - the clear coat, seats & armrest for example to do not affect the drivability of the car, altho they obviously have an impact on the value. While the car may well need an accumulator, if your brake pedal, idiot lights and pump are behaving, it may be ok for a while. It's not a junkyard candidate - to a scrapper the car is worth about $700, meaning they'll offer you a bit less (the cat maybe $200, the wheels $100, the rest of the car $400). A scrapper could care less about your new turbo & head. It's also not worth $3,000. I've noticed that a lot of folks with cars to sell, not just TC owners, set an unrealistic price then scrap the car for a fraction of what they were asking after they get frustrated because no one even looked at the car. For whatever it's worth - ask a reasonable amount, maybe $1,500, be prepared for lower offers, and take anything with 4 figures - which is a few hundred more than what a scrapper will give you.

I'm still laughing about the "shortcut". Reminded me of something that happened about 30 years ago when we undertook the restoration of a Barracuda convertible as a father/daughter project. One of the things that needed fixing on the car was a right rear window which would not roll down. The inner panel came off very easily and it was easy enough to diagnose and repair the problem - a leather satchel containing some illegal organic material was jammed in the mechanism. A while after completing the various repairs the car was ready for registration, but it turned out that the first digit of the VIN on the title was "8", while all Barracuda VINs begin with "B". Apparently someone simply misread the VIN. Our local DMV said all I had to do was have the VIN on the car verified by a law enforcement officer. No problem as a buddy was a State trooper. He verified the VIN, and DMV issued me new ownership documentation. Fortunately my friend did not have a drug sniffing dog with him.

I haven't bothered putting the outer glass back, partly because it might be a challenge to get the right amount of goop between the windows, but mainly because I'm lazy.

I have done 4 windows successfully - it takes maybe 5 minutes. Spray some "goo gone" or similar product around the outside edges. Let it seep in for a couple of minutes, then use a couple of plastic spreaders to pull the outer window off. Then just clean the glass. As Hemi said, the emblem is attached to the inner glass so it remains undamaged. I've just left the outer glass off.

I've bought a lot of parts from Rick - great guy to deal with and he REALLY knows his stuff. - Nile

While you probably did not loosen any belts during your repair, you could have dripped coolant onto them. Maybe a belt or one of the pulleys is squealing.

Absolutely! As the owner of an identical twin to the 90 16V triple black California emissions TC in the Tokyo museum, I can report that mine has over 100,000 mile more on the odo.

Or did the listings just expire?

Since the supply of nice 8v cars is much higher, they usually do not bring the $ a 16v car in comparable condition would bring, and while the 16v cars offer a substantial performance advantage, that is offset by the presence of the ultimate millenial theft deterrent (5 speed stick). Looking at the big picture - November is not a good time to sell a special interest vehicle, especially a convertible. Looking at just TC's, some specific factors - the brake system, oil leaks, leather on the seat side bolsters & top of the instrument binnacle and how long the odometer has been inoperative exert a disproportionate effect on value. Mensanguy's TC was in spectacular condition so I doubt anything other than a documented low mileage car in perfect condition will beat that amount. I realize there are quite a few TC's for sale now (check out the recent club newsletter), but remember asking prices and actual sale prices are usually very different.

2021 Shootout at Carlisle. I made it to the finals but missed the podium. This run was 46.261. Car in front of me turned a 46.218. - Nile

Keeping in mind that this will absolutely destroy ride quality, you could go with coil overs. They dramatically improve turn in response and there is less body lean, but don't go that route if you have a lot of fillings in your teeth.

It may not be the cable. The final connection to the throttle is a solid rod with a ball stud on each end. One time during an autocross this rod popped off when I hammered the throttle after coming out of a turn. I popped it back on which takes all of maybe 3 seconds and in true "Roadkill" fashion put a zip tie around the rod and a parallel bracket. It's been seven years with a lot of spirited driving and no problems.

It's time to replace the soft top on one of my TC's. I want a tan Hartz cloth top. For those of you upset that this was not a factory option, there is counseling available. A local shop which has done a nice job on some automotive reupholstery for me has quoted a price of $1,100 for the top and $400for labor. I am ok with the labor $, but the price for the top seems high. Since they would be willing to install a top I provide for $400 I'd appreciate suggestions. Thanks. - Nile

The best adhesive I've come across is 3M black super trim and gasket adhesive. It's not cheap - close to $20 a tube, but it works better than anything else I've tried. If you get it, make sure you get black, not clear. It's readily available at most auto parts stores. I had two TC tops - one in excellent condition with a broken rear window and another with a good window but a well ventilated top - so I used this adhesive and did some stapling here and there. It has held, however I doubt it would hold up to constant use.

It can be difficult to reach the valve stems in the original wheels. Any time you have a tire mounted make sure the valve stems are long enough so you can reach them with a normal air chuck, but not so long they stick so far they get damaged.

Recent discussions on our forum and an April Car & Driver column entitled "Educated Guess" which was anything but that, really got me thinking about our cars going forward. The columnist was urging Stellantis to drop the Chrysler brand, one of his reasons being that they might import some PSA models as Chryslers. He said "Done wrong, that could mean badge engineering of the Chrysler TC by Maserati sort." Where to start? First the TC is about as far from being "badge engineered" as any car can be. It may share a platform with some other Mopars, but it does not have a rebadged partner vehicle like say the Volare/Aspen or Celebrity/6000/Century/Ciera. Second, if mere platform sharing is your criteria for badge engineering then just about EVERY current Toyota fits the description. It just seems too many people take gratuitous shots at the TC. Why? When new, there were some justifiable criticisms: 1). It was too expensive - okay, guilty as charged, but how is that a problem 30 years later? Seems to me , if anything, it's a plus! 2). Too many parts shared with Chrysler & GM vehicles - again, 30 years later, that's a plus. 3). Too many parts are one-off and hard to find (so what's the problem -parts are too common or too rare?) - I have not had any problems finding parts for my 16V cars as there are quite a few vendors, many of them on this forum who keep us supplied. 4). Poor quality control - again that may have been true 30 years ago, but a lot of that related to the automatic transaxles and the Teves brakes which have either been sorted out or have decent work-arounds. If you want a stylish, comfortable and, yes, reliable, convertible that won't break the bank and will appreciate in value, what are your options? If you want a modern, comfortable convertible what better option is there than a TC?

Thanks - wish we were about 300 miles closer! A lot of my experience with buying & selling has been learned the hard way. I guess the best bit of advice is not to look at what sellers say, look at what they don't.

Plumbinguy - looks like you got a real keeper there -nice purchase! The white 16v currently on EBay looks like a dealer car. Odometer issue, no pics or mention of soft top, no pics of undercarriage so can't tell about leaks. Interesting choice of words on the brake system. Still, this car "vibrates" better than the black one, even though it's not that ideal color combo. The cars&bids car did seem to go too cheap - not sure if there was an issue with the car or just the wrong venue. At any rate, never, never sell without a reserve.

Another plus would be better air flow around the brakes.

There's a competing site to BringATrailer called Cars&Bids. I don't know anything about them, but was looking over their site and they seem to have a lot of unusual, low production vehicles from the 80's & 90's, especially European.

Hey Rick - Thanks to you, too. Probably the best reaction I got was at a track day at Watkins Glen. A young guy in a 318 who couldn't keep up wanted to know "When did they put a V8 in a LeBaron?" I thought for a few seconds about all the things I could say and then said "1989".

Looks like a good buy if the car checks out. Typical concerns - odometer - no change in 20 years and ABS issue. No mention or pic of the soft top. Are there any oil leaks? Might be a flipper.

Not sure which TC you have - if it's a 16v car the Getrag can handle any extra power with no problem. If you've got an 8v or a v6 - I'm not sure about the AT being able to cope, but there are many knowledgeable folks on this forum who will know. I would also be wary about making a change just in the boost without commensurate adjustments to ignition timing and advance, air/fuel ratios, etc. At the very least you might be confusing the heck out of your engine controller. Will the engine now run hotter, will you need different plugs, how about premium fuel? I installed Rick D's performance upgrade package in one of my 16v cars and after a few years I am still thrilled with the changes - a lot more power, better drivability and great sound, especially when you let off the gas or shift. It was an easy install, too.

I agree. A big question, "Is the vehicle titled in your name?" If he has an open title, meaning a previous owner signed the title and the car has not been reregistered in a while, that could be a huge problem when you go to register it in your state. For example, in New York, you need specific documentation from the owner (name on the title) to you, which is not possible if the title is open. You might want to check with your local Dept of Motor Vehicles to make sure. The car looks nice, and may or may not be ok, but the paperwork could be an issue.