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Is there a source for 1990s Chrysler LeBaron parts?


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Besides the junkyard?

 

We're working on a 1995 LeBaron convertible.   This car seems to have fallen into the parts black hole with very little available for it.  Near as I can tell I can't even source new headlights. 

 

Weather seals, assorted trim pieces, electrical parts, all the little things needed to restored a neglected car.   Rockauto has come through with some basic stuff to make it roadworthy.

 

It runs and drives but was run hard and then hauled to the junkyard where it sat for three years before we picked it up for $600.   We replaced the shocks, struts and ball joints, and despite a lot of noise out of the top end of the engine (3.0 V6, parts are easily found for that at least) it has been a reliable summer driver.   We'd like to get as close to new as we can.

 

 

IMG_0191.JPG.355562d98c91c38c345e4bcc634e9734.JPG.d1c33b28f99b045a60f806320521dace.JPG

Edited by Angelfish (see edit history)
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Perhaps in your title be slightly more specific and note " late model LeBaron parts postwar in the 1980s - 1990s"

late model LeBaron parts to me means something in the late 1930s..............

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Ebay is the usual spot to go.

 

I needed a steering wheel for my 1986 Buick Park Ave. They have an inlay wood grain trim goes into a channel that crumbs in sunlight.

 

I did a search on Ebay after looking at various mid-80s GM interiors and saved the search, tagging it to notify me of listings. I ended up getting a nice one in the correct color. I was the only bidder and got it for $1.

 

As Walt writes, you need to signal it is a K-car. There is a forum for them: https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/k-cars-20/

 

Put K-car in there. That will bring this group stampeding to your post.

 

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  • Angelfish changed the title to Is there a source for 1990s Chrysler LeBaron parts?

"Where's your Lebaron Freddy?"

Sorry, I couldnt resist. One of those cars with what seemed like a million on the road, but today I would imagine the only place to find parts would be a junk yard. I would think there may be someone that specializes in those at this point. I always thought they were attractive cars. I almost bought a sebring convertible at one time, but opted for a Z28 instead.

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1 hour ago, TAKerry said:

"Where's your Lebaron Freddy?"

Sorry, I couldnt resist. One of those cars with what seemed like a million on the road, but today I would imagine the only place to find parts would be a junk yard. I would think there may be someone that specializes in those at this point. I always thought they were attractive cars. I almost bought a sebring convertible at one time, but opted for a Z28 instead.

I had to warn my son when he bought it that, to people 40 and older, the LeBaron convertible was a source of much ridicule.  I was never sure why.  My wife had one when we were first married and it was one of our favorite cars.  Someone of my generation asked what he had bought, "Chrysler LeBaron convertible. "  The disgusted look on the guy's face was priceless.

 

But for the under 20 crowd, he's become the Kid with the Red Convertible, and despite the tiny back seat and subpar overall condition, they still want a ride home in it.  I hope they get the recognition they should while there's still some left.  Not many of these cars come up for sale and parts are elusive.

 

Seems to me the Sebring didn't age very well, I'd take the Z28 too.

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I had the top of the line 1987. It was a great riding car and was very peppy with the little 2.2 Turbo. The down side was all the imported electronics they used.

Your head lights can be buffed out and last a few more years. 

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Marty at Arizona Parts has a lot of Mopar parts. Having the factory part number really helps with the search plus knowing what "body" you have, i.e. K, J, M, etc...

 

arizonaparts.com

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The issue with cars of this time frame and newer is that you are into the time when dealers no longer stocked anything but fast moving parts - everything else is by overnight from the warehouse so there was/is not a lot of obsolete inventory available to hit the market 10 to 30 years later.   A lot of dealers - and remember most are business people by nature and not necessarily car people - don't want to deal with people like me and sell their obsolete stock.  They will purge the shelves once a year and most of it will hit the dumpster. It's the quick and dirty way to make shelf space for what's selling today.  Just the reality of business, time is money and the shelf space is more valuable than 10 cents on the dollar.  There were still printing service manuals in 95 but by 2004 Chrysler and GM had really dropped off printing them and Ford was pretty much done in 2011 as far as supplying dealers.  Parts catalogs don't exist in the paper form - so your best bet is pulling the part and finding the number on it or online searching.  

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12 hours ago, dalef62 said:

What are you looking for???

In general, just a source for parts that you need as you go along.

 

Specifically at this time, motors for the rear quarter windows, belt line trim, the instrument panel has some intermittent problems that we haven't investigated yet, we will need a new top but that's for a later day.  Engine parts seem to be available. 

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Burrow deep into the internet for parts. Don't leave a search engine unturned. I used Rockauto and Ebay for a lot of items on my '86 Park Ave that I would never have looked for two or three decades ago.

 

The internet has provided room for a lot of low overhead, low markup businesses that can market parts that would have been scrapped when letters and long distance phone calls were required to search.

 

A great example on my car is the full set of GM old stock fuel lines and hoses I bought from Rock Auto for well under $200. In the 1990s I would not even have thought  to look for it, just get the bender out and go to it.

 

I even picked up four NOS wheels still in the boxes.

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One year ago yesterday I bought a 2005, 18 year old, car that I consider a collector car. It needed three quite obscure parts to make it cosmetically perfect for my taste. No problem, they are installed and that one will stay in that condition as long as I have it.

 

Keep those ongoing searches running and check for things even when you don't need them. I have my Murphy's shelf in the garage. Murphy says if you have a spare you won't need it. Yes, the original wheels are up in the ceiling right above the shelf. I wouldn't what to push it.

Edited by 60FlatTop (see edit history)
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The website www.car-part.com should be very useful

for you.  Participating junkyards list cars they have.

You can do a search, listing the year, make, model,

and specific part.

 

Note that you will find more listings for a major part

than for an obscure part.  Therefore, enter a major

part instead of an obscure part.  For example. if you

need a dome light, no junkyard might have inventoried

that;  so enter something like "seats" or "fender."

If a junkyard has a parts car for seats, that parts car

probably also has a dome light.

 

Another forum-goer had great success when needing

a dash trim piece for his 1986 Buick LeSabre coupe--

a car rarely seen today:

 

 

 

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They are available and seem reasonably priced.  I’ve thought about buying another one for my wife to replace the one she drove in college, but she doesn’t seem to want one all that badly and I like that we have a good project for the next generation to learn on.   By the time it’s done it would been cheaper to buy a good running car, but we’re teaching a man to fish, not giving him one.  

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19 minutes ago, Angelfish said:

They are available and seem reasonably priced.  I’ve thought about buying another one for my wife to replace the one she drove in college, but she doesn’t seem to want one all that badly and I like that we have a good project for the next generation to learn on.   By the time it’s done it would been cheaper to buy a good running car, but we’re teaching a man to fish, not giving him one.  

Even though I deal is this stuff, this listing is not mine and it's a bargain - the parts book is worth more than the price just to avoid buying wrong parts.  I applaud your educational efforts!

 

Don

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/402484696991?hash=item5db5f5179f:g:6LoAAOSwnWpfgRkP&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8NLVrfXnYiTKsWdJPfsXC2PovgJZIgNHHMRJAjsFhFwWNYPZa0i0DquwozmY3B1sjLozK3vmtJ73vvBwLntFQ49aWGzZTidzRC%2BhbAg%2FunopoHqIp6xeJrVX%2BZf4r2VAkNtpYM5oU2Y80ki1P39JvGUEDIejBO2hOd7qf17%2Bd3njMbmwA89VvUaEdFYD8ib2JfF%2FO9Hg0sx2Si7boRl%2BNoAJJlDZLO5MWze1B5LmtG%2BWZkyzq2opsg%2F8G5yh0Iqcp0VO6GZV%2FhwPl%2BtnI0DneiZftzH8jfVXwlQ0T9Ib%2Fdn8MLFmMK59nBAdeCXwoQJcKA%3D%3D|tkp%3ABFBMoL6F9qFj

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Don't forget:  This car is closely related to Chrysler TC by Maserati.  There will be some cross-over parts between the two.  The good news is there is a Forum right on this site for the TC, where you will find a few specialists and parts sources.

 

https://forums.aaca.org/forum/39-chryslers-tc-by-maserati/

 

Edited by KURTRUK
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