At $5,000, Is This 1982 Chrysler LeBaron Le Bargain?
While the ad says, the A/C doesn’t work on today’s Nice Price or No Dice LeBaron with a convertible top, who cares? Let’s see if we care about its price tag.
The Property Brothers First Car Literally Spoke To Them
It’s election season, which means lots of extremists pretending to be moderate and moderates striving to be extremely moderate. There’s plenty of posing in the automotive world, too, and that’s not seasonal. The 1965 Mercedes-Benz 220S we looked at last Friday had been dressed up in a mix of natural and faux patina to give it the look of an old-school rally car, something it is not. At $10,000, that fakery fell flat, giving the Fintail a final 84 percent No Dice loss.
Cars are expensive to design and build, so pretty much every car or truck you see on the road shares its underpants with one or more other models. Sometimes, that relationship is well hidden, while in the case of others, it can be pretty blatant.
One of the most ubiquitous and versatile platforms ever designed was that of Chrysler’s K-Car. That single FWD compact car design went on to underpin a series of sedans, two-doors, hatchbacks, wagons, minivans, stretch limousines, and Shelby-massaged coupes throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The K-car platform literally saved Chrysler from going under and made for some pretty “of the moment” cars throughout its run.
This 1982 Chrysler LeBaron convertible is one of those cars. Not only was it built on the K-Car platform, but it also represented one of the first new convertibles to be released by an American manufacturer at the time, following a dark age when companies fully expected a federal ban on such models. Relatively cheap when new, both in their build and their cost to own, the K-cars weren’t ever really considered keepers. Because of that, few are left today, although those that have survived tend to be the more interesting models like this convertible.
This one looks to be all original, right down to its bright red paint and white convertible top. That color combo is accented by a handsome set of factory alloys fitted with fancy—and new—white wall tires. Nothing seems amiss with the paint or bodywork underneath, and the car still has all its kibbles and bits of trim.
The top, however, does need attention. It appears to go up and down without issue, but the pictures show two significant tears in the outer fabric that ensure it’s not watertight. Those will need to be sewn or the top replaced wholesale.
The cabin below seems in decent shape, although the seller doesn’t consider it worthy of our attention and chooses instead to give us a shot of a Chrysler-branded valve stem cap rather than of any of the upholstery. Fortunately, it can be seen in the short ad video and looks to be in acceptable condition.
According to the ad, the 99-horsepower 2.2 four runs well and has enjoyed a recent tune-up. It’s mated to a three-speed automatic, which drives the front wheels. The only major mechanical issue noted is the non-working A/C. Considering that the system should be converted to a more modern refrigerant from its factory R12 anyway, that might not be such a big deal.
At just 47,000, the car’s mileage is also not a big deal. It also has a clean title, making this a budget classic that should be pretty easy to slip into. The question, of course, is whether any interested party should give the seller that slip at the car’s $5,000 asking price.
What do you say? Would you pay that much for a K-car convertible with a couple of niggling complaints? Or does that price ensure you’d give this K-car a clear pass?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Alabaster, Alabama, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to MrMikus for the hookup!
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