Every so often we’ll get a tip here at Barn Finds regarding a car which, at least upon first glance, seems so reasonably priced I’ll wonder if the vehicle will last long enough for me to get a post written about it. That’s how I’m feeling about this 1986 Chrysler LeBaron convertible for sale here on Craigslist, spotted by reader Mitchell G, whom I’d like to thank for sending it our way. At just $2,500, this one seems like a fairly priced droptop, plus the seller also mentions that this is the asking price, so if you catch him on a good day perhaps it can be bought for even less. The car is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, way up in the northern part of the state, should you decide to go check it out in person.
If there’s any bad news here, it’s that the seller is a man of very few words, as the only things he tells us are that the car has been garage kept and not driven in the snow, that there’s no rust, no issues, there’s a new convertible top in place, and the Chrysler drives perfectly. That’s all we get, and while I’d kind of like to have found out how long the LeBaron has been under his ownership or anything else about its past, I guess for such a short description he does mention all the right stuff I wanted to hear. It’s not specified whether or not this is the original paint, but from what I can tell the finish still looks pretty good all the way around.
We don’t get a photo from the engine bay, but a nice plus is this one is equipped with a turbocharged motor. Chrysler began offering a turbo around the mid-eighties, and while they got better as time went on the 2.2 inline 4 for ’86 was no slouch when compared to the stock version, with the turbo-power increasing horsepower from 97 to 146, maybe not exactly mind-boggling performance but it did get you a third more juice. There’s no word on whether or not this one’s ever had a rebuild, but 104k miles seems like a reasonable amount of driving for 35+ years, and if it’s been well-maintained hopefully there’s plenty of good life left for the next owner.
The interior may not be perfect, but for the age, it looks quite decent, especially for being a convertible with white seats. I realize a K-Car may not be the most desirable droptop around, but for $2,500 or maybe even less, I’m finding it hard to believe this one has been up for 26 days so far without a taker. Am I giving this LeBaron too much praise, or is this a really sweet deal for what you’re getting here?
I totally agree. In today’s market @ $2500 this would make a great summer fun car. If it was closer it would be in my driveway!
nice looking ride. i drove the dodge version for a few years, 2.2 tbi and auto.
it was a fun little car. lil sister took it out for her bachelorette night. her and her friends had a blast.
this one will be “gone in 60 seconds”
Sumthins wrong if it’s there that long
My MIL had one just like this in the early ’90s. Hers was just as sharp but
a defective turbo unit caused the car to burn to the ground in less than 30
minutes. Thankfully, no one was hurt
but the car was toast. When the settlement came from the insurance,
Mom and Pop bought a Dodge 600
ragtop with a normally separated 4
banger in it. It was a nice car, but not
as nice as the LeBaron she lost in the
fire. Later in life, Mom contracted
Dementia and all I wanted was to find
a car like this so that we could take her for one last ride in a ragtop like
the one she had. RIP Mom, we miss
you.
Seems too good to be a legitimate sale!?
Been for sale nearly 4 weeks!? Hmm…
These, for their time, were really nice. My ’84
Dodge 400 turbo convertible was reliable.
As stated before; a good summer cruiser.
And at $2500… someone grab it today!
I had 2 of these back in their time, aChrysler just like this one and later a silver Dodge 600 Es version, which at least was a tad more manly looking! With the red and white Chrysler, I was teased about it be a Mary Kay car! Did not keep either long enough to have issues, as back then i was buying a diff car every 6 mos!!
“Going the wrong way? How would he know where we’re going?”
I was waiting for someone to reference that famously funny movie; thanks, Robert! Remember, “it’ll buff out!”
I’m glad I don’t live too close! I really don’t like it, but for $2500, it has me wondering what wheel/tire setup I would put on it…
Obviously something wrong here. If not, $2500 is an out and out steal. If I still lived in Ohio, I’d go get it and leave the guy a tip as well.
gone!