The seller says that the next owner can “Drive or Show” this 1985 Dodge 600 ES Turbo Convertible and they’re right. They have it posted here on craigslist in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, just southwest of Pittsburgh. They’re asking $8,500 or best offer, here is the original listing as this one won’t last long, and thanks to PRA4SNW for the tip! Our own Tasmanian powerhouse, Adam Clarke, showed us this very car last year here on Barn Finds and it’s $2,300 cheaper now.
Like it or not – and we know that there are readers who think this car is a joke, is lame, is a secretary’s car, yadda-yadda – this 600 ES Turbo would draw a crowd at almost any car show and it would be a nice driver even today. Not everyone needs a 1,200-hp Dodge Challenger to be at peace with him or herself, I sure don’t. I bet there are quite a few folks out there who loved the K-Car and what it represented, not to mention how it functioned and even how it looked. Just under 14,000 convertibles were made in the 600 lineup for 1985 and there can’t be many ES Turbos left in this condition. I wish they would have included a photo of the car with the top down, but I love the “pizza wheels” on these cars.
I love the crisp, boxy look but I’m biased as I had a similar car in the Chrysler LeBaron convertible. I would have very much preferred the “sportier” Dodge with all of the hoo-has, gimcracks, and doo-dads attached to it. The Dodge 600 was, of course, a variation of Chrysler’s K-Car, and they were made from 1982 for the 1983 model year, until 1988. The ES Turbo model came out in 1984 and lasted until the end of 1986. In case you were wondering, this car cost around $14,000 new, $40,130 in today’s dollars. $8,500 or offer seems like a deal to me.
This car only has 37,000 miles on it and it looks almost like new. The driver’s seat doesn’t even appear to have a wrinkle on it and it looks exactly like my LeBaron’s “Mark Cross” leather package. In fact, leather was standard on the ES Turbo, and it looks perfect both front and rear. A digital dash was also standard on the ES, and I wonder if they had the “talking” feature that my LeBaron had: “Your door is ajar”, “Your lights are on…” The trunk is on the small side but it looks tidy.
The clean engine is Chrysler’s 2.2-liter SOHC turbocharged inline-four, which was factory-rated at 146 horsepower and 168 lb-ft of torque. It sends power through a three-speed TorqueFlite transmission to the front wheels. A five-speed manual would have been the ultimate here and it was available. Even in turbo form, this wasn’t a fast car as defined by today’s standards, but 1985 wasn’t 2024. It’s like comparing a Model T to a BMW 3-series, it’s not a fair comparison. Someone will snap this time capsule up and will undoubtedly enjoy cruising with its cold AC on or the top down, or both, and will have fun talking about it at car shows with anyone who stops by for a look.
a K-Car is a K-Car is a K-Car…….need I say anymore?
If a K-Car is parked in the forest and no one’s around to see it, is it still a K-Car?
Yes it is……
Old guy around the corner has a LeBaron that looks like this car with Alaska plates he hasn’t been back to Alaska in 8 years.
personally i think the ugliest / cheapest ‘cars’ ive ever seen, i kinda favor my ‘man’ vehicles… ;)
Hey K cars were great for the company. And this is a Turbo version. I’m sure many grandma’s didn’t understand what was under the hood and why replacement tires cost so much lol. But don’t mention show car!! Really?
Well it finally sold with a 30% price cut. Hopefully it gets driven now instead of stored as if it was an investment
There are three reasons to get this car:
1. Convertible;
2. Conversation (everyone had a K car or a K car derivative/story, and they’ll tell you);
3. Relive your youth.
Well, I like it, Scotty! Honest. My Dad’s last car was an 85(?) LeBaron conv when he passed 12 years ago at 86. He wanted a cheap(always), simple ragtop to remind him of his 62 Lark and 49 Merc convertibles of his younger days. The LB filled that need for him and for that I am a fan of these K cars.
I like it too. Good condition, a degree of sportiness, doesn’t look bad, convertible, nice upholstery, not commonly seen, reasonably modern, not expensive.
I don’t get the K-car knee-jerk contempt. They were basic cars which filled that role reasonably well. And saved Chrysler.
I don’t understand the contempt for them either. Could be the fear some guys have of being thought to be less manly for admiring a car that doesn’t have a big engine. I far prefer to see the everyday cars and the now obscure cars on here compared to all the muscle cars. I’d love to have something like this.
Dang, Scotty, you never let us down. What a nice little Dodge. Cars like this serve to recall how far we’ve come since the ’70s and ’80s when performance was on the ropes yet manufacturers made an effort to provide us with interesting vehicles for our enjoyment. Since then we have surpassed the Super Car era and have cars and trucks one could barely have imagined in the malaise era. This is for someone who appreciates all vehicles. It’s not for those with a fragile image.
Bash these all you like but I knew many that ran the crap out of this stuff and never did anything to these poor guys. This to me is the best one to have. We had a customer with a black over red copy and it was a nice looking performing unit. I put a top on it and had a week and he let me drive it. To be fair it was much peppier than my Riviera convertible of the time. Love it of hate it. This is classic 80s,”it’s hip to be square style” I need no more cars but I wouldn’t mind one of these parked next to my 5.0 or square box Chevy, or Riviera.
When I saw this it brought back a lot of memories. In the very early 90s when I was dating my wife I worked for a towing company/body shop. He had one of these he bought at auction that had been in a fender bender. It was identical to this one. I remember wanting to buy it badly for my wife because she really wanted a convertible but I just couldnt swing it.
On a second note, this same man had a nimber of K cars that he used as loaner cars for customers, all bought used at auctions. I’ll tell you what….. Those cars would not die!!! And the customers would beat the snot out of them. Like the old Timex commercial Takes a Licking and keeps on ticking!! I used to run for parts in them if they were around and was always impressed with how well they held up.
These are good cars and dont deserve to be bashed in my opinion.
You nailed it Scotty!
The classic car enthusiast culture, when you dig down, REALLY isn’t about cars at all, but the people you meet.
Take this car out to any cruise night and, sure some people will make negative comments as they walk by (don’t worry about them, they’re the a-holes and every gathering of humans will have them), however, there will be a lot of folks that will stop and talk and tell you THEIR K-Car story. Before you know it, you have bunch more friends.
On a statistical point, the 2.2 was a great engine and this car will provide plenty of miles and smiles cruising with the top down. My MGB only has 100 HP and our Bugeye, a whopping 48, so a 148 HP turbo will still provide plenty of enjoyment.
Great write up!
Great write-up Scotty! All of the ‘K-Car snobs’ don’t know the following these cars have; at the big all-Mopar show in L.A. a few years ago the K-car owners showed up in force. They had at least a dozen or so cars there! 2 of the newest members of my local Mopar club are K-car owners…one member owns a single vehicle and the other has multiple cars, all nice cars and stored indoors. Like em or not, these cars are going to be around for a long time. Just ask my wife about her 89 Lebaron convert….
I think reaching the point of a K-Car being billed as a ‘show car’ is one of the signs of the Apocalypse
Well the Beetle, the Lada, and for that matter the Model T were basic cheap cars that have no business becoming valuable.
But they are.
So it makes sense that the utilitarian sedan that saved Chrysler should get its due.
You are comparing K-cars to the Model T and the Beetle? Seriously?
Yep
And don’t forget the Lada
All of these cars listed at one time were considered semi disposable.
My dad traded a case of beer for a model A back in the 50’s.
I bought a Lada for twenty five dollars in the 90’s. That was about the price of a case back then give or take a couple of bucks.
Now find a lada for less than 8k.
in mid 80s we’d say “A frnt WD turbo? Y?”
in the 90s we’d say…
in the 00s…
in the…
My brother bought one new in the same colors. Pleasant and peppy, lasted a long time. No reason to hate here.
Your door is ajar…..more irritating than Ford’s auto seat belt.
I have a 1984 LeBaron convertible. Love it. So much fun to drive.
Oh this was predictable. Every time a K-Car or Derivative pops up for sale, the “K-Naysayer Army” comes out trying to convince us that we’re wrong for liking these little cars.
Engineering marvels, in the same sense as the Volkswagen Beetle – Affordable, Reliable, Fuel-Efficient. And then they turned up the HP and Torque and dared to make them handle and stop. And they even added style and kept them affordable.
Well, this one is stylish, affordable, performs well and is a convertible – you had to pay much more for any of its contemporaries.
It’s amazing what we collectors pick out to love and preserve. It’s a great choice as it is generally unloved, unwanted, and inexpensive.