It is no secret that by the end of the 1970s, Chrysler was in a position of great financial embarrassment. Okay, let’s be honest; It was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. Only something extraordinary would prevent The Big Three from becoming The Surviving Two. Fate stepped in on two fronts. The company appointed Lee Iacocca as CEO in 1978, and he drove the introduction of the corporation’s K-Car platform in 1981. Both were masterstrokes, with the K-Car proving beyond doubt the benefits of platform sharing. Dodge introduced its “600” model in 1982, with the sedan based on the extended platform and cars like this Convertible on the regular K platform. Seeking a more sporting image, the 600 ES Turbo appeared in 1984, and although it didn’t sell in enormous numbers, it served as a halo for the 600 range. This 1985 model is an unmolested survivor that has led a sheltered life. It presents beautifully, with the seller describing its condition as mint. It needs a new home and is listed here on Craigslist in Monroe Township, New Jersey. The seller’s price is $7,250, and I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder PRA4SNW for spotting this fantastic survivor.
Some cars work well as Convertibles, while others don’t. I think the 600 ES Turbo looks excellent with the top down, but it becomes slightly ungainly with it up. However, if the new owner only brings it out on sunny days, that need not be an issue. Your opinion may differ from mine, and I respect that. The seller gives this survivor high marks for the presentation, and it is hard to disagree with their assessment. Its Code TX9 Black paint retains a mirror shine with no visible issues. The panels are as straight as you could hope to find on a vehicle of this vintage, and the car is rust-free. The soft-top is free from tips, the plastic and trim are in good order, and the wheels are spotless.
The secret to this car’s success hides under the hood. Buyers could choose from three engines, with the normally-aspirated 2.2-liter four delivering a respectable 99hp and 121 ft/lbs of torque. However, ordering the ES Turbo brought a “hairdryer” that pushed those figures to 146hp and 168 ft/lbs. Unfortunately, the company only offered a three-speed automatic transmission, which stifled performance. However, its ability to cover the ¼-miles in 17.5 seconds and hit 113mph made it more than two seconds and 16mph faster than its non-boosted sibling. The engine bay presents as you would expect for a vehicle of this age with 61,000 miles on the clock. There is no information on how it runs or drives, but considering the seller’s assessment of the rest of the vehicle, the news should be positive.
It is fair to expect a “halo” model to feature luxury touches, and this Convertible doesn’t disappoint. The new owner receives air conditioning, power windows, power locks, cruise control, the oh-so-1980s digital gauge cluster, and the only aftermarket addition, a CD player. The Gray leather seatcovers are excellent. There is no evidence of wear or abuse, with the same true of the remaining upholstered surfaces. The carpet is impressive, with only some marks on the kick panel preventing top marks. There is no crumbling plastic, and the only genuine fault I can spot is some faded faux woodgrain trim behind the shifter.
Vehicles based on the K-Car platform divide opinion. Some see them as a masterstroke of engineering and product diversity, while others view the resulting models as unremarkable cars from the 1980s. That may be true for many derivatives, but ones like this 1985 Dodge 600 ES Turbo demonstrated that vehicles of this type could provide an enjoyable motoring experience. You will struggle to find a nicer example in the current market, with a sales total of 5,621 examples meaning they are rarely listed for sale. The asking price for this Turbo is above the market average, but it isn’t unprecedented. It won’t appeal to everyone, but if you want to own an affordable classic that contributed to the salvation of Chrysler, this could be your car.
These are cool. 3 spd Auto this will scoot in 2nd gear. 2700lb curb weight 🙌
5k car imo.Looks like someone rattled can with some rubberized undercoating over the rust under the car.You can see a rust spot missed on the rocker seam towards the front of the car.Head gasket leakers , did a lot of them in the day and not that hard to do.They weren’t bad cars though.Had one a blue 4 door with a 2.2 non turbo with over 200k. Key to it’s longevity was previous owner meticulous maintenance.Great beater with a heater she was.glwts.
Nice car. It would be exciting to see a yuppie of today think out of the box and buy this instead of a silver/gray plebian car.
…too bad the seat covers look like a JCWhitney catalogue special…driver’s seat terribly done, center console was done to match…what are we hiding under all that vinyl ?
These are a fantastic car from the point of view that; given the era, Chrysler was able to bring them to market in no time flat at a price point that was very affordable. No mistake, these were built with the full involvement of the bean counters so, cheap materials and parts bin construction is involved (on the plus side, there are many common parts from 20 different Chrysler models) so only well maintained ones are likely to have survived. If this car is as the seller presents, it’ll make a nice touring car.
I noticed the seat covers too but this vehicle would be a conversation piece at any Friday night car gathering. Whoa…. a K car!
Those seats have been recovered and poorly, as the originals had piping on the headrest seats and were black on the sides and back and that center console was not like that when it was new. Iacocca was a genius in the automotive world, and the only reason We still have the 3 legacy automakers today. His book was incredible from the Mustang to the relationship with Shelby to the dimensions on the original K car that allowed 1 extra car per train car to cut shipping cost per unit. the shared platform that allowed everything including a minivan that changed the financial viability of the company.
Nice car. Had a 85 non-turbo LeBaron convertible. Reliable and being a K Car, maintenance parts were easy to find. Had the GTS suspension and while not a very powerful engine, it would corner. I did scuffed the tops of the words Goodyear and Vector on the sidewalls of the OEM front tires
Re: Adam’s “divided opinion” comment. I think the car fits both thoughts he presents. It was amazing how Chrysler saved themselves by deftly using platform diversity, building capable but unspectacular cars, making money in the process. For what it was in its day, and for its survivor status today, I respect this car and even kind of like it.
Back then; had a similar ’84 Dodge 400. Vaca
2wks in Michigan’s UP. Nothing like a 360° view in the pristine wilds of Northern Mich!
They really were pretty good cars for the time
I worked at the largest Dodge dealer in New Jersey in 1981/82. The K car and minivan saved Chrysler, for awhile. These K cars were throw away cars. Use’em up and throw them away.
The owners wife (mob connected so no names please) had a ’82 Chrysler LeBaron convertible that I had the distinct “pleasure” of riding in the back seat once, and once is all I could take. The rear seat, back and bottom were only an inch thick. Most uncomfortable car I ever rode in. Plus they were boxy and ugly. Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, all the same car, just different badging.
Digital dash means this might be a “Talker”.
Friend had a talking Lancer ES we named “Harry”!!!
We called them “Liars.” “A door is a jar.”
I’m from Jersey. The mob connected family that Angel referenced on her comment was Don Toresco’s Autoland. I was about 30 minutes from the dealership. It was a big one. I had a number of Chrysler 2.2 engines and variants in that time period. They were super easy to work on. The non-turbo varieties were slower but much less problematic. EVERY TURBO that they made in that platform ran hot and the oiling holes in the engines were too small. Consequently, EVERYONE OF THEM blew a head gasket, turbo, timing belt, and water pump. between 60! and 80
thousand miles. You would always see them going down the road with blue smoke blowing out the tailpipes when they went. It was common. Chrysler put the various turbo 4’s in many of their products. If you remember, they even put them in their mini-vans for a time. They had a relationship with Mitsubishi at that time, so some of them had the plain Mitsubishi 2.6. They had spark plug issues. Always froze in the head, or snapped in half trying to remove them. The most reliable versions were later in the run—-just a 2.2 or 2.5 fuel injected-non-turbo. The very early 81-84/85 Holley carbed ones always needed a new carb around 70 thousand miles. This was the platform that came from Lee Iacocca, and it absolutely saved Chrysler.
Digital dash means this could be a “Talker”.
A friend had an ’86 Lancer ES we named “Harry”
Karl, first LeBaron we looked at “talked;” fasten your seat belt, your door is ajar. In my best robot voice I said “show us another car.”
We told “Harry” it’s not ajar it’s a door, we were very creative.
I was wondering if the 600 Turbo came with those wheels (my ’86 GLH-T did). The seller-provided brochure picture proves that it did.
@ Dan,
Back then, 1981/1982, it was called Dodgeland. That was a little smaller than the now Autoland.
You said the name, I didn’t. I don’t need the NY/NJ mob after me.
His father had a small used car dealership down the road on Route 22 also, in Plainfield. I actually started working there, and when they realized I knew nothing about computers I was fired. As I was leaving I stopped at Uncle Doms office (that’s what we called Donald’s father) explained the situation to him and thanked him for the opportunity.
He said hold on….. made a call, and told me to show up at Dodgeland in the morning, where I became their new receptionist and cashier.
When Uncle Dom passed away the funeral was massive. I cried as I passed the casket. He was very nice to me.. When the procession from the church to the cemetery started, it was literally over 3 miles long. The police in Scotch Plains were out in force, allowing the funeral procession to go nonstop through red lights. They closed all of the dealerships that day. The repass was amazing. Donald spent thousands, maybe tens of thousands on the food and drink.
That is a time I’ll never forget.
Angel, It was an amazing time. Being from that area, and growing up in the 60’s/70’ I can tell all of the readers here that all of the stuff you have heard was in fact, true. The mob owned that area for decades.
I had an 88 Shadow ES Turbo that yes, the head gasket blew on at about 15K. Had the car 15 years and never had another problem despite autocrossing it for 4 years (I did change the clutch at 12 years).