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[coppcarz]

So with a few M bodies, and a B body, couldn't go without an R body!

[Dippy.org]

[80 Lebaron Coupe]

 

[lsm360]

LOVE IT!!! Tell us more!

[DobaMark]

Congratulations!

[coppcarz]

Well the car is a west coast car, came east about 10 years ago.


Based on the fender antenna, and the outline of some star badge on the doors, the previous owner assumes it might have been an Arizona DPS car.


The interior is all cloth and it has carpeting. Don't know if it is original to the car. Would like to change the seats to M style buckets in vinyl, or vinyl and cloth. And I will scrap the carpeting, hopefully I can find a rubber floor for the car.


Overall the body is in good condition, fairly straight.......rust in the driver side bottom 1/4. The trunk lid has some chewed up spots from rust in the corners close to the deck lid. Would say it's easier to replace the trunk lid than repairing it.


Will need the rubber bumper filler around the rear bumper, its completely gone.


Hoping to get it running soon. Apparently car had some electrical /switch problem, and the owner let the car sit for the last 4-5 years because of it. The lean burn was already removed, hopefully with a non feed carb installed.

[DobaMark]

Could well be, they sold the R body cop cars spartan (rubber floor mat and vinyl seats) to plush (carpet and some nice seats) all depending on the fleet's desires.

[Darth-Car]

Nice looking new member to your fleet.  I am also digging that Grand Cherokee.

[coppcarz]

Yeah, always a Grand Cherokee fan, but it's not mine. The car is at a friend's shop until we can get it running.

I cannot figure out why Chrysler scrapped the 80-81 Gran Fury design. The M was a redesigned F, but why didn't they just make a shortened R for the new M in 1982?

[Mike]

It looks like a fun project!!

I cannot figure out why Chrysler scrapped the 80-81 Gran Fury design. The M was a redesigned F, but why didn't they just make a shortened R for the new M in 1982?

I'm glad they didn't. I like R bodies but like the look of M bodies a lot better.

[DobaMark]

Yeah, always a Grand Cherokee fan, but it's not mine. The car is at a friend's shop until we can get it running.

I cannot figure out why Chrysler scrapped the 80-81 Gran Fury design. The M was a redesigned F, but why didn't they just make a shortened R for the new M in 1982?

It is a shame, but the R never sold well enough to justify its continued existence.  The plan was drop the R body after 1981 and drop the M body after 1983. Everything was going FWD. But the markets shifted and the M managed to live on.

I suppose since the R body was based on an older (1973) design than the M (1976) it went away first?
As they'd say in an ACT test question: M is to F as R is to B.

[coppcarz]

I understand the whole car platform was older than the M's, but I meant the exterior styling was not kept.  Maybe they didn't have faith in it.


A shortened wheelbase, quarter panel and front fender with the same looks could've been......

[coppcarz]

Does anyone know if the 60/40 split front seats in the R's were the same as those used in the M's?

[DobaMark]

I understand the whole car platform was older than the M's, but I meant the exterior styling was not kept.  Maybe they didn't have faith in it.


A shortened wheelbase, quarter panel and front fender with the same looks could've been......

The reasoning I read was the R body looked “heavy” even though it lost a lot of weight compared to the 78 B body and especially the C body.
Plus unfortunately quality control wasn’t the best.

[DobaMark]

Does anyone know if the 60/40 split front seats in the R's were the same as those used in the M's?

The tracks are the same, but I don’t know if the R seat is wider than the M seat. I never measured.

[lsm360]

I really like the big R's. The grille is a cool design and it's the last of the big Chrysler Police car.