1965 Chrysler Newport Base Hardtop 4-door 6.3l on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1988 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo Sedan

Lee Iacocca's K-Cars saved Chrysler from certain oblivion in the aftermath of the 1979 federal bailout, but most of the members of the many-branched K Family Tree were really built on modified K platforms. The only genuine, 100%-K machines sold in the United States were the Dodge Aries/400/600, Plymouth Reliant, and Chrysler LeBaron; today's Colorado-found Junkyard Gem is a rare example of the very last year of the K-based LeBaron. Chrysler kept selling LeBaron coupes and convertibles here all the way through 1995, and those cars could trace their platform ancestry back to the original 1982 LeBarons that saved Chrysler… but for the real K-ness in a LeBaron sedan you must get one sold during the 1982-1988 period. This one has suffered some nasty paint damage over the decades, but its padded landau roof still looks pretty good at age 33. The base engine in the '88 LeBaron was a 93-horsepower 2.2, but this car has the optional turbocharged version with an impressive 146 horses. The cost for this engine? $700 list, or about $1,600 in 2021 dollars. The 1988 LeBaron coupes and convertibles got a five-speed manual as standard equipment, while the LeBaron sedan got a three-speed automatic at no extra cost. It appears that you couldn't get a manual transmission from the factory in this car. The "Traveler" trip computer was also standard equipment on the LeBaron sedan in 1988. As was this AM/FM radio. However, air conditioning cost $807 extra, or about $1,850 today. Other than the ravaged paint, this car still seems to be in reasonably nice condition (yes, Corinthian Leather was an option). Not many are interested in rescuing an old K-Car these days, sadly. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Ricardo-approved! Featured Gallery Junked 1988 Chrysler LeBaron Sedan View 26 Photos Chrysler Automotive History Sedan Chrysler K-car Chrysler LeBaron Junkyard Gems

FCA workers get raises, health care co-op in new UAW deal

The pending labor agreement between FCA US and the United Auto Workers is now in the hands of union members to confirm. It's expected to be accepted, but a final decision could take weeks, The Detroit News reports. Employees didn't get everything they were hoping for, and contrary to earlier reports, the two-tier wage system remains in place. However, there are attempts to lessen the difference between the levels in this four-year deal. Assuming FCA US workers agree to this offer, the starting pay for tier-two workers would go up around a dollar to $17 an hour. The other level would now begin at $25.35, about a $6 increase, and they would receive 3 percent raises in the first and third year of the deal. Both groups also get $800 in profit sharing for each percent the automaker's profit margin rises above two percent. Extra money kicks in for the second tier above eight percent. Union members get a $3,000 bonus for accepting this contract, as well. The other major change under the pending agreement is the previously rumored switch to a healthcare co-op. The goal is to collect members from the Big Three together to create a huge member base for leverage to negotiate better rates with insurance companies. The UAW is promising no increase in cost to workers, according to The Detroit News. The idea was inspired by the similar structure for the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association for union retirees. UAW boss Dennis Williams expects the agreement to be approved. "Once the membership looks at it, hears the explanation for it, I think they'll ratify it," he said, according to The Detroit News. The next step is to craft similar deals with General Motors and Ford. Related Video:

Stellantis axed the SRT engineer team, but performance isn't going away

Stellantis has broken up the Street & Racing Technology (SRT) engineering team that created over a dozen high-performance vehicles, including the Dodge Charger Hellcat, but the situation isn't as dire as it sounds. The newly-formed company assigned SRT's former engineers to different positions, where they'll continue to make hot rods. "All of the core elements of the SRT performance engineering team have been integrated into our company's global engineering organization," a spokeswoman told enthusiast website Mopar Insiders. She added that integrating SRT's personnel into other brands in the Stellantis portfolio will ensure that the lessons learned from decades of peddling speed will permeate other products. Previously, SRT operated with a high degree of independence. Don't get too excited. Her statement does not necessarily mean that Citroen will begin building cars powered by the Hellcat engine, though a C3 Chat D'enfer sounds absolutely epic. Technology transfer will likely be limited to fields like aerodynamics and thermal management, and the design department might learn a couple of neat new tricks. Dodge will still move forward with the development of its next SRT-branded cars; the decision to dissolve the SRT team will not affect future models, according to the spokeswoman. Whether they'll be powered by a V8 is up in the air, because company boss Tim Kuniskis warned that regulations are killing the eight-cylinder engine. Similarly, Jeep will continue designing high-performance models, like the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. What changes is that the model will be developed and designed by a group of engineers and designers from Jeep, not from SRT. SRT is dead, but performance isn't going away. SRT's demise nonetheless marks the end of an era for Chrysler. The division traces its roots to 1989, when some of the company's brightest minds were brought together to develop the first-generation Dodge Viper. It merged with Team Prowler to form the Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE) group, which was renamed Performance Vehicle Operations (PVO) in 2002 and finally dubbed SRT in 2004. SRT has operated as the carmaker's in-house tuner since, its resume includes a diverse selection of cars ranging from the Neon SRT-4 to the 1500 TRX, and it was promoted to a standalone brand led by designer Ralph Gilles in 2011. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) axed the SRT brand in 2014 but kept the name and the development team. Related video: