Not that I need a project, but SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. This looks good, but the fact the seller just put in a a rebuilt engine, then gave up, has me concerned.
Not that I need a project, but SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. This looks good, but the fact the seller just put in a a rebuilt engine, then gave up, has me concerned.
That seems overpriced by about $600.
Low miles, southern rust free, well within your capabilities. Offer 500.00, see what happens. Not exactly a high demand car.
In reply to cwh:
$500 was my gut feeling too - I'm just more concerned what it might take to fix it. If it indeed needs the ECM are they a fortune and/or available? Could there be any possible lingering complications from the seller's upgrade from a 2,2 to 2.5? I know nothing about turbo Mopars, and if don't want this to turn into an expensive education/mistake. 
In reply to petegossett:
Looks like the owner got in over their head.
Could a stand alone ECM like Megasquirt get it done within your skill set? If not, I think I would pass on this one.
petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1k
I doubt that this is what she had in mind.
gearheadmb wrote:petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
See, you are thinking project, and your wife is thinking something that actually runs. That whole Women are from Venus thing
gearheadmb wrote:petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
If this car were showroom-new, would it be something that she would want in her life?
"How much of a potential money-pit would this be?"
It depends. How much do you have to spend?
My parents had a Dodge 600 sedan. It was a very forgettable car.
Woody wrote:gearheadmb wrote:If this car were showroom-new, would it be something that she would want in her life?petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
Good question. The only frame of reference I have is she kind of liked the POS Sebring convertible we briefly had for our oldest son. I don't think this would be any more of a POS than the Sebring was?
gearheadmb wrote:petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
Hey, it's better than a J-body / Sunfire, amirite? 
The 84's had their own version of the later Turbo-Dodge Logic Module and a mechanically controlled wastegate, versus the later (85+) electronically controlled wategates.
The wiring is stupidly simple and the easiest solution is to replace the 84 electronics with those from an 88+ turbo car.
That said, lost distributor signal will cause the car to fail to start, sometimes the Auto Shutdown Relay in the Power Module goes bad, but often its the distributor pickup plate in the distributor itself that acts up or the metal plate comes loose from the plastic rivets underneath the pickup plate. Both are easy fixes.
Before that though, you have to figure out how they did the 2.5 Turbo conversion, since the engines are physically interchangeable (aside from the different intake manifold setups), electrically they are pretty vastly different as there's nearly a decade's worth of improvements between the two.
Lots of archived info available on the turbo-dodge stuff here:
http://thedodgegarage.com/turbo.html
and here's a clear description of the ECU and troubleshooting it:
http://minimopar.net/
You must always dress and act like Robert Goulet while driving it:
petegossett wrote:Woody wrote:Good question. The only frame of reference I have is she kind of liked the POS Sebring convertible we briefly had for our oldest son. I don't think this would be any more of a POS than the Sebring was?gearheadmb wrote:If this car were showroom-new, would it be something that she would want in her life?petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
Its at least repairable by someone with reasonable mechanical skills. Versus the Sebring which can only be fixed by killing them with fire.
Make sure the radio still works.
Woody wrote:gearheadmb wrote:If this car were showroom-new, would it be something that she would want in her life?petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
I'm always surprised that someone set out to buy a new car and settled on a convertible 600 and then was proud to roll around with the top down and show it off to their friends.
mazdeuce wrote:Woody wrote:I'm always surprised that someone set out to buy a new car and settled on a convertible 600 and then was proud to roll around with the top down and show it off to their friends.gearheadmb wrote:If this car were showroom-new, would it be something that she would want in her life?petegossett wrote: SWMBO has mentioned a convertible would be nice to have. 84 Dodge 600 convertible for $1kI doubt that this is what she had in mind.
The 80's were just a weird time, man.
Why would you be interested in this? Have you ever driven one? They have to be one of the least satisfying cars to drive that I've ever experienced. Plus, they are just not good cars. I'm pretty sure the convertible top is the only thing that meets your wife's requirements.
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: The 84's had their own version of the later Turbo-Dodge Logic Module and a mechanically controlled wastegate, versus the later (85+) electronically controlled wategates. The wiring is stupidly simple and the easiest solution is to replace the 84 electronics with those from an 88+ turbo car. That said, lost distributor signal will cause the car to fail to start, sometimes the Auto Shutdown Relay in the Power Module goes bad, but often its the distributor pickup plate in the distributor itself that acts up or the metal plate comes loose from the plastic rivets underneath the pickup plate. Both are easy fixes. Before that though, you have to figure out how they did the 2.5 Turbo conversion, since the engines are physically interchangeable (aside from the different intake manifold setups), electrically they are pretty vastly different as there's nearly a decade's worth of improvements between the two. Lots of archived info available on the turbo-dodge stuff here: http://thedodgegarage.com/turbo.html and here's a clear description of the ECU and troubleshooting it: http://minimopar.net/ You must always dress and act like Robert Goulet while driving it: https://www.youtube.com/embed/7UA3j-EL1HY
I'd need a can of that fake spray-hair stuff, but I think I could pull it off otherwise...I certainly have the clothes for it. That might be reason enough for me to go look at this POS.
Stefan (Not Bruce) wrote: Its at least repairable by someone with reasonable mechanical skills. Versus the Sebring which can only be fixed by killing them with fire.
Ha. Hahaha. Thanks, you made my day.
just get a miata
bravenrace wrote: Why would you be interested in this? Have you ever driven one? They have to be one of the least satisfying cars to drive that I've ever experienced. Plus, they are just not good cars. I'm pretty sure the convertible top is the only thing that meets your wife's requirements.
Its an American cruiser, it wasn't meant to be sporty. Doesn't mean that it can't be made to be fairly decent cruisers with enough power to get out of their own way.
Also ask all the folks that brought turbo-dodges to the Challenge and several other events whether they thought a turbo K-car was a bad idea. I doubt many would say they weren't satisfied.
fireball123 wrote: just get a miata
Had a Miata for 7 years. I loved it on the street, but hated it as a racecar...I'm weird like that.
In reply to petegossett:
I've got a Miata you might be interested in!
petegossett wrote:fireball123 wrote: just get a miataHad a Miata for 7 years. I loved it on the street, but hated it as a racecar...I'm weird like that.
I don't think that a Dodge 600 convertible would be a better racecar.
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