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Thread: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

  1. #1
    Garrett booster
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    1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    So, some of you may have seen, but I did buy the SRT swapped wagon a while ago that was for sale here. I can't really explain it, but I've basically been in love with this car since I found the build thread on TD. I got to see it at the mopar nats at Carlisle a few times and it's been my favorite car to look at.

    When I picked the car up it wasn't running right. I ended up towing it to my friend's house who found a few of the PCM pins had been pushed back and it wasn't making a full connection. After we got it running I took it for a test drive. On the way back, I turned the dial a boost setting up to 3 and my wife could hear me laughing from blocks and blocks away. After that I drove it home and put nearly 2k miles on it in a few weeks. I really enjoy the cold AC and it spiking 24 pounds of boost.


    Currently the car is at my friend Blair's house in PA, he's changing the subframe, steering rack, and rear springs for me since I really don't have time to do it. The rear springs were so soft whenever I'd lay into it it would squat really hard and make it unstable to drive.


    This picture is from 2008 or 2009:





    This was in the for sale ad when I went to pick it up.





    And a few random pics:








    A night time e-brake test made this happen





    It's fun. If you want, you can see it at Carlisle this weekend, and I'll be around. I plan on putting it onto the autocross track, not because I think it'll do good, but because it'll be funny.

    Only plans I have for it in the future is more driving and maybe a few 1/4 mile passes.

  2. #2
    turbo addict
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Might want to look into adding the New Yorkers air load leveling setup in the back. Makes it so much more fun to drive as it doesn't squat and you can put a bunch of weight in the back and still get the same ride. And with making the level arm adjustable you can add rake or take some out while at the track if you so desire.

  3. #3
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    The load-leveling would be nice, but I'm just putting in some stiffer daytona springs for now. Who knows what the future will hold though.

  4. #4
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    So glad to see this in good hands! Nothing against the PO (not the builder) but from his for sale posts it seemed the car was over his head. For the rear springs I saw somewhere a while back XJ cherokees use the same size coil in the front as the K's do in the rear, just taller. I saw somewhere where a guy, maybe Vigo had cut down a set of XJ lift springs and stuffed them in the rear. Whoever it was said they worked well and were much stiffer. Since I'm a Jeep guy at heart I know TJ, XJ, and ZJ springs are all interchangeable, just different heights and rates. I'm planning on trying a set of V8 grand Cherokee springs. They should be the stiffest stock springs, and a dime a dozen in the yards.

  5. #5
    Supporting Member II Turbo Mopar Contributor A.J.'s Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    I used front Cherokee springs on the back of a Plymouth Caravelle I had to lift the rear to match the lift in the front.

  6. #6
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Yeah, i did the Cherokee spring thing. But keep in mind, from what i saw the stock springs have only around the same wire diameter and pitch as stock k-car springs, meaning they're probably not much stiffer if at all. For that reason i went looking for lift springs which are often thicker. I measured the difference in wire diameter but don't remember what it is, and i dont even know what brand the springs i ended up with were. I got them off local CL for $30 iirc.

    Dont push the red button.You hear me?

  7. #7
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    That's why I was planning on using V8 grand chero springs. They SHOULD be stiffer then normal XJ chero springs.

  8. #8
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Turbo224's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    I have always loved this wagon, the craftsmanship that went into its creation has always impressed me. Now if only I could get someone to do that sort of swap into a blue 89 Shelby Daytona, they would have my money!

    ~Tyler Larsen~Salt Lake City~
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    Check out my Homepage

  9. #9
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    I know for my XJ there are many different types of springs depending on what tow package. The efiche shows about 30 part numbers for the front spring. Those thirty are divided into light duty, standard duty, and heavy duty. Each one has a "coded XX" next to it suggesting there is probably a sticker on the actual spring with a code.

    The top of the list of heavy duty is coded "GN"..so I guess thats the heaviest duty galore. P/N 5200-1796.

    If the code starts with E its light duty. F is standard duty. G is heavy duty.

    If you are junkyard hunting I'd shoot for cherokees that have a big dana 44 rear end and a mopar (not uhaul) tow hitch.

    For grand cherokees, looking at the p/ns, there are about 20 p/ns for front springs. Only standard or heavy, no light. Starts with G = heavy, F = standard.

    Basically as the letters go up its heavier and heavier. Or at least the part numbers go up and up. I'm assuming things are different spring rates otherwise not sure why so many part numbers.

  10. #10
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    here you go..some springs look like they are shared between Grand and normal cherokee (red dot)

    this is from the 94 efiche for grand and the 88 for normal..not sure if things changed in other years

    so, it looks like, if we assuming spring rate goes up with p/n, that the normal cherokee may have two springs which are heavier than anything on the grand...?


  11. #11
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    I am 95% sure that it does have load levelling on it. I sort of remember buying new air shocks for it when we put it together and the pump being inside one of the rear quarter panels.

  12. #12
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    The factory air-suspension coil springs are MUCH weaker than the regular springs (which are weak enough!) so if you have air-suspension springs without the air suspension working you have the weakest possible rear spring.

    Dont push the red button.You hear me?

  13. #13
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Quote Originally Posted by djmoyer View Post
    I am 95% sure that it does have load levelling on it. I sort of remember buying new air shocks for it when we put it together and the pump being inside one of the rear quarter panels.
    I hear the pump come on, but it has KYB GR2 shocks on it now, probably something that butcher did to the car. After Carlisle I'll go through and see if I can get it to work correctly.

  14. #14
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    I always thought it would be cool to run that air spring kit inside the rear coils instead of air shocks so you could have functional load-leveling but ALSO have a good shock. Because if you put air shocks back on it you are going to basically have 4 springs and 0 shocks. They aren't very good at being shocks.

    Dont push the red button.You hear me?

  15. #15
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Ultimate goal will probably be air bags, with load leveling, and a higher rate spring to match the 170lb springs up front.

  16. #16
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    All of these things are possible!

    I feel like theres a ford truck spring option that noone has really nailed down yet.

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  17. #17
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Well the car now has a 14:1 shadow rack, along with Shelby Daytona rear springs. It no longer has that sweet rake, but it doesn't ride as awful and spins less in 2nd gear. Car still needs an alignment.

    Figures, I get the car back, and I'm leaving Wednesday for work. At least I'll get to hang with Vigo!

  18. #18
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Finally took it to the track last night. Went 14.03 and 14.07 with a 2.26 and 2.30 60'. My second pass was only a 14.5 but I missed 3rd when this RWD L body broke and I thought it was going to come into my lane.

    The dial-a-boost selector does work but on the 2 setting it was spiking 25 pounds. Also an axle started to go bad on my way home, it was thumping really loud on accel so I ended up driving the last 5 miles at 25MPH with the flashers on. The shifter also has a good bit of play in it even with new bushings. I may put an SRT shifter in it and re run the shift cables. I will definitely run slicks next time I go to the track and I'll try to turn the boost down a hair to get into the efficiency range of the turbo.

    Also, the car weighs 2950, more than I had expected, but I guess those power seats do weigh a lot.






  19. #19
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    Here's a really crappy in car view of my 14.07 run.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwtdZYQNZN4

  20. #20
    Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff Vigo's Avatar
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    Re: 1987 Chrysler LeBaron wagon SRT swap

    What was boost settling to?

    Dont push the red button.You hear me?

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