LeBaron - The Restore Begins
What has been repaired or replaced to date
Tires - Rear ones were shot. I went with a pair of Toyo
P205/60/R15's
COST: $140 CDN
Battery - Original one was only one year old but it was leaking
and our strata gets annoyed about stains on the concrete, so I replaced it
ASAP.
COST: $80 CDN
Convertible Boot - The original one must have been stolen or
just got very old since the car was missing it. I bought a used black one from
Craigslist that required some attention because the stitching had come undone. I
took it to a shoe repair place and they fixed it for $18 CDN.
COST: $50 CDN.
Rear Window Assemblies - I needed the motors (The cables were
actually bent) but I found a man who had 2 entire units so I went with those
since they are MUCH easy to install than just the motors themselves. He even
installed them for me:)
COST: $120 CDN installed (Thank you, Roger!)
Negative Battery Terminal Interupt Switch - My Hubby
installed this because the Digital Dash Cluster continually draws power because
it is broken. With it I can turn the power on and off at the source without
physically disconnecting the negative battery cable. Handy item to have in any
case.
COST: $30 CDN
Oil Change Package - I took the LeBaron to Discount Auto Repair in Vancouver, BC (**I have no affliation with them, I just found them online and they seemed to have a good reputation) for basic servicing and was quite happy with the services there. I got the Complete Services Package :
- Top all Fluids
- Cooling System (Rad
Flush)
- Change Spark Plugs
(NGK)
- Set Timing (This can't really be easily set on a
computerized car but CAN be done by adjusting the distributor
cap.)
- Adjust Idle Speed (The same goes for this, as
well)
- Tire Rotation (I didn't get this done as it had been done
2 weeks earlier when I bought the two rear tires.)
- Check Brake System
- Oil Lube Filter 10W30
COST: $125 CDN plus Taxes
Replaced Old Exhaust Pipe - While at Discount Auto I was able
to see the car up on a lift. I knew it had an
exhaust leak and would need replacement. We found the leak and it was repaired
when the car had the Complete Services Package done. It is much quieter now, but
I can see a new muffler of better quality is needed
and quite possibly a new catalytic converter. That'll cost me,
lol!.
COST: $100 CDN plus Taxes
Air Filter & Fuel Injector Cleaner - I bought a Fram
filter (next time I will buy a better filter, lol) and added a bottle of Lucas
fuel Injector cleaner/cylinder lubricant to help with fuel economy.
COST: $17 CDN for both
Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) Filters (Primary &Secondary)
- These small cube shaped filters can be found inside the air filter box
and underneath the air filter. They allow the crankcase to vent gases and the
filters prevent oil from getting into the air filter. It is a good idea to change
them once a year. These ones had not been changed in at least 3
years - maybe more.
COST: $4 CDN
Brake Servicing - 4 new rotors and 4 sets of pads were
installed. This was a little pricey (for me) but I value my safety. I had
originally been told that the car only needed the rear brakes done; However, I
noticed a lot of black brake dust on my front driver's side mag - so I had them
investigate. This brake was also worn out so I decided to replace all 4 rotors
with pads.
COST: $490 CDN including Taxes and Labor
Transmission Service - I had the tranny flushed and had the
gasket and filter replaced. The tranny now seems to shift much more smoothly than
it did before servicing and I could swear the car has more 'get up and go' than
it did previously.
COST: $150 CDN including Taxes
Fuel Filter - I also had them install my Fram fuel
filter, which they did as a freebie for me. This may be the real
reason for the car's mysterious power increase (or perhaps the injector cleaner
has been doing its job). In any case, I am hoping this will add to my fuel
efficency.
COST: $18 CDN
Various Misc. Items -
- Front Seat Covers
- Steering Wheel Cover
- New Floor Mats
- Jumper cables
- New Wiper Blades
- Misc. Cleaners & Detailing Products
COST: approximately $ 150 CDN
