T2K-CAR

[85lebaront2]

One item the 1985 car had that this one didn't was cornering lights, those are really nice out here in the nether regions for avoiding large ditches when turning corners. The front fenders are actually the same stamping from 1982-1988 on the LeBaron K body. In 1986, the bumper was made deeper at the bottom so there are two plastic fillers on the bottom of the fenders and another wide piece of molding that carries the bumper contour to the edge of the wheel opening. This makes the front look quite a bit different.

I saved the undamaged 1985 fenders and will install them as it is easier to do that then it would be to cut the cornering light holes. I will probably have to drill at least two holes in them for the back of the upper bumper extension and two on the bottom front for the lower bumper extension.

I made a change in the wiring and the light socket (the left one vanished into the hole the 10mm sockets hide in) the original is the classic old bayonet base 1156 bulb, I had a pile of minivan front turn signal and parking light sockets for the newer 3157 snap in base bulbs. I had a 3156 and socket left over from the Taurus. I found that 4 of the minivan sockets were plastic with a rubber back that could be removed allowing the socket portion to be disassembled for cleaning. The 3157 has a narrow aligning slot (actually stepped) and the 3156 has a wide aligning slot. You could put a dual filament 3157 into a 3156 socket and only the bright filament would work. Since I will be using LEDs I wanted to modify the sockets for a single filament bulb. I disassembled one for testing and found with the brass contacts and their holder removed from the socket, I could get at the alignment slots. A bit of cutting, heat from a small soldering iron and I have a socket for a 3156 bulb.

I was able to obtain a left side light housing and bracket, but the light socket isn't shown in the parts list so I had to make at least one socket and since the original hung down almost to the bottom of the fender, the modified van ones are nearly flush with the light housing.
Original right side cornering light with socket.

Bottom view of the light showing the socket.

Bottom view with the modified minivan socket.

Unmodified minivan park and turn socket (BK/YL parking, LG turn, BK ground)

Modified minivan socket, note BK/YL is gone.


Now, a while back I mentioned I had found some new door strikers, they are for a minivan but the only difference is a 5/16 or 8mm hex on the back end of them.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Those Caravan lights are much lower profile.  
As long as they are functionally equivalent I'd say it is an upgrade.

Bill, you are picking away at that Chrysler.
It will be a nice top down summer cruiser!  

[85lebaront2]

The actual light unit is the LeBaron one, the socket is all I was changing. I made a slight wiring change also. Chrysler had them wired so they worked all the time, even in daylight. I have the relay coils fed from the parking light circuit so they only work if the lights are on.

[ArdWrknTrk]

My bad. I did mean socket.  

Our Canadian friends know all about DRL's, but it's interesting that a mid '80's LeBaron would have them.

[Gary Lewis]

Well done, Bill!  

As Jim said, you are going to have a cool drop-top cruiser one of these days.  

[85lebaront2]

Jim, it is not a daytime running light, it is located in the front fender ahead of the wheel and below the raised portion from the end of the bumper. Here is a picture of the 1985 car red circle is the left cornering lamp:

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess I misunderstood "working all the time, even in daylight"  

Sometimes I think I'd be better off with a horse.  

[85lebaront2]

Jim, it was partially my fault, I didn't clearly state the conditions. As built, the cornering lights (left or right) illuminate whenever the appropriate direction signal is selected, even in daylight. Since all lights on the 1990 harness I used are controlled by relays and the relay block is fully wired even if the car did not have that option, I simply moved the power source for the cornering light relays to the parking light feed so they will only illuminate if the lights are on.

Here is the right cornering light installed:


I actually managed to catch the turn signal illuminated, this is no running lights:


I couldn't catch the turn signal, but here is the cornering light during right turn signal with lights on:


The reason the marker and park/turn lights are brighter, they are LEDs, cornering light is a 3156 incandescent bulb.

[ArdWrknTrk]

It's just my incredibly literal autistic thinking.
You are always very specific and cognizant of how you phrase things Bill.

You're making good use of those relays.
And I'm guessing having one incandescent bulb negates the need for electronic flasher modules?

[Gary Lewis]

Do they flash with the turn signals or just come on and stay on as long as the turn signal switch is depressed?

[ArdWrknTrk]

It's a turning lamp.
It stays on, illuminating inside of the corner you're taking.

[Gary Lewis]

That's what I was thinking, but then was trying to figure out how it is wired, and apparently they just take the power to the relay's coil from before the flasher.  Makes sense.

[85lebaront2]

Jim, and Gary, basically correct, but, flasher is a dual function electronic unit, relays are used to select which lights are used. The original wiring from Chrysler used an ignition on power source for the relay coils, turn signal switch simply grounds the appropriate relays (left front, left rear and left cornering) or the corresponding right side ones. I just could never see the use of a cornering light in daytime, the first car I had with them was a 1978 Oldsmobile, Delta 88 Royale and those only worked with the lights on.

The lights on the car, other than headlamps and cornering lights are all LEDs now, and since the electronic flasher has it's own dedicated ground and two power sources as needed (one is ignition switched the other constant battery) so the little pushbutton switch in the console determines (a) which power source and (b) whether to ground all 4 signal relays.

[85lebaront2]

I got the left side cornering light in today, then went on to repairing some of my courtesy lights. There are four of them that take a 212-2 bulb, which can be replaced by a 578 LED. Two of the lights mount vertically in the rear inner panels, the other two mount on the bottom portion of the door armrests. These looked pretty bad from the light bulb heat. Here is a picture of three of them in a fixture made from a small cardboard box:


Here are the same three after painting with a close to chrome paint:

[Gary Lewis]

They look great, Bill!  And with the low heat from the LEDs should stay that way a long, time.  

[1986F150Six]

NOS, Bill?

[85lebaront2]

NOS as in Nitrous Oxide or New Old Stock? They are original 1985 and 1986 parts, some from the 1986 and some from the totaled in 2009 1985. Disassembled, cleaned with Dawn dish soap and an old toothbrush, then painted with a metallic silver paint.

[1986F150Six]

Just complementing your work... New Old Stock!

[85lebaront2]

Thank you, I am pretty happy with the result. The left side cornering light was NOS from Arizona Parts, mounting bracket was used.

[85lebaront2]

Now I have run into a small dilemma. The original piece separating the front seats is a large armrest bolted to a plastic section that runs down the center of the car on top of the longitudinal reinforcement. I want to see about using the center console from the 1989 car, which ends up being the same width and height, but has a storage rack for audio cassettes. The problem is this:

It has the place for the rear window defroster, two power window switches and the power seat switch (it mounts so that the text is upside down, but when you look at it it reads normally. I either have to make something different for there or rearrange my switches. I can put the top switch in place of the window switches and move the rear defrost and seat switches. There was an ash tray forward of the shifter, but that won't work as the K shifter is too far forward. This also will negate the control panel I built.

Using the console switch panel.
Advantage, removing the control panel will allow for a 4 disc CD changer.
Disadvantage. hazard flasher, panel dimmer and power point will need a new location.

Leaving the control panel
Advantage, no need to extend wires and switch mountings
Disadvantage, have to come up with something to close the front of the console in.

In either instance there is a rear seat ashtray provision I will turn into a light for the rear floor as there are ash trays in each rear quarter area.