Just getting ready to put my 78 diplomat sedan away for winter. Had it on many long trips this summer and it always turns heads and people just love it. Mines the dark metallic green.
When I was a lot boy at one of Chrysler's larges company owned stores, we use to prep the Executives in the zone office cars. They always had a competition inside about their clout. When they would individually order their car, they would go out of their way to get features or colors that weren't offered to the public. I remember one guy, ordered a 1978 Chrysler LeBaron four door, it was the Top of the line LeBaron and it was dark green metallic, with a red leather interior and white padded vinyl roof. I honestly thought that combo looked awful, but the guy loved it, he bragged about how he got it that way. We all said it looked like a Christmas Tree at the time. I always wondered what happened to that special order car. If you look at a Lebaron brochure, you'd see that that combination wasn't offered. I loved the Forrest Green color...a few years later, i special ordered a Dodge Aries Coupe in that Green with a Tan interior in the SE level trim, oh, I loved how sharpe that car looked. Today, I own a Forest Green Oldsmobile Toronado.
You are one lucky person. I remember when the LeBaron/Diplomat cars came out in the spring of 1977. I thought they were the most beautiful cars on the road. I was taking a photography class in high school in the fall of 1977. I went down to Century Chrysler/Plymouth in San Jose, California and took pictures of a brand new 1978 Lebanon Medallion 2 door in the showroom. The optional interiors of these cars were second to none as far as beauty and comfort without being overdone. I once saw a 1977 LeBaron with a 318 three speed manual with overdrive on TH-cam.
The good old days of 145hp from a 5.2L V8 getting 14mpg, and quality craftsmanship that you could drive for literal hundreds of miles before falling apart. Hard pass! Cool video though; thankful for how far we've come in the power output, quality, and features for dollar we get nowadays.
I got one 3 yrs ago for $300 from my grandfather pretty rusted out but ran smooth as hell, real grateful for the deal he gave even with the condition it was in. Great guy
Coupes were the most distinguished from their Aspen/Volare counterparts, they shared the 112" wheelbase with the sedans and wagons, the 2-door Aspen/Volare had the 108" wb inherited from the Duster.
@@Thomas63r2 Are you sure? I recall the Ropers having a late 50s Chevy. Mr. Furley thought we was so cool, I can't imagine he would drive a frumpy car. I found this: What kind of car did Mr Roper have? Wagstaff has arrived at the Ropers and tells Mr. Roper what a “classic” he had let slip through his fingers-a '57 Chevy is a car buff's dream. When he reveals that Roper could have gotten $1200 with some haggling, he finds himself in a tight spot, but Roper schemes to get the car back from the kids despite Mrs.Apr 23, 2018. Then I found this: Q: What kind of car does Mr. Furley drive? ---------- Opening line Mr. Furley gives to Lana when they first meet. Ralph Furley: “You may not know it, but I have a Porsche.” Lana Shields: “Well, why don’t you go get under it?” Pretty sure that was the only time Mr. Furley’s car is ever mentioned.
Well, they didn't market the car with Corinthian Leather, that was exclusive to the Cordoba by Chrysler......but the leather in the Diplomats wiere breathtaking. I worked for a dealer and LOVED these cars, particularly the Medallion edition with the Leather Seating
My choices would be the Olds Cutlass Supreme followed by the Chevy Monte Carlo, I do wish they could make cars like this day but with today's powertrain or the pre smog era powertrains.
I had the pleasure of owning everyone of those cars! My grandpa was a MOPAR salesman from 1946-1977 so I love those & had a 1978 Diplomat with the 360 4bbl! I managed to get a bank repo 1976 Monte Carlo 350 4bbl, a couple years later got my hands on a 1976 Cutlass Supreme with the 350 Rocket 4bbl & Ttops & I dated this girl that sold me her 1977 Buick Regal 350 4bbl & Ttops & her mother just happen to have a 1984 Buick Regal T Type Turbo with Ttops that she sold to me at a good price! Damn those were the days - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS!
That 78 with the 360 had to be a rocket compared to some of the other cars of the day. Had a 77 Medallion from 91-93 that I added a 4bbl to a 318, was pretty decent once it was rolling.
@@JrGoonior for its time it wasnt that bad, only 155 hp but once she got to rollin it went along pretty good & cruised nicely at 70-75 mph! I love hearing those 4 barrels opening up on all those old cars, I always flipped the top of the air cleaner over, it left a small opening which sucked in more air & made that carb sound even better! I wished it had the same 360 that was in the fastest vehicle in 1978 the Lil Red Express truck which I wanted really bad but couldnt afford!
@@edpoe4622 haha I wished it could have been at the same time but after daughter found out that I had went out with mother it ended all that...at least I can say I banged mom & daughter {I was 20 she was 38 & daughter was 19}
I forgot mine was Chestnut Brown w beige top and THICK beige cloth seats 318 5.2L Lean burn delete Auto Torque-Flite 727 3 Speed bullet proof PS/PB Cold A/C Tilt Cruise Chrysler Infinity 1 Sound with Cassette Dual Power seats Wire Hubcaps White wall tires Power Mirrors PL/PW Split bench 60/40 seats Rear Defrost. I kept the original window sticker and framed it for memories. The cost was 10,980 new. My dad sold Chrysler products in the 1980's from 1983-1989.
I had a 1987 Diplomat SE was an excellent car I paid 1000 for it in 1997 with out the Lean Burn and was one of the most comfortable cars I have ever owned and decent on gas the 318 gave 20 city and 24 highway on Amoco 94 high octane with no ethanol.
I had a 77 Medallion model from 1991-1993. It was a replacement for my 83 Cordoba that was totaled in an accident in May 1991. It was triple black (Black Sunfire Metallic was the official name of the paint) w/chrome road wheels. When I bought it, it had Firestone 721 tires on it (whitewalls), I pulled the trim rings and put a set of wire wheel covers on it exactly like the ones in this video, which I still have. I eventually was able to buy a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/A's (raised white letter) for it and put the trim rings back on it, it really changed the look of the car. It was a little rusty when I bought it but it always looked decent after a wash and wax. I ended up trading it in November 1993 for a 1992 Dakota Sport w/ 21,000 miles.
I moved to California in 1981 with a 1980 Diplomat. It was a really nice car but it wasn't very popular on the left coast. I think I was the only person in the state who had a Diplomat but was not a police officer. The cool thing is that people would get out of my way because they thought I was highway patrol.
Owned a 1970 Dart Swinger a 1977 Plymouth Volare' and a 1980 Dodge Diplomat. All slant six powered and all just really good reliable cars Never failed to start after sitting outside on brutal winter nights.
I owned a 77' Diplomat, fun car and my sister owned a 1978 Lebarron. Mine had a 318 and hers had the Slant 6. I was always jealous because her car had the 8 Track tape Deck, but since she let me borrow it, no problem! The Diplomat handled very well!
This is a very cool video. They certainly made the car sound appealing. This body style is so much nicer than the restyled 2 door Diplomat that came out for 1980 or so. I noticed the sound seems to fade in and out a bit - sometimes it was heard to hear what the announcer was saying. Cool video!
Sound issue is from the factory. This film was in it's original plastic wrapping, never played on a projector until creating this electronic version.. most likely due to age. It's the best we could do....a few more coming with the same issue......I think it's best to upload them and let folks see them as they are and hear it as it is......rather than hiding them for no one to ever see......I doubt anyone who's viewed this film on youtube has ever seen it before.
Such a trip down memory lane! Loving these videos. The music and memories of being a kid then are great, but the clothes and cars were honestly lacking. I was more of a Diesel Rabbit fan in those days, but have come to appreciate these floaty Brougham-era rides as they've become rarer. ...Would now be cool cruisers with less concern for mpg & performance.
I had one of these. Bought it from a guy used for $500 in 1991. It looked just like the one in the video with the exact same color interior and exterior but with the white vinyl top. It came with no catalytic converter and no muffler, instead it had a pair of cherry bombs and was loud. It also had no hubcaps and remember finding 4 nice matching hubcaps off of a Le Baron in a junkyard for $25. End up replacing so many parts over the years. Had many good memories with that car. Unfortunately the upkeep was getting too much and sold it to the junkyard after having it for 6 years.
I swear y'all think Hellcats are the fastest cars on earth. Those motors aren't even top of the pony class. The voodoo 5.2, trinity 5.4, and even LS motors are better motors.
My dad bought a 4 door medallion in 1978 new, in 1977. I was 17. 318 2v. Great car. Rode like a Chrysler, handled good. We were lucky didn't have any trouble with lean burn issues. Got 18mpg and 24mpg on the road. If dodge would've ironed out their lean burn issues instead of rushing it into show rooms they would of had better sales but, they were still recovering from the Volare debacles of 1976. Fit and finish was the problem there, mechanically good cars, it was UNION LABOR issues that really hurt them.
Honestly, people memory is incorrect. 76 was the bad year for both the Aspen/Volare and lean Burn. 1977 saw corrections in the Aspen and Volare and also Lean Burn series two, totally redesigned. Lean Burn in 1976 wasn't even offered on Dodge or Plymouth, only on the Cordoba and full sized Chryslers as an option and not in California. It was slowly rolled out to the other cars over time. The Diplomat had series II Lean Burn and it worked fine, like you say, "you were lucky.." No, you were typical, Lean Burn functioned fine. Over time, it would ware out and you'd get hack mechanics non dealers the didn't know how to work with them......then they start to fail, but they weren't failing on new cars.
@@OsbornTramain what a smart ass response. Were you even referring to my comments? Did you read them? It was a positive response. You 've lost me from your channel. Would like to teach you some manners one day in person.
I am a mopar man. Owned them from 76 to present. I was employed by Chrysler when it was Chrysler. I ve been certified mechanic for over 42 yrs. If he has knowledge, hands on, let him defend his attitude. I have personally converted lean burn to electronic ignition throughout the entire 1980s, because it was necessary. He questioned my own memories. His arogance is so obvious, that you can smell it. I bet he's under 40 and never got his hands dirty.
it was, but then again at the same time, the TBird had seen some price cuts and reductions of options....that;s why they sold a million of that series of car....The TBird was down graded in price, the Chrysler was an upscale car...price wise....the diplomat was close to the lower price range of the tbird.
yes, and unfortunately after decades of promising customers “full size models only”, Chrysler finally was forced to succumb to market conditions and introduced the Cordoba which thankfully was an enormous success and was dubbed “the new small Chrysler” in company sales literature
The Cordoba was. The LeBaron/Diplomat were supposed to be a cheaper, much cheaper substitute for those who wanted a Cadillac Seville or Lincoln Versailles but ran out of money at about the 6 to 7 thousand dollar mark. I know people will think I'm stretching things, but for those who doubt what I'm saying just take a look at the April 1977 copy of I think, it's been awhile, Car and Driver or Motor Trend magazine. All these cars were based on other cars. The LeBaron/Diplomat was based on Aspen/Volare. Versailles was based on the Granada/Monarch and the Seville had Nova underpinnings. Technically the Diplomat/LeBaron could be competitive, but the Cordoba, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Thunderbird, Cougar were marketed as personal luxury cars back then and the Diplomat/LeBaron were semi luxury cars. When purchasing a base Diplomat/LeBaron, it rally looked very plain pretty much like a plain jane Aspen/Volare. The upgraded velour and or leather which was a $258.00 for leather option transitioned this into a luxury car with the looks to match.
NY city had the Diplomat Police Units. 318 is one good design engine. Responds well to bolt on parts. I remember Dennis Weaver drove those as a police Capt. Hope I remember correctly.. 👍
I bought a '79 model at an auto auction in '96 for $350 and it was a 2 door, it was light grey with burgundy interior, it had a smaller side window w/half vinyl roof, i put ford t bird wire wheel covers on the rims, it looked like a mid sized cadillac eldorado from a distance
GM was building better looking cars the Buick Pontiac Chevy even Cadillac personally I owned a 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix black on black in black beautiful car nice ride and the ladies loved it. BIG SMILE
@@johnmaki3046 the late 70s american cars were junk except the trans am, trust me , i was a gear head back then and the monty carlo were still pretty good, bad time for US cars period and it was the disco area
Left out the AMC hornet 304 automatic transmission station wagon. I bought in 1977. Was the best with aftermarket parts on the engine. 280 horsepower at the wheels. 18.9 mpg towing a #2000 camper.
they really had a nice shine to them....I worked for a dealer when this car was launched...the interior was impeccable...the only problem was the pull strap would come loose at their ends....you can even see in this video how much nicer the Diplomat's dashboard was vs the others.
@@OsbornTramain You ate not wrong about the dash. The April 1977 Car and Driver said that the Diplomat/LeBaron had the best looking fake wood grain to ever come out of a test tube.
All these cars had same shaped to them, they were some beautiful machines though built like tanks. I love these late 70s cars still see a 77 Cutlass ever once in while with 22"s ... SMH
I'm a Ford guy and these Thunderbirds were alright but lost the true personal luxury title after 1976. Let's be honest, when they were pitted against the Riviera and Toronado and also built in the Wixom plant next to the Lincolns, the T-Birds were high up the totem pole at FoMoCo, but that all changed in 1977.
A guy named Mopar Jeff in Virginia helped with this batch...he found them at a Hershey Meeting In PA...this one never even opened up or used. They are Super8 film too, not video
Styled to appeal to youthful buyers? Spark plugs that last a whopping 30,000 miles! Lusterous 7 step enamel paint! All great selling points at the time actually - that gave the Diplomat a 12 year run.
@@richardbutton1179 I'm not sure what would have qualified as a "good set" in 1977 - not one single manufacturer of spark plugs at that time had anything special. Even Tune Up Masters only guaranteed their work for a maximum of 25,000 miles. Everything still had carburetors and the carbon fouling that came with that. Maybe there was an efficient production engine out there at that time - but I don't know,
I got one 3 yrs ago for $300 from my grandfather pretty rusted out but ran smooth as hell, real grateful for the deal he gave even with the condition it was in. Great guy
In 1979 I was 20 years old. I literally beg my dad to replace his 1970 caprice. We bought a 1979 blue diplomat salon. Picked it up jan 4 1980 on a end of year cash deal. $7400 canadian money. Had it 14 years.
I worked for a dealer and just as the 1977 Models were coming out, I talked my Mom and Dad into buying a beautiful Brown and Cooper Four Door Diplomat. It was a left over 1977 model, two years old. It didn't have air conditioning and I'm sure that's why it was on the lot so long. We got it with my Employee Discount for 4700 USD. It had the 318...I loved that car, really took care of it for my Mom. I'm still pissed my brother sold it with out telling me....oh, I get so mad at that.
Comical in what way? The Cutlass Supreme was in it's final year, very dated, extremely cramped on the inside and not as luxurious as it had been....and frankly over the years, cheapened....they rotted out quick......why is it Comical? They sold a Ton of Diplomats, it performed well in the market. If you bought the Olds or Chevy, you instantly had a old car one year later with the 78 Monte and Cutlass being totally renewed as smaller cars....the Diplomat would be around for 11 more years.
@@OsbornTramain The Diplomat ultimately had another two years on the A/G Body...being discontinued in 1989...when the G's were being phased out in 87/88 for the front drive W bodies. With the downsizing GM started in 1977 many cars were instantly dated but the Diplomat seemed to be perfectly timed and sized for this trend..
Yes the gm cars had more comfortable seats, and a more comfortable (and sophisticated) suspension. Crude vs classy. With the torsion bar suspension and rear leaf springs, the diplomat caused head bobbing over bumps. Monte Carlo drivers loved their car back in day. True the diplomat had better rust protection, the ac lasted longer, and the 318 and the standard 225 were more durable.
The Olds Cutlass was the single biggest seller in the ‘76 - ‘84 timeframe. The Chrysler RMJ bodies were popular as fleet cars - probably why they survived until the late eighties. Believe it was stupid to discontinue any of the Big 3’s fleet cars - they was a need, and a purpose.
@@OsbornTramain the gm cars may have been dated but the were way better cars than what CHRYLER was building at the time, my dad bought Chrylers untill his 77 NYer fell apart on us , i loved his 69 impearal and 70 440 cuda but buy 1973 there products were junk, except for the power wagon
I'm assuming you're gas mileage went down and so did horsepower too by removing Lean Burn. Most folks think Lean Burn is an Emission system, but it's the opposite, it pollutes more but increases horsepower and also increases gas mileage. I didn't hear about many folks with LeBaron's and Diplomats having lean burn issues, ours always ran fine. Particularly on the 225 super 6 and the 318. The problem Lean Burn Cars were the 1976 Chrysler Cordoba powered 360 cars., the Series I lean burn system. That was very troublesome. The LeBarons all had the 2nd series Lean Burn System which stayed in production until 1989.
Even that Diplomat looked like a very imposing model...and we had to start worrying ourselves sick about gas mileage and junk! Oh, how wrong-headed we were since then!!
That’s crazy that you used to have to change spark plugs every 30k, I’ve got an 04 Silverado outside with 166k on it that’s on it original spark plus and still spins like a top.
it's not crazy, it's progress, things improve....The Model T is a bit old fashioned or simple compared to cars, but in the day it was amazing.....it's called progress, 100 years earlier, a spark plug didn't even exist.
I love the inuendo in these old advertisements! Youthful contemporary styling = An old has-been will feel young and handsome driving this car. Manageable size = Even women can drive it. Lol.
Ese carro es el mismo LE BARON aqui en venezuela, lo unico que cambia es las posiciones de los faros, en este lo lleva arriba y el LE BARON lo lleva abajo
I don't know that I believe you. The internet is filled with lean burn myths. The Diplomat of 77 had the second series Lean Burn which was proven and trouble free. With my help, my Parents bought a Diplomat new in 1977 and owned it 14 years, never once in the entire time did we have a fault or flaw with it. My parent's gave the car to my brother in 1991 and he sold it to a person for money....got a good price too if I recall.
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing petrol stations to only one state operated central gas station per city. From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any more....:-((
A very unfair comparison to the T bird since it was the cheapie version vs the “medallion” model Dodge .. should have been compared to the Town Landau bird .. a much superior car to any Chrysler product
Me gusta el carro; un Dodge Diplomat; me pongo a imaginar a las dos muchachas; solteras, libres, sin compromiso, sin hijos, sin tatuajes, ni piercings, ni implantes en sus cuerpos; la pelirroja; ella es blanca ojos verdosos, el cabello rojizo; la cara maquillada, los labios rojos, el cabello rojizo; ella viste una blusa blanca manga larga; un vestido azul oscuro; calcetines canilleros blancos, gomas blancas; la cara maquillada, los labios rojos y el cabello arreglado; la rubia viste una blusa blanca manga larga; una minifalda azul oscuro; calcetines canilleros blancos; y gomas blancas; la pelirroja va manejando el carro; la rubia va en el asiento del pasajero del carro; yo voy en el asiento trasero del carro; igual con los modelos Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Monte Carlo y Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme; nos vamos con ellas; saludos y buenas tardes.
Just getting ready to put my 78 diplomat sedan away for winter. Had it on many long trips this summer and it always turns heads and people just love it. Mines the dark metallic green.
When I was a lot boy at one of Chrysler's larges company owned stores, we use to prep the Executives in the zone office cars. They always had a competition inside about their clout. When they would individually order their car, they would go out of their way to get features or colors that weren't offered to the public. I remember one guy, ordered a 1978 Chrysler LeBaron four door, it was the Top of the line LeBaron and it was dark green metallic, with a red leather interior and white padded vinyl roof. I honestly thought that combo looked awful, but the guy loved it, he bragged about how he got it that way. We all said it looked like a Christmas Tree at the time. I always wondered what happened to that special order car. If you look at a Lebaron brochure, you'd see that that combination wasn't offered. I loved the Forrest Green color...a few years later, i special ordered a Dodge Aries Coupe in that Green with a Tan interior in the SE level trim, oh, I loved how sharpe that car looked. Today, I own a Forest Green Oldsmobile Toronado.
You are one lucky person. I remember when the LeBaron/Diplomat cars came out in the spring of 1977. I thought they were the most beautiful cars on the road. I was taking a photography class in high school in the fall of 1977. I went down to Century Chrysler/Plymouth in San Jose, California and took pictures of a brand new 1978 Lebanon Medallion 2 door in the showroom. The optional interiors of these cars were second to none as far as beauty and comfort without being overdone. I once saw a 1977 LeBaron with a 318 three speed manual with overdrive on TH-cam.
Love these old promo films! I miss when times were so much better!
Boomers really ruined things for us Gen Z
@@UnionPacific1997 AWWW, it's okay, we really don't care
The good old days of 145hp from a 5.2L V8 getting 14mpg, and quality craftsmanship that you could drive for literal hundreds of miles before falling apart. Hard pass! Cool video though; thankful for how far we've come in the power output, quality, and features for dollar we get nowadays.
I swooned over the Diplomat! What a wonderful film, thank you for uploading, OT!
Thanks and more to come.
An old 340 would bolt right up.
My brother bought a new 1978 Dodge Diplomat. It was a very fine car. Never gave him any problems. Very tight and handled great!
@@johnmaki3046 Dude, be gentle! I love my Volare! I'd love to have a Diplomat too, though.
I got one 3 yrs ago for $300 from my grandfather pretty rusted out but ran smooth as hell, real grateful for the deal he gave even with the condition it was in. Great guy
That Diplomat looks pretty damn nice.
Coupes were the most distinguished from their Aspen/Volare counterparts, they shared the 112" wheelbase with the sedans and wagons, the 2-door Aspen/Volare had the 108" wb inherited from the Duster.
So did the women.... what happened 😢
@@billmason2785 Now they're covered with tattoos, froot loop colored hair and look like men!
I always look forward to you uploads. I can’t believe somebody clicked a thumbs down. Thank you for posting all of these classic ads and sales guides.
I had a 77 Cutlass Supreme. That car was fantastic. Wish I still had it.
My brother had one heavy car very nice to drive
I always loved the styling of that two-door Diplomat.
I miss personal luxury cars.The Monte Carlo was my favorite of this group ,had a couple.
I could see Mr. Furley from Three's Company driving either one of these!!!!
You caused tears in my eyes I laughed so hard!
For sure. I would have said Herb Tarlek, but he already has a Cordoba.
Nah... he thought he was so cool. I'm thinking more like a Nash Metropolitan for Mr. Furley.
Actually in one episode it was revealed that Mr. Furley was driving a 1958 Chevy that he thought was a 1957 because he bought it in late 1957.
@@Thomas63r2 Are you sure? I recall the Ropers having a late 50s Chevy. Mr. Furley thought we was so cool, I can't imagine he would drive a frumpy car. I found this: What kind of car did Mr Roper have? Wagstaff has arrived at the Ropers and tells Mr. Roper what a “classic” he had let slip through his fingers-a '57 Chevy is a car buff's dream. When he reveals that Roper could have gotten $1200 with some haggling, he finds himself in a tight spot, but Roper schemes to get the car back from the kids despite Mrs.Apr 23, 2018. Then I found this: Q: What kind of car does Mr. Furley drive?
----------
Opening line Mr. Furley gives to Lana when they first meet.
Ralph Furley:
“You may not know it, but I have a Porsche.”
Lana Shields:
“Well, why don’t you go get under it?”
Pretty sure that was the only time Mr. Furley’s car is ever mentioned.
Thanks for posting these - I really enjoy the glimpses back at a much different era.
At 8:56 I see a 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix. When the Diplomat is parallel parking. Thank you for the upload!
I had a 1977 Diplomat with rich Corinthian leather.
Well, they didn't market the car with Corinthian Leather, that was exclusive to the Cordoba by Chrysler......but the leather in the Diplomats wiere breathtaking. I worked for a dealer and LOVED these cars, particularly the Medallion edition with the Leather Seating
The leather was the same as used in Cordoba, but was not marketed as. "Corinthian".
Recardo Montaban
My choices would be the Olds Cutlass Supreme followed by the Chevy Monte Carlo, I do wish they could make cars like this day but with today's powertrain or the pre smog era powertrains.
My Mom had the Olds Cutlass Supreme, an 80 or 81 I think. I cried when the parents traded it for an 85 Chrysler 5th Avenue!
Olds cutlass and Monte Carlo and the T-Bird all rode much better than the dodge. I know
exactly
@@eugenepiurkowski6026 they did have some plush seats
I had the pleasure of owning everyone of those cars! My grandpa was a MOPAR salesman from 1946-1977 so I love those & had a 1978 Diplomat with the 360 4bbl! I managed to get a bank repo 1976 Monte Carlo 350 4bbl, a couple years later got my hands on a 1976 Cutlass Supreme with the 350 Rocket 4bbl & Ttops & I dated this girl that sold me her 1977 Buick Regal 350 4bbl & Ttops & her mother just happen to have a 1984 Buick Regal T Type Turbo with Ttops that she sold to me at a good price! Damn those were the days - PEACE LOVE n HIPPYNESS!
More manners less road rage.
That 78 with the 360 had to be a rocket compared to some of the other cars of the day. Had a 77 Medallion from 91-93 that I added a 4bbl to a 318, was pretty decent once it was rolling.
@@JrGoonior for its time it wasnt that bad, only 155 hp but once she got to rollin it went along pretty good & cruised nicely at 70-75 mph! I love hearing those 4 barrels opening up on all those old cars, I always flipped the top of the air cleaner over, it left a small opening which sucked in more air & made that carb sound even better! I wished it had the same 360 that was in the fastest vehicle in 1978 the Lil Red Express truck which I wanted really bad but couldnt afford!
Hope you got to pork mom and daughter! Bonus points if both at the same time. It was the 70s after all!
@@edpoe4622 haha I wished it could have been at the same time but after daughter found out that I had went out with mother it ended all that...at least I can say I banged mom & daughter {I was 20 she was 38 & daughter was 19}
Such a very nice car! The trim is very nicely done on these. I had the 79 Lebaron 4dr Medallion in maroon. Very nice car
I forgot mine was Chestnut Brown w beige top and THICK beige cloth seats 318 5.2L Lean burn delete Auto Torque-Flite 727 3 Speed bullet proof PS/PB Cold A/C Tilt Cruise Chrysler Infinity 1 Sound with Cassette Dual Power seats Wire Hubcaps White wall tires Power Mirrors PL/PW Split bench 60/40 seats Rear Defrost. I kept the original window sticker and framed it for memories. The cost was 10,980 new. My dad sold Chrysler products in the 1980's from 1983-1989.
Omg these were real car. And engines i love them.
I had a 1987 Diplomat SE was an excellent car I paid 1000 for it in 1997 with out the Lean Burn and was one of the most comfortable cars I have ever owned and decent on gas the 318 gave 20 city and 24 highway on Amoco 94 high octane with no ethanol.
I had a 77 Medallion model from 1991-1993. It was a replacement for my 83 Cordoba that was totaled in an accident in May 1991. It was triple black (Black Sunfire Metallic was the official name of the paint) w/chrome road wheels. When I bought it, it had Firestone 721 tires on it (whitewalls), I pulled the trim rings and put a set of wire wheel covers on it exactly like the ones in this video, which I still have. I eventually was able to buy a set of BF Goodrich Radial T/A's (raised white letter) for it and put the trim rings back on it, it really changed the look of the car. It was a little rusty when I bought it but it always looked decent after a wash and wax. I ended up trading it in November 1993 for a 1992 Dakota Sport w/ 21,000 miles.
I remember the 721 s, seven around two wrapped by one
I moved to California in 1981 with a 1980 Diplomat. It was a really nice car but it wasn't very popular on the left coast. I think I was the only person in the state who had a Diplomat but was not a police officer. The cool thing is that people would get out of my way because they thought I was highway patrol.
Owned a 1970 Dart Swinger a 1977 Plymouth Volare' and a 1980 Dodge Diplomat. All slant six powered and all just really good reliable cars Never failed to start after sitting outside on brutal winter nights.
I owned a 77' Diplomat, fun car and my sister owned a 1978 Lebarron. Mine had a 318 and hers had the Slant 6. I was always jealous because her car had the 8 Track tape Deck, but since she let me borrow it, no problem! The Diplomat handled very well!
I love that this 23 foot barge of a car is considered “between a compact and midsize”
Very attractive car…both inside and out.
Yeah its pretty but they were damn junk
This is a very cool video. They certainly made the car sound appealing. This body style is so much nicer than the restyled 2 door Diplomat that came out for 1980 or so. I noticed the sound seems to fade in and out a bit - sometimes it was heard to hear what the announcer was saying. Cool video!
Sound issue is from the factory. This film was in it's original plastic wrapping, never played on a projector until creating this electronic version.. most likely due to age. It's the best we could do....a few more coming with the same issue......I think it's best to upload them and let folks see them as they are and hear it as it is......rather than hiding them for no one to ever see......I doubt anyone who's viewed this film on youtube has ever seen it before.
Such a trip down memory lane!
Loving these videos.
The music and memories of being a kid then are great, but the clothes and cars were honestly lacking.
I was more of a Diesel Rabbit fan in those days, but have come to appreciate these floaty Brougham-era rides as they've become rarer.
...Would now be cool cruisers with less concern for mpg & performance.
In
Not to mention getting expensive
I never saw any lack in the cars.
I had one of these. Bought it from a guy used for $500 in 1991. It looked just like the one in the video with the exact same color interior and exterior but with the white vinyl top. It came with no catalytic converter and no muffler, instead it had a pair of cherry bombs and was loud. It also had no hubcaps and remember finding 4 nice matching hubcaps off of a Le Baron in a junkyard for $25. End up replacing so many parts over the years. Had many good memories with that car. Unfortunately the upkeep was getting too much and sold it to the junkyard after having it for 6 years.
Almost gave you thumbs up til you said "junkyard" sorry man, I just can't
Could y'all imagine a hellcat motor in this as a sleeper lol 😆
I swear y'all think Hellcats are the fastest cars on earth. Those motors aren't even top of the pony class. The voodoo 5.2, trinity 5.4, and even LS motors are better motors.
Just enjoy the car for the coolness!
My dad bought a 4 door medallion in 1978 new, in 1977. I was 17. 318 2v. Great car. Rode like a Chrysler, handled good. We were lucky didn't have any trouble with lean burn issues. Got 18mpg and 24mpg on the road. If dodge would've ironed out their lean burn issues instead of rushing it into show rooms they would of had better sales but, they were still recovering from the Volare debacles of 1976. Fit and finish was the problem there, mechanically good cars, it was UNION LABOR issues that really hurt them.
Honestly, people memory is incorrect. 76 was the bad year for both the Aspen/Volare and lean Burn. 1977 saw corrections in the Aspen and Volare and also Lean Burn series two, totally redesigned. Lean Burn in 1976 wasn't even offered on Dodge or Plymouth, only on the Cordoba and full sized Chryslers as an option and not in California. It was slowly rolled out to the other cars over time. The Diplomat had series II Lean Burn and it worked fine, like you say, "you were lucky.." No, you were typical, Lean Burn functioned fine. Over time, it would ware out and you'd get hack mechanics non dealers the didn't know how to work with them......then they start to fail, but they weren't failing on new cars.
@@OsbornTramain what a smart ass response. Were you even referring to my comments? Did you read them? It was a positive response. You 've lost me from your channel. Would like to teach you some manners one day in person.
@@michaelatkins9780 I think he's tired of the people that don't know what the hell they're talking about. And trust me, he knows his stuff.🐶🐶🐶
@@davidgarris2513 do you deny my comments as incorrect sir?
I am a mopar man. Owned them from 76 to present. I was employed by Chrysler when it was Chrysler. I ve been certified mechanic for over 42 yrs. If he has knowledge, hands on, let him defend his attitude. I have personally converted lean burn to electronic ignition throughout the entire 1980s, because it was necessary. He questioned my own memories. His arogance is so obvious, that you can smell it. I bet he's under 40 and never got his hands dirty.
My great grandparents had the Chrysler Lebaron that looked exactly like this. Theirs was red with a white top
Precioso. El auto y el comercial. 👍👍
My uncle had a Diplomat 2 door. Was nicely appointed for a “newly downsized” mid-sized car.
4:47 that gas line going to the tank....that's quality right there lol
The middle class by the standards of that time in the US. This is an elusive dream today. The end of an era.
Do you have any other Imperial or New Yorker films? I'm a big fan of chrysler full sizes
what I got is what's uploaded....i upload when I find the stuff, no hidden stash
Osborn, I would have thought the Cordoba was the natural competitor for those models.
it was, but then again at the same time, the TBird had seen some price cuts and reductions of options....that;s why they sold a million of that series of car....The TBird was down graded in price, the Chrysler was an upscale car...price wise....the diplomat was close to the lower price range of the tbird.
yes, and unfortunately after decades of promising customers “full size models only”, Chrysler finally was forced to succumb to market conditions and introduced the Cordoba which thankfully was an enormous success and was dubbed “the new small Chrysler” in company sales literature
The Cordoba was. The LeBaron/Diplomat were supposed to be a cheaper, much cheaper substitute for those who wanted a Cadillac Seville or Lincoln Versailles but ran out of money at about the 6 to 7 thousand dollar mark. I know people will think I'm stretching things, but for those who doubt what I'm saying just take a look at the April 1977 copy of I think, it's been awhile, Car and Driver or Motor Trend magazine. All these cars were based on other cars. The LeBaron/Diplomat was based on Aspen/Volare. Versailles was based on the Granada/Monarch and the Seville had Nova underpinnings. Technically the Diplomat/LeBaron could be competitive, but the Cordoba, Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Thunderbird, Cougar were marketed as personal luxury cars back then and the Diplomat/LeBaron were semi luxury cars. When purchasing a base Diplomat/LeBaron, it rally looked very plain pretty much like a plain jane Aspen/Volare. The upgraded velour and or leather which was a $258.00 for leather option transitioned this into a luxury car with the looks to match.
@@rickloera9468That makes sense.
I drove an 81 Diplomat for behind the wheel in H.S. all while driving a 76 Monte back and forth while doing so.
NY city had the Diplomat Police Units. 318 is one good design engine. Responds well to bolt on parts. I remember Dennis Weaver drove those as a police Capt. Hope I remember correctly.. 👍
I bought a '79 model at an auto auction in '96 for $350 and it was a 2 door, it was light grey with burgundy interior, it had a smaller side window w/half vinyl roof, i put ford t bird wire wheel covers on the rims, it looked like a mid sized cadillac eldorado from a distance
Quite a lovely car for 1977.
Had this in the Plymouth caravelle form, 1979 . 360ci
You lucky bastard !
GM was building better looking cars the Buick Pontiac Chevy even Cadillac personally I owned a 1973 Pontiac Grand Prix black on black in black beautiful car nice ride and the ladies loved it.
BIG SMILE
I’ll take the Thunderbird thanks.
I have done so four times. I agree. The Thunderbird is the better driving car.
Imagine these Diplomats with a modern powertrain, Hemi, navigation, all the goods, ...epic👍👍
Yeah they would be epic allright as all their other J U N K
@@johnmaki3046 the late 70s american cars were junk except the trans am, trust me , i was a gear head back then and the monty carlo were still pretty good, bad time for US cars period and it was the disco area
Left out the AMC hornet 304 automatic transmission station wagon. I bought in 1977. Was the best with aftermarket parts on the engine. 280 horsepower at the wheels. 18.9 mpg towing a #2000 camper.
My Dad had a brown 78 Lebaron 318 2 door, this car's sister. Back in '85, he gave $300 dollars for it.
Sounds like Wink Martindale doing the narration.
Yes, I agree, i didn't mention that in the description, but I do believe that it's Wink Martendale doing the voice over narration
I think...this is the only place I see these cars....
The diplomat seats look like they were wiped with mop n glo. 😁
they really had a nice shine to them....I worked for a dealer when this car was launched...the interior was impeccable...the only problem was the pull strap would come loose at their ends....you can even see in this video how much nicer the Diplomat's dashboard was vs the others.
@@OsbornTramain You ate not wrong about the dash. The April 1977 Car and Driver said that the Diplomat/LeBaron had the best looking fake wood grain to ever come out of a test tube.
Part of the charm of this car. At least its not a black or grey interior. :)
All these cars had same shaped to them, they were some beautiful machines though built like tanks. I love these late 70s cars still see a 77 Cutlass ever once in while with 22"s ... SMH
My dad had the Plymouth version. I remember how riding in that car was like riding on a cloud. Too bad the rust took it out
Plymouth? Was it Canadian?
@@johndrake2729 yup
@@ericbrule4465 Thought as much.
:
00:07 My favorite part.
I love my 2021 Ram Rebel!
I'd still get the Cutlass. But the digital clock in the Diplomat was very cutting edge for 1977.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, I would collect the new model year brochures every fall. Too bad I didn't keep them.
The 77 Diplomat Brochure is actually a very nice brochure. I have one from the days of working for a Dodge Dealer
Back when cars were plush fun to drive and built like a rock!
Imaigine it sitting on 28s same color paint !
I'm a Ford guy and these Thunderbirds were alright but lost the true personal luxury title after 1976. Let's be honest, when they were pitted against the Riviera and Toronado and also built in the Wixom plant next to the Lincolns, the T-Birds were high up the totem pole at FoMoCo, but that all changed in 1977.
Where do you find these videos? Awesome! Nice car, lots of nice features and dash/interior. The Cutlass was my fav of all these.
A guy named Mopar Jeff in Virginia helped with this batch...he found them at a Hershey Meeting In PA...this one never even opened up or used. They are Super8 film too, not video
It's even equipped with swanga rims way before slabs existed.
Styled to appeal to youthful buyers? Spark plugs that last a whopping 30,000 miles! Lusterous 7 step enamel paint! All great selling points at the time actually - that gave the Diplomat a 12 year run.
Actually the plugs could last longer than 30k that was the recommended change interval. A good set could last 50k
@@richardbutton1179 I'm not sure what would have qualified as a "good set" in 1977 - not one single manufacturer of spark plugs at that time had anything special. Even Tune Up Masters only guaranteed their work for a maximum of 25,000 miles. Everything still had carburetors and the carbon fouling that came with that. Maybe there was an efficient production engine out there at that time - but I don't know,
I would kill for one of those seats.
If you can find any of these cars today for sale in good condition, be prepared to pay handsomely.
I got one 3 yrs ago for $300 from my grandfather pretty rusted out but ran smooth as hell, real grateful for the deal he gave even with the condition it was in. Great guy
I can almost hear the old Mopar starter motor at 5:49.
In 1979 I was 20 years old. I literally beg my dad to replace his 1970 caprice. We bought a 1979 blue diplomat salon. Picked it up jan 4 1980 on a end of year cash deal. $7400 canadian money. Had it 14 years.
I worked for a dealer and just as the 1977 Models were coming out, I talked my Mom and Dad into buying a beautiful Brown and Cooper Four Door Diplomat. It was a left over 1977 model, two years old. It didn't have air conditioning and I'm sure that's why it was on the lot so long. We got it with my Employee Discount for 4700 USD. It had the 318...I loved that car, really took care of it for my Mom. I'm still pissed my brother sold it with out telling me....oh, I get so mad at that.
Awesome video but it’s comical to compare a dodge of this era to anything GM was building at the time.
Comical in what way? The Cutlass Supreme was in it's final year, very dated, extremely cramped on the inside and not as luxurious as it had been....and frankly over the years, cheapened....they rotted out quick......why is it Comical? They sold a Ton of Diplomats, it performed well in the market. If you bought the Olds or Chevy, you instantly had a old car one year later with the 78 Monte and Cutlass being totally renewed as smaller cars....the Diplomat would be around for 11 more years.
@@OsbornTramain The Diplomat ultimately had another two years on the A/G Body...being discontinued in 1989...when the G's were being phased out in 87/88 for the front drive W bodies. With the downsizing GM started in 1977 many cars were instantly dated but the Diplomat seemed to be perfectly timed and sized for this trend..
Yes the gm cars had more comfortable seats, and a more comfortable (and sophisticated) suspension. Crude vs classy. With the torsion bar suspension and rear leaf springs, the diplomat caused head bobbing over bumps. Monte Carlo drivers loved their car back in day. True the diplomat had better rust protection, the ac lasted longer, and the 318 and the standard 225 were more durable.
The Olds Cutlass was the single biggest seller in the ‘76 - ‘84 timeframe. The Chrysler RMJ bodies were popular as fleet cars - probably why they survived until the late eighties. Believe it was stupid to discontinue any of the Big 3’s fleet cars - they was a need, and a purpose.
@@OsbornTramain the gm cars may have been dated but the were way better cars than what CHRYLER was building at the time, my dad bought Chrylers untill his 77 NYer fell apart on us , i loved his 69 impearal and 70 440 cuda but buy 1973 there products were junk, except for the power wagon
This '77 Diplomat or the '77 Pontiac Grand Prix?
ill take the GP
The 1969 GP is one of my dream cars
1977 LeBaron had parking lites
ABOVE quad headlamps… a tad
nicer design. M CB
no M. Sorry
I had a 78 Chrysler lebaron , same car . It was a great car after I removed the lean burn system .
I'm assuming you're gas mileage went down and so did horsepower too by removing Lean Burn. Most folks think Lean Burn is an Emission system, but it's the opposite, it pollutes more but increases horsepower and also increases gas mileage. I didn't hear about many folks with LeBaron's and Diplomats having lean burn issues, ours always ran fine. Particularly on the 225 super 6 and the 318. The problem Lean Burn Cars were the 1976 Chrysler Cordoba powered 360 cars., the Series I lean burn system. That was very troublesome. The LeBarons all had the 2nd series Lean Burn System which stayed in production until 1989.
Even that Diplomat looked like a very imposing model...and we had to start worrying ourselves sick about gas mileage and junk! Oh, how wrong-headed we were since then!!
That’s crazy that you used to have to change spark plugs every 30k, I’ve got an 04 Silverado outside with 166k on it that’s on it original spark plus and still spins like a top.
it's not crazy, it's progress, things improve....The Model T is a bit old fashioned or simple compared to cars, but in the day it was amazing.....it's called progress, 100 years earlier, a spark plug didn't even exist.
Best of luck getting those plugs out without stripping threads in the head!
I love the inuendo in these old advertisements!
Youthful contemporary styling = An old has-been will feel young and handsome driving this car.
Manageable size = Even women can drive it.
Lol.
Awesome!
I guess the young drivers of '77 couldn't wait to get their hands on the "youthful" Dodge Diplomat! 🤣
Considering how many they sold, I agree. They were for the Hip 35 year old executive type.
They forgot what I bought the Pontiac grandprix that made them all look bad
At the time, I always felt the Diplomat and LeBaron Coupes were inspired by the Grand Prix
Did you mean it was introduced in the Spring of 1977 as a 1977 model instead of "Winter of 1977"?
no, I mean Winter of 1977 as a 1977, sometimes. they would call the car the next year very early in the current year.....this is a 1977
@@OsbornTramain Oh...early Winter 1977, sorry for the confusion on my part. I was thinking along the lines of December 1977 :-D
Ese carro es el mismo LE BARON aqui en venezuela, lo unico que cambia es las posiciones de los faros, en este lo lleva arriba y el LE BARON lo lleva abajo
Aqui en Mexico era el Lebaron
Monte carlo anyday !!!
Never liked the 1973-1977
Cutlass Supreme “ off center”
steering column…looks terrible
CB
Thunderbird hardly seems like a fair comparison. Great video though.
Automatic choice Diplomat all the way
I had a 77 Diplomat - that lean burn was the worst thing ever put into a car.
I don't know that I believe you. The internet is filled with lean burn myths. The Diplomat of 77 had the second series Lean Burn which was proven and trouble free. With my help, my Parents bought a Diplomat new in 1977 and owned it 14 years, never once in the entire time did we have a fault or flaw with it. My parent's gave the car to my brother in 1991 and he sold it to a person for money....got a good price too if I recall.
I love this! Even the 70s porn music
Great cars....had bench seats and open legs......now we have electric cars and frigid anger😂😂😂
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing petrol stations to only one state operated central gas station per city. From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any more....:-((
A very unfair comparison to the T bird since it was the cheapie version vs the “medallion” model Dodge .. should have been compared to the Town Landau bird .. a much superior car to any Chrysler product
Mike Ermentrout
Chrysler, got fucked. They should look into how the management process was back then too. It's all about money 💰
Why can't the cars be made with pride like this. Now most are cookie cutter
my Dodge Challenger and my Chevy Corvette seem to be made with a whole hell of a lot of Pride....love driving them! My Chevy Bolt too!!!
Sweeeet :)
G.m.sold more of there's
Sales numbers are irrelevant to which car is better. Sales numbers are relevant to who's doing a better job at marketing
Me gusta el carro; un Dodge Diplomat; me pongo a imaginar a las dos muchachas; solteras, libres, sin compromiso, sin hijos, sin tatuajes, ni piercings, ni implantes en sus cuerpos; la pelirroja; ella es blanca ojos verdosos, el cabello rojizo; la cara maquillada, los labios rojos, el cabello rojizo; ella viste una blusa blanca manga larga; un vestido azul oscuro; calcetines canilleros blancos, gomas blancas; la cara maquillada, los labios rojos y el cabello arreglado; la rubia viste una blusa blanca manga larga; una minifalda azul oscuro; calcetines canilleros blancos; y gomas blancas; la pelirroja va manejando el carro; la rubia va en el asiento del pasajero del carro; yo voy en el asiento trasero del carro; igual con los modelos Ford Thunderbird, Chevrolet Monte Carlo y Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme; nos vamos con ellas; saludos y buenas tardes.
Did I see a man open the door , for a woman ? Nawh, must have been dreaming
Chrysler = Crap 💩
1977 LeBaron had parking lites
ABOVE quad headlamps… a tad
nicer design. M CB