86 Dodge 600 in Forest Fire

[86600TurboConv]

A series of unfortunate events landed this maroon w/white top Dodge 600 in my driveway. Tragically, my step-father fell down the stairs and broke his neck and died, then a few weeks later a forest fire swept through my mothers house burning everything except for my step father's Dodge 600. However, it was so close to the flames that the heat damaged one side. Mom gave the car to me and now I'm nursing it back to health.

The fire melted the trim so that it was severely sagging on that side and around the red reflector in the back and the plastic where the power windows go down into the right door, the rear tail lights, right turn signal, cyclops light and cracked all of the bondo from a previous accident on the right side of the car. Left the paint looking like someone had over sprayed it so much that the paint was dripping, but it was actually from the heat. The top has some ember holes from about the size of a dime to a quarter. Saving for new top next year.

It's got 155K miles and had the transmission replaced a few years back. Spent about $150 on replacements lights I found on eBay, $1,000 on on body work, removing the old bondo and repainting the side. It looks pretty good with the top down, but its getting kinda cold now, so kind of embarrassing with the holes in the top.

Soon after bringing it home it would drown out at a stop light. Pedal to the floor it would barely go, then all of a sudden it would accelerate, like sudden turbo effect. Finally figured out that part of a fuel injector tip broke off into the engine.

Things I'm wondering about:

- Gas mileage is only 17 mpg in the city, is this as good as it gets?
- The automatic top motor works fine when going down, but needs a human assist to get back up. Do I need new motor for the top or can I somehow tune it up?
- I cannot figure out how to set the time on the factory cassette radio, anybody?
- The driver's side door sticks so I got a "Dorman" Door Hinge Pin & Bushing Kit, but when I tried to remove the old bushing it crumbled and I couldn't get the remainder of the old bushing out. So I just put the new pin in and that lasted about two weeks before it started sagging again. Anyone know how to get that old bushing out?
- The windshield is severely pitted and you can hardly see if driving into a sunset. Priced a new one at like $500!! Are there any other options that are cheaper?
- The red vinyl seats are good all around except the drivers, which is torn at the bottom seat seams. How/where can I go to get a new one or have it repaired?
- Anyone know of a junk yard in Phoenix area that might have 86 Dodge 600 parts?
- Considering one of those do-it-yourself convertible replacement kits, anyone tried this?

[86dodge600esconvert]

Turn the radio on and can't play a tape while setting the time, then setting the time depends which deck you have. If you have the am/fm stereo or the highline cassette(the one with an equalizer and a joy stick for balance) they both have a set button. Press the volume knob to display the time, then press the set button to display the hours,turn the tuning knob either way to get the right hours, then press the volume knob again to display the min and use the tuning knob to adjust the min. press the volume knob one more time to start the clock and your done. If you have the basic cassette deck with the radio on (no tape playing) press the volume knob and any one of the 6 station preset buttons at the same time to get the hours to display,adjust with the tuning knob, press the volume knob again to get the min displayed and adjust with the tuning knob,finally press the volume knob one last time to restart the clock and your done.

I recall that in the later 80s and 90s chrysler cars that came with an am/fm deck often got an audiovox after market deck that looked a lot like factory, bolted in with the factory bolts and had the factory plugs but they were a bit different in how the worked like setting the time.

[aussiewoody]

Welcome to our online club.
Gee that's really bad luck about your car being almost bbq'd, but a really good story that you are saving it.
Wish I could answer some of your questions but I am here to learn not to teach.
I'm sure that someone will read your post who knows some answers and they can chime in.

Great that you worked out how to change the time on your radio and I will need that info some day so thanks for posting it.
good luck with your Dodge
Gary

[86600TurboConv]

Thanks guys... I think I must have the standard radio, it doesn't have a "set" button. I must've tried every other button combination but the one you suggested, finally I'm on time!

Here's a picture of the tail lights and the radio if you're curious: https://plus.google.com/photos/+MarkSuever/albums/5962284975629262353?authkey=CMvHrLmfgNqADg

After an extensive search, I finally settled for one of three windshield replacement options.

- BK Classic Auto Glass - New Windshield $612 + Shipping = $837 (excluding installation) http://www.ebay.com/usr/bkclassicautoglass

The other two, also excluding installation...

- Glass-Seekers $1,250 Custom Made from an old cast (must be shipped to commercial address) - http://glass-seekers.com/request_for_autoandtruck_glass.htm
- Safelite - New glass out of East Coast $800 + S&H

It was very frustrating seeing the $100 something Aries and $250 Dodge 600 coupe prices during my search. Wonder why those are so cheap... hmmm.

[86dodge600esconvert]

That deck looks like a basic factory cassette. I am the 4th owner on my 600 but it came with the owners manual. I have an 86 lebaron sedan as a parts car, I'm quite sure the tail lights from that would bolt into the 600 but they look different. I used a headlight door to get the yellow light on the side and they were the same.

Now that most of the sedans and coups are squashed there must be some windshields around for them but the convert supply is going down as lots of them are in peoples garages and getting saved. Hope some company makes some convert windshields again but they will never get cheap.

[aussiewoody]

I am in Australia.
When I saw that mywindshield was busted I nearly cried.

I've searched everywhere throughout the US and finally went thru Ebay with BKGLass.
I haven't got it yet as it needs to come by boat, but Bobby was very helpful to me when i bought it.
Regards
Gary