Chrysler 300M

cmyers300m

Hey, IMO if you live in Canda you should have the exhaust I do. A Borla performance exhaust. It's made of aircraft stainless steel(the best there is) and it's guaranteed for a million miles!!!!!!!! On top of that, it sounds great! Cost is $510.

videoman1

Well, tomorrow DJWAVE (another 300M Club member) and I will be heading to Keystone Raceway near Pittsburgh to run our Ms in the 1/4 mile and hopefully against each other. He has Borla Exhaust and +4 plugs. I got K&N Air Filter and Tornado Air (jury is still out on that one...lol). Oh yeah, I recently added a new spoiler on the back. Maybe that will help.

I'm not expecting to do too good since I'm a virgin at this, but I hope to be in the mid 16s when I'm done.

I'm just not sure how to run my M, though. Should I redline between gears or shift at around 5500 rpms to stay in the powerband. I think I'm gonna keep the traction control on and do some power braking.

In any case, I'm sure it will be fun and will give me some true times before I add the big mods like dual exhaust, air charger and +4 plugs. I'll be bringing my video camera and digital camera and will hopefully be able to post some action shots soon after.

-vman

easyrider300m

Borla will beat the K&N filter anyday---gots to get me some duals very soon--and then mount my Yoko420's and some new brake pads and rotors---

guesswho1

this should be interesting, i think you can outrun him if you power brake, turn off the traction control right after the start around 2500 and redline it in autostick let the car change to 2nd and you do the rest don't hit 4th stay in 3rd and keep it on the floor, good luck!!!

blonda

Got the Mich Pilot Sport A/S 235/55/17's installed yesterday. What a difference....I feel like I have a totally new car. It never rode/handled that good with the GY's or the Kumho's. Those All Seasons are "meaty" looking tires. I think the 245/50's would have looked better, but I couldn't wait the additional 3-4 weeks to get them. The salesman at Discount Tire told me the lower the profile the quicker the tread wear (which logically makes sense) but is this really true? If it is true, then I'm happy I went with the 55's. My husband will give me too much grief if this $1K set of tires doesn't last at least 3 years.

Although they cost more than Sears wanted to charge I'm happy to use DT again anyway as they offer the "true round" (Hunter balancing) for $10 per tire, plus they always put the weights on the inside of the wheel and give me those nice chrome stems and caps at no extra charge.

blonda

I live about 1/2 mile from a local drag strip (Carlsbad Speedway). They run races every weekend and every-other Saturday are "grudge races" for street legal cars. They line up to get in about noon and I love driving by there to see the variety of cars. Yesterday there must have been at least 20 Vipers in line. I would have loved to have gone over and watched (but had to go get the new tires). When I'm outside in my yard, you can hear the races (I think those racing engines are having a subliminal affect on me). Most barely make it into 3rd gear before the run is over. Maybe us San Diego club members should plan a run. It would be fun to have a few M's give it a go.

I have a neighbor friend who does runs there frequently. He used to have a really nice El Camino that would win quite a lot. His latest is an unassuming early model Volvo station wagon that he dropped a late model Z28 engine into. If you look closely you can see the Camaro dual pipes coming out the back (the thing is LOUD). So when this englishman pulls up in the little Volvo people will snicker. He won 3 out of 4 runs against a Camaro, a Mustang and a heavily modded "japanese" car. Lost to another Camaro.

sdmike2

with my luck (and lack of experience) I'd probably lose to a gurl...and I'm not sure I'd ever live that down. lol!

99_300m_ric_va

Mike, lose to a gurl, you'd lose to Blonda now that she has the cooler than cooler Michelin Pilot Sport AS tires. LOL

Welcome to the Sport AS Club Blonda. Great choice huh?

fastdriver

blonda-

Good luck with the tires. NO racing! ;-))

fastdriver

videoman1

Just got back from Keystone Raceway in Pittsburgh where Dan Keener (DJWAVE on Enthusiast Club forums) and I went head to head in one of our 1/4 mile races. Even though the temp was in the mid 90s and we sweated like crazy, it was a real rush being a part of the action. It was my first time doing any real racing and now I'm hooked.

Here's some quick info about the two cars:

Dan's 1999 300M (Gold)
New (2 weeks old) Borla exhaust
K&N Air filter
Tornado Air

My 1999 300M (Silver)
K&N Air filter
Tornado Air
Rear spoiler (who knows, maybe it makes a difference...lol)

I was a little quicker off the line with a .761 reaction time (beginner's luck I guess) and Dan's was .824. Just to let you know,.50 is perfect.

My 1/4 mile was 16.238 at 85.47 mph
Dan's 1/4 mile was 16.272 at 86.33 mph

Although I beat him in the 1/4 mile, he was definitly catching up. I guess the Borla Exhaust likes it wide open. Dan actually made it to the semi-finals but I lost in my first round. I had a bad reaction time even though I beat the guy. The Dial-In time killed me.

Here's a streaming video of our "Dualing Ms" using Real Player. Dan's in the far lane and I'm in the near lane. If you don't have the Real Player, you can get it at http://www.real.com/realone/index.html?lang=en&loc=us

Cable Modems - http://www.martin-productions.com/Real-Media/dualing-Ms-cable.ram

56K Modems - http://www.martin-productions.com/Real-Media/dualing-Ms-56k.ram

I'll be posting more photos and videos of our other runs ASAP. I just wanted to get these two online so you can watch them.

Once I add some more mods, I'll certainly be headed back out to Keystone. It was a real blast. I would recommend it to anyone.

-vman

sdmike2

Mike, that was great to see two club members battling it out on the track. Now enlighten us. Traction control on or off, and did you use autostick or let the car shift? Any opinion on what's the best way?

Cool stuff!

videoman1

Thanks to Dan and his tips before we began racing, I was able to actually look like I knew what I was doing.

Once it's your turn to race, you can do a little burn out before you line up. This isn't a bad idea cause they spray water in the burn out area and if you don't do at least a little, your tires will be wet when you launch. After the burn out, you go up to the line. There's two lights that turn on (one for the front of the front wheel and one for the back of the front wheel). When both lights turn on, your car is properly set on the line. There are then 3 yellow lights that blink downward and the last light is green. That's go baby.

But here's the trick for quicker take off reaction times. You want to cut loose when the third yellow light lights up. This is because the sensor that says you "Red Lighted" (meaning that started too soon) is about 1 foot in front of the start line. By the time you're done doing a tire spin and go that 1 extra foot, the green light is already on. They give you specs on your reaction time. 0.50 is perfect. Some of these pros hit 0.54 and 0.53. My best was 0.615.

As for Autostick, Traction control, etc. I used the autostick and didn't touch it once I took off. I just let it shift by itself at the red line. The best part about that is the 300M is very consistent with it's shift points. Since you have to dial in times (basically tell the track people what you think your next time will be), the autostick makes that easier. I left the traction control on mainly because Dan said the last time he was there, he didn't see any difference with it on or off. So what the heck, I left it on.

Also, before the launch, I did a power brake. While holding the brake down as hard as I could, I would be giving it gas when the first yellow light turned on. Sorry, I'm not sure how many RPMs I was at cause I was too busy watching the light tree. Once the third yellow light turned on, I slid my foot off the brake and held on. The rest is pretty simple. Just keep your right foot pushed through the floor board and enjoy the ride.

One last thing. At the end of the 1/4 mile, there's two white lines. You have to keep it floored past those lines or you'll loose time. I made the mistake of seeing the lines and for some reason (I still can't figure it out) I let off the gas a bit. I lost over two tenths of a second on that run and was ridiculed by Dan the rest of the day.

-vman

sdmike2

I don't typically redline my car, but it seems to me that the car maximizes its pulling power well before then, and that the shift should happen at 5500 or so. It always seems to me that the car is struggling (not the right word, but you get the idea) at real high RPMs, and getting it into a higher gear before redline would be better. Anyone compare?

bigmike5

Ric --I went back over the invoice on the differential service. It doesn't say quarts but it does say "2 @ $8.91 each" so I assumed it was quarts, but maybe it was pints. They told me it took 90 wt. gear oil in the differential. I will ask about this invoice next time it is in for service and oil change. I'm at 46K+ now and intend to do a tranny service at 50K which should be just after the Dream Cruise trip where I will log about 3K miles.

Blonda--Know what it was like on the tires. I've been patiently waiting for a replacement on one of the Goodrich Comp TAs that was defective right off the rack. It's over a month now and they keep giving me that same old story, out of production, blah, blah, have to find one...in Reno, NV, will be here soon, etc., expect it Monday or Tuesday...Really frustrating sometimes.

djwave

Was a great time at Keystone with Videoman (mike) and hope we can get more people there.

I ended up in the placing 3rd out of about 50+ cars. Ended up losing to videoman's neighbor.

It was very hot 90+ and humid. I will not bore you will all the details since videoman posted our race, but for 1/4 mile, traction on, and letting it shift at red line (just more consistent). When you shift at red line your RPMs drop back to 4100-4200 right in the power band.
Here are all my races:

R/T .824 16.272 @86.33 mph11:56 am(with videoman)
R/T .749 16.376 @86.70 mph 1:20 pm
R/T .827 16.430 @85.74 mph 2:38 pm
R/T .694 @85.86 mph 3:47 pm (eliminations. Other driver red lighted. no time)
R/T .671 16.452 @86.40 mph 4:17 pm
R/T .718 16.365 @85.04 mph 4:44 pm

Very consistent even in the heat. Thought I would get more out of the Borla but only on for 700-800 miles so we will see in another 2-3 weeks.

Had an excellent time hanging out with Mike and racing. When we do it again hopefully some other "M" owners can make it. Oh by the way, we looked really good going down the strip!!

splatt

Damn, that's awesome! Wish I could be there. We should set something up at the Wall again this year - don't they do time trials?

As for the shifting - it actually shifts just before redline I believe (like 6200-6300? someone know for sure?) and that should be best, because as was mentioned, in the next higher gear you'd be about 41-4200, which is great. If you shift at 5500 you'd be lower, maybe 3300 or so, which I think would loose you some power.

Actually, with those speeds, did you actually shift to third? Redline in 2nd is about 85-88 as it is

djwave

I did not shift at all. I kept it in Autostick all the way through. It was very hot and humid which had something to do with it. I'm not sure if the computer reset itself since I have only 800 on the Borla exhaust. I could see shifting at 6200-6300 so the shift would keep you above the 3950 power band. But to stay consistent, I just let it shift at red line.

What is the difference turning off the traction control at 2500? I know I get very little tire when I leave the line (that is until I get the PP gears)as I am power braking and the RPMs are sitting about 1800-2000.

Will be running again in a few weeks when I get the ASE chip and the K&N Aircharger installed.

Will post again.

mrl859

I used the new wheel shields this weekend. After drying off the whole car and the chrome wheels, I held the Wheel Shields firmly against the wheel. They are just a little larger than the wheel so they seal against the wheel lip. When the tire dressing is sprayed on, any excess rolls down around the lip without getting on the face of the wheel. Very cool. They work perfectly.

fuzzywuzzy

My 1/4 mile was 16.238 at 85.47 mph
Dan's 1/4 mile was 16.272 at 86.33 mph

Wow those are slow times! I took my CL-S to the track, & was getting 14.8 & 14.9 with only an intake, & better tires. Don't get me wrong the 300M is a great car, but 1/4 mile tracks are not where the car shines.

splatt

That's right, come on and brag about the acura... that's right... :-D

True, it's got some heavy issues off the line (3600lb is a big part of it - pun intended But it really shines when it's already rolling (and you know that). If I'm already at 40-60 it's pretty darned fast if you punch it.

I've liked and always will like the acuras. Had a 91 integra that was great, wished they still made the legend (since I'd have gotten one - the rl is not a replacement). I strongly considered the tl-s, but I need a family sedan and it just won't cut it w/no backseat

cmyers300m

I'm with Splatt, the Acura is a nice car. Not big enough. Which is good reason the Acura is faster. Again, you're comparing a mid-size car to a full size car. The cars are in two different classes.

If Acura ever decides to make a full size car that has appealing looks(which is where the M beats the TL and every other Honda), then I would definiately check one out. Right now, Infiniti is winning that category. Just look at the G35. True, it's not a full size car either, but it looks a heck of a lot better than a TL.
My 2 cents...........

blonda

Aw come on SDMike. If you lose you could blame it on the extra 3hp in my M, and my lesser weight!

99_300m_ric_va - Yeah I'm pretty happy with the tires. What pressure do you put in yours? Mine currently have 32psi and they feel pretty good but I haven't driven it that much yet.

rogor2k

You just completed the first sanctioned head-to-head drag races by two 300M Enthusiasts Club members. Way cool guys. We need to get some of your videos on the Club web site.

99_300m_ric_va

I generally run 33-34 psi. We picked up these cute little tire pressure indicators at Carlisle from a PT Cruiser Club member for $10/set of four. They are metal not plastic and inside have a three stage plastic indicator of the pressure. Green is good (34PSI), then yellow, then red. You can just look at the valve stem and know you're at the right pressure.

easyrider300m

which car let out the third gear tire spin near the end?

We got to get 300Michael on that track or hunt down Avalanches old car with the true duals!

or the member installing the turbo and prowler gears--now that setup should bring it into the high 14's...

videoman1

Thanks for the congrats Roger. It was meant to be, and actually was, extreamly fun running against Dan and his M. We paid very close attention to when they called our race category so we could be side by side on that run.

I'm proud of Dan coming in 3rd place out of about 50 cars. It's a tough thing to do. I was hoping he'd bring home a trophy. That would have been cool.

As for putting the video on the 300M Enthusiasts site, I can create the streams and email them to you to put there, or I could just put them on my site and you can link to them. Whatever is best for you. Also, I used Real Media cause it was the easiest and I think gives the best quality. If you want them as something else like Windows Media, let me know. I'm not a big fan of Quicktime. I can never get it to look or stream good.

Easyrider, I would also love to see 300Michael's M do a 1/4 mile run. See if that hood scoop actually does something. Also, there's Mach300 over in the Enthusiasts forums who already added the ASE chip, Air Charger, Dual Exhaust, +4 plugs and soon to be Prowler Pro gears. He lives close to me and maybe we can convince him to run at Keystone too. I'd love to see him smoke a Mustang.

Also, I think only one of my 3 runs I actually made it to 3rd gear.

-vman

beach15

Hey guys, check this M out! It's a 99' Stone White 300M with 59k miles that was traded in for a new Honda. But, as you'll notice, it's been custom painted, with a tan/silver lower section.

I'm assuming it was an older person's car (just like the fake cloth roofs), but it really dones't look too bad, almost like it could be a Limited edition from the factory. Kind of like a Mazda Millenia comes with 2-tone paint.

Look!:

rogor2k

Cool! Probably just as easy if we link to your site. Give me the URL when you have them up and I'll pass it on to the webmaster(s).

300michael

it was a little more subtle. say white with two shades of darker gray or even gold. The Lexus ES300's have a lot of this type of thing done. A while back I was thinking of doing it my self. With the damage to my front door I just discovered I may have to. I have a up and down scrape about a foot long on my drivers door. It is right down to the primer.

300michael

I have to twek the suspension some more, before I run the risk of shattering my axles over the strip. It sounds fun though, I wish we had a place like that. The places I have found want an arm and a leg to race, not to mention all the legal hoops you have to jump through. Enjoy.
As for the hood scoop since half the race is under 45 mph the scoop shouldn't play too much of a part. No if the race was from 60 to 150 (or 118mph in my case) then it would help. I would want to try it out here first. That way if I shatter an axle it is a short 2 miles to the shop to fix it.

videoman1

Hey, what ever happened to that chrome air charger that was being sold over at the Intrepid site? Has anyone actually ordered and received one yet? If so, is it any good?

-vman

glennbp

Here's a link that may (or may not) help. I'm beginning to think it's a dead issue:

http://www.treptech.com

blonda

My dealer that I drive by every a.m. has a graphite M parked out front. Very sharp looking. The chrome around the windows actually sets it off real nice. It was parked end to end with a black special and was way more attractive IMO.

videoman1

Well, that site is obviously new cause it doesn't do a thing. I hope it isn't a dead issue, though. I thought that the chrome intake looked good. Oh well.

-vman

cmyers300m

I ordered one for my 2001M on 6/27. They didn't start manufacturing them till they had their orders in by 6/28. When I ordered, I was the 16th out of 20 needed. They did meet the 20 needed by the 28th, so they started production. Unfortunately, this fell around 4th of July week which slowed down the production. I emailed the guy at the end of last week that I've been talking to, he said I will have it shortly. They haven't charged me for it, and they won't till it ships.(Believe me, I've been watching my account online!) When I get it installed I will post pics for everyone and answer any questions anyone may have. So, I'm your guinea pig!

ajpiii

Ive been wondering whats going on with these... I refused to buy on without seeing a finished product first... Glad to hear someone from the 300M group took the plunge for us I hope its every bit as good as it sounded...

cmyers300m

I hope it's nice too. If it's not, then I guess I've saved other M owners a good chunk of change.

vandal300

I have ordered an Intake from CGS Motorsports, for my 2000 300M they are located here in southern ca. The intake that they have is made from steel and then double powder coated with ceramic silver. They also use an S&B cone filter. The web site is:

http://www.cgsmotorsports.com/intakes.htm

Or you can call them at (909)444-5536 and talk to Casey.

moparfan1

vandal300,

Curious about this intake; does it fit into the existing air box, or does it sit exposed in the engine compartment?

This looks pretty smooth, and their claim of up to 18 hp is certainly impressive, but I would think you'd get the best results if it were isolated from the engine compartment, and fed only with cool outside air..

Your results/opinion will be interesting.

vandal300

The CGS intake replaces the stock airbox and uses a cone filter. I am talking to them about creating a heat shield so that it will not be exposed to as much engine heat. I also doubt that you would get 18 hp but any increase would be great.

ajpiii

You guys need to take lots of pics of these intakes when they come in... I need to have something nice under the hood

vandal300

The CGS intake replaces the stock airbox and uses a cone filter. I am talking to them about creating a heat shield so that it will not be exposed to as much engine heat. I also doubt that you would get 18 hp but any increase would be great.

cmiles97

Maybe I got the Friday late shift 300M. I have a 99 sport package with hole in the roof. Sorry to report but the car was everything I wanted except reliable. At 76900 miles and 3 years of ownership I am disappointed in this car's dependability. Under warranty repairs a) Driver's side window motor replaced 3 times due to motor failure. b) Remaining three window motors replaced twice for same reason. c) Speed sensor for the transmission replaced twice for failure. d) Rear driver's side door gasket replaced.

Out of warranty repairs: a) Speed sensor for transmission 3rd time. Lasted 30,000 miles this time. So not covered by Dealership standard 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty. b) fuel pump module due to failure. Did you know that it cost $300 just for this device. Labor and tax extra.

Please note that the mileage is 80% highway and I have all service done by the owner's manual schedule. Usually 4 to 5K miles between oil changes.

This is supposed to be Chryslers best. Its good to read that others have had no problems with their cars. Unfortunately, DC has lost this customer.

300michael

Sorry to hear yours is having more problems then mine. Except for the window motors (which I still question) my 99 has been excellent, so far. I did have the struts replaced for a faint noise since I added the springs but the noise is still there, so it wasn't the struts after all.

toms99

Maybe I'm biased in favor of Chrysler, but for 77K miles I don't think 2 out-of-warranty repairs (speed sensor and fuel pump) is a hallmark of unreliability. It is a shame they didn't get the window motors right the first time, and the speed sensors should have improved...they shouldn't have had to be replaced 3 times...BUT, as you indicated, the first times through these were covered under warranty. I scan all the boards here regularly and talk to a lot of people who own a variety of cars from almaost every manufactuer. I'd be hard-pressed to find a car that didn't have at least 2 out-of warranty repairs after 77K....

fastdriver

Found some rolls of film lying around and decided to have them developed. Guess what? "Lost" pics of Christine! ;-)) What a LOOKER! Clcik here to see-

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291581075&code=3202720&mode=invite

Hey, anyone hear from drpixel? Is he ok? He hasn't posted in a long time.

fastdriver

jab02lhs

Could a Brite-red HEMI-C Convertible lure you back to the fold? You know you miss the Goodtimes with your old girlfriend :>)

glennbp

Not to pick on you... but you really think that window motors, gaskets, and $20.00 sensors are an indication of "reliability"? The fuel pump is a legitimate gripe, but after 77K miles... c'mon! Sorry, but I feel your expectations are awfully high and a bit unrealistic.

sdmike2

wanna go race in carlsbad? Maybe we can get a stock M out there so we can see what our mods have done. You, me and Blonda have very similar set-ups so it's gonna come down to the person with the least fuel in their tank wins.

bigmike5

Man, did Christine look good in Zaino. You better be careful she is not lurking in some parking lot near you just waiting to take on your current oriental flame. Would be no contest as Christine would quickly reconstitute herself after a "minor" run-in.

cmiles-- I understand your pain. We of the "first year build" have all kept our fingers crossed as we moved down the road. Some have faired better than others. But it is hard to fault a mfg for defective parts. Now, they could cut off the supplier, ala the Badyears, after a period of realizing they got screwed on the parts production or reliability, but that takes some time, and unfortuately a lot of people get frustrated in the process. I got that way with the Badyears, and the light switch that would not go down to parking lights when on, and the window switch and lock switch. And, I just ordered some tranny input and output speed sensors to keep in the glove box should that problem come up, so yes, some patience is required. But you've got over 30K more on your 99 than I do, and I agree with Glennbp that the track record on your's isn't that bad. And if you read my post awhile back on the Corvette Z06 test report after a year by Automobile mag, they had an alternator go out in the first year, I think at around 7.5K miles, and they came off the line with bad piston rings that had to be replaced to stop it gulping oil, so part failure can happen even to the high priced performance models from which we expect perfection. I'm itching to go for a 2003 M Special in Graphite, but want to see one first. The 04 designs I've seen look "Buick-ize" and not attractive to me, so I may opt for a short run 03 model. But for my first DC product I am relatively happy with the reliability, have a good dealer where I live, and of course the appearance is a knockout. Just my .02.