Chrysler 300M

easyrider300m · August 2001

how long did it take you to install that cover---can you post a full wheel shot so we can see how it fits over rest of wheel--sure looks great--

toms99 · August 2001

Here's the full wheelskins install. I used a combo of "tan" and "brown"....there wasn't an exact match for the camel interior. I liked the look of the 2001 wheel (but not the $500 price tag) so I went for the 2-tone look via Wheelskins:

I know someone here posted they don't like the 2-tone look but I think this blends in kinda nice.

vlis · August 2001

Nice! Did you remove the original leather, or did you just lay the wheelskin over it?

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

That would be me

if it works for you fine. Looks alot better then the job I did on mine. I can't sew, so it came out only alright. I also had problems tying the knot at the end, it's coming loose now. Can you also email me the instructions on the "baseball stich" I'm going to call the wheelskin people & get another cord to sew it better.

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

For who asked about them , here are a few pics of them.

Fronts

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1280600&a=9485515&p=33133293&Sequence=0

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1280600&a=9485515&p=33133280&Sequence=0

beach15 · August 2001

For any of you M'ers considering tossing out the crapyears and getting Yokohama Avid T4's, here's a review from tirerack.com. It's from a 99' M owner that also replaced the Eagles. Is it anyone on this board? Here it is:

Yokohama Avid T4 - 1999 Chrysler 300M - Newark, DE
Driving Style: Average - Driving Condition: Combined Highway/City
Reviewer's Overall Ratings: 8.57out of 10 - Review Submitted 2001-05-19
After riding on Goodyear Eagles for 30k I have to say that I won't go back to them. After looking around for tires I decided upon Yokohama with the help of Tirerack.com. The Yokohama tires are superior in all respects and for less money. Quieter, better ride and traction. Thanks Yokohama. P.S.You can spend 40% more for Michelins if you want. I've also owned them before but now I'll will be sticking with Yokohama. (Review Submitted 2001-05-19)

scotian · August 2001

I'll be receiving a black/charcoal steering wheel cover and will report how closely it matches the agate interior.

scotian · August 2001

Well, the dealer will be replacing on its dime the door panel they sliced up, which was a new replacement for the old one with a cracked armrest.

jona57 · August 2001

Thanks for sharing those pix of your interior. I think that 2-tone wheel looks great, and you did a mighty fine job stitching! BTW- what wood trim kit did you put on & how long did it take to install ? I have a 2001M with the sandstone interior/PHP/Lux grp & would like to match the factory wood trim as closely as possible. I am mainly interested in wood for the console and the window switch plates on the doors. The wife thinks more than that is TOO much.

Jon A

intrepidspirit · August 2001

DC must be blowing half their warranty budget on door panels... LOL! I am on my second one for my 2000 300M after the cracked armrest problem and my wife's 2001 is going in next week for a panel replacement due to the chrome peeling on the inside driver's door handle (it actually cut her finger)...

I wonder how much extra cost they are absorbing by replacing the entire panels for what appear to be minor replacement items.

scotian · August 2001

The chrome door handle is not part of the door panel -- I don't why they would be replacing it.

That peeling chrome stuff is suprisingly hard and sharp!

mikeyjohn · August 2001

I have the same interior as you and I bought my woodtrim from Joshua tree which is factory match and it looks great. I did have a problem with one of my pieces which was replaced.

Just take your time and follow the instructions and do it on a warm day and it will look great.

I am very happy with mine and have had quite a few compliments.

intrepidspirit · August 2001

easyrider

I intend to order only two of the T4's, so it may be difficult to assess the difference while I'm still using two badyears, but I'll let you know when I get them...

BTW, I called the tire dealer who would install them. They are a "discount" tire dealer (aren't they all?) and their price on the tires is $109 each vs. $88 from tirerack...but they said they charge less for installation labor on tires purchased from them.

beach15

The reviews and ratings for the Avids all seem to be more favourable than even the Michelins, and they have a 60,000 mile treadwear warranty while Michelin has none. I don't know much about tires or ratings, but it seems like a no-brainer to me @ $49 less per tire...

sdmike2 · August 2001

Here is a picture:

http://www.ritchiefamily.com/misc/august21.jpg

avalanche165 · August 2001

not bad man i like it, so tell us the how to-s....

bigmike5 · August 2001

Av- This is way easier than the chrome door strip stuff that Phases [and I] tried/used previously. I saw the single sided [Trim Brite]gold stripping at Autozone, a local after market store. It caught my eye, and after working the exacto on the chrome stuff for hours with a result that wasn't real smooth, I figured the gold, single side sticky might work better. Came in a 20' coil for $9. And went on very easy. Measured twice, then cut and slowly applied along the ridge on the horizontal members of the grill, using the thumb as a guide to get it right up to the edge, and pulling 4-5" of the backing off as I went across. Once in place, I carefully pressed down on the strip to seat it securely while supporting under the plastic cross-member with the thumb. It held up great on the trip up to and back from Detroit at 70mph. Have rec'd a lot of favorable comments on it and no negatives. It adds "understated elegance", to the M, not showy or too much IMHO. I am going to look at doing the vertical crossmembers, but that may be too much. I may use scotch tape to see how it looks and then if I do it, I can just pull the backing tape of the strips and lock em down. Not sure yet. This whole process took less than a 1/2 hour because of the one side stripping and required no exacto work at all. Only difficult part was getting the coiled material to lay flat for measuring, and to go on flat to the surface.

proselytize · August 2001

hey guys, i've read back on this chat and realized that some of u are having a similar problem that i'm having, i'm hearing a rattleing noise toward the front driver side of the car during acceleration when accelerating from a full stop position then the sound goes away, is this anything like what you guys are talking about and if so what was the problem?

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

Does the stuff come in silver too? The gold just wouldn't match the silver color of my 300M.

toms99 · August 2001

easy- the complete install took about an hour. When using two threads they are long at first and you just have to be careful they don't get tangled. Here is a link for the "Baseball" stitch directions:

http://www.dccarcare.com/tipowk19.html

This guy also sells the Wheelskins covers at a slight discount, but he never returned my calls so I ordered direct.

The Wheelskins site has a color chart...

vlis - no need to remove anything. The Wheelskins leather is very thin and pliable. You can feel all of the "finger bumps" on the back of the wheel. I really don't know what the factory wheel is made of..it's not really "leather" in the same sense as the seats, for instance. But the Wheelskins leather is the real thing. I did not have the "mush" problem others have encountered but still wanted to cover the wheel.

jona57- I got the wood trim kit from eBay...I think it was from "exoticwooddash.com". The rosewood matched real well, but if you have the 2001 Luxo group I think you have real wood (burlwood?) so the match may be different.

smittyd · August 2001

I took my 2001 to the 5-star today for the 6,000 mile oil change, tire rotation, problem with the seat moving (under acceleration or braking) and the blinking light problem (described in post 7957).

No fault codes were present. They checked out the headlight switch, security system electronics and interior light dimmer switch and found nothing wrong to cause the light show. ?????

They did order new lower seat brackets and will install them when they arrive. The service guy said he found a "bulletin" about the slight seat movement. It's good to know it was not just my leadfooted, 300 lb. [non-permissible content removed] causing the seat to move!

By the way, the bill for the oil change and tire rotation was $36. How does that compare with other dealers prices?

Mopar or no car!

sdmike2 · August 2001

I paid $8.95 for my oil change...but I provided the mobil 1 oil and filter (about $28).

sdmike2 · August 2001

If you have the TSB number for the seat brackets I'd like to see it. I have the same issue with my seat moving under hard acceleration or braking. Feels like it moves an inch, but I'm sure it's only 1/8 or so.

smittyd · August 2001

I did not get the TSB number, but will be glad to ask when I go in for the new brackets.

Mopar or no car!

easyrider300m · August 2001

I think it may be a mistake to use 2 different brands of tires on the car but it would probably be ok--the avids are much quieter and handle better that the badyears and you can only appreciate the ride by replacing all 4---go on the website of tirerack and they have a list of installing tire dealers, some who will install for about $10-15 per tire. The avids are T rated and recommended upt to 118 mph. The goodyears are approved for higher speed, but for me 118 is high enough.

easyrider300m · August 2001

anyone know how much shipping is for 4 tires from tirerack? I definitely will be getting the Avid T4's for my next set in about 15k more miles. For anyone considering a change and want to try a great tire, I highly recommend the Avids---read all the comments on these tires at Tirerack.com--almost all positive comments for handling both wet and dry, looks, durability, and low noise. And believe it or not, they are only $88 each.

scotian · August 2001

I need that info too. Thanks!

300michael · August 2001

The Part # for the clock benzel is MN59 1AZ for the black Agate. They do list another number of QV65 LAZAA according to my microfiche catalog. The dealer should be able to verify the part numbers.

300michael · August 2001

was fantastic. I did hope more of you would have made it though. I guess 6 out of the ten is not too bad. All of us had a good time, Rogor even showed us the new offical up and comming 300M caps. I am looking forward to next years meet. On the way back to Monterey I did pass Jim Tompson on the way and had a chance to wave good bye. I meant so many M owners on the way there and on the way back. People in parking lots Motels, and gas stations, I even had a few talk to me while driving on the freeway. You ever try to give a card to another vehicle while driving at 80 miles an hour. I gave out all my cards (should have brought more) I may have to get one of those 300Mclub stickers Rogor has.
I almost bought a 1926 Ford model T dump truck as I was going through Paso Robles California the price was right but the trucks speed was not (top speed 27 mph).
At the Cal/AZ border I ran (figuretivly) into a large Mopar trailer. Lo and behold guess what was inside, It was the one and only "Hemi under glass", I told them if they ever wanted to get rid of the engine and drive train, I would be happy to put it in my 300M.
Next year maybe we could have it more centrally located so more can get together.

sdmike2 · August 2001

Maybe Roger can put a pin in a wall map for each club member and determine a few centralized locations for future meets. If anyone here is into mountain biking, it looks like I'm going to do a trip to Big Bear Lake in late September. Maybe some So Cal members might want to go play in the woods. :-)

bigmike5 · August 2001

Fuzzy-- I will go by the Autozone store on the way home tonight and see if they have the chrome in single side sticky. They probably do. If so I will get a product name and number for you and post it on Monday. I meant to mention that while the gold grill trim looks good IMHO with the Platinum it might not work with other colors quite as well. Other dreams from the cruise--I am still considering a PPG [Harlequin paint] gold
6"-1"-1" racing stripe for the passenger side of the car. The Harlequin changes color from gold to silver as you change you view angle. Only two problems--finding a shop I would trust to do it to the great finish that I still have on the 99M, and the cost of the paint at $60 an ounce. Yes, that is $60 an ounce!! Don't know how much would be required to paint the stripe, but even without labor it would be expensive. Those are two hurdles I might not be able to get over.

silverbullet4 · August 2001

Dallas is a nice central location. ;>)

Silver

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

Any news on the Prowler pro gears? Has anyone tried them yet? What about those signal mirrors? I'm holding off for those untill I see how they look, & work.

tictac3 · August 2001

Many posts ago I wrote of a Landau-roofed 2000 M that I had just seen. Thankfully, I had not come across another – UNTIL YESTERDAY!!!!!! Saw another but with a GOLD PACKAGE on it. Doubly ugly -- a beautiful white M with a brown (not tan) roadster roof and gaudy gold trimmings. Totally fugly!! It is a wonder the poor M did not put a brown paper bag over itself out of embarrassment.

easyrider300m · August 2001

was the driver wearing a purple suit, a large pokadot tie, a brown derby and lots of gold jewelry?---- Was there a blond bimbo sitting next to him? Was his name Willie?

intrepidspirit · August 2001

Yes, I know the rating is to 118 mph...I have only reached 110 once and that was only because I wanted to try it, so the 118 is plenty for me.

I checked with the dealer who will install my tires and they said installing only two would be fine, just don't mix them with the others on rotation. I agree the ride would be much better on 4 Avids, but I only have 9000 miles on the badyears and I couldn't bring myself to dispose of them...I'm from the old "waste not, want not " school...

When I checked the tires on tirerack, I ran them through the shipping process. I believe it was around $15.?? cheapest way...the total for two was $191 and change -- the shipping was only about $1 more than the tax would be if I could buy the tires from a tire dealer @ $88 each...

easyrider300m · August 2001

why not run the badyears on the front and dont bother to rotate them till they wear out---that way you can still have some decent tread on the Yokos when you get two new ones for the front---

russklass · August 2001

Oil/filter change:
"By the way, the bill for the oil change and tire rotation was $36. How does that compare with other dealers prices?"
My 5* charges $23.95, and does an excellent job.
I heve them do it so there is never any question about the warranty if I were to have an engine failure.
Tires:
Tire Rack and Discount Tire charge shipping by distance from their nearect warehouse. In most cases it is less than $10/tire, but there is no sales tax.
Mixing tires:
Bad idea! You are puting tires with different grip characteristics on each end of the car. This could cause dramatic differences in oversteer/understeer, especially in wet conditions.

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

I have to agree that using different tires is not good. Your ride will feel different, & your great handleing M will not like the difference. Your car will perform very different in the rain too. It's not safe in MHO. Why don't you replace them all, then sell the goodyears. I'm sure a tire place will take them, or put them on ebay. Your not really saving anything, because by the time the other 2 goodyears were out, you will have more wear on the Yokos, then need to replace them sooner then the other 2 tires. You will never have a set of 4 yokos with the same wear on them. Doesn't make sense to me.

rogor2k · August 2001

Had a great time swapping stories with the members who did attend. For those who didn't, you missed out on a great time and a chance to meet and shake hands with your fellow 300Maniacs.

Ottowrkr has invited us to meet at the LH plant at Brampton next year. If I have anything to say about it, THIS WILL COME TO PASS sometime next summer. Stay tuned for dates.

I wish I could have been at both meets last weekend. I hope you guys at the Dream Cruise really bent Dieters ear to get that Hemi C on the green light track.

How about this for the 300M Enthusiasts Club Southwest Regional event next summer: NASCAR racing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (www.lvms.com). Maybe the lure of Vegas will bring out more of the members. The Number 1 tourist attraction in the USA, PLUS NASCAR racing. Whaddya think?

sdmike2 · August 2001

Yes!

beach15 · August 2001

I came across a Red and Camel 300M on Ebay today. Everything on the page said it was a 2000 but just one look at the pictures and you KNOW that it's a 1999. It has the fish-scale shifter surround, black window, lock, and mirror buttons, and the hard plastic console lid. I emailed the guy to see if he just had the wrong pictures up or was mistaken. He told me that for sure it was a 2000 because he had ran the Vin# on Carfax and it comes up as a 2000. I emailed him again telling him to check the driver's door opening sticker. Within a few minutes, here's what I just got from him:

"thanks for your persistence. I will check this out again. I don't doubt you,

but I have gone on what info I was given.

I hope you are wrong, but my gut feeling is that you are probably right.

Thanks

Wayne"

I know I am right about this. Here's the link if you want to see for yourself.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=594644620&r=0&t=0

bigmike5 · August 2001

Roger--Would like to go to Brampton, but am pretty sure that my wife would be willing to go to Vegas at the drop of a hat. Would probably have to fly in and rent an M. After meeting Otto and the other guys, Brampton is a must do, but Vegas would be nice too. [You should have got my "dream" picture in the #9 Dodge NASCAR-so maybe it was a prophecy not a dream??]

denverm · August 2001

Roger, I was going to suggest that, but you beat me to it. Sounds good to me. Lots closer to Denver - a one day drive, so I won't have to "camp" on the way there! Plus I love driving across Utah and Nevada.

denverm · August 2001

You might be right, but out at Monterey there was at least one difference between Roger's '00 M and my '00 M (small speaker enclosures at front side windows were different), and I think our cars were made about two months apart. It wouldn't surprise me a whole lot if very early '00's still used some of the '99 parts that were replaced on later '00's. I tend to think that the VIN # should conclusively establish a car's "model year". This site: http://www.autoinsurancetips.com/vin.htm indicates that the "Y" in the VIN number (as listed on Ebay) means it's a 2000 model year car.

fuzzywuzzy · August 2001

I saw that yesterday. Yesterday it said a 2001. I punched it up in carfax, & it said it was a 2000. I emailed him, I guess he corrected it. Now why it has the 99 shifter I don't know. Maybe the owner replaced it?

russklass · August 2001

Roger...I tried 3 times to e-mail you with a dream Cruise report, only to get a "fatal error" message on your address.
Did you get the report?
Did you get my several e-mail messager about the cruise? About Dieter/300M club?

rogor2k · August 2001

My Verizon (gte.net) mail seems to be corrupt. If it doesn't clear up today I'm going to contact them. Meanwhile, you can use my prez300mclub@hotmail.com address.

bbraddock · August 2001

I haven't been on the town hall in about two weeks. I'm your guy to talk to about the Altima. I currently have a 300M, just sold my '99 Passat, and have had a '93 and '98 Altima. The '93 was actually a better car. The '98 was an SE but they had really cheapened the interior. The Altima that is coming gets awesome reviews, and 240hp is nothing to sneeze at. I'm a big guy too and am looking forward to buying a new car in the next 6 months. I've really liked my 300M, but Chrysler still struggles with fit and finish, and build quality. It is a great looking car, comodeous, nicely appointed, and gets decent mileage for a large car. I never had any problems with my Altimas. The new one is 1.5 seconds faster in 0-60 than the 300M, and 6mph faster in the quarter mile, not too shabby. I hope they have worked on the quality of the materials of the interior, and I don't just mean aluminum around the gauges. I like hustle and looks in a car, and certainly one that is dependable. The Altima all jazzed out will still be 5K less than a 300M, but my guess is sitting in the 300M will be more satisfying. As you said, they both have wonderful things about them. I'm looking forward to a test drive of an Altima, and the dealer has already called me to tell me to come in. If I get in one first, I'll let everyone know!

scotian · August 2001

My black/charcoal Wheelskin is in. The black is, well, black and the charcoal is a bit lighter and greener than the agate, but still a pretty good match. I wonder if there's a way to safely darken just a bit. When I get my new steering wheel, I'll install it.

Any word on the moving seat TSB number?

Chrysler 300M

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