Chrysler 300M

mboomgarden1

I'd be interested in learning about other websites that have information pertinent to the 300M.

If you are not aware, the 300M Enthusiasts Club at http://www.300mclub.org/ has recently added a BBS forum for 300M owners. I have been a member of a similar web-based group that focuses on my other passion--my BMW R1100RT motorcycle--and it's been an invaluable resource. I have no financial interest in the 300M Club, but I'd encourage owners to think about joining and participating. As these groups grow, they become a great information resource.

stevenw300

Any truth to the rumor that the Special will only receive a 20 hp increase? If true - how disappointing!

Has anyone further investigated the 2.7L gears?

stevenw300

Nice bike! I sold mine (Shadow) after one to many near misses with negligent drivers. Replaced it with a LeBaron convertible. Not nearly as much fun but I couldn't handle another near miss.

cmyers300m

Thanks for the pics of your M, it looks great. Yes I have considered doing dual exhausts, my only fear is finding someone good enough to do the modification to the rear bumper cover. I noticed on yours there is a black edging around each exhaust opening on the bumper. What did you use for that? The tips you used look awesome, they are actually Lexus tips? How is the noise level in the cabin? Have any resonating problems? Did you use a venturi at all? I know, too many questions sorry. I would like to add that the dual exhaust appearance is much better than a single and most likely what I'll do.

ottowrkr

they must have gone to the same size ,as we placed both style rotors on top of each other and the size was the same.
What do you want to know about the duals?? It will be like what most of the guys are doing to the exhaust on their M's .The only thing that might be diffrent is DC will have the resanator at the back left in on both sides

adplusone

We have not gotten any firm date from DaimlerChrysler as to when this model will be available. We have heard that it might be about mid November. We do not know if that would be an order date or production date. You can contact me any time with additional questions.

Thanks,

Bradley
Roanoke Motor Co Inc
viper@davesworld.net

cmyers300m

I wrote yesterday that I heard the Special M was only getting 20hp. I tried last night to find what magazine I got that info from and couldn't, but I know I didn't imagine it. If you heard the same then it is probably true. Early in the year they(columists) kept saying it would have 300hp to match the name, but I guess they lied. But like someone said earlier, with only a modest hp increase.....we will all be faster with our mods!

rscheller

it would be the transmission. A more effecient 5 or 6 speed is needed.

Rick

The Consummate 300M Pages

russklass

My 5* parts manager tells me there are 2 front rotors listed for the '01 300M:
PHG 4779133AA
Std. 4779101AA
When replacing rotors, they go by the VIN which shows option codes for everything on the car.
In my case the option code for the brakes is BR5, which calls for the 133A rotor.
I recall that on my '99 M the brakes also used low-expansion hoses for a firmer pedal feel. Is this still true? OTTO?

stevenw300

5 speed transmission and better gearing
ram air induction
cat back duals

oops, I got carried away! LOL

I hope to be able to join the chat this evening.

It is Wednesday, isn't it?

300mlover

Just noticed you live in Dayton. I am just a little north of you in Cleveland. You might want to consider an all stainless set up like mine since they (ODOT) love to pile on the salt here in Ohio. That aluminized crap will rust in 2-3 winters. Here is a link to my duals. If you want to drive up here I will slice up your M for free. It only takes 15 min.

http://public.fotki.com/cmc300m/

cmyers300m

Well, I agree with using a stainless system. Thankfully our winters here in Dayton aren't as brutal as yours, but I used to live in Akron and they were (My family still live up there). I guess the one Mike used wasn't stainless? Your pics look good as well, but you didn't list part numbers. The Borla offered for the M is for a single exhaust setup, what part(s) did you use? I did like the tips you used too, and thanks for offering to modify my M, I may take you up on it!

fuzzywuzzy

Who said, or who was it that I can give my 300M to to let them play with mods to it?? I really might do it. It was some company......was it kennybell??? or somthing like that??

cmyers300m

I have been emailing back and forth with Kennebell Performance in California. They are looking at making a supercharger for the M. I received another email from them yesterday and they wanted the 300M club websites so they could contact M owners near them. Here is the email address for them (Kennebellperf@cs.com) They want to borrow someone's M, and in return they will give you a free Optimizer II for your engine, $350 value.

rogor2k

The rear fascia cutout for the duals is easy. Here's how.


http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=934019&a=9266730&f=0

mboomgarden1

Additional info I found from Daimler/Chrysler regarding the PHG brake setup:

"With the optional Handling Group in the U.S. and standard in Europe, 300M includes high-performance four-wheel ABS disc brakes with traction control. This system was designed to meet the requirements of high-speed European touring. It uses higher coefficient of friction linings than the standard system to increase stopping ability. In addition, these brakes use 25% stiffer front calipers and externally vented rotors to enhance pedal feel and smooth operation during hard use. External rotor venting enhances high temperature performance by controlling thermal stress more effectively than the more common internal venting."

fuzzywuzzy

Do you know if we would get the M back with the mods they did, or will they take them off? & what is a "Optimizer II"??

fuzzywuzzy

That's strange. The DC dealers only list 2 sets of pads front, & rear for the 300M. 1 is a cheap set, & the other is a higher performance set. However they are the same part #'s in the computer for a PHP, & non PHP 300M. The dealers parts guy said they cannot get factory pads, beacuse they are factory. All they can get is Mopar ones. Does anyone really know if a PHP 300M will stop better then a non PHP 300M. Seems all this is just to give more pedal feel on the PHP brakes. That doesn't mean they are better though. It's just a perceived difference because of the "feel"

cmyers300m

I don't know anymore other than they were going to 'use' someone's car, maybe for testing, for a few days. The optimizer I believe is an electronic controller that optimizes your air/fuel fix which would increase HP. Someone else may have a better idea of what it is but I think I'm right.

bigmike5

Roger-- Did you get my off line message to you yesterday thru the club site?

lflowers

Discount Tire Co expects my new wheels to arrive today. I'll probably get them installed this afternoon if they do come in as expected. I planned to get TSW Imola wheels, but found yesterday that they have been discontinued, so I looked through Discount Tire's catalogs and picked the Konig Tantrum. I don't like them guite as much as the Imola, but they were easily my second choice. A coworker is buying my chrome Razorstars (complete with 30K mile Goodyear LS tires) to put on his Concorde LX.

I'll be mounting Goodrich Gforce TA KDW tires in 245/45-17 size (the new wheels are 17" x 8")

Hopefully, I'll be able to report on how the new setup drives tomorrow!

Below is a link to a pic of the Konig Tantrum on Dicount Tire's website:

http://www.discounttire.com/dtc/findWheelSizesByBrand.do?step=sizes&index=12

Lynn

fuzzywuzzy

Wondering why you just didn't get 18's? They are not that much more, & since your buying new rims/tires why not just do it once.

avalanche165

i drove a maxima anniversary edition, EXCELLENT. it was real nice, i loved it. my sister is leaning toward it. the altima was nice, but...i don't know just kinda cheap. not in price, the feel of it was off, like a go cart or something. anyway keep me informed if you buy, i would love to compare what we got...

avalanche165

ok i found a guy who will make custom pulleys for us. he said he just wants at least 5 ppl. i told him that won't be a problem at all. so ok we got phases, ajpii, me, and who else????

avalanche165

either its gonna be awesmoe guys, or its gonna suck. cant be in between. either way i think for a little bit of mula you can change your 99-01' m into something a lot better than the special.

fuzzywuzzy

How much?? & will the guy research it & have detailed instruction on how to replace them, & what size belt will need to be used etc? Or will we have to be the ones who do that?

lflowers

fuzzywuzzy.....I went with 17" wheels instead of 18" strictly on price. It made about $300 difference in the price of the wheels, plus about $150 more for the larger tires. I'm getting close to retirement (I'm old enough next month) so I'm thinking about tire replacement cost down the line. In fact I bought new wheels primarily so I can buy good hi-performance tires more cheaply than for the stock wheels.

avalanche...was the Altima you looked at the 2001 or the 2002. The article in the latest Autoweek about the 2002 Altima makes it sound pretty good. An available 240hp V6 with a 6 speed tranny and it is apparantly areal looker too. Reminds me of a smoother Passat.
Still no competition (in looks at least) for my M though.

Lynn

300mlover

I might be in on the pulleys. And what's up with the tail lights?

rogor2k

10:00 PM Eastern time

Go to http://www.300mclub.org and click on the Club Chat Room link. Let's see if we can set a new record.

Elvis will be in the building.

fcm

I'll betcha alls you gotta do is check out any issue of National Dragster, news weekly tabloid of the NHRA, and you'll find all kinds of places selling underdrive pulleys for anything. Someone warned about killing the battery, and the a/c. Don't forget the waterpump will be underdriven too.

You can get some hp with these, but it's the drag racers who really use them. Most of the cars are race cars, pure and simple, and only go full throttle for 8 to 12 seconds.

herrmdogg

ROGOR - You know I'll be there, I'll be the one sitting next to ELVIS. What is our record so far? 18 people? Also, how do you go about having the "Featured Member Page" on the club website or having featured mod pics images on the site as well? One more thing, I'm not sure what Mike Sylvia's town hall name is, but I was going to let him know that on his site (http://www.homestead.com/Chrysler300M/Chrysler300M.html) that he has his interior color listed as the exterior color and vice versa. Just an FYI.

I agree with AVALANCHE (Post 7525) regarding the special. Spend a lot less money and have something completely original AND something that someone can't go pick off the lot and look just like you.

I also have to add that nothing Nissan makes does ANYTHING for me. Sorry.

FLOWERS - Congratulations on your new wheel purchase, they look good, I'm looking forward to the pics.

SEE EVERYONE IN THE CHAT TONIGHT AT 10 P.M. EASTERN !!!

http://members.cardomain.com/herrmdogg

HerrmDogg

phases78

i too would like a price on the pulleys, as well as an HONEST explanation of the effects on my ride. short term and long term. could you get in touch with them and find all that out please? I'll do anything I can for hp, but not at the expense of the car in any major ways.. otherwise, im in.

avalanche165

he is getting all the info as we speak. taking a trip down to the dealer today and checking it out he said. but i've been reading about some "side effects" per say. i got a lot of accessories running. maybe an underdrive crank pulley, but not a alternator pulley.

toms99

Here's the custom clockface Scotian cooked up for me:

Note the art deco wings on this 99LHS. Did the early M's have this???

travmn

hi guys, i'm newer to this list but I remember the big discussions of pulleys when I was in the altimas group ( when i used to have an altima ). anyways, an underdrive pulley is usually a different sized, lighter pulley than stock. generically what happens is your belts get shorter. results:
increased power to wheels
reason
it takes more engine rotations to get the other pulleys around a full rotation.
in essence, you are cutting power per engine rotation to all your accessories. things included are your alternator, a/c, and basically anything electronic ( stereo, sub, a/v accessories ).
so what you really end up doing is dropping the maximum output your alternator is capable of ( dropping it by some percentage based on the difference of the pulley ). if you are going for pure performance, this is a good mod. however, your a/c will never work at 100%. and if you have anything of significant draw ( aftermarket stereo / sub, a crapload of lights, etc. ), your car will most likely not be able to produce the power necessary to run these accessories ( as you are overdrawing your alternator + battery ). if you plan on doing "multimedia" upgrades to your M ( or LHS or any other car ), this is NOT a recommended upgrade. for instance, eventually, I'd like to add the LCD in the headrest kinda of things, and a much higher end stereo and several other audio/videophile kind of equipment. I would have no intention of putting a pulley on my car as my car wouldn't be able to support all the additional power draw. but if I wanted to drag or be a street racer and show those TypeRs a thing or 2, a pulley is the way to go ( or shoehorning a nice big v8 in my car ). hope this helps explain the pulleys a little better.

phases78

what about a second battery?

99_300m_ric_va

I think I saw a pic somewhere of a battery in the trunk and a battery isolator where the intake resonator is. I just can't remember where I saw this. The stock battery was still in place. I think it was an Intrepid maybe. Anyway the idea is the same.

I agree, Nissan's do nothing for me either. Altimas are small inside. Come to think of it, most Japanese cars do nothing for me. Exceptions would be the new Infinity Q45 and some of the high end Lexus sedans.

I regards to the Mopar vs Factory brakes. Are we saying that Mopar and factory are different? We can't order the same thing our cars were built with from the dealer parts dept? I can't believe that is true, but I don't think it would surprise me if it were.

99_300m_ric_va

I'm at 36K and plan to keep going on original brake and tires as long as possible. I'm guessing tires will last until 50K. Don't know on the brakes yet, gotta closely examine.

What kinda life is everyone getting and who has replaced their brakes? What are you replacing them with? Is there a good aftermarket pad/rotor to consider (Napa Premium, Performance Friction, etc) that doesn't cost thousands like stuff from Baer and Wilwood? I'm not willing to invest that kind of money knowing I'm probably trading the second I can get a 300N with a MANUAL TRANNY.

Anyone replacing their rotors with the brakes as they are generally disposable these days. Mine are NOT warped (keep good lug nut torque displine at all times)

travmn

best place to check for suitable options would be the provider of the pulley. things that come to my mind is replacing the alternator with a heavy duty / stronger alternator if possible that provides a stronger charge. a secondary battery could work, but there could be some problems with using that as a solution. best advice is call / email a pulley provider and see what they recommend for your current/future setup.

phases78

thanks man, i appreciate it..

avalanche165

i replaced mine at 30k, they were almost gone down to the metal. they were squeaking loud and hard. i wasn't surprised i had to replace this early, i do A LOT of braking. i'm up in the mountains so....jack rabbittnig, hard stops, straight aways, etc. are in for me. i replaced with the vline pads. i can't remember the price but i'll find the invoice.

avalanche165

CHAT!

10 pm eastern!

www.300mclub.org

homer61388

After looking at many sport sedan vehicles I have finally picked the top three that I like. My main concerns when buying a car are, safety, performance, styling, handling and above all reliability. And I'm having a problem picking the most reliable car coupled with all the other main concerns that I want in a sport sedan. Also I'm getting rid of my 1997 bonneville SSEI supercharged and I want a car that either matches or exceeds it in all the standards that I've posted. I'm in the dark about which to pick so could you please write back and give any opinions or suggestions about which is the best sport sedan . Thank You!

phases78

we're 300m enthusiasts, so of course we're gonna tell u this is the best! and it is! caddys are awesome cars, however i personally dont care for the catera. the auroras are cool too, my cousins got one, but i like the M the best, obviously. all i can say is test drive all of em (phg and non phg of the M) and decide for yourself. in my opinion, and many others here, the M is the best you can get for your money. the luxury, performace, appearance, and scarcity, make this the best u can get for under 30k. test drive them all and decide whats best for you, and if it's the M, join us! we're a tight group and can answer mostly any questions you have, along with ideas for mod's if your into that. good luck in your decision, and happy drivein!

p.s. my ride is at http://phases78.homestead.com/300m.html if you wanna check it out!

techsan

Hey Guys!

Well, my M is a week old with 340 miles on it and I freaking love it! Wow, what a blast to drive!

OK, looking for some advice here:

First, when should I wax it? Some people tell me to wait to wax others say do it right away! Is there a NEED to apply a coat of wax on a new car?

Second, all I hear is great stuff about the Zaino product, but that is a polish not a wax correct? Do they make a wax or similiar product? If not what do you suggest I use?

Third, what do you all use on the dash? I want to avoid fading and cracking in the long term. I live in Tulsa, OK and the 5,000 degree heat pounding down on the paint and dash is going to take it's toll!

Thanks for the help, interested in ALL suggestions!

Todd M.
Tulsa, OK

P.S. Put my check and order form for the 300M club in the mail today! Woo Hoo!

300michael

I Zanioed mine four months after the build date. It lasts about six months (with a couple of coats). It is a polish. I love the stuff. Zanio makes leather cleaner and conditioner that I use for these areas. I live in Phoenix so you don't have to tell me about heat. Here we have barbeques that don't need charcoal or gas to work, just let the sun hit them.:)

300michael

Thanks, I will check it out.
Let me know when you get the facts and prices, I am interested.

tnsc_300m

Hi fellow 300Mers,
Ok, I'm hot to get new tires for my 99 non-PHP 300M. I want at least the performance level of the PHP car tires which are Michelin Pilot MXM4's.
So I'm looking for a performance tire not a touring one.
I've got a quote for Michelin Pilot MXM4's in the stock 225/55-17 size for $187 ea incl tax, mount. & balance,install & rotation.
I've also got a quote for Michelin Pilot XGT Z4 in 225/55-17 for $189 ea incl tax, mount. & balance install & rotation.
I'm strongly leaning towards the Pilot XGT Z4.
If anyone has any other (serious) recommendations I'd love to hear them. I'm concerned about exceeding the mfg spec.s on rim width for a given tire size profile. Michelin recommends 225/55, 235/50, or 245/50 for the oiginal rims. I'm running the stock chrome 17" x 7" Razorstars. Luv 'em! But wish they were available in wider size.
BTW does anyone know who the original manufacturer of this rim is??? I've heard they're originally from Italy, is that right?

Everyones got an opinion, so let's hear em gang. :-)

TIA, tnsc_300m

ottowrkr

Nobody ,as we were just informed today that the week of Aug 20 the plant will shut down for a week ,due to slow sales.Buy a 2002 and help keep me working !!!!

russklass-yes I do think they use a diffrent flex hose on the EURO cars. Not sure if they still do as we have not built any 2002 Euro cars yet.

avalanche165

jason remember that site with the hollogram turn signals for the side view mirrors? you still got that site. time to order those...thanks...