It is because of the women shoppers want to get thing out of the way. If it were only men shopping, stores would set the the holiday stuff the day before the holiday (last minute shoppers). Besides it takes most men at least 3 months to get in the mood to purchase gifts for there wifes and kids. I feel sorry for those of you snowed in and can't take your M's out for a nice Holiday drive. The closest thing here to snow would be deiceing the freezer.
Is going on in Scottsdale AZ, the third week of January. I plan to go on Friday, the 18th. The show runs from Jan 16-20. Is anyone else planning on going? I am also going to the Phoenix International Auto show, which runs the Dec 30th through the 6th of Jan. I will probably go Jan 4th. I like to go on fridays because it is less crouded. And beside My Honda dealer gave me free tickets (the first free thing they ever gave me). I guess they want me to see the new CRV's.
LOL....If you buy "stuff" too early, it could be the wrong size! ;-)) Besides, the best bargains are at the LAST minute!
" I feel sorry for those of you snowed in and can't take your M's out for a nice Holiday drive. The closest thing here to snow would be deiceing the freezer."
LOL... Same here in CT. Sunny, but cool out. My car hasn't been washed in WEEKS! Might go to the high pressure wash at the CITGO station to bring out that Zaino shine a little more! ;-))
Speaking of car shows- anyone going to the RI car show in Providence next month? I'll get free passes from my brother.
I don't normally participate in the discussions, but I do read them faithfully. I bought a new candy apple red 300 in June 1999. I have had no problems. I am also a member of the club.
I just returned a few minutes ago from the Washington DC Auto Show. I looked at the 300M Special. Some have asked here on the site, what is the cost?
The window price was $33,490 - $1000 more than the normal 2002 model on the floor. I didn't look to see what options were on it, but they normally don't display stripped models.
The main reason I am writing is that they also had a 300 Hemi C concept car on the floor - beautiful. The MC said that it was a triple 354 - 354 cu in, 354 hp and the the torque was 354. It also had many gauges on the lower passenger door the were added to monitor many functions during their intensive testing. The gauges of course aren't standard, just used during the testing. Perhaps this is an indication that they are serious about this car.
If you want the best car show thrill of all, go to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. http://www.naias.com/
If you have never been there, you are missing the best auto show in the country.
Since this is the "home show", you will see the most and best concepts of all the national shows.
This year's dates are Jan 12 thru 21 at the COBO Center.
This will be my 6th year, and I have never been disappointed.
On Buffalo snow:
The city had it's FIRST snow of the season on Christmas Eve. Yes, it was 25", but in less than 24 hours the Airport and all major highways were open. Snow is no big deal if you know how to handle it!
as of 12-7 we have 225 members--not bad for less than a year in operation--the club benefits far outweigh the $15 cost-I have been a member since early 2001 and have benefited from the informational content of the club as well as by buying 3 logo shirts and 2 club caps at far below retail value--looking forward to another year as a member of "This Thing of Ours!" I may even make one of the club meets during 02.
PS: How many members do we have now, Doc Pixel? For you newbies, here is the link to the club http://www.300mclub.org/
Our latest absolute up to date member count is 236. It has been a good year and keeps getting better. New members are finding us from places other than Edmunds, and that's very exciting. We also have members in half a dozen foreign countries.
Thanks for the Buffalo snow update. I was wondering how you guys handle 24" in 24 hours, very well it appears. I also wondered if you drove to the Detroit Auto show or flew. The route thru Canada looks about 1/2 to 1 hour shorter not counting border crossing delays.
The Special base price is $32595.00 w/freight. Only 3 options offered: Cold weather package, sunroof, side airbags.
Total with all options: $33920.00 (I paid substantially less than that for mine.)
I seriously doubt any of them will be built without a sunroof (unless a customer ordered it that way) so the lowest sticker you're likely to find on one is $33490.00
Well, we bought our '99 Bright Platinum last month and it is a great car. Just had the windows tinted and new chrome wheels put on. Car has 31k miles and the interior is perfect. My wife has driven SUV's for 14 years and has found that she just doesn't like cars anymore. So, I am going to sell the car. Is $19,500 too much ??
Resale on the 99M around L-ville, KY area is about $15K. The used car market is depressed now due to the 0% financing available on new cars. Don't think you can get $19K, but good luck on it. Ain't women wonderful.
$19.5K sounds a little on the high side. Check KBB and walk through the options, mileage and condition, etc. to get a current retail market value.
I did this when my 99LHS (chrome/stereo) lease was up last May. I found that the market value back then (with 30K mileage) was about $19K, but the residual was only $17K and I love the car, so I bought it for the residual!
How much did you pay for the car a month ago? That alone should give you a good indication of what it's worth....
Keep in mind that the market changes like crazy. Dealers have a bunch of good cars coming off lease, and the new car alternative is very tempting right now with those financing deals (heck I even got a 7/100K warranty when I bought my wife's Concorde last month). All of this kind cramps the value of used cars right now.
I took a look at Kelly Blue Book on the net and they say a loaded 99M in excellent condition should bring $20.3K from a private party and $17.2K from a dealer trade-in in my zip code area. It may vary depending on your zip. My local papers have them at the prices I mentioned in my last message, but mileage wasn't listed or I didn't note it.
I'm just checking in after a few days' absence and I noticed a post that indicated only the U.S. auto manufacturers had contributed to the NYC relief efforts. The thing that caught my eye was the claim that BMW had not contributed a dime. I knew this to be wrong because I ride a BMW motorcycle and keep up with developments at BMW.
Here's what they actually did: They donated 100 R1100 RT-P police motorcycles and ten X5 SUV's to the City of New York. Additionally, they made a cash contribution of $1 million to the relief fund. The total value of their contribution was $2.4 million. As Pat pointed out in a subsequent post, there were other inaccuracies in this post (which I can't speak to). While this has little to do with our beloved (Canadian-made) 300M, it does serve to point out the fact that anyone can say anything on the Internet with the chances being about even that it will take on a life of its own and become "fact" (I'm not blaming the person who posted this here; I believe he was sincere in posting this information).
Sorry to shift gears from 300M-related topics, but I was bothered by these gross inaccuracies (Whew--glad I got that off my chest).
Haven't been around in about a week. Looked through most of the posts to see what I missed, but a lot accumulates in that time
Well, had the steering wheel replaced today. I can see why everyone was on about the 'cardboard' feel of it. My old one was slicker - that's the only way I can describe it. However, the new feel I actually prefer. Feels more like leather than the old one. And feels somewhat more padded. Hard to say since the old one was twisted as well as peeling.
Hope everyone's having a great holiday season! Here's to wishing for more snow so I can start the ski season! :-D
I had to get a jump this morning here in Minnesota. The accessories worked just fine, but turning the key did nothing with the engine -- no wrrrr wrrrr, or click, or anything like that. While hooked up, it started immediately, so I'm not convinced it's the battery.
take it to a pepboys or similar. Most have a battery tester to determine if the battery is bad. It'll automatically charge/discharge the battery and test the cells. It could very well be the alternator - if the batter isn't charging enough then it could have enough to power radio, etc... but not enough to turn over the car. Though I would expect some attempt from the car...
The route thru Canada is great! Good roads, light traffic, and there are minimal delays at the border. One caution is to carry good ID and proof of citizenship just in case. Best route: Cross border at Buffalo or Niagara Falls. Take the QEW to Hamilton, then 403 West. 403 merged into 401 at Woodstock. Continue on 401 to Windsor, and cross the Ambassador brudge into Detroit. Driving time thru Canada is about 4 hours bridge to bridge. I can supply further info if you want. We will be driving to Detroit on Sat., Jan 19, and staying at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn. The show opens at 10:00AM, and you need to get there early to find a good parking spot. Anyone else interested? Maybe we could all meet for dinner.
I'd check the battery terminals for corrosion. I agree, it seems odd that you had enough power for the accessories but it wouldn't even get a click out of the starter.
Sounds like a stuck starter solenoid to me.
I agree that a load test on your battery should tell the tale of whether it's the battery or starter.
It's been a while since I've heard those directions as I live in western Canada about 3500 miles away. I would also suggest that you bring your cash with you and buy,buy,buy!!! as the Cdn Dollar is sure depressed right now, and any of you looking for accessories for your cars, go to a local DC dealer or tire stores etc. and check prices. You might be able to save 50% on your purchases. It sure would be a cheap ride for anyone going the Canadian route. Have fun and a happy new year to everyone. I hope next year will be better than last.
Went to Firestone. They said the battery was weak but everything else OK, so I got whatever battery they had. I removed & installed my air box for them -- jammed my thumb in the process.
The stock plumbing is a lot easier to deal with in these situations!
I've already started modifications to my stock plenum. I've carefully removed the two inner flutes, and with a Dremel cable extension and sandpaper tube bit, removed most of the plastic support vanes molded into the inside top and bottom so it is pretty much hollow (I had to glue the end of the cable into a longer metal tube for extra length/leverage). I purchased a new 3" i.d. nitrile elbow and ground off most of its outside, resulting in a thin, ~80 degree bend that fits in the larger opening (messy). I've also ground off the outside of a smaller straight pice to come in from the other, smaller side. Next week I should receive my new thin-walled 3" o.d. aluminum tube to connect the two rubber tubes. I've drilled a hole on the inside bend of the elbow so the engine can breathe. The stock TB bend has already been hollowed out.
Using a piece of 3" i.d./3.5" o.d. rubber tube and a 3.5" i.d. rubber tube I will connect a shorter aluminum tube to the stock plenum. This way I can easily swap in the factory air box, and have everything look stock.
I have started getting serious about modifying my air intake. Went to a junk yard today and tried to find a TB that I could bore out and the tubing and 90 degree bend that goes to the plem. They didn't have any at the present time.
However they told me that when they do the TB would cost about $100.00, that a new one would cost about $500.00. Is this right?
I didn't want to bore out the TB that is on my car as I wanted to keep the entire air intake system stock in case I ever needed to go back.
I was doing DYNO testing, Hope to have time to complete report and send it to Roger before Jan 1, and the last run I did was to disconnect the air tube at the Plem. I then put my hand into the Plem and was able to reach all the way around to the obstruction in the 90 degree turn to the TB. I felt no vanes or obstructions inside the Plem. NMIFR300M is a 2001.
So I was planning to get the TB (bore it out), the curve tube (clean it out with a dremel), and then go to a 7 inch S&B big mouth and put it in a Aluminium box like Michael has done. Then I was going to run a four inch tube up to the location of the original Air Box. Everything will be insulated. By doing it this way I can make several changes to the configuration on the Dyno from straight stock to bored out TB with cold air input. How does this sound to you all?
Please give comment about the plan and also about the cost I should expect for a TB. Thanks in advance!
TB: Go to http://www.oem-car-parts.com/. My "Fuel System, Fuel Induction, Throttle Body, 3.5L" was $167 a few months ago. I wouldn't modify the original if I were you for the reason you cite.
Since PhotoPoint is dead (does anyone know what happened to it this time?), I can't show you my pics of the stock plenum, but here's something (this is where the "vanes" are located):
Unless you are going to put a working hood scoop on your car, you might not want to put the filter right after the stock TB bend in an aluminum box, unless you will never have your engine worked on. Also, it's more convenient to screw around with the filter up front.
When I'm done with my plenum mods, I'll have an almost 3" i.d. path from the cone filter to the TB, using the stock plenum & TB bend. I can put on the stock air box when I bring the car in to the shop (a big plus, especially when it's cold outside). The flat top on the TB bend is still a mystery, and an annoyance, but after hollowing out the stock TB bend and the accompanying TB lip (between the main air channel & idle air channel), I'm sure the engine will be able to easily injest all of the air it will ever need.
saw a nice, very shiny, red 300M with NJ plates driving north on 1st Avenue in NYC today. Just wondering if it's someone from this forum. The car really stood out.
to my baby...she's 2 years old today. i still love her as much as the day i brought her home. normally i would be out looking for one to replace her but not this time. she's a looker the best lookin' thing on the road.
on the way home tonight i celebrated by spankin' another mustang gt, a new blue one with dark tint and an autobahn sticker on the back. he was checking her out admiring the duals and zaino shine under the street lights, oh how the silver glows. then here he comes up beside me giving it some gas on and off, i just kept cruising patting her on the dash saying "down girl" well i knew what was about to take place up ahead at the next light is where everyone gets on it. he pulls in front of me, i'm like ok you wanna play that way fine. the light up ahead is green, we're all bunched up at 30mph he sees an opening on the right and kicks it, i saw it coming so i'm on him like syrup on a pancake the road ahead of him was clear and we're off. i thought i was going to get spanked. i'm in autostick 2nd i lay it all the way to the floor thinking he was going to leave me. he didn't get more than a cars length ahead by that time my m automatically shifts to 3rd and i'm eating him up, i take it to the left and fly by. he didn't want to play anymore after that and we had 8 more miles of GA Hwy to go like i've said before there's no catching an m from 40-152mph ))
well that's why i'm not trading this go around, looks like i'll be buying a set of tires for this one, i haven't bought tires in 6 years have they went up in price? i only have 13,700 miles on my m and have only had one problem the strut caps were replaced to get rid of the squeaking front end they fixed it on the first visit.
I am in agreement with scotian. The TB's new run about $185 new (shipping included). so the new quote of $500 is compleatly boogas. The cost will depend on the air box you make. Mine cost me nothing since I already had the sheet metal to do it. I too have kept all my stock parts which can be reassembled and no one would be the wiser (except for the hood scoop). Don't make the air box too tight incase some water gets inside (it should have an out). The over all plan sounds good.
Did you put the different tires on the Special? What size did you put on? My wife is driving her car all over the place. She has about 800 miles on it already...
I have the R/T so all of the intake things are the same. I can't figure out where or what those "vanes" are! From the look/angle, I think that photo is the stock airbox. The battery post thing means it isn't one of the pieces nearer to the TB, right? I have the TB modified by Lister as well as the 3" Lister intake, so have you found yet another place to cut down on restriction?
I'll be going to the show in downtown Phoenix on monday afternoon, since I work downtown and get that afternoon off. I don't expect a very big crowd. I really want to go to the Barrett-Jackson on the Friday, but I don't know if I'll be able to take the day off.
The tires are on the way, hopefully they will arrive late next week (coming from Delaware).
I've had it out for a few short drives and my impression is that the ride and handling are vastly superior to my 98 Intrepid with touring suspension. But the stock tires limit me. I was going 15 mph on a 1/4" of snow and overshot my driveway when I put on the brakes - YIKES!
The car fits like a glove, and it just "feels" right to me. It's hard to explain in words. I've mostly spent my time with her just going over the car checking things out and getting all the settings programmed in for the wife and me.
I saw the pics. It's a nice car, but not my taste. I'm glad I didn't wait for it. I hate the 2 tone color of the interior. And those ground effects need to match the car. I also don't like the rims. They look like big wagon wheels. I also don't like the interior trim. Again it is a nice car, but just not my cup of tea. Good luck with it though.
You know, I drove from South FL, to NYC in the M so many times, & I saw very few 300M's, & only once did I have another M driving with me on the same stretch of road. I drove up this Christmas with the Acura, & had about 5 different M's driving with me at various points. I saw about 10-15 total. This is just 1 way. I still have to drive back to FL over the weekend. There all over the place in the North East States.
Okay, so you all know about the bad accident we were in involving our 00' 300M but I have a question for you now.
On Christmas Eve, my mother got in the passenger's seat after church and was adjusting it so she was comfortable. The seatback functions worked properly, but the seat bottom would not rise or lower as it usually does. Then, yesterday afternoon she came from work to pick me up for an appointment and when I got in, it did something weird again. I sat down as normal but when I moved slightly back as to grab the seatbelt, POP, and I fell backwards. It sounded as if the seat had been unbolted at the front at some time, and when I went back a little, it disconnected from the floor and the back supports were like hinges.
Now, it was still connected to the floor but this is what it felt and sounded like. Going down the road, the seatback controls worked as before, but when I pressed the seat bottom button in any direction, it made some really bad grinding and banging noises; at first it did move a little but then would go nowhere.
Then, last night we went grocery shopping. Mom drove and my dad rode in the front passenger seat. Before we left, he sat in the seat and tried to figure out what went bizerk. He leaned back slightly and it did the same thing as it had done with me before. To get it back down to its original position, you have you shake your body weight forward and it grinds back down. Up or down it makes kind of a cranking noise. One time, we had to get moving quick from an intersection, and when she pucnhed the gas, my dad fell back with the seat. The controls then worked intermittantly again; at first, the seat bottom went forward fine but no other direction, then it wouldn't move, and then it would work in some other direction. Sometimes when you pressed the button, you would hear normal motor sounds that move the seat, sometimes they sounded like they were breaking apart, and other times they were just dead.
Still today, it "cranks" back and then down again with your body weight. Also, to note, we're all kind of slender so it wouldn't be our weight that caused this. In addition, this is not a "seat" problem. It's something where the seat attatches to the floor. Any ideas?
Who should fix this? To our best knowledge, the seat was NOT like this before the wreck but it did work fine for at least a week after we got the car back. So, should we just take it for it's 8th or 9th trip to the Chrysler dealer and have them do it? I can already imagine what we'll happen. We'll be driving the car over there and as soon as we pull in, it will magically fix itself and all we'll get is a "could not duplicate" on the bill.
This has driven me crazy for the past month or two. The day we got creamed, my mother adamantly refused to ever drive the car again, saying that there was no way she would keep a wrecked car no matter how well it was fixed. Okay well, I think she's nuts.
About a month after the wreck, she started thinking that she could only afford to lease for two reasons: 1)She still has 4 years left on the loan, and 2)300M's (or used cars in general) are worth absolutely nothing. So what did she want to lease? Well, at first all she said was "Yukon". I had to tell her several times that they were kind of pricey and probably out of her range. So then, it became "Envoy". It was this for about a month. Then, we got the 02' LeSabre Custom as a rental. We had it for 2 or 3 weeks, and then she decided that she wanted one of these because "SUV's are too expensive". So, we actually spent a half a Sunday driving around to different Buick dealers to look for who had what, what the stickers were, etc.. We heard nothing but praise about the car for the time that she had it. Then, she got the 300M back.
I thinked it shocked her as to how well they had rebuilt the car. She drove it for the first time in 2 months and seemingly hated it. Comments followed: Extremely noisy, rattles are driving me crazy, rides like a buckboard, seats are uncomfortable, and the brakes suck (this was already discussed here). It seemed as though she was going to get rid of it right after Christmas. What happened? Not much. Yeah, she complained for a day or two, then I heard not a single peap from here again. It was as if she like the M again?
I finally said something about it last night. she had no answer. Oh well, it must be something about the 300M. I've always liked it and known there is something already "special" about it but it did annoy me at times. I cannot stand the noise (badyears and lack of insulation), constant rattles that cannot be fixed, and a back seat that seems roomy and comfortable but quickly gets tiring after a little while. So, will we ever get rid of the car? Who knows....
Is it ME or does anyone else think it's strange that you spend $30,000+ for a car that you cannot drive in snowy weather and have to immediately go out and spend hundreds more to buy snow tires. Will it be only the people in the "sunshine" states that will be buying the "Special"? What happens if you decide to leave the "sunshine" state and drive to an area that suddenly has a snowstorm? Do you have to stay there until the roads are clean so you can continue your trip? None of this makes ANY sense to me.
fuzzywuzzy-
This happened to me too when I had Christine. IF I saw one 300M a week, I was doing good. As soon as I got the Acura, I was seeing 2-3 or more 300M's a DAY! LOL...Things seem to have leveled off again. I don't see as many as I used to.
If you have the Lister plumbing, you have removed the stock plenum with the "vanes". The vanes are there to make the box more rigid, I suppose, although I can't see how they could possibly be needed. They don't get in the way with the stock setup, which has a ~80 degree tube at one end (over 3" i.d. at one end, less than 3" i.d. on the other -- the big restriction) and a smaller tube at the other end that the air goes through. They only become vanes if you have the air flowing freely through the plenum. The stock plenum is located in front of the passenger seat.
Thanks for the information. For the testing program I'm going to try several different configurations so the club members will know the performance numbers and can decide the best for them. After I finish the testimg I'll take the overall configruation that gives me maximum numbers.
I'm thinking of putting more money in my exhaust system. Change the front Magnaflow to one with two 2.5 inch pipes in and two 2.5 inch pipes out. I've talked to Magnaflow and this has a smooth X-pipe inside the muffler, it eleminates the need for a H piple. Then I will do like the 300M special and run these back to a Y- and into the 3 inch pipe I have going into the rear Flow Master. The major difference is that I will put a cut out in each of the 2.5 inch pipes between the Magnaflow and the Y-pipe. I'll have some of the flexible exhaust pile made up with a flange and a hanger installed so I can get the exhausst on both side comming out just infront of the rear wheels. You will be able to assymbel this by just laying on the ground and reaching under the car. This arrangement will probably not work if one lowers the car as the pipe assybley will hang down about 3 inches bellow the bottom pan. These removable pipes can be carreid in the trunk. Well I need to leave the Hugo on until the testing program gets done so I probably won't make this change until March.
I know. I just keep thinking towards spring and being able to give it a real workout. The nice part of the Special is that with only about 2800 or so of them (1/3) in silver. I won't be passing myself on the road. There is some value in that.
I had a Beemer 3er back in the late 80's. The Pirelli P7's on it were the same way. Except that with the twitchy rear end, the Beemer would just switch ends without warning. Once the snow went away and the roads dried out those P7's stuck like glue to the road.
Wow. I see that Buffalo is STILL getting dumped on. I hope at least your internet connection survived. At least then you could order Dominos Pizza on-line if you run out of supplies.
I just attended my DC local dealer and saw the Special up close. It was silver with the dark interior, the sticker price was $44,372.00 Cdn and then add 7% Tax. I think I will stay with my 01 Inferno Red with the real woodtrim. My car handles like a dream in all sorts of weather including snow. I was impressed with the look of the duel exhaust and the signal lights in the mirrors, but I think that DC could have done a better job on the wheels. I don't know what I expected, but with all the hype, I think I expected more. Just my opinion.
Why not just go for dual pipes from the cats and just have two mufflers (one on each side fo the spare tire well. It would be a true dual exhaust. I would like to have the pipes come out in front of the rear tires (side exhaust), if it were not for the rear cut out.
"Is it ME or does anyone else think it's strange that you spend $30,000+ for a car that you cannot drive in snowy weather and have to immediately go out and spend hundreds more to buy snow tires. Will it be only the people in the "sunshine" states that will be buying the "Special"?. Hey Bob if you think thats crazy come see all the Vettes ,Mustangs and Camaro's up here in the Great White North. They dont even change to winter tires !!!! I once saw a Viper driving down the road in Feb.
Comments
I feel sorry for those of you snowed in and can't take your M's out for a nice Holiday drive. The closest thing here to snow would be deiceing the freezer.
I am also going to the Phoenix International Auto show, which runs the Dec 30th through the 6th of Jan. I will probably go Jan 4th. I like to go on fridays because it is less crouded. And beside My Honda dealer gave me free tickets (the first free thing they ever gave me). I guess they want me to see the new CRV's.
LOL....If you buy "stuff" too early, it could be the wrong size! ;-)) Besides, the best bargains are at the LAST minute!
" I feel sorry for those of you snowed in and can't take your M's out for a nice Holiday drive. The closest thing here to snow would be deiceing the freezer."
LOL... Same here in CT. Sunny, but cool out. My car hasn't been washed in WEEKS! Might go to the high pressure wash at the CITGO station to bring out that Zaino shine a little more! ;-))
Speaking of car shows- anyone going to the RI car show in Providence next month? I'll get free passes from my brother.
fastdriver
I just returned a few minutes ago from the Washington DC Auto Show. I looked at the 300M Special. Some have asked here on the site, what is the cost?
The window price was $33,490 - $1000 more than the normal 2002 model on the floor. I didn't look to see what options were on it, but they normally don't display stripped models.
The main reason I am writing is that they also had a 300 Hemi C concept car on the floor - beautiful. The MC said that it was a triple 354 - 354 cu in, 354 hp and the the torque was 354. It also had many gauges on the lower passenger door the were added to monitor many functions during their intensive testing. The gauges of course aren't standard, just used during the testing. Perhaps this is an indication that they are serious about this car.
If it's no trouble and you can get freebies for the Providence show, I'll take two!
When is it?
If you have never been there, you are missing the best auto show in the country.
Since this is the "home show", you will see the most and best concepts of all the national shows.
This year's dates are Jan 12 thru 21 at the COBO Center.
This will be my 6th year, and I have never been disappointed.
On Buffalo snow:
The city had it's FIRST snow of the season on Christmas Eve. Yes, it was 25", but in less than 24 hours the Airport and all major highways were open. Snow is no big deal if you know how to handle it!
PS: How many members do we have now, Doc Pixel?
For you newbies, here is the link to the club http://www.300mclub.org/
I don't have any details yet about the car show, but I'll find out. If I can get more than 2 free passes, I'll let you know.
fastdriver
The Special base price is $32595.00 w/freight.
Only 3 options offered:
Cold weather package, sunroof, side airbags.
Total with all options: $33920.00
(I paid substantially less than that for mine.)
I seriously doubt any of them will be built without a sunroof (unless a customer ordered it that way) so the lowest sticker you're likely to find on one is $33490.00
I did this when my 99LHS (chrome/stereo) lease was up last May. I found that the market value back then (with 30K mileage) was about $19K, but the residual was only $17K and I love the car, so I bought it for the residual!
How much did you pay for the car a month ago? That alone should give you a good indication of what it's worth....
Keep in mind that the market changes like crazy. Dealers have a bunch of good cars coming off lease, and the new car alternative is very tempting right now with those financing deals (heck I even got a 7/100K warranty when I bought my wife's Concorde last month). All of this kind cramps the value of used cars right now.
Tom
99LHS
01Concorde
Here's what they actually did: They donated 100 R1100 RT-P police motorcycles and ten X5 SUV's to the City of New York. Additionally, they made a cash contribution of $1 million to the relief fund. The total value of their contribution was $2.4 million. As Pat pointed out in a subsequent post, there were other inaccuracies in this post (which I can't speak to). While this has little to do with our beloved (Canadian-made) 300M, it does serve to point out the fact that anyone can say anything on the Internet with the chances being about even that it will take on a life of its own and become "fact" (I'm not blaming the person who posted this here; I believe he was sincere in posting this information).
Sorry to shift gears from 300M-related topics, but I was bothered by these gross inaccuracies (Whew--glad I got that off my chest).
Well, had the steering wheel replaced today. I can see why everyone was on about the 'cardboard' feel of it. My old one was slicker - that's the only way I can describe it. However, the new feel I actually prefer. Feels more like leather than the old one. And feels somewhat more padded. Hard to say since the old one was twisted as well as peeling.
Hope everyone's having a great holiday season! Here's to wishing for more snow so I can start the ski season! :-D
But if it is, what's a good brand/type to get?
Best route: Cross border at Buffalo or Niagara Falls. Take the QEW to Hamilton, then 403 West.
403 merged into 401 at Woodstock. Continue on 401 to Windsor, and cross the Ambassador brudge into Detroit. Driving time thru Canada is about 4 hours bridge to bridge.
I can supply further info if you want.
We will be driving to Detroit on Sat., Jan 19, and staying at the Hampton Inn in Dearborn. The show opens at 10:00AM, and you need to get there early to find a good parking spot.
Anyone else interested? Maybe we could all meet for dinner.
I'd check the battery terminals for corrosion.
I agree, it seems odd that you had enough power for the accessories but it wouldn't even get a click out of the starter.
Sounds like a stuck starter solenoid to me.
I agree that a load test on your battery should tell the tale of whether it's the battery or starter.
The stock plumbing is a lot easier to deal with in these situations!
I've already started modifications to my stock plenum. I've carefully removed the two inner flutes, and with a Dremel cable extension and sandpaper tube bit, removed most of the plastic support vanes molded into the inside top and bottom so it is pretty much hollow (I had to glue the end of the cable into a longer metal tube for extra length/leverage). I purchased a new 3" i.d. nitrile elbow and ground off most of its outside, resulting in a thin, ~80 degree bend that fits in the larger opening (messy). I've also ground off the outside of a smaller straight pice to come in from the other, smaller side. Next week I should receive my new thin-walled 3" o.d. aluminum tube to connect the two rubber tubes. I've drilled a hole on the inside bend of the elbow so the engine can breathe. The stock TB bend has already been hollowed out.
Using a piece of 3" i.d./3.5" o.d. rubber tube and a 3.5" i.d. rubber tube I will connect a shorter aluminum tube to the stock plenum. This way I can easily swap in the factory air box, and have everything look stock.
However they told me that when they do the TB would cost about $100.00, that a new one would cost about $500.00. Is this right?
I didn't want to bore out the TB that is on my car as I wanted to keep the entire air intake system stock in case I ever needed to go back.
I was doing DYNO testing, Hope to have time to complete report and send it to Roger before Jan 1, and the last run I did was to disconnect the air tube at the Plem. I then put my hand into the Plem and was able to reach all the way around to the obstruction in the 90 degree turn to the TB. I felt no vanes or obstructions inside the Plem. NMIFR300M is a 2001.
So I was planning to get the TB (bore it out), the curve tube (clean it out with a dremel), and then go to a 7 inch S&B big mouth and put it in a Aluminium box like Michael has done. Then I was going to run a four inch tube up to the location of the original Air Box. Everything will be insulated. By doing it this way I can make several changes to the configuration on the Dyno from straight stock to bored out TB with cold air input. How does this sound to you all?
Please give comment about the plan and also about the cost I should expect for a TB. Thanks in advance!
Since PhotoPoint is dead (does anyone know what happened to it this time?), I can't show you my pics of the stock plenum, but here's something (this is where the "vanes" are located):
Plenum interior
Unless you are going to put a working hood scoop on your car, you might not want to put the filter right after the stock TB bend in an aluminum box, unless you will never have your engine worked on. Also, it's more convenient to screw around with the filter up front.
When I'm done with my plenum mods, I'll have an almost 3" i.d. path from the cone filter to the TB, using the stock plenum & TB bend. I can put on the stock air box when I bring the car in to the shop (a big plus, especially when it's cold outside). The flat top on the TB bend is still a mystery, and an annoyance, but after hollowing out the stock TB bend and the accompanying TB lip (between the main air channel & idle air channel), I'm sure the engine will be able to easily injest all of the air it will ever need.
on the way home tonight i celebrated by spankin' another mustang gt, a new blue one with dark tint and an autobahn sticker on the back. he was checking her out admiring the duals and zaino shine under the street lights, oh how the silver glows. then here he comes up beside me giving it some gas on and off, i just kept cruising patting her on the dash saying "down girl" well i knew what was about to take place up ahead at the next light is where everyone gets on it. he pulls in front of me, i'm like ok you wanna play that way fine. the light up ahead is green, we're all bunched up at 30mph he sees an opening on the right and kicks it, i saw it coming so i'm on him like syrup on a pancake the road ahead of him was clear and we're off. i thought i was going to get spanked. i'm in autostick 2nd i lay it all the way to the floor thinking he was going to leave me. he didn't get more than a cars length ahead by that time my m automatically shifts to 3rd and i'm eating him up, i take it to the left and fly by. he didn't want to play anymore after that and we had 8 more miles of GA Hwy to go
well that's why i'm not trading this go around, looks like i'll be buying a set of tires for this one, i haven't bought tires in 6 years have they went up in price? i only have 13,700 miles on my m and have only had one problem the strut caps were replaced to get rid of the squeaking front end they fixed it on the first visit.
http://communities.msn.com/racefan9s2000chrysler300m
Igor
I've had it out for a few short drives and my impression is that the ride and handling are vastly superior to my 98 Intrepid with touring suspension. But the stock tires limit me. I was going 15 mph on a 1/4" of snow and overshot my driveway when I put on the brakes - YIKES!
The car fits like a glove, and it just "feels" right to me. It's hard to explain in words. I've mostly spent my time with her just going over the car checking things out and getting all the settings programmed in for the wife and me.
On Christmas Eve, my mother got in the passenger's seat after church and was adjusting it so she was comfortable. The seatback functions worked properly, but the seat bottom would not rise or lower as it usually does. Then, yesterday afternoon she came from work to pick me up for an appointment and when I got in, it did something weird again. I sat down as normal but when I moved slightly back as to grab the seatbelt, POP, and I fell backwards. It sounded as if the seat had been unbolted at the front at some time, and when I went back a little, it disconnected from the floor and the back supports were like hinges.
Now, it was still connected to the floor but this is what it felt and sounded like. Going down the road, the seatback controls worked as before, but when I pressed the seat bottom button in any direction, it made some really bad grinding and banging noises; at first it did move a little but then would go nowhere.
Then, last night we went grocery shopping. Mom drove and my dad rode in the front passenger seat. Before we left, he sat in the seat and tried to figure out what went bizerk. He leaned back slightly and it did the same thing as it had done with me before. To get it back down to its original position, you have you shake your body weight forward and it grinds back down. Up or down it makes kind of a cranking noise. One time, we had to get moving quick from an intersection, and when she pucnhed the gas, my dad fell back with the seat. The controls then worked intermittantly again; at first, the seat bottom went forward fine but no other direction, then it wouldn't move, and then it would work in some other direction. Sometimes when you pressed the button, you would hear normal motor sounds that move the seat, sometimes they sounded like they were breaking apart, and other times they were just dead.
Still today, it "cranks" back and then down again with your body weight. Also, to note, we're all kind of slender so it wouldn't be our weight that caused this. In addition, this is not a "seat" problem. It's something where the seat attatches to the floor. Any ideas?
Who should fix this? To our best knowledge, the seat was NOT like this before the wreck but it did work fine for at least a week after we got the car back. So, should we just take it for it's 8th or 9th trip to the Chrysler dealer and have them do it? I can already imagine what we'll happen. We'll be driving the car over there and as soon as we pull in, it will magically fix itself and all we'll get is a "could not duplicate" on the bill.
About a month after the wreck, she started thinking that she could only afford to lease for two reasons: 1)She still has 4 years left on the loan, and 2)300M's (or used cars in general) are worth absolutely nothing. So what did she want to lease? Well, at first all she said was "Yukon". I had to tell her several times that they were kind of pricey and probably out of her range. So then, it became "Envoy". It was this for about a month. Then, we got the 02' LeSabre Custom as a rental. We had it for 2 or 3 weeks, and then she decided that she wanted one of these because "SUV's are too expensive". So, we actually spent a half a Sunday driving around to different Buick dealers to look for who had what, what the stickers were, etc.. We heard nothing but praise about the car for the time that she had it. Then, she got the 300M back.
I thinked it shocked her as to how well they had rebuilt the car. She drove it for the first time in 2 months and seemingly hated it. Comments followed: Extremely noisy, rattles are driving me crazy, rides like a buckboard, seats are uncomfortable, and the brakes suck (this was already discussed here). It seemed as though she was going to get rid of it right after Christmas. What happened? Not much. Yeah, she complained for a day or two, then I heard not a single peap from here again. It was as if she like the M again?
I finally said something about it last night. she had no answer. Oh well, it must be something about the 300M. I've always liked it and known there is something already "special" about it but it did annoy me at times. I cannot stand the noise (badyears and lack of insulation), constant rattles that cannot be fixed, and a back seat that seems roomy and comfortable but quickly gets tiring after a little while. So, will we ever get rid of the car? Who knows....
Is it ME or does anyone else think it's strange that you spend $30,000+ for a car that you cannot drive in snowy weather and have to immediately go out and spend hundreds more to buy snow tires. Will it be only the people in the "sunshine" states that will be buying the "Special"? What happens if you decide to leave the "sunshine" state and drive to an area that suddenly has a snowstorm? Do you have to stay there until the roads are clean so you can continue your trip? None of this makes ANY sense to me.
fuzzywuzzy-
This happened to me too when I had Christine. IF I saw one 300M a week, I was doing good. As soon as I got the Acura, I was seeing 2-3 or more 300M's a DAY! LOL...Things seem to have leveled off again. I don't see as many as I used to.
fastdriver
I'm thinking of putting more money in my exhaust system. Change the front Magnaflow to one with two 2.5 inch pipes in and two 2.5 inch pipes out. I've talked to Magnaflow and this has a smooth X-pipe inside the muffler, it eleminates the need for a H piple. Then I will do like the 300M special and run these back to a Y- and into the 3 inch pipe I have going into the rear Flow Master. The major difference is that I will put a cut out in each of the 2.5 inch pipes between the Magnaflow and the Y-pipe. I'll have some of the flexible exhaust pile made up with a flange and a hanger installed so I can get the exhausst on both side comming out just infront of the rear wheels. You will be able to assymbel this by just laying on the ground and reaching under the car. This arrangement will probably not work if one lowers the car as the pipe assybley will hang down about 3 inches bellow the bottom pan. These removable pipes can be carreid in the trunk. Well I need to leave the Hugo on until the testing program gets done so I probably won't make this change until March.
All the best for a most happy New Year.
Has anyone set a date for the meet in Las Vegas?
Consider it a learning experience.
I've helped a few young single women buy cars, they usually want something stupid like an SUV before they come to their senses.
I had a Beemer 3er back in the late 80's. The Pirelli P7's on it were the same way. Except that with the twitchy rear end, the Beemer would just switch ends without warning. Once the snow went away and the roads dried out those P7's stuck like glue to the road.