Thanks. It was on the passenger side and I took it back yesterday afternoon. They let it sit for awhile after taking it out and reinstalling and said it looked like it wasn't leaking anymore. I noticed a small drip on the drivers side when I got home then nothing. Then this am there are 2 more small drips again on the drivers side. I'm hoping it's just residual leftover stuff they spilled on the engine.
Also, why I was waiting at Jiffy Lube I had a nice conversation with a gentleman who has been researching and wanting an M for quite awhile. I told him about this site so maybe he'll join in and ask some questions.
For future reference, here's what Ding Doctor told me they charge: $75-90 per door, up to 3 dings per door. I also have the ding from the gas door on the quarter panel. She said they may not be able to fix it, but if they do it's between $90-120. They go from behind and rub them out. So will be taking off both my front door panels to fix (I have one ding on each side) -- maybe he'll fix the one the dealer screwed up -- LOL. I think he can get to the one on quarter panel through the opening of the gas door. Looks like if you take off the door you can get at least a couple fingers behind where the dent is. I hope so because from the trunk you can't get to it -- the wheel would have to be removed to get at it from the bottom. They are booked up for 3 weeks. I have an appointment for the 21st and he's coming to my work. I was hoping you could see the results by the meet but no luck.
I at least have to give my questionable 5* credit -- they have called me twice for input on the my last visit (window bezel fixes). Both times I wasn't home. I will call them back tomorrow to give my 2cents.
Since the 2003 M is about here, any possibility that the HID lights or the turn signal mirrors/body color can be ordered on a regular M w/luxury group? (Or are they already available on the M in a pack I don't know about)?
Well I'm glad you got to test drive the car. I have a Special. I'd bet I had one of the first delivered Specials in the USA (thanks Ottowrkr). When I told my dealer that I wanted a Special he said, "Huh? What's a Special." Considering it's only been made since November a few Dealers only now may be getting their hands on them.
You have a few misconceptions that I'll try to clear up. First. The Special "does not" require Premium fuel but you must use it in order to get the extra bit of horsepower. We use Premium Gas in our Special :^)
Expecting the same side markers and lights on the standard 300M will probably not happen. That's why it's a Special. The standard 300M is a fine automobile though and if you like the woodgrain and other color choices then you should pick that car. Especially if it has the PHP package. That's as close as you're gonna get to the ride of the Special.
You mentioned price. Let's break things down. sdmike and others here did their own Dual Exhaust (and they look great!!) before Chryler did the Special. Mike's "Big Red" is a Beautiful 300M. The price of sdmikes Exhaust upgrade ran over $500.00? The HID Lights will run you around $1000.00 to convert. The side mirrors? Nobody else makes them (well, unless you want to pay Mercedes Prices for the ones on the S430 but they are pretty much the same mirror/light). You'd have to buy them directly from Chysler. The 18" wheels? My son manages a Firestone. The tires alone are $250 each. That's $1250 with the spare included. Then you need the 18" rims. See where I'm going with this? I haven't mentioned the specially tuned Suspension, Steering and Ground Effects. So, with all the differences is the few hundred dollar difference between a Fully Loaded 300M and a Special worth it?
No matter what 300M you buy I know you will be extrememly happy with it. Look at "most" of the people that post here are saying. Not that many other car groups on Edmund have over 14000 postings.
I've seen plenty of 300M's on the road. I've seen only one other Special on the road besides mine. I like that. :^)
It appears that you do not have much competition, in the door ding industry, or maybe we have too much here in Calgary as the prices you quote are bloody expensive. I get most of my work done for free as I am always passing out my guys cards. He averages out between $15.00 and $25.00 per ding, and thats Canadian so if you do your conversion into US you will probably get money back LOL. I also have never seen him remove a door panel as most of the work is done through existing openings and he is using leverage to push out the dings with his metal rods. I dropped my garage door on the roof of my M and put 3 good dings plus the scrapes as I was driving it in. He was able to put his rods in through the sunroof and then after polish out the scrapes, you cannot see any marks. It took 45 Mins and would have cost $75.00, and there was lots of work. I opened my door the other day in the garage and hit the workbench and I have another small ding, it will be taken care of during spring cleaning, whenever that might be. By the way, I watched him remove a ding from a cars fuel door ( forget what make) but he was able to get his gadgets in through the rubber grommets and fix the problem. The only thing he does not do is touch-up paint.
Re;14098 Those are the wheels as factory installed on the hi-line Concords, and possibly Sebrings. They're definitely not from a 300 Special. They are unique in that it consists of an aluminum wheel with a chrome finish plastic face epoxied on. A small ring of rim is exposed for wheel weights.
Luckily I don't have any dings in my M yet, but was thinking of getter some dings fixed on my Dakota. Your ding doctor in Calgary sounds like a real magician. Is his a private shop or a chain store? I am hoping he has one in Edmonton,if not I may be taking a small trip to Cowtown in the spring.
Weather finally warming up here, can't wait till it hits 15 deg C and then can spend some time making my 2001 M spotless and also remove the Chrysler badging.
Welcome to the site, I see from your bio that you work with Otto, you should be great for information on our cars, and thanks for building a great product. I have had a total of 9 Chrysler products since the mid 70's and yes 1 Hyundai and have had no major problems with any of my cars, but I guess if you take care of them, a person should have good luck other than the odd unforseen mechanical problem. I also read the e-bay ad, and thought there was something wrong with it as I have seen 2 specials and on both the wheels were flat not chromed. Again welcome!!!
My guy is a small independent, who has the reputation of being the best in Calgary. He has a fairly big shop on the corner of Memorial Dr. and Edmonton Tr. and is easy to find. Give me a call when you are coming down and I will introduce you and then we can go for a drive in my M while yours is being fixed. I can hardly wait for the weather to change as my car is a disgrace and I want to do a major clean-up
As others have also noticed, salespeople (and their managers) are not necessarily knowledgeable about the 300M, but the owners here (and/or Ottowkr) seem to really know the product and service good or bad. I'm also trying to follow the (mis)adventures you & kosh are having w/your Specials; it would be greatly appreciated if you would post your experiences good or bad to see if any tweaks have to be worked out or corrected in the Special, or if ownership is relatively uneventful for the Special. I haven't bought either model yet. I also thought about getting the Special & just getting wood added to the interior, but don't you pay closer to sticker for the Special than I would for a 2002 being moved off the lot or a 2003? I'm not into the exhaust mods, ground effects, tires, just a beautiful unique luxury car that's reasonably priced with performance. The 300M seems to be that mix. I wish Lexus offered one that exciting (Lexus has the best service I've ever experienced) but I just can't get as motivated w/the new IS300 or another ES300. The M still gets my attention when one goes by; IMHO the others (while nice cars) are kinda plain. Just my 2 cents.
yes Mike I know wire2 , but he does not know me. As he works in the maintenance dept. (keeps the line running) I see him around allot. if I remember correctly he also had one of the first 93 LH cars,and had a cool dual exhaust on it. Welcome to one of the best 300 posting sites around .
These are really nice heavy weight sweatshirts at a great price. Check them out at http://www.300mclub.org.
These are available for sale to Club members only due to our copyright agreements with DaimlerChrysler. If you've been sitting on the fence about joining, this might be a good time to come on over and check us out.
Thanks a lot for the pictures!! All the detailed posts I had before were informative, but I still never knew exactly what it was I was looking for. I'm suprised that such a small piece can make such a racket (assuming that's what it is!) It must really have been knocked loose under there!
well im off to daytona beach tomarrow for the annual bike week festivities! hope everyone has a good week,as i know i`m gonna! so til next week.......please try to keep postings to a minimum while im gone as to make catching up in a week a lil easier! (yea right!) lol have a great day!
Start them by hand to prevent cross threading. Torque down the spark plugs at 20 ft lbs. I would use some antiseaze compound. The ingition coil screws tighten to 60 inch pounds.
I just came up with a better ideal for my front camera. While driving up to Flagstaff we hit a congested area, and it was hard to see what was going on ahead. I am thinking of putting it in the passangers side mirror. so that I can see around the vehicles in front of me. (I know too much time). Putting it on a 20' whip antenna, but it would probably make me sea sick from all the movement.
As stated, I work at the DCX Brampton plant in maintenance.
A couple of months ago a customer asked for some pics of his Special as it was being built. If anyone's interested and would like to see, click; http://custommopar.homestead.com/Special.html
I also have a book of vehicle schematics, if anyone needs wiring info.
Hi, Just bought my baby about three weeks ago. Had all of the front end problems that seemed to plague these things fixed by the dealer before I bought it. Had a bad steering knuckle and steering gear. Drives fantastic now!!! Love the car and will never get rid of it. I do have a question for you out there. I have the tan interior and my leather steering wheel cover is fading and turning black. Is there a way to restain it or should I just replace it??? Any help??
We keep these both these boards very active. Also there is a Wed night chat at 10pm EST. Look for the chat link on the club site.
I have a favor, can you get us some detail (part numbers and maybe some prices) on the headlamp differences if one wanted to convert from the standard low beam headlamp to the 300m Special HIDs?
This is a message I received from a guy involved with diecast, etc toy cars....perhaps all is not lost as toa 300m replica/model: ========================message as follows============================ I have not yet seen the 300M replicated in diecast in any scale. It is likely just a matter of time before one is produced. I hope it will be one with all four doors that open and some good detail. AUTOart would be a good candidate. -- Mr. Dana Johnson Dana Johnson Enterprises PO Box 1824 Bend OR 97709-1824 USA 541-318-7176 toynutz@earthlink.net www.toynutz.com -- Editor/Publisher - Toy Car Collector Magazine Chairman - Toy Car Collectors Association Author - Toy Car Collector's Guide ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 2:55 PM Subject: Chrysler 300m?....
> Hello! I am apparently on a mailing list for die-cast toy > cars, and have been receiving emails from several people. > Can you possibly tell me if there are plans to > manufacture a 1/16th scale --or any scale for that > matter--the Chrysler 300m? > I am Vice President of a small-yet growing Chrysler 300m > Club and many of our members are interested in > purchasing/building a model of their beloved cars. > I'd appreciate any help/guidance you or your organization > can offer me/us. > With sincerest regards, > Glenn Beye =======================end of message==============================
I don't want to come off like my car is this or that, better or worse than anyone else's. That really isn't me so before it starts I just wanted to add this little disclaimer.
I like the fact that I'm not driving a Ford Taurus or a Honda Accord. (ie... there aren't millions on the road of the same vehicle). Driving my Blue 95' Toyota Corolla like everyone elses' is bad enough. (But, it gets 33 MPG.)
no1trust, we've (well mostly my wife) put over 3800 miles on the car so far with not even a squeak to complain about. Be warned that the tires on the Special are not good in the snow. We've had only one snow day here in the NYC/NJ metropolitan area all winter so it wasn't an issue. Kosh, on the other hand, went out and bought a set of snow tires for the winter. I think he's in Minnesota or somewhere else up in the northern states. The tires that come on the Special are "Z" rated 18" Performance tires (I think the Corvette is the only other car that these tires come "stock" on). So, not knowing where you live, this may be something to consider in the decision on buying a Special or not. Also, the tires aren't expected to last long past 20K miles (so I'm told...).
First try to clean it with some leather cleaner. I thought the same thing was happening to my 99. I use a small vegtable brush and it looks like new again.
Lets face it, your Special is better in some areas then most of the 300M's on the road. It is also true that is is worse in other areas. So no need to appoligze. It all depends on what one wants in a vehicle. Enjoy it.
Other things: Am considering getting exhaust tips for eMily, and remember several of youse here using 'Borla' tips?....some had painted yellow on the inside and were 'duals'. The S.O. seems to be 'hinting' about getting these for the Doc for impending birthday--and of course I wouldn't want to deprive her of this pleasure, so location to getr, price, and pics would be appreciated.
to East Coast members specifically: as mentioned in several posts here, sdmike2 will be running the First Annual Carlsbad, California Chrysler 300m Enthusiasts Club Meet/Rendezvous 2002. Be advised that the Second Annual East Coast Chrysler 300m Enthusiasts Club meet will also be ocurring sometime the latter part of the summer. Therefore, members in NJ, NY, VA, DE, PA, MA, ME, CT, NH, MD (and of course any other states) are being asked the following questions: A. Would you prefer a 1 or 2 day event? B. If 2 days, would you prefer hotel/motel rooms be available? C. Several locations are being discussed. For those of you who made the 1st Annual....., the Wall Stadium track has been purchased by a nrew owner who is in the process of revamping the entire track, grandstand seating area, etc (per George Deane's most excellent info...)...Another possibility in conjunction with the Wall Stadium track parade is a Six Flags Great Adventure deal...and also a possibility would be Bear Mountain State Park/Barbeque/Picnic.....possibly just for the day. D. What kind of event would you like this to be? E. Any and all ideas would be welcomed, and you are free to email me at both email locations with your thoughts and ideas.
Help in bringing this Second Annual event would of course be welcomed, so put your thinking caps on, take keyboard in hand and let me know what your thoughts are. By my count based on the states listed above, we have approximately 94 members within the states listed, and of course anyone who wants to come is certainly welcome. The states listed were my attempt to guess how FAR anyone might be willing to drive if the event was just for one day. I look forward to your responses. Planned Event timespan could ocurr from early August to just after Labor day, so hopefully the weather will be decent.
DETROIT, March 4: DaimlerChrysler AG is expected to announced Monday at the Geneva Auto Show it will build a convertible version of its popular PT Cruiser, the company said.
A STYLING STUDY of an open-air PT Cruiser was first shown at last years New York Auto Show, and public reaction was so positive the automaker decided to build a production version. An Internet poll taken immediately after the unveiling show that almost 90 percent loved the vehicle and begged us to build it said Chrysler Group president and chief executive Dieter Zetsche, in a statement. Production begins during the first quarter of 2004 at the Toluca, Mexico-based assembly plant, and the cars will arrive in showrooms soon thereafter, the automaker said. Pricing has not been set. Current models of the PT Cruiser carry base sticker prices from $16,275-$22,680.
The convertible PT Cruiser will be a two door, four-seater. The current hardtop has four doors. The rear seat in both versions can be folded down to add cargo space. The PT Cruiser has been one of the most successful vehicles in the Chrysler Group lineup since it was introduced two years ago with more than 310,000 sold worldwide according to the automaker. Specialty versions such as the Flame, Woodie and Dream Cruiser have also been offered in limited numbers in North America and Europe.
Just enter part number 4676565 (per rogor2k on 300M club message board). The price is for online orders only. Provided for info. I have no financial interest.
Before I go prying stuff off that shouldn't come off, can anyone tell me what is the easiest way to change out the factory Infinity head unit and in-dash CD changer?
>...convert from the standard low beam headlamp >to the 300m Special HIDs?
Part #s are easy in the plant, I just have to go to the container they come to the line in and see the label. As far as prices, I recently went to the local Chrysler dealer parts dept and asked. A standard single assembly (hi & lo) is $490, the Special replacement is $515. (That's Canadian dollars, about $350 US) Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, it doesn't include lamps. Soooo, how much can a little xenon filled bulb be? You sitting down? $300. each. And I'm not even sure that includes the ballast it needs to operate. But I can tell you, the difference is phenomenal. A D1S xenon lamp draws only 35 watts, yet emits 2½ times as much ultra white light as a standard 60 watt halogen. Will just the lamp fit in a regular socket? No. They're quite unique. Also it needs the proper mask and projector lens to fall under DOT approval. If anyone wants to see some pics, send me an email, I'll return 'em.
You got me thinking about the competition thing. I did a search for ding repairs for San Diego and came up with a bunch for surfboards (funny). I did find one other guy in San Diego who may be a little cheaper ($80 first ding then $50-25 for others) -- maybe I'll check this guy out. Otherwise...I wonder how much it would cost me in gas to drive to Canada???
I just had a bunch of stock options cash in on a limit sell order today!!. I'm taking a grand for the car. SDMike and Glennbp - you guys both gave me good recommendations for installs. Mike - did Ed cut the rear panel for you too? I'm thinking I want single tips on each side -- sorta like those Ractives, but I want chrome (I like the shine w/the slate). Now I gotta made some decisions --hmmm. I should wait until the meet to check everyone's out (not that I know what i'm looking for -- except the way it sounds), but my boss is traveling next couple weeks and it would be so easy to do it on a really long lunch hour. Glenn, your's sounds really nice from the outside...I'm assuming it's a lot louder than Mike's from the inside??
This new ding guy I found (The Detail Man) is in East County and charges even cheaper rates if he does it there. Maybe if I go to Ed Hansen I can get my dings fixed on the same day.
Glad to see you're taking the dual plunge! I highly recommend going over to Poway Muffler and Brake and talking to Bill Noonan. The guy is great and has access to damn near every muffler and tip on the planet. He will also do whatever custom stuff you need to make it look and sound just the way you want. I think his costs are very fair also. Give him a try and let me know. BTW-Bill's shop shares the same lot with a great body and paint shop. You may want to talk to them about the ding repairs! While you're there, check out a couple of terrific restored oldies!!!
Normally between Las Vegas - LA - San Diego, but I have encountered unscheduled snowy conditions in the areas I frequently drive like Southern Utah, Arizona, and the higher elevations of Southern-Central California. I'm not in snow anywhere near enough to buy snow tires, but maybe I better stick to the regular for the infrequent times I do find myself on icy/snowy roads.
Glad I could plant the seed, as it looked like you were about to be ripped off. You should really think about a trip here to Canada to have any of your mods done, plus the ding repair, you will save a fortune plus with the money left over you could buy me a donut and coffee. As a retired cop, some habits are hard to break!!
wire2, they were great pictures of that build, I wish I could have seen my factory ordered M built. I also was thinking about the Hid upgrade but not at those prices.
So far the experience with my Special has been nothing but smooth sailing. Arby is correct that I live in Minnesota and that snow and the stock rubber are not meant for each other. If you live in the snow belt snow tires are a mandatory purchase. But once on, the car goes through snow like crazy.
I have experienced a few buzzes from the trim in cold weather but once the car or the weather warms up, they disappear.
The fuel economy is about what I expected and like Arby I use the recommended 89 grade fuel. It definitely gets up and goes when I squeeze the go pedal and the lower final drive is a great improvement.
The HID headlights are great and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
My only (and minor) complaint is that the bass output of the Infinity II stereo is weak. However the volume is more than adequate with good sound and imaging.
The car is a great road cruiser and I look forward to my commutes to work in it.
A big thanks to Otto and his co-workers for doing a great job building it.
Good idea -- I'll give him a visit this week. Speaking of oldies, my father-in-law lives in Poway and belongs to the Over The Hill Gang. He has a '31 Vicky, '28 Ford Roadster and a '49 Chevy. His "perpetual project car" that he has been working on for at least 10 years is a '40 Willys. They are all hotrodded out and he does all the work entirely himself -- he's quite the motor head. He has a website if anyone's interested let me know and I'll post the link.
Ottoworker: Can you obtain build sheets on previously constructed cars, namely 2001? Is there one hidden somewhere in the car which can be retreived intact? Inquiring minds want to know!
I see on Bill's business card you gave me it says "complete auto repair" although it's called Poway Muffler. I still need to get those Bosch plugs installed. Do you think this is something they can do or does he share the shop with someone else?
He can do it all! The only thing he can't do is emissions testing. I'm sure he can install your Bosch plugs. He started out years ago as Poway Muffler only, but over the yers built his shop to handle everything. He didn't want to change the name as people might not recognize it as the same place.
I took the VIN for my car to the dealer and asked for a "Function 69". They in turn gave me two sheets of paper covering all build info on the car.
I discovered it was built on my Moms birthday, and that the previous owner had kept the good stereo deck and stuck me with a base unit þ
I've also heard of people pulling up the carpet and finding a factory build sheet. These won't cover all the info though, just one section of the line.
I thought that was you from the yahoo board!. I'm done there. They screwed it up when they changed over to the new format. I was fanman500 over there...
Comments
Also, why I was waiting at Jiffy Lube I had a nice conversation with a gentleman who has been researching and wanting an M for quite awhile. I told him about this site so maybe he'll join in and ask some questions.
Thanks for the information on the ding doc. I guess I'll wait until I get two more before getting mine fixed.
You have a few misconceptions that I'll try to clear up. First. The Special "does not" require Premium fuel but you must use it in order to get the extra bit of horsepower. We use Premium Gas in our Special :^)
Expecting the same side markers and lights on the standard 300M will probably not happen. That's why it's a Special. The standard 300M is a fine automobile though and if you like the woodgrain and other color choices then you should pick that car. Especially if it has the PHP package. That's as close as you're gonna get to the ride of the Special.
You mentioned price. Let's break things down. sdmike and others here did their own Dual Exhaust (and they look great!!) before Chryler did the Special. Mike's "Big Red" is a Beautiful 300M. The price of sdmikes Exhaust upgrade ran over $500.00? The HID Lights will run you around $1000.00 to convert. The side mirrors? Nobody else makes them (well, unless you want to pay Mercedes Prices for the ones on the S430 but they are pretty much the same mirror/light). You'd have to buy them directly from Chysler. The 18" wheels? My son manages a Firestone. The tires alone are $250 each. That's $1250 with the spare included. Then you need the 18" rims. See where I'm going with this? I haven't mentioned the specially tuned Suspension, Steering and Ground Effects. So, with all the differences is the few hundred dollar difference between a Fully Loaded 300M and a Special worth it?
No matter what 300M you buy I know you will be extrememly happy with it. Look at "most" of the people that post here are saying. Not that many other car groups on Edmund have over 14000 postings.
I've seen plenty of 300M's on the road. I've seen only one other Special on the road besides mine. I like that. :^)
By the way, I watched him remove a ding from a cars fuel door ( forget what make) but he was able to get his gadgets in through the rubber grommets and fix the problem. The only thing he does not do is touch-up paint.
Those are the wheels as factory installed on the hi-line Concords, and possibly Sebrings. They're definitely not from a 300 Special. They are unique in that it consists of an aluminum wheel with a chrome finish plastic face epoxied on. A small ring of rim is exposed for wheel weights.
Weather finally warming up here, can't wait till it hits 15 deg C and then can spend some time making my 2001 M spotless and also remove the Chrysler badging.
These are available for sale to Club members only due to our copyright agreements with DaimlerChrysler. If you've been sitting on the fence about joining, this might be a good time to come on over and check us out.
have a great day!
andy
Thanks!
As stated, I work at the DCX Brampton plant in maintenance.
A couple of months ago a customer asked for some pics of his Special as it was being built. If anyone's interested and would like to see, click; http://custommopar.homestead.com/Special.html
I also have a book of vehicle schematics, if anyone needs wiring info.
Had all of the front end problems that seemed to plague these things fixed by the dealer before I bought it. Had a bad steering knuckle and steering gear. Drives fantastic now!!! Love the car and will never get rid of it. I do have a question for you out there. I have the tan interior and my leather steering wheel cover is fading and turning black. Is there a way to restain it or should I just replace it??? Any help??
We keep these both these boards very active. Also there is a Wed night chat at 10pm EST. Look for the chat link on the club site.
I have a favor, can you get us some detail (part numbers and maybe some prices) on the headlamp differences if one wanted to convert from the standard low beam headlamp to the 300m Special HIDs?
Thanks in advance.
========================message as follows============================
I have not yet seen the 300M replicated in diecast in any scale. It is
likely just a matter of time before one is produced. I hope it will be one
with all four doors that open and some good detail. AUTOart would be a good
candidate.
--
Mr. Dana Johnson
Dana Johnson Enterprises
PO Box 1824
Bend OR 97709-1824 USA
541-318-7176
toynutz@earthlink.net
www.toynutz.com
--
Editor/Publisher - Toy Car Collector Magazine
Chairman - Toy Car Collectors Association
Author - Toy Car Collector's Guide
----- Original Message -----
From:
To:
Sent: Saturday, March 02, 2002 2:55 PM
Subject: Chrysler 300m?....
> Hello! I am apparently on a mailing list for die-cast toy
> cars, and have been receiving emails from several people.
> Can you possibly tell me if there are plans to
> manufacture a 1/16th scale --or any scale for that
> matter--the Chrysler 300m?
> I am Vice President of a small-yet growing Chrysler 300m
> Club and many of our members are interested in
> purchasing/building a model of their beloved cars.
> I'd appreciate any help/guidance you or your organization
> can offer me/us.
> With sincerest regards,
> Glenn Beye
=======================end of message==============================
I like the fact that I'm not driving a Ford Taurus or a Honda Accord. (ie... there aren't millions on the road of the same vehicle). Driving my Blue 95' Toyota Corolla like everyone elses' is bad enough. (But, it gets 33 MPG.)
no1trust, we've (well mostly my wife) put over 3800 miles on the car so far with not even a squeak to complain about. Be warned that the tires on the Special are not good in the snow. We've had only one snow day here in the NYC/NJ metropolitan area all winter so it wasn't an issue. Kosh, on the other hand, went out and bought a set of snow tires for the winter. I think he's in Minnesota or somewhere else up in the northern states. The tires that come on the Special are "Z" rated 18" Performance tires (I think the Corvette is the only other car that these tires come "stock" on). So, not knowing where you live, this may be something to consider in the decision on buying a Special or not. Also, the tires aren't expected to last long past 20K miles (so I'm told...).
Other things:
Am considering getting exhaust tips for eMily, and remember several of youse here using 'Borla' tips?....some had painted yellow on the inside and were 'duals'. The S.O. seems to be 'hinting' about getting these for the Doc for impending birthday--and of course I wouldn't want to deprive her of this pleasure, so location to getr, price, and pics would be appreciated.
to East Coast members specifically: as mentioned in several posts here, sdmike2 will be running the First Annual Carlsbad, California Chrysler 300m Enthusiasts Club Meet/Rendezvous 2002.
Be advised that the Second Annual East Coast Chrysler 300m Enthusiasts Club meet will also be ocurring sometime the latter part of the summer. Therefore, members in NJ, NY, VA, DE, PA, MA, ME, CT, NH, MD (and of course any other states) are being asked the following questions:
A. Would you prefer a 1 or 2 day event?
B. If 2 days, would you prefer hotel/motel rooms be available?
C. Several locations are being discussed. For those of you who made the 1st Annual....., the Wall Stadium track has been purchased by a nrew owner who is in the process of revamping the entire track, grandstand seating area, etc (per George Deane's most excellent info...)...Another possibility in conjunction with the Wall Stadium track parade is a Six Flags Great Adventure deal...and also a possibility would be Bear Mountain State Park/Barbeque/Picnic.....possibly just for the day.
D. What kind of event would you like this to be?
E. Any and all ideas would be welcomed, and you are free to email me at both email locations with your thoughts and ideas.
Help in bringing this Second Annual event would of course be welcomed, so put your thinking caps on, take keyboard in hand and let me know what your thoughts are. By my count based on the states listed above, we have approximately 94 members within the states listed, and of course anyone who wants to come is certainly welcome. The states listed were my attempt to guess how FAR anyone might be willing to drive if the event was just for one day. I look forward to your responses. Planned Event timespan could ocurr from early August to just after Labor day, so hopefully the weather will be decent.
Regards to all,
almost 100% healthy Doc
DETROIT, March 4: DaimlerChrysler AG is expected to announced Monday at the Geneva Auto Show it will build a convertible version of its popular PT Cruiser, the company said.
A STYLING STUDY of an open-air PT Cruiser was first shown at last years New York Auto Show, and public reaction was so positive the automaker decided to build a production version.
An Internet poll taken immediately after the unveiling show that almost 90 percent loved the vehicle and begged us to build it said Chrysler Group president and chief executive Dieter Zetsche, in a statement.
Production begins during the first quarter of 2004 at the Toluca, Mexico-based assembly plant, and the cars will arrive in showrooms soon thereafter, the automaker said. Pricing has not been set. Current models of the PT Cruiser carry base sticker prices from $16,275-$22,680.
The convertible PT Cruiser will be a two door, four-seater. The current hardtop has four doors. The rear seat in both versions can be folded down to add cargo space.
The PT Cruiser has been one of the most successful vehicles in the Chrysler Group lineup since it was introduced two years ago with more than 310,000 sold worldwide according to the automaker.
Specialty versions such as the Flame, Woodie and Dream Cruiser have also been offered in limited numbers in North America and Europe.
© 2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.worldparts.com/pomocoauto/
Just enter part number 4676565 (per rogor2k on 300M club message board). The price is for online orders only. Provided for info. I have no financial interest.
>to the 300m Special HIDs?
Part #s are easy in the plant, I just have to go to the container they come to the line in and see the label.
As far as prices, I recently went to the local Chrysler dealer parts dept and asked. A standard single assembly (hi & lo) is $490, the Special replacement is $515. (That's Canadian dollars, about $350 US)
Sounds good, right?
Unfortunately, it doesn't include lamps.
Soooo, how much can a little xenon filled bulb be? You sitting down?
$300. each. And I'm not even sure that includes the ballast it needs to operate.
But I can tell you, the difference is phenomenal. A D1S xenon lamp draws only 35 watts, yet emits 2½ times as much ultra white light as a standard 60 watt halogen.
Will just the lamp fit in a regular socket? No. They're quite unique. Also it needs the proper mask and projector lens to fall under DOT approval. If anyone wants to see some pics, send me an email, I'll return 'em.
This new ding guy I found (The Detail Man) is in East County and charges even cheaper rates if he does it there. Maybe if I go to Ed Hansen I can get my dings fixed on the same day.
Ordering a JT wood trim kit today. Cool!
BTW-Bill's shop shares the same lot with a great body and paint shop. You may want to talk to them about the ding repairs! While you're there, check out a couple of terrific restored oldies!!!
wire2, they were great pictures of that build, I wish I could have seen my factory ordered M built.
I also was thinking about the Hid upgrade but not at those prices.
Arby is correct that I live in Minnesota and that snow and the stock rubber are not meant for each other. If you live in the snow belt snow tires are a mandatory purchase. But once on, the car goes through snow like crazy.
I have experienced a few buzzes from the trim in cold weather but once the car or the weather warms up, they disappear.
The fuel economy is about what I expected and like Arby I use the recommended 89 grade fuel.
It definitely gets up and goes when I squeeze the go pedal and the lower final drive is a great improvement.
The HID headlights are great and I wouldn't trade them for anything.
My only (and minor) complaint is that the bass output of the Infinity II stereo is weak. However the volume is more than adequate with good sound and imaging.
The car is a great road cruiser and I look forward to my commutes to work in it.
A big thanks to Otto and his co-workers for doing a great job building it.
I took the VIN for my car to the dealer and asked for a "Function 69". They in turn gave me two sheets of paper covering all build info on the car.
I discovered it was built on my Moms birthday, and that the previous owner had kept the good stereo deck and stuck me with a base unit
I've also heard of people pulling up the carpet and finding a factory build sheet. These won't cover all the info though, just one section of the line.
Ean http://www.thebluebaron.homestead.com