Chrysler 300M

sdmike2

I don't like overly glossy tires, but I like a kind of "satin" look. Here's Big Red with Zaino tire treatment on it. I used two coats so it's a little glossier than one coat. http://www.ritchiefamily.com/misc/wheel.jpg

toms99

The Overhead Light piece is from the Joshua Tree kit. I don't think it came with yours because I think you have the moonroof and the overhaed map lights are miunted differently. I'll see if all the pieces are there when it arrives!

Web Site - When I first started making web sites I just grabbed a copy of MS FrontPage (this was before I knew anything about html, java, etc.) They have built-in templates or themes. Since I live at the "Jersey Shore" I thought a beach theme would be appropriate!

Steering Wheels - I'm glad all of you guys are getting your steering wheels replaced with no hassles. Mine started to "wear out" too but I chose to go the "Wheelskin" route:



This real leather material has a real nice feel...better than the original, IMHO!

andy300m

its too glossy for my likes (maybe its just the flash from the camera making it look this way). I like the way dealers clean wheels when they put cars on showroom floors. It has to be something other that just clean wheels, like you sad, satin feel.
thanks for your info!

300michael

The outsides of the tips look as good as the day I bought them (except for the yellow band tape). The inside as one small rust area, The only way I can tell is because I get rusted water stains after driving it for a while. I attrubite this to my short trips (.5 mi drive to work)(sorry I love to drive this car). Which doesn't let the water in the exhaust system burn off. The paint is fine until I do long trips (like to the Meets in CA) where it blisters and flakes off. I have seen some 1K temp. paint and my try that. I like the borla tips the best but were to pricy at the time.

300michael

I like the rims to be shiny and the tires to be dull. I have never used anything on the tires and mostly elbow grease on the rims. They both are still looking good.

lonestarsled

I'm like 300michael, like shiny chrome wheels and like the tires to look like virgin rubber. When I do a full blown detail, I clean the wheels with a soapy sponge and scrub the sidewalls w/scrub brush using soapy water. Then soak the tires with Meguiars Natural Shine rubber protectant and let set overnight. Next morning I wash the car body and just rinse off the wheels. This removes the excess dressing that does not soak into the tire, and leaves the tire looking like new rubber!

I have two sponges, one for cleaning the wheels and inner fenders, and one for cleaning the body of the car. This prevents swirl marks from using a contaminated sponge on the paint.

lonestarsled

When I lived in the d/FW metroplex I do not remember Coppell being big enough to have a pothole that would take out a rim. I hope you got your care aligned!

sdmike2

Like I said, that is my tire fresh after two coats of Zaino tire dressing. A single coat leaves a less shiny finish, which I prefer.

M

videoman1

Thanks blonda for the exhaust tips page. There's a lot to choose from there. But to help me do that, I was wondering what size the input of the tips should be. If I went with the Dynomax 17739 Super Turbo Muffler, it' has 2 1/4 inch outlets. Do the tips have to be the exact same size or should they be a little smaller or larger?

glennbp

It really doesn't matter what the input size is as they are going to be welded on anyway and they have adapter rings for virtually every size of exhaust diameters. So, not to worry!

bmadden1

Sorry to hear about your run in with Texas quality roads. Made me mad just reading about it. I have never been impressed with Texas road quality or design. If they built roads up north like they do in Texas they would not last through a winter season. I would send the city of Coppell a copy of bill for new wheel and demand reimbursement just for the fun of it!!

bmadden1

A question for those who have installed the wheelskins. Do the wheelskin covers install over the existing factory cover or is the factory cover removed prior to installing the wheelskins cover?

bmadden1

Well little mods..lol, but its a start! Installed a set of flat splash guards. They look better than I thought they would. They give the illusion that the car sets lower to the ground when viewed from the rear, also the shiny 300M logos on the rear flaps looks pretty cool. I also moved the rear view mirror up 2.5 inches from the factory position. What a big diffirence that made for forward viewing. I am 6'4" and the original position of the mirror was right at eye level and blocked out to much fwd vision for my taste.

mikehud

I own a '99 300M with 34K miles, great car love very minute. Drove a 2002 300M Special yesterday. Very much like the quicker ratio steering, 18" Michellin, dual exhaust, and heavier crub weight. The Special feels more solid, performance is a little more, but I did not have a place to really test. 0-60 seems faster, it has a lower gear ratio than the '99 300M. Other incentives, 2.9% interest, 7yr. 100K drivetrain warranty. I'm thinking of trading up, but with all the mods I been reading about I could keep my '99 300M and be ahead of the game. What do you think?

achance

The first set of chromes on my 99 were defective. At first I thought they were just dirty and tried the usual chrome wheel cleaners then the Mother's Chrome polish. Concluded the stains were in the chrome. Had to do whole bunch of complaining and explaining to convince DC that it wasn't something I'd done to them. I'd be very careful what I used, especially any abrasive stuff like Ajax. DC finally replaced mine and the new ones have held up well considering they endure a pretty much daily calcium chloride and urea bath about half the year. I just wash them with whatever the car is being washed with, usually Mcguiars Car Wash and use one of the spray on cleaners once in a while to get any brake dust off. If I had anything really stubborn, I'd probably use Bon Ami cleaner. I've never used it on the chromes, but I've used it a lot on stained chrome and stainless on my boat - it is pretty much a standard item for tough cleaning on saltwater boats because it is fine enough that it doesn't leave scratches.

blonda

The wheelskins go directly over the existing cover of the steering wheel. The fit is perfect. My wheel wasn't deteriorating like some were, but the texture on the leather was getting smooth so I added the wheelskin. I really like it -- it has a great feel to it. If you have agate interior black would be the best match (the greys just don't work).

easyrider300m

better be carefull with those heavy duty cleaners on the chromies---I believe the chrome wheels are clearcoated and you could damage or scratch that coating with abrasive cleaners---I would think a cleaner made for clearcoated wheels would work fine--spray on and rinse off--just dont leave it on too long or it can eat into the finish---

I dont do anything to mine other than soap up, sponge and rinse and they look as good as new--I have not even waxed the car or the wheels yet in 2 years and all still looks fine. I do plan on Zainoing it soon though.

Easyrider300M

sdmike2

It depends on what your goals are. If you are fine with the handling and such of your 99, you'd be certainly ahead of the game by spending some money on mods instead of sinking coin into a special. You could do dual exhaust, improved intake system and a bunch of cosmetic or audio mods for not much money (I've spent about $1,500 on mods to my '01). If you're into the new car smell, having the latest car, or REALLY want the handling of the Special, then you should go for it. Making a non-php (performance handling package) car handle like the Special will cost you over $1,000. If you do it with lowering springs there are some vibration issues. If you do it with a PHP conversion it'll cost you even more. Here's my site showing the mods I've done. Let us know what you decide...and either way make sure to join our club at www.300mclub.org.

http://www.ritchiefamily.com/300m.htm

sdmike2

Your 99 M is similar in speed to the Special, and with some reasonably priced mods should beat a "stock" special handily.

wire2

>I believe the chrome wheels are clearcoated...

No, for 2 reasons.
Chrome is an extremely hard metal that by nature is resistant to corrosion and scratches. It's only when corrosion starts on the aluminum under the chrome plating that the finish deteriorates.
Also, being so dense, a layer of chrome has virtually no pores for a plastic/paint finish to bond to, so clearcoat would peel off very quickly.

toms99

Those wheels and tires on the Special ARE impressive, but depending on where you live (i.e. snow/ice in winter) you have to factor in the cost of an additional set of tires. The Special tires are useless (actually downright dangerous) on snow or ice.

I have a 99LHS with about 39K and it looks like I just drove it out of the showroom. I done about half the mods sdmike2 has suggested and will probably do the rest this summer (just ordered the K&N AirCharger and am currently looking for a custom shop to do the dual exhaust mod.)

Jersey weather is weird. Some years no snow, other years very bad ice and snow. I don't want to take the chance. I'm very happy with my 99!

guesswho1

where can i see a pic of your exhaust tips? i have the monza's and they are rusting out because i wash my car a lot and leave it sitting without starting the engine so water sits in there. i like yours they look similar to the new 911 turbo tips.

how long did it take to get the tips?

wire2

>...because I wash my car a lot and leave it sitting without starting the engine so water sits in there.<

Tips that have rolled edges to the inside should have a 1/8" drain hole drilled in the bottom to allow the water to drain. Exhaust condensation is acidic, especially right after start-up.

guesswho1

the tips i have are not rolled, but i'll keep that in mind as my next set will be.

lonestarsled

What material are your exhaust tips made out of, are they stainless steel? My point is that if you have the original exhaust system, no matter what type of tips you install they will get rusty (or stained by rust) The rear resonator and flex pipe in the stock exhaust are low quality aluminized components. I have an LHS which comes standard w/SS tips. I used to think that they rusted quickly but found that the inside of them can easily be cleaned to a new condition. Then I realized the rust was coming upstream from the resonator, the rust was staining the tips. You will need a complete exhaust system made of high quality aluminized or stainless steel components to keep the tips nice with little maintenance.

>....Tips that have rolled edges to the inside should have a 1/8" drain hole drilled in the bottom to allow the water to drain.

The LHS factory tips have these 1/8" drain holes and they are too small to effectively drain the water. So as a routine when I wash the car I polish the inside of the exhaust tips with an aggressive chrome polish. Does not take a long time as long as you do not let the crud build up.

300michael

I too have a 99 non php. The steering (quicker)and brakes (shorter stopping)are better on the Special. Actually I just finished test driving a special Friday, I took my Gtech and did a couple of tests. First was the Skid pad. Which i did in a Local Mall parking lot. (did it twice before the mall patrol stopped me), and came up with a 87.7 which was better then my 79.9 before mods on my non php. And is close to my current pad score of 87.5 (without the lowering springs).
AS for Accelleration, my 99 did 7.78 sec. where the Special averaged 8.09 sec. Runs where done 3 times on a strech of stright freeway.
My advise woould be since your car like mine has already taken most of the depreation already, pop on some performance parts (keeping the orginals for if you ever sell the car) and you will have a car that can easly keep up with the special and on most roads leave it behind. Plus you can use the extra 13grand for a down payment on the N when it comes out. I have a sub 7 sec 300M and since I made most of my parts it has cost me about 1500 and thats for Dual Exhaust, Ram Air system with S&B cone filter, Max performance tires, and functional hood scoop.
To make driving interesting I has a pretty good A/V set up too. Alpine Navigation, two 7" monitors, 6 DVD changer Digital sound processor for Surround sound. two vidio cameras front and aft. If you have a trouble free car keep it. after all your next one could be the son of Christine. (if you do not know who Christine was just ask anyone on the board).
Sorry to typing so long.

300michael

Recieved official notice that the relitives will be visiting us August 17th through the 25th. So you will have to count me out for the Meet and plant tour. Some times it doesn't pay to have relitives.

ceikost

You are correct. I was thinking of the medallion (wagon wheel). They were available in chrome.

Heck, it was 4AM in my time zone.

blonda

You can see my tips here:

http://community.webshots.com/user/brendalf

nc300M has the same tips M on his also.

I paid the extra $$ for 3rd Bus day Fed Ex delivery as my install was scheduled 5 days after I ordered them....I got the tips the evening before...so it took 5 days with the Fed Ex delivery (they say it takes 48 hours for the order to be processed).

Funny about the water sitting in the tips. It was really strange as yesterday I noticed some water pooled in mine and I had driven it earlier in the morning, but it wasn't raining and it was garaged all night. I still can't figure out how it got there (didn't have the air/heat on while driving either) -- had to dab it out with a towel.

ottowrkr

GET THE SPECIAL!! I would.

lonestarsled

That water in your exhaust tips is from the catalytic converters doing their job. They turn unburned hydrocarbons into water vapor. So you will likely always have some water in the tips. It is really noticeable on colder days.

denverm

This subject came up a couple days ago. Here's a photo with just one coat on the tire, showing less gloss than two coats. PHOTO. I apply it with a small sponge, and immediately wipe any excess off with a rag. I dislike the really glossy, really black tire dressings, but think Zaino's product looks good.

lonestarsled

Anybody use this stuff?

http://www.prowleronline.com/ubb/Forum9/HTML/000284.html

kleung62

Anybody know much about that black piece of plastic that juts down from beneath the front end?

I was looking into the possibility of a 300M as my next car. I currently have an '88 Acura Legend with 273K miles on it and could always get a TL, but I wanted to look at other makes as a change of pace. It also doesn't hurt that the M runs on regular unleaded. I haven't quite accepted the notion of paying 20 cents more a gallon for premium, which is the same gas as regular, but with a different mix ratio in the additives.

I test drove an M yesterday, and it went OK, except for one snag. Apparently the crown of the road on my street and my driveway combined to create a situation where that piece of plastic jutting down from beneath the front end scrapes on the driveway before the front wheels can reach a point on the driveway that'll lift the front end clear.

Does that piece of plastic have some give to it? Can it be removed? From what I could see, it looks like some kind of air deflector, so structural integrity shouldn't compromised if it weren't there. The M's a nice car; I just don't think I can live with hearing a scraping noise from the front end at the beginning and end of the day.

Assuming some kind of a workaround exists regarding that piece of plastic, are there any good Chrysler dealers near San Francisco? The place I dealt with yesterday, Falore in Colma, is staffed with stupid, clueless people. Connell in Oakland gives me doubts. The one guy I talked to said he could factory-order an M to my spec and have it there the next day. Yeah, sure. Today, I'm going to see if Albera Brothers in SF, like Falore and Connell, provokes a feeling of disgust within me. Their salespeople are supposedly on salary, so maybe they might actually know something about the car.

no1trust

The only negative about the 300M I will have to learn to live with is the dealer if I buy the car. I don't mind so much if a car eventually needs repair, I just want the dealers to honor the warranty with some knowledge and w/o me getting my blood pressure up trying to convince them to correct the problem. Looking at some of the maltreatment of 300M owners here by DC really has me concerned, and they supposedly have 5* dealerships. If I buy one, my closest 5* dealer is at least 65 miles away, so what does that say about the service of the Chrysler dealers that are nearby? It's a shame to be stressed over this considering the amount of $ I'm about to spend.

sdmike2

Very nice picture! That's how I keep mine. One coat, buff off. I love the satin look.

sdmike2

Good luck with the dealers. I too share your disgust. I had one dealer (a Ford dealer) try to convince me that the MSRP is what the dealer pays for the car so it's a great deal. I think I blew root beer out my nose when he said it. You might want to deal directly with the Fleet Manager at the dealers, or even go through their Special Sales department (if they are a select dealer for a credit union, costco, or internet car site). Make sure you go in 100% armed with cost and other information. Make sure you get some pricing from www.carsdirect.com for comparison. Experience here says you should be able to beat their price by $500 if you're a real tough negotiator. Also visit www.carbuyingtips.com for a good read on the do's and don'ts of buying a car. I did, and my buying experience turned out great. You should love the car if you manage to find a dealer smart enough to sell you one.

I don't *THINK* that air dam does anything except hide stuff, but maybe someone in here that works in the factory or has done front end work can chime in.

pjyoung

You might find that a dealer who isn't "5 star" but is trying to get that designation will work harder than most. My dealer has been great. They were going for the 5 star rating when I bought my car, so they went over and above what most dealers would. They got the rating, and I'm pleased to say that they haven't let up on their service. Maybe it's just a midwest thing.

lonestarsled

may wish to see my post in the LHS section about incorrect bulb p/n's listed in the LHS owners manual.

blonda

Did you test drive an M with or without without PHG? I have heard that since the PHG is stiffer it doesn't hit bottom as easily as the touring package. The plastic piece is pretty flexible. I have the non-PHP M and hit it quite frequently in the driveway of the parking lot at work if I don't take the time to go real slow. It's still there after 3 years. I have heard other people have complete removed theirs or accidentally torn them off and just left it that way.

wire2

>that black piece of plastic that juts down from beneath the front end?

It has 2 purposes;
The bottom of a car has many irregularities due to floor footwells, wheelwells, exhaust parts, drivetrain, lines, etc. These parts cause turbulence in the air flowing under the car which translates to drag. A deflector reduces the amount of air under the car and so enhances mileage and/or top speed.
(notice F1 cars 1" off the ground)
The air it deflects is pushed up into the front of the car which houses a power steering cooler, transmission rad, A/C rad and engine rad giving increased capacity.

drpixel

Bewfore ANYONE here uses this stuff (hopefully no has yet...but me...read on..) DO NOT USE UNLESS YOU READ THE LABEL ON THE REVERSE SIDE.
I used this crap when eMily was nearly brand new. Put it on the tires during a hot day in July/August. Didn't drive car for a day or so. Wife drives car and when I come home I fin rear bumper fascia filled with STAINS....many stains that were brown on color. Upon further reading of the label --of course after the damage was done..I found it reads: WARNING: do NOT use this product on tires NEWER than 6.000 miles as it MAY combine with ther rubber in the tire and
S P I N O F F onto polycarbonate (read here as plastic) parts and permanently STAIN them.
THIS is what happened to me---fortunately, repeated applications of compounding. wax and helpful autpbody guy using extermely fine grade wet sandpaper got the #$%^&^ stuff off,. He (autobody guy--) re-clearcoated the offended parts (actually ALL four areas behind tires..) for free. Sems Chrysler puts not one, but TWO coats of clear coat, thereby saving the good Doc's fleshier nether regions that hold up his pants......

Heed my warnings well, fellow M'ers.....

Doc

lonestarsled

Is that a brand name?

drpixel

Yes , Tire - Wet is a brand name.made by Welsey's/Wesley's... I think. Clear liquid-you can se right thru the crap.....NO warning on the front saying to READ the back. I was very, very lucky to get this stuff off. It DID make the tires shine line the sun....like most here this type of shine is a subjective thing--either you like it or not--its alla matter of personal taste. I just wanted to stop someone from going through what IU went through.....

Take care,
Doc

beach15

I've known about ProtectAll for a few weeks and have ordered some after seeing the results. Right now I am using the best polish & sealant I've ever found, called Klasse. It's imported from Germany and comes in twoi varieties. First is the All-in-One Polish & Sealant that you can use on you car for each purpose but in one step. You use very little, polish the paint surface extremely well, leave a great shine and make the paint feel silky. Then, the other variety is the High Gloss Sealant Glaze. Same basic idea as the All-in-One but with without the cleaning agents but added shine & durability.

So far, I've only used the All-in-One on our Onyx Black Avalanche, but have ordered some of the High Gloss Glaze and will be getting it in a day. Each 16.9oz. bottle costs about $22-23.

But, after researching the ProtectAll and seeing many pics, I have ordered a sample pack and am going to buy a bottle after I see what it does for the pure black. I'm going to apply a coat of the All-in-One, 1 or 2 coats of the High Gloss Glaze, and then the ProtectAll over it all. I can just imagine the amazing black shine now!! Just what I've been trying to get for some time!

russklass

or "air damn."
Beware of this part!
It sticks down too low, and easily contacts parking stops, or anything on the road. I broke mine on a chunk of frozen snow this winter.
Chrysler's designers really blew it on this part...it is RIVITED to the very expensive front fascia, and that is what gives when the air dam hits sonething.
The better design would be as a breakaway part, as the black plastic dam is far cheaper than the fascia, and doesn't require expensive installation or painting.
To minimize damage, try to enter steep driveway aprons at a 45 degree angle, instead of straight on.

easyrider300m

that Protectal sounds like good stuff with a nice shine but it is carnuba wax based and thus I beleive will not last as long a Zaino which is a polymer I believe. Yes, its easy to put on, but I dont think it would last more than a month or two whereas Zaino should be good for 4 to 6 months at least.

That air deflector under the car is way too low. I caught mine on a high cement parking stop and actually pulled off the bumper cover---luckily I got the cover reattached but still have some slight damage---the deflector piece was hanging on one rivet so I just cut it off--dont notice any difference in running temperature and the front looks cleaner and no more rubbing problems on high driveways . I do not plan on buying a new one.

fastdriver

guesswho1-

Blonda's tips look nice! If you want to see what they look like on a car, just check out any newer Acura CL. ;-))

mikehud-

You don't even want to know about Christine!! :-(((

High blood pressure from a Chrysler dealer- "5-STAR" or no star? NO! Can't be! LOL........

fastdriver

sdmike2

There's a guy on eBay selling remote control units. I'm happy being able to modify mine using my slider control, but for more direct control of the unit you can install one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1348957510

no1trust

I'm resigned to expecting games & lack of knowledge from the current crop of dealers locally if I get the M; 2 of the established dealers claim they recently lost their 5*. The dealers have a lengthy track record of dissing customers (according to word of mouth). And for the most part the salespeople/managers I talk to don't know much about the product. I don't have a good feeling about any of them. But if you want the car, whaddayagonnado? Oh well...