Chrysler 300M

sdmike2

Even though Racefan was just poking his finger in Roger's eye with that question, I'll answer it anyway. I bought my M because of the combination of size, performance, looks and value. Everything else I drove fell short in at least one of those areas.

-M

phases78

the M is the best car i've had yet. and ive had a few. the closest to it was the concord lxi. i bought the M for the combo of luxury, and performance in one. for what u pay, u cant get much better!

rogor2k

So sorry your wife and you have had to endure this, and so VERY glad she is on the road to recovery. You and she will be in my thoughts and prayers. I think I can speak collectively for the entire membership of the 300M Enthusiasts Club in wishing you both Good Luck and Godspeed as your lives slowly return to normal. I say this in all sincerity, if there is ANYTHING I can do, please don't hesitate to ask.

Roger Waters

fuzzywuzzy

I hated my 00 alarm. When you unlocked the doors, the car didn't tell you. No light flashed, no horn, many times I went to open the door, but it was still locked. Almost ripping the door handle off. I gave up on it, & I had a Viper 550ES car alarm with remote start put in. A lot better then the stock system! Cost was $319 installed with a lifetime warranty. Not 1 problem with it. I have had it for a few months now. The remote start systems have been improved. The 300M has the transponder key, so Viper sells a module that the key fits into. Then it gets hidden somewhere in the dash. Used to be it needed to be taped to the steering column or something like that. The Viper has a security feature that prevents the starting of the car, even if someone found the key, & tried to use it. So it's just as safe. Besides know one could know you have the remote start option. Even with the keys. You have to push 2 buttons at the same time on the transmitter for it to start. I'm very happy with it. Well worth the money! Oh and I can still use the factory alarm if I want. The viper turns on the factory system. Even the memory stuff works If I use the factory keyfob. No warranty issues ether.

fuzzywuzzy

Ok race, but only if you get to painting those calipers

I have 2 reason...

1- ROOM
2- PRICE

thill381

Well after I told everyone about a month ago I would post pictures of the dash I am finally getting around to it, as well as a photo of the front license plate mod. I still am not caught up from being in Spain. I plan on washing and waxing the 300 Thursday afternoon, and will post some more pictures then as the existing photos are lost in my now defunct photo point account.

http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/thill381/lst?.dir=/300M&.src=ph&.order=&.view=t&.done=http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/thill381/lst?.dir=/300M&.src=ph&.view=t

pat

On the 115 character word limit, I agree with you - there is no predicting when it will show up. See the post just above the one I am making now!

You might want to drop by this discussion in News and Views: New Software! Your Questions Answered to ask about it.

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

nuyawkr

I just wanted to thank all the members who posted information to help me with my vibration problem. Just for your info, a simple re-balancing, using weight tapes, cured the high speed wobble and the M is tracking smooth and stable now. Thanks again all!

jona57

Thrill381-

Your dash pix are great. I missed it, but what dash kit did you use & how long did the job take you?

JonA57

sibe

Thanx fuzzywuzzy for the pointer.

Kits can be gotten from http://www.ggarage.com for about $900

Wiring diagram can be found on the web site, seems fairly straight forward - assuming you can get your hands in there to find the wires...8-)

Sibe

sibe

K&N will be coming out with a kit to fit the 300M within the next couple of months. This will replace the entire air filter box and resonator dampener and replace it with a color option injector tube and cone filter. No idea as of yet on pricing but they quoted retail $369 for my Durango.

Phone inquiries can be made to 1-800 8583333.

This should allow "M" to BREATHE.

On another note how do you include pictures that are not hosted on a web site?

Sibe

fuzzywuzzy

That 115 message came to me also. 4 times today. I figured it was just this software, & wasn't going to bring it up, but if it's not supposed to do that please fix it.

fuzzywuzzy

Don't hold your breath too long. They said that to me in an email over a year ago, & I emailed them again in Feb. & they said 4-6 weeks.

sibe

K&N will be coming out with a kit to fit the 300M within the next couple of months. This will replace the entire air filter box and resonator dampener and replace it with a color option injector tube and cone filter. No idea as of yet on pricing but they quoted retail $369 for my Durango.

Phone inquiries can be made to 1-800 8583333.

This should allow "M" to BREATHE.

On another note how do you include pictures that are not hosted on a web site?

Sibe

bigmike5

My thoughts and prayers are with you both. Good luck with recovery.

On a lighter note. Was it you who got to try the Equal treatment on your tires? If it was you, how did it work out? Did the stuff help the wobble?

pat

There is a 115 character word length limit imposed on these boards that does sometimes prevent a long link from being posted. The puzzle is why does is show up only sometimes? I don't have any idea why nor any way to fix it. You too might want to visit our New Software! Your Questions Answered discussion over on the News & Views board to pursue this.

Sorry!

Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards

thill381

Thanks for the comments. The kit I got is a "molded" kit so it wraps around the existing panels, leaving no sharp edges. I got it from autodash emporium, I found that they had the cheapest price for this particular kit. Cheaper than the manufacture even.

http://www.autodash.com/details.lasso?sn=2328&pn=ch-300mc00ca

rogor2k

If you plan to be there, be sure to go to the Yahoo Invite I sent out a couple of weeks ago and register your intentions. This lets YOU see who is coming too. Russ Klass has a block of rooms reserved at a good group rate, so you need to contact him and find out where the rooms are and how to reserve them. It will be much more fun and convenient having all the members staying at the same place.

Either go to the Yahoo Invite or contact me (rogor@gte.net) for more information.

funroads

Looks
Luxury
Performance
Price
Features
Scarcity

Those are the reasons I chose the M.

Others considered:
TL Type-S
Passat (upcoming 6pd/W8/AWD is intruiging, and yes that's a 'W')
Lincoln LS

funroads

I'm getting ready to order some Zaino and am wondering whether it is necessary to use Z5 on a brand new car?

Also, I assume we use the Z2 polish (not the Z3). Someone please confirm.

jedi_knight

So its been nearly 300 posts since we last heard from avalanche and still no word
on how his speed limiter was removed. Any updates avalanche?

Keith

gumby6

Notice people trying Michelins and Pirellis to replace the Goodyears. Anyone had any experience with Yokahama Avid?? Goodyears are wearing uneven as am told is not uncommon.
Goodyear blames Chryler and vice versa. Help in my decision would be appreciated

beach15

I know that I have complained a lot about our M but here's what we like/dislike most about it and why we got it in the first place:

Pros:

1. Style/looks

2. Local deals offered on M's

3. Space

4. It's a 300M, what else can you say!

Cons:

1. At the test drive, I thought it didn't seem all that solid for the price

2. Road noise wasn't bad but wasn't great either

3. When I drove it for the first time, I just knew it didn't have the power I thought it would

We've now had the M for about 8 months and it now has 8,500 miles. We still love the car and it is growing on us more each day. It still rattles though (very annoying but what can you do about it) but it has been very reliable and just looks magnificent.

Oh, whoever said it, sometimes the base suspension does feel a little slushy but handles nicely at speed. I've never heard the crappy Goodyears squeal around a curve in the road but I did hear it a few times at low speed in a parking lot. Matter of fact, the handling is very much like that of our previous 97' Grand Voyager. You can get the PHG for better tires and a sharper suspension but my wife thought that it rode just a little too rough.

y2k 300M

99_300m_ric_va

In keeping with the spirt of buying Chrysler products in my family, my sister bought a 2001 Dodge Neon. It has the Badyear LS tires. The salesman told suggested to her "you should replace the Badyears with Michelins when they wear out."

If everyone knows how bad this Goodyear OEM tire is, then why do they continue to sell cars without the Michelins?

I just thought it was funny to hear about the Dodge dealer saying that after it's been a big complaint from the Chrysler owners. I guess the Dodge boys are seeing the same problems.

ir2k300m

Here are the main reasons that I purchased the 300M (in order of importance):

Size
Past LH experience
Looks/Style
Performance
Luxury Options

Very impressed!

ruski

First of all, there is no way an Escort would outrun a 300M.

I used to have a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP. Same engine as Bonneville SSEi on a lighter car. I loved it. But it did not corner as well as my 300M does. Going into a corner and accelerating, it felt like the GTP's nose was rising up. 300M stays flat and tucks into corners. I often end up slowing down on a tight off ramp because some BMW driver (poseur) ahead of me is pressing his/her brakes. Otherwise I could go faster. I have to mention here that my 300M has the Performance Handling Group option.

So what if the tires squeal in a tight corner? As long as they do their job and don't plow, I don't mind it.

I test drove a Bonneville SLE (they had not gotten any SSEi yet back then). Salesman was sitting in the front passenger seat and farting. But that's another story.
Even though it was an SLE, I was amazed at how quick it felt and how composed it was. I am pretty sure it is a great car and the SSEi is even better. But I was turned off by the design and quality of the gear shifter and some other interior parts. The shifter wobbled from left to right and the PRNDL scale wobbled together with it. My less expensive GTP's interior for some reason felt better.

easyrider300m

while the wood kits look nice in pics, I wonder whether they are more trouble than they're worth--you have the cost, the time to install it and the upkeep. I would think that it would show fingerprints, dust, and scratches more than the flat plastic and plain vinyl dash material would. Also I would think you would sometimes get glare from the upper vent trim piece if the sun hits it right.

I was considering a kit, but would like comments on the above from those who have installed them. Are you happy with the kit you installed or do you wish you never bothered.

comments?
Easyrider300M

300michael

love my kit

300michael

is probably busy doing more mods to his car. Besides 300 posts only equals a few days on this board. Keep it UP. In another week if I get the parts I will show you my secret mods I am working on.

ir2k300m

avalanche165..

Was looking for your pics but the link to them that you posted earlier isn't responding. Any possibility that you could post the new location?
Looking at doing the custom paint on the mirrors.

sdmike2

I found that the Z-5 helped clear some of those very fine "factory" scratches that are all over my M. Here is a picture of them before the Z-5.

Hairline scratches

The Z5 didn't eliminate them, but it helped. Here is a picture of my hood after the Z-5 (still haven't used Z-2 on it yet) and some Z-6.

Big Red Hood

I got the Z1, Z2, Z5, Z6 and leather treatment. I think all are necessary. Not sure about others. Hope this helps.

-M

avalanche165

sheez fellas, i'm away for 3 days and u goes are hollerin for more....lol, yea i've been reading and all that. just been working on some MAJOR mods, and when i say major, trust me on this, its big. not much performance wise tho, this is mostly for show, car shows that is. i would tell u what i'm doing but....then it ruins the surprise. i had to get stitches in my middle finger knuckle on my left hand yesterday, so im typing reeeel slow right now. sanding accident. be very very careful when using a power sander, ouch, this one hurt. i took all my pics down, i am switching site. doing a webpage for planetwebspace.com, so i get like 6 gig free, instead of him paying me $400, so its a pretty good deal....be back up soon....

fuzzywuzzy

Mine is great. There's no high maintance for me. I just put some Zaino leather(Z10) cleaner on the wood, when I do the seats. I get no glare. I also didn't use the vent pieces. They looked too tacky to me. I had mine on for over a year. I think I might have been the first to put it on? It has held up well. I do have a few little scratches on the shifter piece, but that was my fault. Nothing that is noticable to the unlooking eye.

fuzzywuzzy

Was it you who also bought the Jet Module? If so, install it!

If it wasn't can whoever bought it please install it, so we have more then my #'s to see how it performs.

dustinnewton

I'm sorry that you didn't choose the M. It did to you what it does best...doesn't let you realize that while in the midst of luxury, you are also experiencing a good bit of performance. A true sleeper car. A non PHP with the Badyears definitely won't handle as well as an M with PHP, I agree. Motor Trend found that the 99 PHP model actually outperformed a Corvette on the skidpad! The thing is, with the M's sophisticated and smooth ride, you don't have the bone-jarring feeling like you do in a pure "performance" car. I have a fried with a hopped up Mustang and it will launch around corners, but will beat you up on a smooth road too. That's usually the way it works. Ride is sacrificed for performance. Luckily, that's not the case in the M. Anyway, I wish you the best with whatever you choose. I also considered the Bonneville, but here it was about 4K more and the ride was too unrefined and the build quality too low for my tastes.

madcityruss

I bought the 300M because it is a rolling sculpture that has a great balance of performance and amenities. Three years later, I still don't think there's a car that can touch it for those criteria, especially when you factor in cost.

The console and radio area seemed just a tad too plain for me. I bought a 22 piece wood kit, but installed only those pieces plus two "hockey stick" pieces that go above the map pockets in the doors. I'm very happy with the look, and there's been no maintenance headaches at all.

rogor2k

Thanks for trying, but the response (since deleted by Edmunds) was very predictable. This is a personal vendetta, for whatever reason he sees to pursue it. Through the whole thing though we (the Club) have the ultimate trump card - his name and address.


If he has, in fact, hacked into the secure area of the Club's web site, we'll eventually find out and prosecute. If he has a cohort who is giving him the password, we'll eventually find that out too and take appropriate action against the cohort. If he has joined the Club using false credentials, we'll find out eventually and ban him (if this is the case, at least we have some of his money). These things take time, but we're working the problem, and eventually the truth will come out.


Meanwhile, I suggest we all do what I'm going to do; completely ignore his posts. It's very tough to bite your tongue when someone is trying to publicly humiliate you and discredit everything you've tried to do, but that's what I'm going to do until we have a better resolution. He receives pleasure when he can cause turmoil, and if we deprive him of that pleasure, maybe he'll get tired of playing the game and take his bile elsewhere.


So, lets all keep cool heads and remember the real reason why we're here, our passion for the 300M. I just passed 15K pleasure filled, absolutely trouble free miles. I've owned 20-something cars in my lifetime, and the 300M is the best ever.


Welcome to all the new 300M owners. If you're passionate about your M, come over to the Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club web site at http://www.300mclub.org and check us out. We can help you save 10% on parts and service at your dealer with our dealer discount plan. We have two meets scheduled in August; one in Monterey CA and the other in Detroit MI. More details about the meets are on the Club web site. We're also just about to place our first order for some pretty cool embroidered polo shirts. We have a lot more planned, so get in on the action and meet your fellow owners. We have a chat session every Wednesday (tonight) at 10:00 PM EST, 7:00 PM PST. The link to the chat room is on the Club web site, members and non-members are all invited. Log on and jump right in, we'd love to chat with you.

dustinnewton

The K&N "hang on we're comin'" deal sounds a lot like the Jetchip module issue. They said "2 more weeks" for a LONG time!!
Avalanche-Now why do you want to go and drive us crazy like that with all the suspense?!?!? :-)

fuzzywuzzy

He knows what not he does. Leave it alone, Race stop starting trouble,( feel like I'm in school:) have fun in the keys, I'll be there on Sunday, well out on the water a few miles fishing anyway.

tucsongil

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts and well wishes. It really does helps me and my wife(Reyna) out!

BigMike5: No, I have not done the Equal in the tires yet. I do have a small vibration at 35 to 55 just after putting the custom wheels on. I will talk to the my 5* service adviser about it soon for I need to take in my "M" for a speaker rattle, slow window motor on the right side front and a engine tappet nosie at start up(it happens about 50% of the time).

I will not be at tonights Wednesday Chat. I need to go to a family dinner for my sister-in-law's birthday. I will do next weeks. Sorry!

fuzzywuzzy

I forgot, might have a intake system for the 300M. It's a custom one, that fits ford explorers, that I just got for my Explorer. I ordered another one, to test on the 300M. It has a mounting plate to attach it to the hose, & it's a big S&B cone fliter. I test fitted it on the 300M, & it fits, but I need the other to test it further. I'll keep you guys posted.

sdmike2

Oh jeez. My father (a retired rocket scientist..really) asked me what else I can do to give my M more horsies. I told him that some people are beginning to experiment with throttle body mods and his eyes lit up. After he explained in scientific terms what that does (engine working at a vacuum, so more air allows higher HP at a given RPM, etc.) he said "can we do it?" I told him that people on here have used a Dremel or equivalent to do the work, and he was surprised because of the potential to get the opening out of round or rough. Sooo...I'm looking for the experiences again of those that have tried this. I know there was some posting on this before, so if someone knows the post numbers I can go back and read it.

Thanks in advance.

Mike

jedi_knight

One thing you guys may be over looking.....Why not use a cylinder bore honing tool? You know the type they use for honing piston cylinders and such. It would keep the bore true and round.

Just a thought,

Keith

sdmike2

I don't have one of those in my garage.

-M

avalanche165

what potential problems can occur here though?

avalanche165

just remember guys, 10'o'clock....www.300mclub.org
u don't have to be member, come join, its great, highlight of my week

oh yea, and at 8:00 tonight (wed) on UPN, show called Special Unit 2, look for the good guys LHS on 20's, and a hood scoop.....

fuzzywuzzy

I'm sorry that thing just looks stupid! I did see a show last week, or week before, they had a bunch of clips of it. Just my feelings on it.

rogor2k

Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to sell merchandise in Edmunds Town Hall. The intent of the following is to provide information to Chrysler 300M owners who may be interested in joining the Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club, a non-profit corporation which was formed to promote and enhance the pleasure of owning and driving the Chrysler 300M automobile.


The Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club now has embroidered Club logo shirts for sale to members only. If you're interested in viewing the information on these shirts, please click on the following link.


http://www.300mclub.org/membersonly.htm


Yours 300Mly,


Roger Waters, President
Chrysler 300M Enthusiasts Club

rogor2k

Thanks for the application. I'll be e-mailin' ya offline this evening. Drive on!

beach15

Calm down! I said that the handling doesn't feel all that different to me because it doesn't really. We never have driven a vehicle like it was a race car in the corners. Therefore, or at least to me, at normal speeds and the normal amount of curves our non-PHP 300M and our 97' Grand Voyager really don't feel or seem all that different. Sure, at the limit or at a higher rate of speed, the van would probably roll over or just be very scary while the M would remain calm and collected but around here, there isn't very many areas to experiance "at the limit" handling. I'm really not nuts, this was just an observation. Oh yeah, the ride isn't all that much different other than the M being a tad bid smoother--what do you have to say about this one?