Chrysler 300M

300michael

I started to post some pictures at this site as well as my Homestead website.

http://community.webshots.com/user/my300m_

lonestarsled

In addition to Red Line Water Wetter, you can get your exhaust manifolds and cats coated w/Jet Hot metallic ceramic coating. They boast of underhood temp drops of up to 50 degrees F. Those under hood cats have got to be a big source of under hood heat!

easyrider300m

dont know about your M's, but my engine temp never gets over the half way point on the guage---as long as it stays half point or below , I dont see the need for cooler engine temp--maybe cool air is good for the intake , but I know a warmer engine is more efficient--my mileage takes a dive in the winter, but is very good in the summer--so warmer (not hot)is better--as long as youre not running it flat out on a race track all the time, I think its fine the way it is--why mess with it

300Michael--that 300M emblem over the keyhole is a neat idea--are you going to paint the keyhole factory body color--it would probably look great and nearly invisible if you did that. The wing looks a little too high, though--I think space above it showing the body color would look a wee bit better --I think you should remove the Chrylser letters--it would look cleaner-----Avalanche' doctored pics of a lock-free and brake light free trunk with the wing emblem is absolutely the best---if you dont mind filling in those areas and repainting the trunk, it gives the real a nice clean look--then all you would need is a spoiler with a built in light for a real custom look---I think thats what ave is doing on his recent mod--cant wait to see it!

rogor2k

One of the sets I sold to someone for $24 (including shipping) found its way into some ambitious (IMHO) hands. Remember a couple of weeks back when someone posted that they had bought a set from me and changed their mind and would take the first $20 for the set? This is that set. Someone bought it for $20 and is trying to convert it into $95. Oh well, power to the people. That's the great thing about a free market economy. If someone is willing to shell out $95 plus shipping for what I'll sell them for $24, I hope they'll at least be able to use my instructions (provided with the lights) to do a good clean installation.

easyrider300m

I thought of a neat idea--take the 300M emblem and cut off the lower portion with the M---then mount the "300" part in the center of the trunk 3rd brake light---shave everything else off the trunk area------paint and clearcoat the keyhole to match the body color---would give a nice clean look to the rear--and would look extra nice when braking----somebody want to do a workup of this on a paint program to check it out?

scotian

Dump the CHRYSLER lettering -- it destroys the symmetry.

phases78

the reason i asked about cooling the engine is becuase i read on a site that sells chips that there are two types of jetchips, stage one and two. one, for stock cars, and two, for stock with modified exhaust thats less restrictive, and with something or another that keeps the engine running cooler. got one outa two. also, it mentioned that the chips dont do much for the car UNLESS u have other mods done, in which case they work for each other. i dont know, im just doin some research. any info any of you may have, or sites to go to, please input what ya got. thanks!!

also 300michael, is that the notorious tb mod i keep reading about? explain that one too me, im not sure i can handle that lol

300michael

Yes that is the imfamous TB. I redused the restriction from 63mm to 68mm. Don't feel much differance, but will do some testing with the Gtech to make sure. Once this holiday is over (too many police on the road)and things get back to normal.

300michael

I have to grind down the lip on the lock first, so that it does not stick out so far. Then I will paint it to match the car. I will do all that when my spoiler and paint is delivered.

jona57

Anyone have any leather care advise for the 300M's seats? I know the manual says use only mild soap & water, but I have never bought that line. I think that is written to keep people from using generic leather/vinyl treatments which can indeed harm leather. I have been a fan of Lexol, but have also tried leather treaments from Meguire's & Mother's on other cars. Any other favorite leather care out there?

JonA

phases78

i use armoural and 'son of a gun' good stuff...

also, someone one here mentioned drilling holes in there exhaust tips to keep the gunk from pouring over, i just tryed it, and i cant seem to get the bit through the tips, does it just take alot of time or is my bit just suckin?

rklass

I center-punched the spots to drill, and then used a Black & Decker "Bullit" drill bit which has a brad point tip. I started with a small bit, which I burned out on the second hole. (those tips have some tough metal!).
I then enlarged thr holes with a bigger bit.
Seem to work well!

phases78

how long would that take?

phases78

just did one hole bout a 1/8" just to moniter to see if it helps at all, i may have to widen it out a little.....

lonestarsled

For the seats (except the front seat backs, they are not leather), steering wheel and shifter knob I use Meguiar's Gold Class leather conditioner and cleaner. Every thing else, dash board, door panels front seat backs, etc.... I use Meguiar's Natural Shine vinyl and rubber protectant, it does not leave that greasy feel of other vinyl dressings. It also has a UV protectant, also looks great on the tires, makes them look like new rubber, not greasy.

sdmike2

I use Zaino leather cleaner and treatment products (as do many others here). You can get it at:

http://www.zainobros.com

beach15

We just got back from cruising around the beaches and other bustling resort areas near our home here in Delaware in the M. Even though the car was filthy and had been through a few rain storms this week, I have never seen so many stares and people gawking at us. There were guys in Mustang's, Caddy's, BMW's, and other expensive novelties just lovin our car. One guy in a new Mustang convertible just couldn't get enough and kept staring and smiling as he looked all over. No wonder, the car he was riding in was butt ugly. Then, on a second story balcony full of college kids, I heard loud cheers and looked up and they were all looking at the car. This is simply the best cruiser, especially with the roof open all the way and the stereo crakin.

Though a great relaxing yet fun ride, it could be enhanced. While we were cruisin down those streets, every time we hit a bump, there was a few creaks and or bangs that were heard. I have taken a flashlight and a screwdriver and looked all over, under, and inside everything I could without taking the car apart, but could find nothing. I did tighten a few screws in the doors and dash but it didn't help. Maybe it is those bolts that are too long under the cowl; it sure sounds like that could be where a lot of the noise is coming from. Well, nothing is perfect.

Oh yeah, before I forget, I have seen several of the 2002 Acura TL's and their driver's also seem to like looking at our M. I would too if I was driving something that ugly; a dressed up Accord, come on!

beach15

I know you're all talking about leather care products lately, but what about the other parts. I want to try some Zaino or something new but don't know what to get. What Zaino products do I need to make this car that sits outside 24/7 look good? What other brands/products have you all tried? And for the inside, what do you use on the dash and doors? I bought this little Simoniz spray stuff in a bottle for the dash and doors but it makes them look really shiny and is just about impossible to remove/clean off the overspray. What might I be able to clean this stuff off of the dash with? Soap and water don't seem to work that well, but I'll keep trying.

sleepymw

after a bit of vacation from this board for about couple of weeks and what do i come back to? 560 messages! i went through about 30 and then had to scroll to the end... LOL..

weather here in bufffalo is rainy, which doesn't do much for car washing and waxing jobs. augh... but it does save the bill on water when it comes to the garden ..

oh well... just letting you all know that i'm still alive and well..

sleepy

brianw300

THe Zaino Leather cleaner, and Leather in a bottle are great.

I just did mine today after my kids dragged in some mud on them. After using the cleaner to get the mud off. I check the creases for debris and get it out with a vac. Then with rubber gloves I applied the leather in a bottle treatment, almost massaging it into the leather. With a cotton cloth I wipe off the excess leaving it just a bit wet. If you do it by hand use gloves or your hands will smell like leather for days.

I let it soak in over night. And in the morning it looks great and has the aroma of fresh leather. Like it was brand new.

I think the Zaino leather treatment is one of there best products.

Brian

sdmike2

I use the Zaino leather treatment on my dash and doors too, and it does an awesome job. I recommend Z-1 (the base), Z-2, Z-5 (for minor scratching), leather products, and the tire treatment. Oh yeah, don't forget the Z-6 spray! Perfect for touch-ups. I use it more than any other of the products.

-M

silverbullet4

I offered to help my daughter's friend get that Zaino shine on her new VW Jetta. The black paint looks pretty good. Since there are probably some fine scratches and swirls from the carwash, I will recommend using Z5 to help cover those. My question is, Do you use Z5 before Z1 on a new car? The reason I ask is that the Z1 supposedly prepares the paint for bonding with Z2. I thought that the Z5 base coat might defeat the Z1 prep action. Any thoughts?
Have a good Memorial Day! Silver

phases78

u say jetchip has a chip for the 300m? well, they have distributor in nashville which is less than an hour away. once i get the allowed money to spend on it, im gonna take my car down there and have em hook her up to the 'ol comp and see what they can do. i may very well be the guinee pig of jetchips here. im hoping the strait duals and the jetchip can work for each other in the best possible way. im gonna call em for details, ill keep you informed!

rklass

If you go to zainobros.com you will find detailed usage instructions for their products.
Should you not find the answer to a specific question, call Sal and you will find him most helpful.
I haven't used the Zaimo on the M yet, but did use it on my red '90 Miata with outstanding results.
The important thing is the preparation. The Miata is 12 years old, so a friend helped me prep the car.
We removed the accumulation of old wax with Prep Sol, then used Griot's Machine Glaze #s 1 and 2 with an orbital buffer to remove the oxidized paint and sctatches.
Z1 abd Z3 (non clear coat paint) finished the job.
The result is a better-than-new looking finish!

graphicguy

Just thought I'd relate an experience I had last week in driving a new '01 Caddy Deville ($40K sticker?). I should probably put this post in the Caddy forum, but, there aren't many car enthusiasts over there.

I had to drive from OH to Chicago and the wife had her car in the shop. So, I decided to rent a car for my trip and let the wife use the 300M. I was going to be gone on a business trip for a couple of days to Chicago.

I had some coupons from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and decided to use the coupons for my 6 hour trek, one-way, from OH to Chicago.

Now Deville's are nice cars and all, but I don't know if I would trade even up from the 300M to the Deville. The Caddy had 400 miles on it as they had just got it in.

First, the Caddy is built to be a hiway cruiser. That much is clear. In town, the Deville wasn't very hapy.

Deville good stuff...

--Northstar is a great engine. Torque everywhere in RPM range. Sounds muted but snarls great at higher RPM. My favorite GM engine is still the 3.8L Supercharged. One of the great engines no matter the car line.
--MPG is great on the highway, about 28 MPG on regular gas driving at 75MPH-80MPH.
--build quality is very good (a little better than my wife's Avalon....about the same as my 300M, though).
--Interior materials were what one would expect in a Caddy...good!
--This was the most quiet car I've ever driven (even quieter than my wife's Avalon, which is very quiet).
--Ergonomics are outstanding. Really surprising for a GM.
--This car is big both outside and inside. No surprise here, although it's not much bigger than the interior of the 300M.

Deville not so good stuff...
--This car is not a handler. On smooth roads, it was great. Once you get into pockmarked streets, the jolts and vibrations shuddered the body and the sterring wheel, causing both the front and back end to "step out" from the pavement. I've noticed this with other GMs that have "base" suspensions. They need some sort of damping between the suspension and the body.
--Digital guages-I hate those things.
--Seats-Although they are thickly padded, I just coudln't find a comfortable position in these seats. Leather quality is good (about the same as the Avalon and 300M).
--MPG in town-this is another shortcoming of most GM offerings. They get great MPG on the interstate, but fall tremendously with stop and go driving.
--Brakes-another GM bugaboo (except on the sportier GM cars). This is a big and heavy car. The brake surface and/or materials are not up to the task of slowing this vehicle down with any sort of acceptability.
--Stereo, while good, it can't hold a candle to the Infinity system in the 300M.
--No feel of the road, steering too light (another GM and Toyota/Lexus bugaboo).

300M Vs. Deville

300M
--better seats, better stereo, much better handling and braking, better styling, better acceleration (300M's V6 compared to Northstar V8), better MPG, better ride (over all surfaces).

Deville
--Marginally better interior room, quieter, great V8 sounds.

As I said, I wouldn't trade the 300M for the Deville, even-up, let alone at a $15K difference in price. If it would have been an STS or a DHS, I might feel differently. Of course, then the price differntial would have been even more.

brianw300

I traded in a 94 Deville for my 300M, and I do agree with you on most points. However, for interior room the cad takes it hands down. There is more room in the backseat of a Deville then there is in the front. Granted I had a 94, maybe they have shrunk a bit for 00/01. I do know that they are shorter than the older ones.

My 94 was very quiet and handled bumps very well. Yes, it was horrible in cornering, but since I could see all the corners of the cad I was able to easily navigate traffic as well as park it in tight spots. The BIG difference with the 300M is that mine with the PHG handles corners and lane changes great. The cad just cruised well.
The bottom line is, the 300M is 10 times more FUN than a caddilac any day.

I definitely love my 300M, but at times (usually on potholed roads) I miss the old big red caddy.

The main reasons I got rid of it, were reoccurring brake rotor warps, and of course the gas mileage to price ratio!

I think for me being just under 40, the 300M is more suited for me than a caddilac. I would definitely get another cadillac, but probably not till I am in my mid 50's... Who knows, maybe they'll all be electric hybrids.

Until then I'll have fun driving any 300 car, as long as Chrysler keeps makking them.

Brian

squid3

Can someone tell me how much the hood scoop cost to put on? and the door handles and trunk WOW now that is trick. But you have way to much time and money after the price of the car and all the mods , but i do like the look though.

phases78

i can only assume your talking about av's hood scoop. he designed it himself and had someone make it for him for ruffly 400 i believe. i think he put it on himself......

lonestarsled

Actually the basic design of the hood scoop goes back 20+ years to the '79 Chevrolet Z-28 hood scoop. When I saw the pics of the hood scoop on the 300M I had flash backs to my senior year in high school...LOL! Nevertheless, good modern day adaption to a new car and kudos to the fabricator.

Wonder what happened to the window washers though that are no longer on the hood. Those are the best washers functionally that I have seen on a car.

beach15

This has been happening for some time now, but does anyone else on this board have a loud lifter clicking/tapping noise at start-up? It happens everyday, usually when it is started in the morning but has been occuring more frequently lately. It lasts for about 5 seconds and then goes away. I just went over to the LHS board and strangely enough, the last two posts mentioned this problem and one said that it is a very common characteristic of the 3.5 engine. Any thoughts?

lalarry

Saw the picture of the spoiler on the M with the LED stoplight posted here earlier. Does anyone have any idea where THAT spoiler can be obtained. It's the one that I've been waiting for!

tucsongil

I too have this problem.

I talked to my 5* service adviser and he asked me if I used a Mopar Oil filter when I changed the oil. He asked this because the Mopar has a "valve" in the filter that prevents all the oil from filtering down to the pan. So this valve leaves oil in the heads so at start-up it would not be a dry start-up(since there is oil already in the heads).

I believe that SDMike got info online that said that the best oil filters to use are the Mobil 1(it is $10 at Super Kmart, ouch!!!!)and the Puralator Pure One. I guess these two and the Mopar have the "valve" in it.

BTW, I believe that I have a Fram in my "M". I had a Pennzoil 100% synthetic oil change done at Walmart(since it is about 1/2 mile from my house) and I believe that they use Fram brand filters on all their changes.(Fram brand was said to be the worst from that online site).

tucsongil

Hey gang, I missed that post with a link that has the spoiler with the built in brake light. Please repost the link.

Like LaLarry, I was waiting to see one of these come out.

I was favoring the Keystone spoiler.

tucsongil

Nice work on the rear end on your "M"!

I too believe that the CHRYSLER needs to be remove to balance out the look back there. Just MHO.

BTW, did I read that you bought a rear spoiler with the built in brake light? If so, info please($$$ and where).

phases78

i too am looking for that spoiler!

yes, i get the clicking sound at startup too, dealer says its what they all sound like... i dont know...

jmcmanus

Has anyone posted to the Tirerack.com web site. It looks like a great web site to explore replacement tires. As I looked at different brands and the comments by users I saw lots of comments from BMW owners but none from 300M owners. My guess is that I will be looking to replace my original Mich XGT's (1999 300M) before winter. I have only 23K on them but the tread wear is more than I expected at this milage. I'll probably hit 30-35K by Nov/Dec and replace them. In Cincinnati I do need some decent snow traction several times each winter. I had hoped to read some experiences regarding new Mich or the new Bridgestone's from 300M owners at Tirerack but there no posts.

beach15

tucsongil- I think the idea that a valve way down in the oil filter would keep oil from completely draining down is just plain stupid. I don't know who the dealer was that told you that but think about it; how could something in the oil filter allow for oil to stay way up in the heads. I'm not saying that I'm an expert on this and I may be wrong, but this comment just seems a bit strange.

spoiler- What spoiler are you all talking about? What did it look like? I don't remember any with an LED light but I'll have to go back and check.

sdmike2

Here is the link again to the oil filter study:

http://members.nbci.com/minimopar/oilfilterstudy.html

Most decent filters have an anti-flowback valve in addition to the normal bypass valve. These valves may make noise depending on their construction, but I doubt they'd be loud enough to be noticable in the cabin of the car. My guess is that those experiencing tapping might have a malfunctioning anti-flowback valve, some carbon build-up, or a problem with the valve itself. Just my 2 cents.

-M

sdmike2

Try calling California Dream at 800-788-2484. That spoiler looks just like the model 2N that I got from them, except with a light. They might have one. Their web site says "call us if you don't see what you want".

Mike

funroads

I've spent 2 weeks and 750 miles w/ my new M and am really enjoying the honeymoon. This weekend I took off the Chrylser lettering and put on two coats of Z5. And took pictures.

Can't say I'm getting a lot of understanding from the wife. (On removing the lettering... [eyes rolling] "I don't understand why you have to do that".) LOL. If she only knew the things that go on...

See my photos of 300M at PhotoPoint

300michael

Spoilers 4 less has two models for the 300M. All the models they have end with an "N" meaning no light. The person told me to change the "N" to an "L" meaning lighted. I got two different price quotes, and am waiting for conformation. Will let you know the final price, with light.
California Dream has the same spoilers but are far more expensive.

phases78

nice pics! love that color too!

however if i may add my two cents. on the back u removed the chrysler lettering but not the 300m logo? i removed both, i think it makes it.. hmm.. the symetry is better that way i guess in my opinion. perhaps center the logo? my wife mentioned i should hollow out the back of the "M" part of the logo and put it over the keyhole, i may experiment with that... if you'd like to see an example of both removed i have pics on my site

http://phases78.homestead.com/300m.html

300michael

I just put up another idea for the rear logo. Check out #3 at http://community.webshots.com/user/my300m_ .

phases78

im seeing no difference on that site than i saw the other day?

sdmike2

Nice M! Congrats. Don't worry, wives don't understand. In fact, my wife calls this "my support group", like I need therapy or something.
Ok..now what's the next mod for you?

sdmike2

California Dream's prices are with paint. The Spoilers4less ($99 without light) are without paint. I have to say, California Dream did an outstanding paintjob on my spoiler. Perfect paint and color, and plenty of clear coat.

-M

sdmike2

I couldn't find the picture with your rear badges removed. I like the rear placement of your side logos though.

-M

kpm61

How are you removing the Chrysler lettering from the doors and trunk lid ?

sdmike2

Dental floss "saw", followed by some WD-40 to remove the residue from the car.

phases78

good lord, i just noticed you are right. i forgot that i decided that those pics are a combined with the dual exhuast pics which are yet to be devloped. sorry about the false lead! will have pics up this week though, be sure to let ya know when