Chrysler 300C SRT-8

bryantra

O.K. Peeps, I guess I was just in the right place at the right time but I got me a silver one from Waldorf MD, fully equipped except for the Kicker system and the F1 tires.

I'm looking for a solution for the constantly dirty stock 20's. Has anyone solved this one yet. Man I wash the car every two days and the rims stay dirty from the brake dust. Do you guys think changing the pads will fix the problem or a different rim will solve the issue.

P.S. This is the best car I ever owned. It really turns heads. The other day a Vett challenged me and lost. Boy did his mouth drop open. :shades:

nqrider1

pads...the only way to stop dust...but then decrease braking by some amount...but will it matter???? Only testing will tell...that will be the fun part...

wantit

I am stilll waiting for my silver steel CSRT8. the dealer sold 7 8s, and I am only one who ordered this color! I was just wondering how many others ordered s/s, as I have not seen any messages posted, that mentioned anyone having this color,
only black & bright silver. does anyone know if any were built yet, or is this yet another delay? ordered 2/18, and as of 6/29, stuck in BX status.
wantit, and waiting.

pscdoc

I recently saw a silver steel color on a regular 300c, not a srt8. The color is alot darker then the bright silver with a hint of blue. It was near twilight in the day so the lack of sunlight could have darkened the color perception a bit. Its a nice color but I doubt it will show the true lines of the car as well as the bright silver. I still prefer the bright silver over the steel silver, just a personal preference. I am still waiting for the bright silver AWD srt8 with the 255 rear F1 tires. This should keep me waiting will september/october.

redbird15

I didn't know they were offering the srt-8 in AWD.....

pscdoc

From what I have heard they will be offering it, but there is a problem with the AWD system and all the AWD versions are on hold till end of July. It could be longer who knows when they will have this problem fixed. We will just have to wait and see. But the wait will probably help in the long run with all the rediculous premuims the dealers are charging at the moment. I passed up on 2 black srt's already, one with a 10k markup and the other wanted 20k over MSRP! Outrageous if you ask me.

kurtamaxxguy

AWD sounds very cool for this model.

Do they offer a mode where only the RWD works?

But given the rariety of this model, won't the markups be even worse?

pscdoc

That would be great if that is an included option for the AWD model, to have a manual or automatic option for both RWD and AWD. I guess we will have to wait and see the final specs. But I doubt both options will be included. My understanding is that the AWD system will be thew same as in the current 300c model once thay work out the current problem it is facing.

The markup maybe more perhaps, but that may also depend on WHEN it is available. If its sometime later this year or early next year then I dont think it should be too bad. Either way I will wait for exacylt what i want and in the meantime they can workout all the kinks this model may have.

jasonn1

hello stang 22. i was reading your posting wondering how your brakes are doing on the chrysler srt8. I have a srt8 and my brakes squeel at the end of every stop and my rotors are already grooved at 1800 miles. And i also have exessive brake dust when i drive it just a little. maybe you have heard of other people with this problem. if others are having this porblem chrysler should do a reacll don't you think. please reply with any info.

flankspeed

Swag, I thought you were going to throw some pics up on the site of the new rims/tires?

stang22

hello jasonn1,yes this was the only concern we've had so far, over at our 8 forum,and the answer to this problem has been sent to DCX,as we are waiting for a possible option,right now dcx is putting brand new rotors on them if they're too grooved,so if your having a problem,take car back to dealer as they are covered!! As far as the rotors getting grooved, this has been answered by many racing brake specialists,on our forum,as they said that the srt-8 has got the heavy duty metallic racing pads on them(brembo off road racing pads),and the brakes need to be "bedded" correctly---a series(10-20 times), of very hard brakings from 60-70 mph,down to a complete stop conseculatively about 10 times,so that the brakes heat up and put a coating on the rotors--this has helped alot of us out!! I think before its over dcx might opt for a high performance street pad, versus the off road race-track pad!! If I find the link for the bedding process they recommended i will send you a link!! peace

stang22

hey jasonn1,here's that link i told you about in my last post!! http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/bed

Pad and Rotor Bed-In Theory, Definitions and Procedures

StopTech’s Recommended Procedure for Bedding-in

Performance Brake Systems

by Matt Weiss of StopTech and James Walker, Jr. of scR motorsports

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When a system has both new rotors and pads, there are two different objectives for bedding-in a performance brake system: heating up the brake rotors and pads in a prescribed manner, so as to transfer pad material evenly onto the rotors; and maturing the pad material, so that resins which are used to bind and form it are ‘cooked’ out of the pad.

The first objective is achieved by performing a series of stops, so that the brake rotor and pad material are heated steadily to a temperature that promotes the transfer of pad material onto the brake rotor friction surface. There is one pitfall in this process, however, which must be avoided. The rotor and, therefore, the vehicle should not be brought to a complete stop, with the brakes still applied, as this risks the non-uniform transfer of pad material onto the friction surface.

The second objective of the bedding-in process is achieved by performing another set of stops, in order to mature the pad itself. This ensures that resins which are used to bind and form the pad material are ‘cooked’ out of the pad, at the point where the pad meets the rotor’s friction surface.

The bed-in process is not complete until both sets of stops have been performed. There’s one exception, however. Some pad manufacturers sell ‘race-ready’ pads, which have been pre-conditioned by flame heat-treating or laser etching, to provide a mature surface on the pad face. If race-ready pads are being used, then the second set of controlled stops is unnecessary. Also note that the same circumstances exist when a system to be bedded has new rotors and used pads (a strategy that professional teams use to break in their rotors ahead of time) one only has to perform a single set of stops to transfer pad material uniformly onto the new rotor.

Note that, if the brakes of a vehicle with high-performance or racing pads are not used continuously in an aggressive manner, the transfer layer on the rotors can be abraded (literally worn off). However, the transfer layer can be re-established, if needed, by repeating one series of stops in the bed-in procedure. This process may be repeated as often as necessary during the life of the pad.

This characteristic is useful when a system is already bedded-in with one pad friction and another is to be used going forward, like when changing between pad types for the street and track (and then after a track event, back again). The procedure under this case is different, where the new friction is installed and the vehicle is first driven for 5 to 20 miles (8 to 33 Km) with light use, keeping the pad friction and rotor cold. This promotes the abrasive friction mechanism cleaning the rotor surface of the previous pad material before performing either one or two bed-in cycles as prescribed below. One set of stops as outlined, if the pads being installed are used, two if the pads are actually new

The bed-in procedures below outline the steps required to effectively bed-in performance brake systems. We strongly recommend that, in order to complete the bed-in safely, the bed-in procedures be conducted in dry conditions on a race track or other controlled environment, so as not to endanger yourself or others. Please note that we neither recommend nor condone driving at high speeds on public roads. While it is important to get enough heat into the system to effectively bed-in the brakes, it is even more important to exercise common sense at all times, and to conduct the bed-in procedure responsibly.

Bedding-in Street-Performance Pads

For a typical performance brake system using street-performance pads, a series of ten partial braking events, from 60mph down to 10mph, will typically raise the temperature of the brake components sufficiently to be considered one bed-in set. Each of the ten partial braking events should achieve moderate-to-high deceleration (about 80 to 90% of the deceleration required to lock up the brakes and/or to engage the ABS), and they should be made one after the other, without allowing the brakes to cool in between.

Depending on the make-up of the pad material, the brake friction will seem to gain slightly in performance, and will then lose or fade somewhat by around the fifth stop (also about the time that a friction smell will be detectable in the passenger compartment). This does not indicate that the brakes are bedded-in. This phenomenon is known as a green fade, as it is characteristic of immature or ‘green’ pads, in which the resins still need to be driven out of the pad material, at the point where the pads meet the rotors. In this circumstance, the upper temperature limit of the friction material will not yet have been reached.

As when bedding-in any set of brakes, care should be taken regarding the longer stopping distance necessary with incompletely bedded pads. This first set of stops in the bed-in process is only complete when all ten stops have been performed - not before. The system should then be allowed to cool, by driving the vehicle at the highest safe speed for the circumstances, without bringing it to a complete stop with the brakes still applied. After cooling the vehicle, a second set of ten partial braking events should be performed, followed by another cooling exercise. In some situations, a third set is beneficial, but two are normally sufficient.

Bedding-in Club Race or Full Race Pads

For a typical performance brake system using race pads, the bed-in procedure must be somewhat more aggressive, as higher temperatures need to be reached, in order to bring certain brands of pad material up to their full race potential.

We typically recommend a set of ten partial braking events, from 60mph down to 10mph, followed immediately by three or four partial braking events, from 80mph down to 10mph. Alternately, a set of eleven stops, from 80mph to 40mph, or a set of seven stops, from 100mph to 50mph, would be approximately the same. As with street pads, each of the partial braking events should achieve moderate-to-high deceleration (about 80% of the deceleration required to lock up the brakes and/or to engage the ABS), and they should be made one after the other, without allowing the brakes to cool in between.

Again, depending on the make-up of the pad material, the brake friction will seem to gain slightly in performance, and will then lose or fade somewhat about halfway through the first set of stops. This does not indicate that the brakes are bedded-in, except where race-rea

stang22

I'm saying you can't compare 2 seater sports cars, and a 4200 lb 4 dr.luxury high performance sedan,they are two, way different markets in handling,ride quality,performance,etc.,so its a very unfair comparison!! You might as well compare a AA Fuelie to a mini cooper,it makes the same amount of sense,which is NONE!!! You have been the only one I know who has complaints about the 8,(as I personnally know over 500 srt-8 owners through clubs and forums),and not one has complained about the ride quality and handling of 4200 lb sedan(8)!!! And alot of these folks own some very high dollar cars,and everyones reaction has been the same that the 300c srt-8 is the best bang for the buck in a high performance luxury sedan, in terms of looks,classy,performance,handling,luxury,size,comfort and affordability!!!! On the market its a incredible value and its stands out as a very classy and unique automobile,and it doesn't take a second place to anyone in overall value and looks!! Most other cars are more bland IMO.

thouseholder

Had my silver SRT/8 for about two weeks now. Just over 500 miles on it. This is an absolutely fabulous automobile. It is everything it was touted to be...and more.
The power curve seems almost limitless. The brakes rival my '03 Viper. I came out of an E class Mercedes so my expectations were high.
The firm ride is exactly what I wanted. It does not jar and feels like a tank on the road.
The car has more bells and whistles than my E430 did. I got everything but the "kickers" as the car was already in production when I learned about them and I could not catch it in time.
So far it is straight stock but I am considering an aftermarket grille. The one that looks like the Bentley. I have seen many 300's in my area with them so I think some of the dealers may be offering them as dealer installed options.
Brake dust is an issue but one that I expect to diminish somewhat with time and break-in. That's what happened with the Viper.
Those of you expecting to take delivery must remember to be very careful regarding the front end. The fascia is low. Watch parking bumpers, curbs and carwashes carefully. The fascia is just the right height to scrape the top of a parking bumper or low curb. Learned it the hardway.
The day after I got it my dealer called me. Seems a dealer in CA had called him trying to buy MY car out from under me. He claimed they were getting $18k over sticker in CA. The Chicago dealers claimed getting $10k over. I paid sticker. First time ever. I told the dealer earlier if he could get that kind of money go ahead and sell it. He refused. He sells a lot to Viper club members and is a member himself. Very reputable man.
The stock floor mats are pretty underwhelming. Anybody got a line on where I could find some SRT/8 mats? This car deserves them. Oh, by the way. On the way home I got 20.6 mpg over the 115 miles or so from my dealer. The sticker said I should expect 20 on the road. Not bad for a brand new engine.
Questions?

flankspeed

Hey, great info, im picking mine up today!
How do the parking sensors respond? Havent heard much about them, but im guessing from what you said, they dont do so well with curbs, just walls and other cars? About how many inches of ground clearance would you say you have? I may have to build a new driveway! Again, thanks, and i cant wait to write my book about the car tomorrow!

redbird15

GGBailey.com makes great mats and you can customize them any way you want. I have a ggbailey trunk mat in my 300C.

aab4

There currently is no option for AWD on SRT, and will not be for this year!!!!

pscdoc

Yes, I agree more then likely they will not have that option probably till next year.

Btw, I have found 4 srt8's here in my area, 3 black and 1 silver here in southern CA. Those that already have your srt8's can you tell me how much over MSRP you paid? I just want to know how much over MSRP if at all would be a fair right now. Not saying paying over MSRP is fair at all, but if you want the hottest and latest thing then you will have to pay for it! Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

jconnolly

I bought my Black 2006 SRT8 back in May and can tell you it's more than anything you've read or heard about. This car is a beast!!!!The Kicker option was one of the first things that was holding up production originally but they're moving along ( with or without Kicker ) at about 30 a day. There are currently at least 10 cars with the Kicker option that I have been in contact with (300's and Magnums) so that Chrysler employee might have been the first, but not the only. The car has dynoed at 459 hp at the crank and the mopar cold-air intake add about 6 hp at the rear- wheels ( this has been dynoed as well ). Good news is Magnaflow has stepped up to the plate and delivered a system that delivers about 19 hp to the already impressive numbers. Jetchip has a new chip (18hp) and get this-----GS motorsports has already installed the first supercharger on an SRT8, which we are still waiting for the tune and dyno, but I could only imagine what this things gonna due. If you can't find one on the ground--------and they are out there-----the wait will probably be awhile. I can tell you that if i had to wait for this car I definately would. By the way, there actually are a suprising # of cars on the ground that dealers are selling for msrp, but you gotta be willing to travel and move fast.

jconnolly

The tire pressure for the SRT8 with three season Goodyear F1's is 32psi(cold). The pressure is printed in my handbook(srt8 specif) and it's also printed on a sticker inside the drivers- side door-sill. My car usually ends up at about 34-35 after being driven for awhile so your dealer service is DEAD WRONG. My only complaint with this car is the dealer service departments have almost no clue when it comes to the 8. Took mine in for the first oil-change and the guy actually argued with me about the M1 oil that is stock for the car. Told me that 5w-30 is the standard oil and that's what he'd have to put in. Of course when i popped the hood and the guy saw the 6.1L under the hood he and three of he partners just stood there as if they had just seen the Holy Grail. Guy looks at me and says " that's not the 5.7L hemi!!!!"REALLY. Watch the guys who work on these cars and ask alot of questions because most have not seen and srt8 yet and they try to treat them like 300C's.

jthomp

Where in the world am I gonna be able to do this. Going from 60-70 and back down is not gonna happen where I live. Very busy roads, I cant find a road to do this.

jthomp

Thanks for the info, My tires say 4 season Goodyear RSA, same size front and rear. Are these not as good? Would the pressure be the same?

nqrider1

The RSA's are the standard tire. The 3 season Goodyear Supercar F1's were the option upgrade if you were not gonna ever drive in snow....Problem is the backs are 1 size bigger than the fronts...great for traction...but not nice for rotation...and not many will drive so on the edge that the tires will really be that much better than the RSA's....well maybe except for me!!! The RSA's are fine tires....But to be able to brag and say "My car has F1 Supercar tires"...ahhhhh sounds so cool don't it???? LOL

swag

I was thinking about that today on the way to work. I will take some digitals once it stops raining outside and try to post them. ">

nqrider1

Well it is 7/13/05 and my car is NOT ready to build. I ordered it on 4/20/05. I was wondering how long any of you that ordered one waited to get one. I can not travel to get one elsewhere because I am a high volume customer at my dealership and I am getting it for $500.00 over invoice...so here I sit...reading forums, press releases, advertising, etc.... :sick:

flankspeed

saw mine on e-bay...went to the dealership that day, had him take it off. That was Feb. Took delivery 4 days ago! Havent stopped driving yet!

swag

When I installed my 22 inch wheels they came with Hankook tires. I was expecting the ride to get worse than stock but its way better. The stock Goodyear super cars are harsh. The tar strip thumping and rough ride are gone with the 22's which on paper makes little sense. I have had three people in my car and they all cannot believe the ride improvement. I am 100% sure that any ride or noise issues are stock tire related. I have also noted that the car spins the tires less under full throttle with the Hankooks.

swag

I have no idea how to post pictures on this forum so I sent the pictures to my website admin gal so she could post them to my website hopefully sometime today. The website is www.luridchoppers.com and the pictures will be in the gallery under 300C SRT-8. The pictures include the Bentley Grille, 22" wheels, and stainless door piller covers. ">

pat

When they are up on the website, all you have to do is click on the Img button beneath the post box, paste in the URL of the picture and click on the Img button a second time. Then when you hit post the picture will display.

kurtamaxxguy

Understandable that AWD would be delayed given extra power and performance bigger engine would put on drivetrain. Perhaps a weight issue as well?

swag

The brake dust issue is better with the 22" chrome non-factory wheels but it still gathers in about three days. I have resigned myself to washing the car constantly.

tayl0rd

Two words:

pressure

washer

pat

Five more words:

be
careful
of
your
paint

tayl0rd

ehh. It's not that bad. The only way he'd damage the paint is if he used a full-on, concentrated, narrow stream of water less than 8" from the paint surface. And even that is unlikely with the lower powered electric units.

I use a pressure washer almost exclusively to wash my cars. I use a Campbell-Hausfeld unit with, I think, 1750psi max pressure. Using a fan spray pattern, you don't get anywhere near the max pressure the unit can produce.

pat

OK ... if you say so ... seems scary to me.

I mean not for the wheels, I agree that is a good idea. Personally I just wouldn't let a pressure spray anywhere near any painted surface. But I hear ya, and if it doesn't present problems for you under those circumstances, that's great.

To repeat myself, it seems scary to me. :P

tayl0rd

A lot of people are afraid of that. Even my other half was worried when I bought it. I guess folks don't really think about how it's the same thing as going to a do-it-yourself carwash.

pat

>> going to a do-it-yourself carwash

THAT'S SCARY TOO!!!

:shades:

I like my garden hose and my special cotton rags and towels. But everyone certainly has different preferences and experiences. The pressure stuff just concerns me because it can take any very, very minor flaw in the paint and turn it into something major.

Maybe we should get back to the car now ....

gtojoe

My car was ordered at the end of April and it just went to D status. The dealer says 3 weeks that was the 9th. He has delivered only 2 so far. I had originally ordered with a smaller dealer, waited 2 months and was told they would not receive thier orders by the zone rep. I was able to locate one on order and put a deposit on it with a larger dealer. They have been great about keeping me informed so far. Hang in there, Chrysler wants to get these cars built, unfortunately they have one assembly line, A friend of mine owns a Dodge store and just got his first Charger. Those too are trickling in. DCX has a dillema, bring another plant on line to increase volume or keep demand high and make great profit on every unit. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it will be only a few weeks more.

swag

The Internet gal has not updated the site with the pictures yet so I fear she is out of town. How can I post them directly to a post?

pat

For now, the only way to post them here is if they are uploaded to a website somewhere. There is a feature in the works to allow members to upload pics directly, but it is in testing. I don't know when it will happen.

I hope she comes back and posts them for you soon!

swag

Pictures are now up on www.luridchoppers.com in the gallery under 300C SRT8. Sorry for the delay.

pat

Here is a link directly to that page ... for anyone viewing this from work and without the sound muted, this link is the one you want to use:

http://luridchoppers.com/srt8.html

wantit

I ordered mine on 2/18, and am still in BX status! ( i'm hoping that will change, soon after the plant reopens from the 2 week shutdown, on monday, 7/18) I too am sticking with my dealer, as I have a commitment to purchase at M.S.R.P.
My dealer had a black one which I was offered at same deal, but I chose to wait for the silver steel metallic. all I can say is -----keep the faith!!

equinn

i did a search today. there is only one silver steel srt 8 on the ground in the entire country.

wantit

Where is it located?

kevm14

I bought a small electric unit from home depot (a $60 clearance special) and it's rated at something like 1400psi and 1.6GPM. Using the wide fan pattern, I can put my hand in front of the spray as close as a foot. The pencil spray, on the other hand, looks like it could do some damage. I generally set it to medium spray and keep the wand 4 to 8 inches from the surface. Some hand washing is still necessary on very dirty or older paint (or very dusty wheels). It's also exposed some rust for me by taking the paint off. I'll consider this a service.

equinn

its in hailey idaho. looks like a sold order but it could be one that someone backed out of. there is a fair amount of black and silver srt8's at dealerships throughout the country but only one silver steel.

tayl0rd

I bought a small electric unit from home depot...

Good man! You might not realize it now, but when the winter comes, you'll appreciate having it.

Another trick I employed was to go to my local Northern Tool & Equipment store and get an adapter for my electric unit that allows me to use high pressure soap. That little change was definitely a godsend!

You don't really have to worry about taking the paint off your wheels (besides the fact that the SRT8 wheels aren't painted :P ) because wheels have much more durable paint finishes than the car itself. Afterall, that is where the rubber meets the road. Gotta be able to take a beating and still look good. Anyway, I use the smallest fan pattern I can get for the best pressure for removing dirt/grime that's a little more stubborn. But there will always be times where you have no choice but to break out the ol' bucket, wash mit, and wheel/tire brush (I actually use a bottle washing brush with sponge inserts to wash the insides of the wheels on my 300M Special).

winston3

I just got my 300C back today from the Chrysler dealer. Mine was experiencing shifting problems (7,000 miles). The transmission had water in it. Apparently a design flaw...condensation from A/C was getting into the transmission. They drained and flushed transmission and supposedly fixed the condensation problem. Seems to be doing O.K.....but I am not real happy and I expect there is damage to the transmission. Sooner or later, they will have to replace it. Last Chrysler for me....I should have known better. :mad:

twisterchaser

Here is what a very savvy car enthusiast said within riding in my car for less than 5 minutes..."feels like a car with 175k on it and the bushings are worn out!" I never even said anything about my feelings about the "ride" prior to his driving the car! Absolutely no excuse in all the noise this thing makes on anything but glass smooth roads. Can't wait to get rid of this thing and get me a MB CLK55. This thing is a pig-in-a-poke! I :lemon: