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Chrysler 300M

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Comments

  • mikeyjohnmikeyjohn Member Posts: 365
    You are right about DC's advertising, even here in Canada all we seem to see are ads for the Seebrings and the 300M, nothing on Intrepids, Neons, PT Cruisers or even trucks. It's time to go on strike Otto, even just to have them push the product.
  • glennbpglennbp Member Posts: 327
    What's even more interesting is that Mercedes is advertising all over the place. You can hardly watch any TV show anymore without seeing an MB spot. Didn't MB and Chrysler merge? ;')
  • russklassrussklass Member Posts: 389
    No, they did not...MB BOUGHT Chrysler after a a sucessful snow job to convince the shareholders and public it was a merger!
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Glennbp - Bob Eaton that (ADD SWEAR WORDS) sold us out just to pad his bank account. I have heard he received like 300 Million for selling us to MB

    Russklass you are correct!!

    Advertising. what's that?? Just ask Don Hanesworth ( that gentleman who drove his M from California for the tour) he had never heard about the Special till he was at our plant . Now he is going to trade in his 02 M on a Special .
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    One of you lucky guys probably have your 300M on a picture of Autoweek. if you have the dark blue 300M, following a tangerine 71 Dodge Dart it's you. It has a picture of my old Cornet and the New M.
    Autoweek September 9, 2002 page 25
  • 99_300m_ric_va99_300m_ric_va Member Posts: 377
    Mike, can you scan this pic and post a link for us (since you won't "own" the pic.) :) I'm trying to remember who that might be. Hmmm.
  • 99_300m_ric_va99_300m_ric_va Member Posts: 377
    Please go to this link and vote in the poll as to when the best time for a second chat night would be.


    http://pub88.ezboard.com/f300menthusiastsclubfrm3.showMessage?topicID=48.topic


    Thanks, and hope to see you in chat one evening.

  • lflowerslflowers Member Posts: 155
    My 2000 M is now at 58600 miles and is still on the original brake pads. I keep getting them checked because I want to be certain I don't groove the rotors with worn out pads, but so far the pads are OK. I'll probably replace them at 60K just on general principles.

    Lynn Flowers
    McKinney, Texas
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    http://community.webshots.com/user/my300M_

    I will post this for a few days as it is not mine.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    by, the way I have voted already.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    I hope they will visit the Edmunds and 300Mclub sites.
  • jab02lhsjab02lhs Member Posts: 122
    I had an "AC" amp in my 01 LHS. I am not a stereo nut but was definitely not impressed with the so called 360 watt stereo. I bought an "AB" amp from a club member who replaced his with an after market unit. He was not impressed with his "AB" amp.
    Well since it was a plug and play swap I figured I could handle the install.
    What a difference it made just swapping the amps. The "AB" amp seems to have twice the power of the "AC" amp. Lots more volume and much better sound. I also checked the front door speakers and the were crossed but I could not get the wires out of the connectors so I had the dealer do it the next time I took it in for an oil change. The dealer said no tsb for the LHS but that they would do it as CSI (Customer Satisfaction Item). First time I had heard the term, works for me, I was satisfied.
    Next step I guess is to try to find someone to install a basslink in it. No guts on trying to wire that in myself.
  • kosh_2258kosh_2258 Member Posts: 338
    For those here who haven't read it yet, you have to get "Taken for a Ride: How Daimler-Benz Drove off With Chrysler"

    It's an excellent and honest account of what happened. How Schrempf orchestrated and executed his assault on Chrysler and how Eaton fell for it.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Eaton was just as much a part of it . He only cared about his bank account.Eaton often said it was not about the money , well did he take all the 300 million plus for himself? , you bet. If it was not about the money then Eaton could have taken say 150 million ,half of what he got and split it with every Chrysler employee .
  • kosh_2258kosh_2258 Member Posts: 338
    Eaton was very much a part of it. The book is clear about the fact he went through with the deal against the advice of nearly all at Chrysler.

    What he fell for was the line about a "merger of equals" Schrempf fed him. Eaton took the money and ran alright, but thought Chrysler would stay an independent entity rather then end up a "division". Lutz knew better and that's why he left along with several others.

    In the end I blame Iaccoca for that merger because if he hadn't let his ego get in the way of his logic he would have let Lutz succeed him and none of it would have happened. Today, he admits he made a mistake not turning the helm over to Lutz.
  • psterpster Member Posts: 293
    Having gone through a dozen "mergers" and "acquisitions" while at Bank of America (formerly NationsBank), let me assure all that there is no such thing as a "merger of equals", indeed, there is no such thing as a "merger" - think acquisition and you've got it right. Companies buy and sell, they don't merge. Merging is an accounting convention.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    Did anyone EVER really think that it was a "merger" when you first heard about it BEFORE the truth really came out? I didn't and I know NOTHING about business, mergers, acquisitions etc. My FIRST thought was, WHY would Mercedes want to "merge" with Chrysler. I knew there had to be more to it. With time, we found out the truth. Eaton got richer and the hell with the workers and the "little" guys!

    fastdriver
  • beach15beach15 Member Posts: 1,305
    I always had that thought too, since the moment I heard about what happened. It was like, "why in the world would high and mighty MB want to even get involved with Chrysler that was at such a lower point than they were? Something was and still is a bit odd, but things seem to be working, with Chrysler cars getting MUCH better quality, design, and engineering than ever before. The same is also true now with GM, but all that took was my favorite "Mr. Lutz" to come in and make people start thinking again.
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Not making Lutz the boss.
  • psterpster Member Posts: 293
    Like anyone who buys anything, don't count MB out yet. They will have to make Chrysler successful or their stock will suffer. I can envision MB selling off Chrysler in the next 10 years.
  • videoman1videoman1 Member Posts: 201
    On July 21st 2002, two 300M club members, Dan Keener and Mike Martin had the first sanctioned 300M 1/4 mile race against each other at Keystone raceway in Pennsylvania.


    On September 7th 2002, (this past Saturday) Dan and Mike went back to Keystone and this time one of them brought home 1st place in the Trophey Class. OK, it was me but Dan made it to the semi-finals and was only beaten because the guy he raced against hit his dial-in time exactly. Well, I then had to take on this same guy in the finals and luckily for me he dialed in 14.0 but ran his 1/4 mile in 13.99. He was under and I was a tenth over my dial-in so I took home the 1st place trophey. Another proud moment not only for me, but for the entire 300M Enthusiasts Club in general. Dan and I took on some heavy hitters in our class. At least 25 of them ranging from a Mustang SVT in the 12 second range to a Buick Grand National in the 13.5 range to a Toyota Celica in the 22 second range. But thanks to the consistancy of our 300Ms, we were able to make it to the bitter end.


    Of course, Dan and I were smart enough to keep from running against each other till absolutely necessary. You can do this by the way you line up in the staging area. This way, we wouldn't be able to eliminate each other early on so we both had better chances of winning.


    There were two things that were different for me as compared to the last time I raced. One was that now I had dual exhausts. The other was how I shifted the tranny. Dan and I had a little discussion before the racing began about how he shifted his tranny instead of letting the Autostick shift it at the red line. This gave him some quicker times. And if I remember right, he said he did a flat 16.0 on one run. Well, I decided "what the heck", I'll do the same thing. Sure enough, my runs were quicker too. When I raced on July 21st, my best time was 16.238. My first run on Saturday, however, brought me down to 16.160. On July 21st, my worst run was 16.554 and my worst run on Saturday was 16.273 (that was based on the 7 runs I did that day). I was dialed in at 16.1 and almost hit my mark every time.


    Here's the weird thing, though. My 4 fastest times were during the daylight when the outside temp was at least 88 degrees. When the sun went down, the temps dropped but my times didn't. They actually got worse even though they felt faster when I was running them. The only thing I could think of after the night was over was that the track wasn't as hot and therefore I was doing a little extra spinning off the start costing me some time. In fact, the Traction Control kicked on during one of my 16.2 runs.


    I'd like to mention two things before I wrap this up. One is that at Keystone Raceway, you're able to listen to the announcer booth on the radio in your car. So I decided to do that while I was setting up and doing my runs. Three comments stand out in my mind. The first is when I was doing my burn-out, the announcer said "Look at those great looking wheels. They're mesmerizing." The second is when Dan was running against a Camero. Dan took off and the Camero red lighted. The announcer said "That Camero must have thought he was gonna eat the 300M alive and jumped the gun". The last comment was when I was sitting staged and ready to go. The announcer was saying what cars were in each lane and he commented "In the left lane is that beautiful Chrysler".


    Secondly, When I went to pick up my trophey, the guy in the booth asked if I was the winner with the "Fancy Chrysler". I said "Fancy Chrysler....I like the sound of that". He then said "We don't get cars like that running here. That was great".


    In any case, it was nice to bring home a win for the 300M Enthusiasts Club and Dan has the honor of being in the semi-finals which is a great undertaking also. Another reason why the 300M should NOT be labled as just a full sized luxury sedan.


    Chrysler should have realized that this car can certainly run with the big boys.


    For fancy photo, check out http://www.fastforwardclub.com/300M/trophey.jpg


    -vman

  • silverbeesilverbee Member Posts: 22
    If that car is blue as stated that was the only color that we didn't have at dearborn or brampton.
    Way to go videman
  • 99_300m_ric_va99_300m_ric_va Member Posts: 377
    Hey Mike, that's awesome. Great job. Way to kick buttt!!!
  • 99_300m_ric_va99_300m_ric_va Member Posts: 377
    The chat poll seems to be indicating Sunday night as the second night for a club chat. So let's try it on for size. 9pm tonite.
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    That is incredible!! Man I wish I could race there with you ;) Bit of a hike though...
  • kosh_2258kosh_2258 Member Posts: 338
    Daimler wanted Chrysler because it was the one car manufacturer they could buy that didn't overlap anything they were already building and selling the U.S.. DC basically has a seamless line of vehicles from the low end Seat to the high end Maybach and everything in between with the Chrysler aquistion.

    DCX stock has already tanked post aquisition so they have nowhere to go but up. The question is whether DC's German management figures out that, like WWII, they can't beat their North American counterparts into submission and win the war.

    I do think the ultimate irony of it all is that Eaton came from a fouled up GM, fouled up Chrysler, and now Lutz comes indirectly from Chrysler trying to get GM back on track. Weird.
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    found them while cleanining up my hard drive. (can't wait to get my camera back).
    http://community.webshots.com/user/my300M_ or http://public.fotki.com/300M/ interior mods The one with the 300 special M door sill plates.
  • jona57jona57 Member Posts: 194
    As a former "2nd generation" Chrysler employee (my father is a Chrysler retiree), I was very disappointed at the takeover. This was no "merger". Most of the talented car guys who made Chrysler what it was (inc. Lutz and the talent that brought us the PT Cruiser) are gone now and MB (er- DC) is relegating Chrysler to being its lap dog. Just look at our beloved 300M. Most companies keep buffing up an "aging" design to keep it looking good to prospective buyers- but not DC! The "Special" does not even compete with the performance of what some 300M Club members have done to their own cars with rather simple mods. Worse yet DC continues to downgrade the platform. Since my early '01, they have taken away the chrome shifter, chrome exhaust tips, and downgraded the stereo. I am convinced they have done this to keep the 300 from competing directly with the entry-level Benz models of similar list prices (e.g. the C240). In reality the C-class is much smaller and should not be viewed as a direct competitor of our 300M's. If DC had any concept of the North American auto market they would see that the 300 and the C-class could both be successful in their own niches. I hope DC realizes the error of its ways and reforms its plans....or at least sells Chrysler off before it goes the way of Olds.

    Jon
  • easyrider300measyrider300m Member Posts: 1,116
    I prefer 8pm or else 10pm on Sundays or the other nights mentioned. But I am on the east coast. West coasters may disagree. The Sopranos are on at 9pm on Sundays and I cannot miss an episode. The wednesday chat time is fine at 10pm.

    I see the poll is pretty close. Not many have voted yet. Go here to vote: http://pub88.ezboard.com/f300menthusiastsclubfrm3.showMessage?topicID=48.topic Lets see how it turns out in another week. This sunday at 9pm is fine as the Sopranos dont start till the following Sunday.

    BadaBing
    EasyRider300M
  • 99_300m_ric_va99_300m_ric_va Member Posts: 377
    Easy, we chatted to about 10:45pm Eastern time, so you could have joined in on the fun at 10pm.
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    Where did you get the logo you put on the shifter? It looks like the one from the trunk, but it has to be smaller than that...

    I like the look and would consider doing that
  • blondablonda Member Posts: 542
    I finally finished reading all the posts I missed...was gone for a little over a week on vacation on Costa Rica. What a great place. I sure did notice that the Asian automakers have a corner on the market in that country. Especially Toyota and Hyundai. Lots of vehicles branded with different names. Did see a couple Dodge Rams and their "highway patrol" drive Chevy Cavaliers. Lots of narrow, twisty roads and hills, and rain. Couldn't help but think that if the M were a little smaller, it would be great on those roads (except you'd need real sturdy wheels for the potholes).
  • blondablonda Member Posts: 542
    Too funny. I'm a former BofA (the original) employee. Worked there for 9 years when the NB merger took place and my job moved to N. Carolina as did most--so I'm in a completely different industry now. When I was reading the posts about the MB/DC merger I couldn't help but compare those CEO's to Coulter and Hugh. Coulter made at lot of $$ on the deal too, but I still think Hugh was (is) the bigger slime.
  • videoman1videoman1 Member Posts: 201
    I remember there was one guy here that ordered the chrome intake from Treptech. Did he ever receive it? If so, how good is it and was it worth it?

    For those who don't know what I'm talking about, check out www.treptech.com to see a photo. Their site basically doesn't do anything right now, but at least they now got two photos up there.

    -vman
  • glennbpglennbp Member Posts: 327
    I've tried to follow this over the past couple of months and I believe it's a dead issue now. The folks at PPG didn't get enough orders, but then said they would go ahead but didn't, and now to the best of my knowledge have not produced any. If anyone has more info on this let us know!
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    videoman1-

    Congratulations, but you sure are brave to treat the 300 that way. Aren't you afraid something might break?

    fastdriver
  • 300michael300michael Member Posts: 1,815
    The logo is from the pins that the Club sent out. I purchased 12 from one guy in Australia a year ago (he no longer has any) I broke one trying to make the pictured one, as they do not like to bend. I have an extra chrome, and some leather shifters so I may try to make a few different styles to sell on Ebay.
  • videoman1videoman1 Member Posts: 201
    First of all, thanks for the congrats. It was lots of fun driving against some big hitters.

    >> brave to treat the 300M that way. Aren't you afraid something might break? >>

    What's there to break in a 1/4 mile run that wouldn't break during normal driving? OK, so I hit close to the red line twice in 16 seconds. If that would cause a breakdown in the engine or tranny, I really wouldn't want to own the car in the first place.

    From stories I've heard, many people here and on the Enthusiasts club forum run their Ms much harder than I do every day with no problems at all. And others treat theirs like a baby and the tranny sensors go out. So anything can happen at any time unless you don't do the proper maintenance which I do.

    Also, I pretty much drive like a regular guy with a regular car every day. Sure, sometimes I drop it into 2nd to pass someone, but that's what it's there for. Also, I have an extended warranty to cover me for a while.

    -vman
  • jab02lhsjab02lhs Member Posts: 122
    That's why we pay close to 2 grand for extended warranties. Most Mopars are bought for performance first looks second.
    Get your money's worth, run it hard and fast.
    Let the factory worry about building it better or pay the cost for re building it.
    What fun are 250 horses if you don't let em run wild.
    If we break them enough times maybe Chrysler will build them stronger.
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    videoman1-

    " Also, I have an extended warranty to cover me for a while."

    Ah.... that's the secret.

    jab02lhs-

    "If we break them enough times maybe Chrysler will build them stronger."

    LOL... KEY word- MAYBE!

    Good luck to both of you. I never drove Christine like that for fear that I'd have to see those "5-STARS" more than I did!

    fastdriver
  • cmyers300mcmyers300m Member Posts: 206
    I was the one that ordered a Treptech intake. To this day I have not received one. I called PPG about 3 weeks ago, I talked to the guy I ordered it from back in June. He said they lost most of the orders due to people backing out and some people's credit cards not going through. He was supposed to email me within 2 weeks to give a status and he never did. I still have a standing order (over 2 months now). I guess I'll have to call once again and see what's up. I'll keep everyone posted. At this point I'm not being optimistic about ever receiving this.
  • mrl859mrl859 Member Posts: 168
    I learned a little more about the TSB for the new amplifier. The bulletin addresses distortion and buzz in the speakers, NOT sound quality. It discusses the polarity of the wiring (mine were reversed), the buzzing of the grilles (two of mine do), and then ultimately replacing the amp. I'm hoping the amp is not tuned to reduce bass. I have been told by the dealer that I will have the option to reinstall the old amp if the sound quality is worse. I had initially misunderstood the bulletin to address genral poor sound quality, which it does not seem to. I'm currently working on obtaining the actual bulletin. Sigh.
  • lflowerslflowers Member Posts: 155
    Well, I'm finally taking the plunge! My M will have a Hujo-type dual exhaust system installed on Thursday. I cleared the final hurdle today, when I had the new bumper cover cutout done at a local independent body shop. They did a nice job, too!
    My system will use the DynoMax mufflers.
    By way of an update, I finished my contract job in Petaluma, California about 3 weeks ago, and I'm now back home in Texas, drawing unemployment and looking for my next contract job (I know it will be out of town - no hi tech jobs in the Dallas area right now!). Current posibilities I'm waiting to hear from include jobs in the Chicago area, Seattle, and Los Alamos, New Mexico.
    Lynn Flowers
    McKinney, Texas
  • ajpiiiajpiii Member Posts: 260
    Hi guys...

    I was wondering if anyone had purchased one of these computer upgrades for their M ?

    Ive been in contact with them recently, and for a cost of $349.00 you can ship them your computer, they will upgrade it and send it back to you...

    They say you will get 10-15 Hp depending on your application (93 Octane only), they will change the rev limiter, and speed limiter (if you sign a release form), and it will shorten the duration of gear shifts by not reducing the HP during shifts, resulting in quicker, firmer shifts...

    Sounds good to me, especially from a reputable company... Heck, they even have a picture of a test 300M in their literature... Although I asked for before/after dyno charts and they said they only had them for the stratus 2.7... Bummer... Then they said they could only raise the speed limiter to 135Mph because Chrysler said thats as high as they could go... :( I kinda wanted to go at least 140 so I could outrun my friend's v6 honda accord.... Anyone know for sure what the top speed is for a PHP 300M ? Is it possible that they really max out at 135 ?
  • mrl859mrl859 Member Posts: 168
    Someone posted on the EZBOARD site that he had the new AD amp installed and it made it 100% better. Hope lives on!
  • splattsplatt Member Posts: 328
    Well, the guy Video raced with had the ace chip (which I believe is very similar, though they remove the limiter entirely) and his times were actually slower on the 1/4 mi. So don't know if it will really help. However, the top speed is certainly not 135. There's a guy in the enthusiasts board who lives in germany who regularly hits 140+ and I believe someone who used to post here maxed at about 148 or so...
  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    Thinking of everyone on this 9/11 . Just wanted to say this Canadian stands with you all the way . God Bless the USA


    image

  • ottowrkrottowrkr Member Posts: 778
    The fall Chrysler Car show in the Brampton Assembly plants west parking lot is this Sun. Sept 13, from 9 am till 3 pm. Anyone close should check it out , they get about 250 plus cars showing up . It costs 2 $ to get in .
  • fastdriverfastdriver Member Posts: 2,273
    ottowrkr-

    Thanks. Thinking of you too today!

    fastdriver
  • silverbullet4silverbullet4 Member Posts: 449
    Thanks, Otto. God bless America and Canada, one of the two real friends we have among nations.

    Silver
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