Chrysler 300M

mikeyjohn · July 2001

I just took a run to my local Ziebart store and got caught in a hail storm, I tried to find a bridge to duck under or a car wash with no luck. The Ziebart staff said it was not a hard hail, but some was the size of a quarter. My M is now wet and dirty, I can't see any damage yet, but will have to check it out after it dries. We had one go through here a few years ago and the damage to cars and houses was in the millions. I hope my baby came through OK. It sounded like an artillary barrage coming in, with a sinking feeling that there is nothing you can do. My Ziebart
store gave me a price of $179.00 for the invisable bra, and $79.00 for the lights. It's the 3M stuff.
They claim it takes about 3-4 hrs. to install.

bigmike5 · July 2001

That would be about the same price I paid if you are in Canadian dollars vs. US dollars. The Stongard site will show a diagram of what parts their product covers. The Ziebart dealers have a book that show the same thing. At Stongard you can go all the way or half way depending on what you want, but as I said earlier, they run high, like the expel price circa $350-400. Too much.

kenvan · July 2001

Hi, I've only had it on 2 months, but it says it's supposed to last 5 years+ with no yellowing, hazing, etc. It's made of 3m ScotchCal, like all the other ones out there.

sdmike2 · July 2001

Here is the informational document that Dean sent me. It's a big file, around 300k.

Gear Set Information

I also asked dean about group or club discounts. I'll let everyone know.

-M

scotian · July 2001

I've had mine for a year and it's as good as the day I installed it, minus expected wear and tear -- which reminds me to tell you all to have it professionally installed or at least have someone help you.

When it gets dusty the outline is apparent, otherwise it is not at all noticable. It will get dinged up over time which appears as little white spots or speckles (visible on dark colored cars), but that's better than paint chips.

kenvan · July 2001

One kit has the hood and front fender tip pieces, One has the whole front fascia which covers the areas you describe. I bought both for $174 including shipping. There are several paint protection film sites out there, and most have pictures, but I don't remember what colors the cars were. Since it is perfectly clear, it shouldn't show up on silver at all. In fact, it should be even better on silver since you would not easily be able to see the transition line no matter how hard you look. When my car gets dirty, it gets dirty right along with it, no difference at all. It's not more or less noticeable. As for weathering, I'm hoping that with Zaino and its UV blockers, the paint won't weather much. I guess it's a toss up between paint chips or what it might look like later. Probably the same problem you run into with a leather bra and weathering, except for the paint damage the leather can do. If I notice a difference in paint quality between the covered and oncovered areas, I can always take it off...

mikeyjohn · July 2001

Yes, that's in Cdn bucks, so is not a bad price. They will install it also for that price as I am a retired police officer and we, get a break on install, now if I can figure out how to beat the photo
radar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kenvan · July 2001

I installed my clear bra by myself, and it was very forgiving and easy. I wore surgical type gloves to prevent fingerprints, which helped a lot. They sent a very good video, and some test strips to practice with. Since you wet the film and float it on, you can slide it all around until you like the positioning. I even got a speck under it that I noticed after I had half the hood piece down. I just slowly pulled it back up, removed the speck and put it back down. I installed the light shields first, and they are thicker and easier to work with, so it was good practice. It was better than paying $200 to get it installed!

guesswho1 · July 2001

14 and a half ben franklins, for what? higher rpms, that would be fine for city driving but get it out on the highway and have 4th gear running above 3,000rpms no good! not good for gas mileage or interior resonance. but give it a try and let us know you can always change it back to stock. return policy?

sirharper · July 2001

I guess I have been infected hanging around here!! LOL I will put the Bosch Plugs in soon but didn't you guys have coil problems when you did it? I also have the Borla exhaust on order. I decided not to do the dual since I didn't want to cut the facia and I really don't want the added noise.

scotian · July 2001

I wouldn't pay $200 to get it installed, but that stringy bumper/fascia piece was a bear!

sirharper · July 2001

The best way to beat photo radar is to make it's usage illegal like we did in Ohio! Granted, we have enough Highway Partrol "Storm"Troopers to station at least one at every mile marker in the State, but they have to make their money somehow.

kenvan · July 2001

Yeah, you're right, it really would have been easier with someone else to hold the far edge of the fascia piece off of the ground. I drop it once and it got some grit/dog hair on it and I got mad, but I drenched it with the solution and it came clean. It was an experience...

mikeyjohn · July 2001

They made it illegal in several provinces, but here in Alberta they see the wisdom of having a cash cow,they justify it by saying that you don't lose points on your licence. I couldn't justify it when I was a police officer and I can't justify it now. The latest one is the red light cameras that they just set up in the last month. I might agree with them but not the roving cameras that they set up around the city. My last one cost me $60.00., and I was just over the limit. Don't get caught really speeding.

300michael · July 2001

You stated that you ordered the Borla system because it is quieter then the dual exhaust systems. I think you got it backwards. The Borla system is the noisyest system out there for the 300M. I will go one easy and, you will not have to cut out the rear fesha though.

300michael · July 2001

The idea of the thinner oil is it starts lubercating sooner, because it flow through the engine faster.

300michael · July 2001

I have my order in for the Bridestone Potenza A-03's they are the stock size 225/55 17's. The RE730's left too little room, and I didn't want to use spacers. Reading the articals in Tire Rack also helped.

300michael · July 2001

I received my order of blue, red, and purple light bulbs. The red ones in the backup section work great, but the blue bulbs turned the turn lights to green. The purple bulbs turned them an orange-red. I will rewire the turn indecators to go with the regular lights and the back up lights to go with the brake lights. I have some small 194 bulbs that I will try to install for the back up lights to keep them legal.

sdmike2 · July 2001

The best way to get the oil circulating faster is to get a higher performing oil filter. The Mobil1 did a good job of this.

-M

rogor2k · July 2001

How ya' coming on those mods? The Monterey Rendezvous is only 5 weeks away. Can you believe it?

rogor2k · July 2001

There was a funny story about these on the news a few months back. Seems a motorist received a ticket for running a red light, along with a photo of his car running the light.

The motorist (with a sense of humor) send in the ticket with a photo of a check made out for the amount of the ticket.

In a few days, he received a second ticket accompanied by a photo of handcuffs. The news story ended there.

sdmike2 · July 2001

A couple of people here that did their own plugs had some trouble getting out the little hex bolts that held the coil/covers on. Other than that there have been no problems. I paid my 5* $75 to put the plugs in for me, as I'm not one to spend much time messing with engines myself anymore.

-M

sdmike2 · July 2001

There is currently a raging battle down here in San Diego over the legality and accuracy of the intersection cameras. San Diego has turned them off until it's all resolved. Most of the battle centers on the profit motive instead of a public safety motive. The contractor that manages the devices, Lockheed Martin, gets 50% of all ticket revenues generated. Someone also discovered that a Lockheed technician moved one of the sensors without re-calibrating the camera, leading to questions about accuracy and motive again. If the goal is to make an intersection safer it might have backfired a bit. I find that when I enter one of those intersections on a green I fly through as fast as I can to avoid a possible problem. I also find that I SLAM on my brakes if the light turns yellow, not wanting to risk a ticket. I'm sure similar actions by others equally as paranoid of the cameras have resulted in quite a few rear-enders.

The worst camera is in a big intersection next to Fry's electronics....my second home. LOL. It was much less stress when I didn't have plates on Big Red.

-M

sdmike2 · July 2001

May you all have sunny days so you can zaino to your heart's content and drive around with the hole in the roof open.

-M

sdmike2 · July 2001

On July 31 a new topic will be added to town hall...."fanatical car behavior". We might all have something to add to that one. LOL

mikeyjohn · July 2001

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mikeyjohn · July 2001

I can see that being a court test case here because it's so new. I was going to say that a person should remove his rear plate, because we do not have front plates here. I have seen cars in Vegas with no plates, but we must have a plate unless you have an intransit sticker which is only good from one province to another within a short period of time.

fit2btide · July 2001

We bought a '99 300M just over a month ago. Only 14,000 miles on it. Last week, my wife wrecked it...not her fault, and she's okay, thank goodness. She swerved to miss a nut making a very wide turn on a narrow street and hit a low brick wall lining someone's yard. Other driver left the scene. Adjuster's still working with the estimate and we're waiting for repairs to start. Not pretty! The right front fender, lower front fascia, fog light, and drape under front are smashed. Couldn't tell if frame is damaged. Right front tire and wheel are damaged. My wife knows it was my pride and joy...it's sad. But, hey...I'm glad she's okay.

phases78 · July 2001

man i know how you feel, i wrecked my white M a couple weeks ago. got rear ended at a red light. thank goodness shes okay though!! i hope your M gets repaired quickly and back good as new, keep us posted!

sdmike2 · July 2001

Bummer man. Don't call it wrecked unless it's heading for the great M graveyard in the sky. Call it "crunched", it'll make you feel better. lol. Good luck with the repairs. Make sure they use genuine chrylser parts, and don't accept the car back unless you're 100% happy with it.

-M

300michael · July 2001

I know, I know. Beginning to wish the meet was a year away to do some more mods, but I guess I will have to wait until west coast meet part Dux. Actually my vacation starts in less than four weeks so I have even less time. Lets see finish the wiring of the switches, lights spoiler hood scoop plumbing, tires, and I know I probably left out a dozen others. But I will be there.

grunschev · July 2001

Here in Phoenix, the red light runner's capital of the world, many municipalities have the red light cameras. They seem to be adjusted so that if you enter the intersection on green or yellow you won't get nabbed. One evening I watched a line of cars turn left after the light changed -- the last two caused the strobes to fire. They were clearly illegal.

Some people put covers over their plates to try to prevent the camera from getting a good shot. Scottsdale will ticket you in some cases. Other people will hold a newspaper or clipboard over their faces when they go through so they can't be identified. Others just ignore the letters when they come in the mail.

Red light running is particularly dangerous here. The speed limit on most streets is 45. That means people generally go 50. Then they speed up to run the light, so you've got people going 60 through red lights with newspapers covering their faces. Oh, the horror!

Igor

spyboy · July 2001

Driving north on NJ Turnpike yesterday evening.
Saw scores of M's. Very popular car in northeast.
Nicest one was a pinstriped slate blue w/it's roof
covered in sandstone vinyl. Looked like a whole new
design! Moved up next to him and gave him a thumb's up.
Old guy (like me) just smiled.

Worst siting was an inferno red pulled over by NJ State Police.
Tsk...automotive profiling?
;-)

sirharper · July 2001

OK, I'm asking for opinions on the Borla exhaust system installed on M's. I placed my order yesterday it's not in the car yet so I still can back out. I was under the understanding that it would be quieter than a dual system. It the noise is bad I don't want to do it. I like some rumble sound, heck my Sebring Jxi had it why can't my M? If anybody can offer their opinions I would appreciate it! I know there has been at least 1 person here that has replaced their Borla already.

stevenw300 · July 2001

It is bright and sunny here - great Zaino weather. Thanks for the good wishes. Just hope I have enough energy to Zaino my M after the Zaino job on the wife's new Town and Country.

How many coats of Zaino does it take to make someone a fanatic? LOL

Have a great weekend.

stevenw300 · July 2001

Do you know if the dual exhausts that will be on the 300M Special will fit on my 99 300M? If so, I wonder how the stock duals on the Special compare to the Borla exhaust and some of the other dual mods that have been made.

Sirharper - this may be of interest to you unless you do not want to wait for the stock dual system on the Special.

ottowrkr · July 2001

I dont see why not,. the only diffrence in the Special exhaust is a two outlet rear mufler and a right side exhaust pipe. As for sound , I have know idea

rogor2k · July 2001

I haven't actually heard a Borla 300M. Most who have installed the Borla system report that it's pretty loud. There is also a lot of cabin resonance in the 2200 - 2600 RPM range. This is lessened by the addition of some small annular venturi tubes that have to be tack welded inside the pipes.

I have the Michael Hujo design duals and have been very happy it. The noise level is moderate and pleasant. The only scary part of the installation is cutting the right side notch in the fascia. The rest is easy and readily done by any decent muffler shop if you're not into doing it yourself.

silverbullet4 · July 2001

Just catching up with postings after a week trip to NYC. Dr. Pixel, AKA Glen Beye, was kind enough to give me a phone call and welcome me to NYC. Too bad I was working a long, long way from his workplace, so it wasn't possible to meet personally. I have to change ISP for my work PC cause I ran up a $290 LD bill since SW Bell has no local number to dialup in NY. After riding around in filthy taxis and subway cars, what a treat to sit in my M and smell the leather.

My BassLink from an EBay auction was shipped yesterday. I plan on installing it next weekend. I'm a little confused by the postings on the optimum placement. I like the convenience of placing it out of the way as shown in pictures on the Craig Campfield site.
Have a nice weekend. Silver

300mlover · July 2001

Sirharper-How much did the Borla end up costing you? Did you ask them to install the venturis for you?

StevenW300- Why would you want to buy the duals from DC? Could you even imagine what they would charge for that through parts! Call and ask about the cost of your current exhaust. It will blow your mind!

FYI- Talked to Borla last week and guess who is making the dual set up for the 300 special. Yep you guessed right. Borla! They are still testing it right now. Nothing definite yet, but it looks like it will be just like the current Borla catback system with a dual outlet muffler in the rear. They might even do it from the exhaust manifold back. Which would mean performance cats would be available!! My guy says he will keep me posted and let me know what comes of it.

stevenw300 · July 2001

Thanks for the quick answer. Hope you have a great weekend.

stevenw300 · July 2001

Thanks for the info. Sounds like you have a good point re: the cost from DC. But based on the news you got from Borla - it should be able to be purchased direct from them. Of course, I will still compare it to the Michael Hujo design that some of the owners seem very happy with. Please keep me posted with any additional info you get from Borla.

Once again - thanks alot and have a great weekend.

ottowrkr · July 2001

yeah ,you could go to a aftermarket exhaust and save $$$$ big money . Some parts the dealer sells are worth it ,but most basic parts are a lot cheaper from other auto parts dealers.

stevenw300-no prob, just going to have a few cold ones at the pool . you all enjoy your weekend. Come Monday we start building 2002's .

sdmike2 · July 2001

Hey Otto, think we could get a factory tour if any of us wanted to come up? One of the Prowler web sites has a whole series of pictures from when the factory welcomed the Prowler Club members with open arms and gave them the full tour. That would be cool.

sdmike2 · July 2001

Here is some information on exhausts for those that have questions:

1: Stock - The stock system uses three mufflers... A collector behind the cats, a resonator that sits sideways behind the gas tank, and a small muffler near the cutout with two tips sticking out of it. The exhaust goes from the 2 cats into the front collector, and then a single 3" stainless pipe runs back to the center resonator. The center resonator has a single pipe that runs to the final muffler, at which point it's split into dual tips. On the '01 those tips are chrome. This system is very quiet, but it's also very restrictive in terms of air flow.

2. Hugo Design - The "Hugo" design replaces the front collector and center resonator with high flow mufflers (Magnaflow, Rhino, Dynomax) and removes the rear muffler all together. The exhaust flows from the cats into the new collector (most have used the Dynomax), and then uses the stock intermediate pipe back to the new center resonator (magnaflow/rhino). The difference is that now their are two pipes from the center resonator, one to the existing cutout and one to a new cutout on the right side. Finish off the pipe with the tips of your choice. This system has a very nice growl to it. There is a small amount of resonation in the 2,000 - 2,400 RPM range, but I actually like it. This system allows much better air flow and some improved MPG. You can notice a performance difference immediately. The system is about $500 installed.

3. Borla - The Borla system essentially replaces the stock with high-flow components and leaves out the rear muffler. The exhaust exists the existing cutout (the benefit). The system isn't cheap, and it is reported to be louder than the Hugo system with more resonance in the 2,000-2,400 range. Borla has provided venturi tubes to fix this, but they have to be welded in.

4. Straight duals. - Instead of running the pipes from behind the cats into a collector, a couple of people here (Av, Phases) have run straight pipes from the cats back to one resonator muffler on each side, and then straight back to tips on both sides. This system is significantly louder than the others mentioned above, as there is only one muffler between the cats and the tips on each side.

Here is a link to my photo galleries, including my dual exhaust page, which has a diagram of the Hugo design that I used plus pictures of the install. Anyone else notice that Photopoint has been off line more than it's been on?

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1620463

jedi_knight · July 2001

When I was at the dealer picking up parts, one of the sales guys said the delivery date for the special had been pushed out to November. They were originally due to arrive in September. I had the PHG struts and springs installed yesterday, man what a difference they are over the H&R springs. The ride is firm and crisp with no rattles or bouncing! Think I'll go put some more Zaino on in warm (ok hot) sunny California.

Keith

sdmike2 · July 2001

I put another two coats of Zaino on big red today. 75 and sunny! I hope you were able to do something equally as satisfying on this fine weekend.

Hey! That guy with the inferno red M pulled over by the cop needs to realize that our cars look like they're going 10mph faster than they really are.

Be careful out there!

-M

jedi_knight · July 2001

Yes the Borla is louder than stock. It is very noticible @ 2000 to 2500 rpm which is the normal rpm range when on the high way. Is it annoying? I have gotten used to it but my wife still doesn't care for it. I did not get the venturies from Borla since they wanted to charge for them and that would have meant another trip to the muffler shop.

Keith

sdmike2 · July 2001

So you're a PHG owner now, huh? I drove both when I picked out my car in March and I have to say that PHG was clearly a must for me. Nothing like flying around a corner during the test drive and having the sales person say "whooo...damn this thing corners great!". lol

sdmike2 · July 2001

Hood of my car after today's Zaino treatment...

Chrysler 300M

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