HEMI Wagon: Pictures!

"JGrabowMSt" (jgrabowmst) 05/30/2014 at 21:45 • Filed to: HEMIWAGON

2

8

not much, but I finally got to a cruise night that wasnt rained out...there was some rain, but not enough to deter most people.

dSLR pics when I get the time, and really clean it properly..

A couple of the more interesting cars tonight...

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JGrabowMSt 05/30/2014 at 22:05

0

So how tough were the plugs? I have the 300C, and am getting ready to do the same thing. I have to get the driveway re-sealed before I can do it, but it's coming up soon. TB was horrible, I am going to have to look into a catch can, I think.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JGrabowMSt 05/30/2014 at 22:07

0

I love these.

JGrabowMSt > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits 05/30/2014 at 22:15

0

The plugs were an honest walk in the park. I used a Craftsman spark plug socket, and I had two separate 3" extensions for a 3/4" wrench. Some people say to use a single 5" one, but the two separate 3" ones made it a lot easier. I had to do it before and after work, so I would say it would have taken me about an hour to an hour and a half to get all out and all back in at once. I also did it after the car sat overnight, and was stone cold.

My throttle body was pretty bad, which is what prompted me to get the catch can. Glad I got it, but I need to get new tubing for it, because it's just not tough enough. I also had to put in a new PCV valve. I think I'm going to stop at NAPA and get some fuel line tomorrow, and I'll swap the lines at the evening show I'm going to (one in the morning, one at night, busy day tomorrow).

What year is your 300C? If it's 06+, then the only difference is the coil packs in terms of what you need to deal with for a plug change. I went with Bosch Platinum OE's, which run fine, certainly no loss of power that I notice, and all 16 were only $58 with a small tube of anti-seize.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JGrabowMSt 05/30/2014 at 22:25

0

Probably the same then, mine is an `07. I think I even got the same plugs, although I went for the big tub of Antiseize. It was like $8 dollars for the next 7 years worth or get packeted to death every time I need some. I figure I will use it on wheel lugs, everything else... It also makes a great prank if you shoot a little into someone door lock. Not that I would know.

JGrabowMSt > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits 05/30/2014 at 22:39

0

Mine is an 05, I have the older coil pack that had the squid on top of the engine. Your 07 will be much easier. You take two bolts off the coil pack (10mm I believe), and just pull it off. Then two plugs per cylinder, 8 cylinders, and you're done. Beats paying a dealer like, $300+ for the same job.

I do like the 300C and nearly caved for one, but the wagon popped up at just the right time for me. Maybe if I'm ever in the market for a sedan, I'll go for the 300C.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JGrabowMSt 05/30/2014 at 23:46

0

I was kind of the inverse of that... I had always had a soft spot for the Magnum and couldn't find one. I do still love the look of the 300 though. And damn, you don't quite realize how huge these things are until it's time to wash and wax. It's actually wider across the back seat than an Explorer. I can put 3 car seats across the back and still have room to buckle them easily, while my friends Explorer they really have to get forced a bit.

JGrabowMSt > Jeff-God-of-Biscuits 05/31/2014 at 00:31

0

Well, I wanted the Magnum pretty bad. I wasn't originally looking for one, but I just got it stuck in my head, and just had to have one. I was looking at Audi A4s, and XC70's, and other european cars, but the problems I had was that I couldn't find one that was in good shape, or I couldn't find one in my price range. After I learned as much as I could about the LX platform, I was pretty much sold on it. I'll freely admit, I would have loved to have a GM product, as I love Chevy's offerings, but the CTS wagon (even the non -V) was just way too far out of my budget, and there aren't any other wagons in their lineup that fit any of my wants. I wanted something that was more powerful, but I didn't want the power to be the downfall of the car.

After some searching, I found two potential candidates on craigslist, and ended up going with the one that responded to my email. I was pretty set with the price and the condition even before I test drove it. It wasn't pristine, but it was a great starting point. I've only done basic work on it as well. If it came down to it, I could flip the car for a profit easily compared to what I paid, but I'm really happy with the car, and would rather not. It's really big, and larger than most cars I've driven, so I'm getting used to where/how it sits on the road, but it's not a bad ride.

There's always the mixed buyers remorse and honeymoon period with the car, I could have gotten something else, but then I drive it again, and I like how it drives, and with the CAI, I love the sound when I get on it, but even more, I like how it'll get quiet again puddling around town. It needs a bit of work, but even at the cruise night tonight, I had two people talk to me about it, and one older couple said to never get rid of it, and another guy had questions about the older HEMI vs his new Durango RT. It's certainly different, but best of all, it brings out wagon lovers. I had a few people take pictures of it and one father with his daughter up on his shoulders wanted a picture next to it. It just means it does stand out, just like the original did. To be honest though, I wish it had more in common. The name is really badass, but it's like the Charger. It's redesigned for the current market, so the name got a bit diluted. That's not saying I would want a massive two door T-Top, I definitely want the wagon, and it's not saying I know a better name for it, because Magnum is a great name for it, but it's something that'll always stump me. Just like the Shaker hood package on the new Scat Packs....it isn't connected with the CAI, so all it technically does is cool the plenum....

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > JGrabowMSt 05/31/2014 at 22:38

0

Man I do like those stripes. I can't really think of many cars these days that could rock quite as well. As for the 300, I was replacing a car, so I didn't have a lot of time to search. The wife also thinks that anything American is a piece of shit, so... I kinda had to strike quick. In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best choice: I wanted a `Bahn buster that would eat highways. I probably should have taken an older Lexus 400. I still would have had the V8, and they had build quality and reliability in spades. But they weren't American made, didn't have the AWD... Etc, Etc...

Did the plugs this afternoon, and it was pretty easy. Not hurrying, with interruptions, it took around 2 1/2 hours. Another thing that helped was having 2 torque wrenches (one set for plugs, the other for the coil packs) and a 24" extension. The big extension was really helpful on the front cylinders.