We have a 2000 300-M Chrysler which has been well maintained and still runs very well despite having 150,000 miles on it. My wife thinks it will become a “classic” someday since no more are being made.
I’m not sure about that, but I’m thinking about keeping it and having the motor rebuilt when that time comes. What would be the approximate cost to have this done and it is worth doing?
Please Give The Approximate Date The Engine Will Need A Rebuild And The Rate Of Inflation For Each Year From Now Until Then. Thank You.
Do you want us to figure new rings, pistons, main and crank bearings, oil pump, etcetera, or just replace the necessary parts?
CSA
The cost will depend entirely on the market and the overall condition “when that time comes”.
You can probably get a reference by googling “rebuilt engines-long block”. “Short block” purchases are for guys that plan to add their own hand-picked heads. Putting high mileage heads on a rebuilt short block is just plain dumb.
The car is running fine now, but let’s assume that it will need a new motor in two years in 2010. Can you give me the cost of both options: replacing necessary parts and replacing with new rings,pistons, main bearing, oil pump etc?
Many thanks.
P. S. Is my wife’s idea of it becoming a “classic” reasonable?
If the car is actually well maintained, you will likely not need to rebuild the engine for the useful life of the car. There are people who post on this site who have (or have had) cars with anywhere from 300,000 to 700,000 miles on them, with the original powertrain having never been disassembled. Unless the engine is making strange noises, smoking a lot, using a lot of oil, etc, don’t worry about rebuilding it anytime soon. You may never have to. Just be sure you do your timing belt/water pump changes as scheduled, as well as other basic maintenance and it will last.
I wouldn’t count on a 300M becoming a classic or collectible car. It’s basically a run of the mill sedan, and they made a lot of them. They don’t make Pontiacs anymore, but I don’t think my sister’s 2002 Grand Am is a future collectible. If you want a potential future collectible, try a limited production, high performance car, like a Dodge Viper or special edition Corvette. If you rarely see one and a lot of people want one, the odds of it becoming classic or collectible are better.
Even if the 300M became a classic, yours would not be worth much to a collector. You have about 145,000 too many miles on it. It will also take 20 years or more to achieve classic status as all the others but yours are crushed for scrap.
It will likely cost somewhere in the 1,500 to 3,500 range, depending on who rebuilds it, and the extent of the rebuild and the quality of the rebuild parts.
But as long as you properly maintain this engine (3.5, right?), it ought to keep going indefinitely. These are good motors. I have almost 250,000 on mine and I’ve never driven it gently. If you’re going to keep it though, I’d budget in a transmission rebuild in the next 50,000 miles or so if it’s never been done.
It will not be a “classic” in terms of appreciating in value. The miles you’ve driven so far also rule out the car become valuable in the future.
If you like the car and want to keep it, that’s fine. Keep it maintained and budget more for repairs as the age of the car increases. Repairs become more frequent and more expensive as parts age and wear out.
The rationale for keeping the car is it meets your needs, is cheaper to pay for repairs than a monthly payment on a new car, and cheaper to insure… The rationale does not include keeping it because it will be a classic someday.
I wuld have to agree with others that, if the engine is maintained well, it will outlast the rest of the car. Chrysler products do not have the longevity of many other cars. In other words, many other componets, especially the transmission, totalling much more than the engine will bite the dust first.
As for it becomimg a classic,your wife has the wrong definiton of a classic. Just going out of production, like the Olds Alero, AMC Pacer (Wayne’s World), and the Pontiac Aztek, is not enough to make it a classic. To be a classic the car has to be unique in some way, either for its very high performance, extremely unique and well thought out styling, technological breakthrough or like the original Mustang extreme popularity as an new niche product. It’s up to you to decide if any of these apply to your 300.