[CruisinDad]

A quick follow up...
Did two things Saturday... changed oil and filter and changed spark plug and wire.

The oil change. Took about 30 minutes. I found the filter tucked up out of the way right by the drain plug at the back of the oil pan. Actualy quite a thoughtful design. The bottom of the car is pretty smooth... good for air flow. Having the filter right next to the drain plug, as mentioned, really simplifies the drain process.

The biggest hassle is actually putting oil into the engine. On all the other cars I've ever owned pouring oil directly from a quart bottle was never an issue. On the PT I won't even try. The oil fill is recessed down a bit and to try and pour directly from the bottle would guarantee an oily mess all over... at leat for my old hands. A funnel is difinately needed. As I didn't have one handy I followed quicksilverdon's suggestion but I used an empty quart oil bottle instead (that's what I had available) and worked like a charm.

A note on jacking up the car. I used a floor jack (didn't have acess to ramps) and used the jacking spots right behind the front wheels as instructed in the owners manual. But then where to put the jack stands?? I used 6x6 1/2 inch ply blocks on the jack stand and supported the car about 12 inches inboard from the jack points resting the car on what I would call the subframe. That's right behind where the suspension bolts to the body. Worked fine with no adverse affect on the car.

NOTE: Make sure the parking brake is on and the rear wheels are shocked/blocked well.

In changing the splugs and wires... I also changed out the air filter and found it helpful to lift air airfilter lid up at the same time I suspended the air intake with a bungee cord.... simple. What I found with the plugs was that they were OE Champions. Adequate but not the best. What I did notice though is that they were all gapped at .55 inch. That is .15 above spec.

When I got things all back togeter (about 1.5 hours total effort) I went for a drive and checked for oil leak from filter or plug... all was clean. What I did notice was that the car "came alive". More responsive to the accelerator and a smoother idle. Undoubtfuly a result of changing out the spark plug wires along with the plugs. Well worth the effort. Rounded things of with a good washing and shinning. Clean autos that run slick and smooth are so enjoyable.