Dodge SRT-4: SportCompactCar of the year

If you guys are claiming that the srt-4 is a groundbreaker in the buck to performance category, I'll admit, its pretty decent... but I do have a question.:confused:

Why not just buy a 2000-02 camaro for like 10-15 grand, and put a procharger and intercooler on it? Then for the same price or less of the srt-4 you would have 540 91-octane-daily-driver-horsepower, and would not just be able to take out the local hondas, but also any lamborghini, porsche, ferrari, or other supercar on the road:cool:. At 3300 lbs and 540 hp, the car would be putting down 11s any day wearing anything, and 10s with some mickey thompsons out back:eek:. Just a thought... :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by MCO
If you guys are claiming that the srt-4 is a groundbreaker in the buck to performance category, I'll admit, its pretty decent... but I do have a question.:confused:

Why not just buy a 2000-02 camaro for like 10-15 grand, and put a procharger and intercooler on it? Then for the same price or less of the srt-4 you would have 540 91-octane-daily-driver-horsepower, and would not just be able to take out the local hondas, but also any lamborghini, porsche, ferrari, or other supercar on the road:cool:. At 3300 lbs and 540 hp, the car would be putting down 11s any day wearing anything, and 10s with some mickey thompsons out back:eek:. Just a thought... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

For one, the insurance is alot higher for a RWD, 325 hp, 160 mph Camaro. Plus, the SRT4 is a little more driver friendly than the Camaro, getting better gas milage, and having more space. Dont get me wrong, if the Camaro had better gas milage, I'd get that over the SRT4 in a heartbeat. Im a pretty big Camaro fan myself...
 
Originally posted by Lt.Doomsday
i meant the "quailty/workmanship" of the car and so forth.i know the motor is a mistu
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Do yourself a favor. When you have no idea what you're talking about, don't talk.
 
Damn neon_duke....That's no way for a mod to be talking to an Active member...Arn't mods supposed to be friendly, not complete asses? I mean
Do yourself a favor. When you have no idea what you're talking about, don't talk.
Click to expand...

was that necessary?
 
Originally posted by Shinez0nceAgain
Damn neon_duke....That's no way for a mod to be talking to an Active member...Arn't mods supposed to be friendly, not complete asses? I mean was that necessary?
Click to expand...
Yes, it was necessary. It was good advice.

Need I remind you you've had your chances on this forum? Don't spam.
 
Ok, back to our favorite subject, the SRT-4. After I got the 17x7 ADRs put on, I ordered the strut tower bar from Howell Automotive. It's a single tube, one-piece design. Mine is silver, and it blends right in with the rest of the engine compartment. Took all of 5 minutes to install, and I did notice the difference.

Next came the Eibach Pro Kit springs, Energy Suspension rear end link kit, and new 225/45 Kumho 712s. Yes the car handles now like it's on the proverbial rails, but wow is it stiff. Much more sensitive to little ripples in the pavement and such. I can't imagine how stiff the car would be with springs that lowered it even more than the Eibachs (1.5" front, 1.8" rear). For everyday street use, those Pro Kit springs would be about as drastic as I'd go.

As for modding a V-8 Camaro, on paper that might make sense from a drag-racing perspective. But from what I remember, a lot of those RWD V-8 powered cars like that handle like pigs. When I was in high school, I drove a 1969 Pontiac GTO, 400 cubic inch small block, Muncie 4-speed trans, 3 two-barrel carb intake system off a '66 389 tri-power, Lakewood ladder bars, etc. Yeah that car was fast in a straight line, but wallowed like a ship going around corners.
 
Well, with a little work, Camaro's and Mustangs are pretty good corner carvers. I would have gotton a 99 Z28, but the thing that detured me was the gas milage (and a few other things). I plan on getting a Camaro in after I get settled down in my own house and get my career started...

[EDIT] Hey, you got the Eibach's too :). We are going to do some skidpad testing sometime next week and see what we get...
 
Grassroots Motorsports tested an SRT with the basic Ma Mopar upgrades, and they loved it. They also named the SRT one of the 20 most significant automotive things, people, and events of 2003.
 
i driven the Srt-4..... Its nice for a drag car.... but nothing else..... the car has a wierd feeling.... but it is nice for a drag car..... i tried it on one corner..... freaking understeer...... it cant turn... but it was good for a guy who want to drag race......... but i dont think that it is that great that it won sport compact of the year...
 
Drift Project -

Are you kidding? The SRT-4 totally deserved the accolades it's received from the magazines, including Sport Compact Car, which tends to get a chubbie for all things imported. Maybe you're not comfortable with the fact that an American car soundly beat the imports in it's class? And by class, I'm talking MazdaSpeed Protege, Ford Focus SVT, Civic Si, Sentra SE-R, Mini Cooper S, etc., not WRX, STi, or EVO VIII.

In another magazine comparison, the SRT-4 pretty much owned the others in the test, except for the slalom. And who leaves a car like that unmodded anyway? With the Eibach springs, rear end link kit, and front/rear strut tower bars I have on my SRT-4 (total cost about $400), I'd be willing to bet its slalom numbers would be right up there with the other cars that had higher speeds thru the cones. I will admit that the front/rear weight balance on the SRT-4 is off compared to the others, but that's nothing a sack of cement in the trunk couldn't cure!

The SRT-4 is much more than a drag car. I have a blast driving mine thru the twisties around here. I'm not into 1/4 mile times and all that. I'm more into road courses and how the car handles in the canyons and such. Like I tell people who just don't get Italian motorcycles, and how Japanese motorcycles are faster, cheaper, easier to maintain, etc: I could teach a monkey to drive in a straight line, but throw some curves in the mix and you'll separate the men from the boys.

Like my Italian motorcycles, the SRT-4 has character, something that's sorely lacking in most US-spec products from Japan. And fortunately for me and other SRT owners, not only can it "talk the talk", it's got the power and handling to "walk the walk".
 
Walked into my local Doge dealership a few days ago and walked out with a 2004 silver SRT. I was so impressed with it that I took the long way home and smiled all the way. This thing is such a blast to drive that I actually look forward to going to work in the morning! Here in Texas, "real men" are supposed to drive trucks. To that I say, "Eat my dust cowBOY!"
 
Yeah, I know I misspelled "Dodge", (found out Saddam had been captured), but I can't misspell the "FUN" in this car! Best $20,650 I've spent, and I'm a former Mustang GT owner...:P
 
:confused: :confused:

Not to change the subject, but has anybody had any experience with aftermarket "oil catch cans" for a SRT (or ANY turbo, for that matter)? I've seen ads for these and they make it seem like a "must need" item for a turbo...any advice would be appreciated!


:confused:
 
Did I detect a hint of jealousy? No? Then maybe envy? No? OK, I get it, you just got smoked by a $20,000 AMERICAN CAR!!!

:banghead:

Aother question for the SRT experts: Can you combine an anti-sway bar on the rear with a "tower bar" on the front w/o any adverse effects, or will it make the handling too "stiff"?:confused:

Thanks:P

PS-MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 
I believe the SRT-4s already come stock with front and rear anti-sway bars. I added the AF/X one-piece non-adjustable front strut tower bar, and had one pretty similar to the AF/X front STB custom-made for use as a rear STB (but with thicker mounting plates and square rod for the crossbar instead of round). Combined with the Eibach Pro Kit lowering springs, the car handles on the proberbial rails, but is MUCH stiffer. After I installed the springs, the ride was so much harsher than stock I was contemplating going back to the stock springs. But as the Eibachs settled in, they loosened up a bit, and the ride wasn't as harsh. It's still stiff, and with the front and rear STBs the car doesn't have as much chassis flex or body roll as before, but the compromise is a much stiffer ride.
 
Thanks for the input Robert. I guess I'll just try a front STB and see if I can live with the difference. I'll spend the rest of my Christmas bonus replacing the stock air filter and tinting the windows...it gets darn HOT here in San Antonio in the summer and the SRT's big windows magnify even the winter sun!

Have a good new year!

Jim
 
You can't say one car is better than another, every car has its strong points and arguing over it is pointless. I, personally, would take a nice 240, 300, or 350Z over some neon anyday but to each his own.
 
Yeah, I agree, but I would take a Dodge Viper over any Nissan product in a heartbeat...I HAVE owned a couple of Nissan products, and they were pretty good, they got me back and forth from work everyday, and isn't that the REAL reason we buy a car/truck? (All bragging rights aside)

Still, For 20 grand, the SRT-4 is CHEAP THRILLS!!
Plus it's faster than the Honda 750 motorcycle I used
to own, not to mention 1064% safer. No helmet required!

Where is everybody gonna run and hide when the Dodge
SRT-10 Pickup comes out in a few months?

Have a Happy New Year!

Jim
 
Hi Folks,
Check out the cool SRT-4 "Mattel Hotwheels" I came across!
 

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:D
Nice looking set of wheels ya got there Robert...mine is silver as well. My heart said to go "red", but the silver is a neutral color and goes with just about any other color you want to put on.

I've been looking at those stb's from Howell Automotive...was it as easy to put on as it looks?

Jim
 
Jim -

I liked the silver because it was the least-likely "Fast and Furious" color out there in the SRT-4. The front STB was a snap to install, and seems to clear everything. If you do get one, make sure to use some fiber washers so the retaining nuts don't scratch the paint on the STB. Also, don't over-torque them when tightening them back down. You really don't want to strip those strut bolts! I like the AF/X STB design in that it's one-piece and non-adjustable. I think that type of STB is much stiffer than those three-piece adjustable ones. Less places for the STB to flex.

If you're going to upgrade the wheels on your SRT-4, you'll have to take into account not only the offset, but the actual design of the wheel itself. You need at least an inch between where the wheel bolts to the hub, and the backside of any kind of wheel design, in order to clear that front brake caliper. Wheels that have a design that arch outward from the center hub, like the ADRs I have on mine, have a much better chance of clearing the brake caliper than those that don't. If you go to ADRs website and look, you'll get an idea of what I mean. My first choice in the Sokudo 10s was with the black spokes, but the place only had silver. I think they turned out okay...

Enjoy your SRT!
 
:cheers:

Happy New Year Robert,

Personally, I think you did right with the silver wheels, but then I'm a "bling-bling" type person...(maybe THAT'S why I collect silver dollars!).

If you don't mind me asking, how much did it cost for your rear stb? I think you mentioned it was custom made?

Also, in your opinion, what's the single most cost effective (dollar/hp gained) add-on for the SRT?

Thanks for your time,

Jim
 
Jim -

I had a second rear STB custom-made for another SRT-4 owner who lived out in Pennsylvania. It cost him $93 for the STB, shipping, and handling. The actual bar itself was something like $65, the rest being packaging and shipping costs from the mail center (went FedEx ground, coast to coast). I've had a few other inquiries about getting more of these made, but I'm overseas right now and it'll have to wait until I get back home.

Regarding the best mod for the money, that's a hard one. Looking back on what I've done to my car so far, I'd probably say it would be replacing the stock paper air filter with the Uni one, and running that cold air/ram air hose from the stock airbox inlet down to where the left driving light used to be. The Uni filter was something like $24, and the 3" aluminum flex ducting was $5. The AF/X front STB was over $100, the rear STB is close to $100, the springs/rear link kit + installation was $400, new rims+tires around $800, etc. So for the money, I think the Uni filter and cold air hose was the best value.
 

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