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Dodge SRT 4


Jokur

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Been looking for a new, better, nicer car now that I have a good job. Trying to get out of my dump of a car, 96 vw passat. Too many things go wrong with it, parts are expensive, and it's just not reliable. Wondering if anyone knows much about the Dodge SRT 4. Sure my car payments would be more, and would have to run 91 octane, but I'm willing to pay that to have such a nicer car. But I am just wondering if it will be more reliable or if it will require just as much maintenance as my current vw.

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I have a friend who has an SRT4. It sounds amazing for starters...

 

He also has the stage 2 turbo, an upgraded intercooler, forged pistons and heads, hi-flow catback exhaust, and exedy clutch. Now he's running right around 300 horsepower.

 

I would say go for it. They're such nice cars.

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NO KIDDING ON THE SOUND. Omg, from the rear... deep... soooo deep and mean... from the front, hearing the nice beautiful blow off valve...

 

does your friend have turbo toys on it? those look like fun :) I bet that car is hella sweet! You should ask him how reliable it is and any pro's / cons!

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IMO, it's just like a video game. a good starter car, man. It's the sexier car of dodge. besides the viper, but i don't think yer gonna buy that, especially any time soon, if you can't afford the parts for VW. But yea, the srt-4 is a good car. Good speed for a stock, too.

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Its a pretty good car. I mean, its a Daimler. They're usually oretty easy to keep up on.

 

I wouldn't say its great on gas like a neon should be. He' maybe running around the 26 mile area on the highway. Plus he fills up full for about $60 here in TX. But look at it this way: the SRT4 can be stupid fast. You're not buying a stupid fast car for the gas mileage right?

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I don't know the first thing about cars, but why would you have to use 91?

 

***VERY LONG POST ALERT***

 

91 Octane is required due to the turbocharger... the more boost you run, the higher octane you will need, since the srt4 runs low boost from the factory, only 91 is required.... (lucky you)

 

The Higher octane is needed to combat detonation (knock) Knock is when the fuel is compressed and detonates without the help of the spark plug due to such a high temperature from being compressed... (which means when its not suposed to detonate)

 

This causes major damage to the pistons, piston rings, valves, etc. and will quickly kill your engine and cost you thousands.

 

The first thing you should do when you buy a forced induction vehicle is to join the forums for that vehicle, and research research research.... And buy a scan tool... this hooks up to a laptop computer and into your car's computer and tells you everything thats going on with your engine, including the level of knock...the One I use called Datamaster...

 

If you don't mind a bit of upkeep, then a forced induction whip should suit you fine...

 

I have to shell out for 93 octane for the Typhoon (im not explaining what it is for the 1,000,000th time go to syty.net) since I'm running 15-20lbs of boost.... To combat this, some people install an alcohol injection system to cool the intake temperatures so that they can run higher boost with lower octane gas (its mostly used to run really high boost without having to shell out over 8 dollars a gallon for race gas) The 93 Octane Requirement SUCKS! I'm shelling out 4 dollars a gallon in NJ, which is rediculous... Im mentioning NJ because we have the cheapest gas prices I think in the US.... I know the residents of CA are shelling out much more for 93 octane... and I feel their pain... so sometimes forced induction isnt the way to go (especially in todays society)

 

However, the turbo helps with the gas mileage, unless you're running high boost, then you're cutting the mileage in half or even less (look up turbochargers on howstuffworks.com)

 

An SRT-4 is a great reliable daily driver, for a great price, and they are quick for their price range, if thats what you're looking for... if you're in fact looking for a "road warrior" there are many better options for that price range.... It all depends on your personal preference... Are you solely looking for a 4 cylinder? or would you consider a 6? A sleeper 87 buick GN would crap all over an srt 4 stock versus stock, and it costs less if you're into that kind of car, however you lose reliability and you cant beat on it because its a VERY rare classic car. Or if you're looking at something in the import world, try looking at some Evos and WRX's, they seem to be abundant so you can probably get one for a good price used.... however Evo's have some of the worst reliability...EVER......(sorry evo owners)

 

I know you're looking to get out of your Vdub, but I have a few friends with some very quick and reliable volkswagens...plus most of them go for around 15,000 so they're affordable...

 

SRT4 is a good bang for your buck, but then again I can't help you out too much unless I know what your preference is... I mean if you want a street beast and dont care about anything other than having a fast car, then you can get a mustang cobra... you'll be one of the fastest cars in your area, except youll be guzzzling thousands of dollars worth of gas, and breaking down at every intersection...

 

Remember, any car can become a 10 second car... and any car can become a show car... so get something that YOU like and something that YOU enjoy... and be realistic... a 10 second 4 cylinder is much harder to make than a 10 second 8 or 10 cylinder....there's no replacement for displacement....and if you get that bigger engine, you're gunna pay for it...especially with todays gas problems... but that just talking speed... if youre talking reliability and gas mileage, get a civic like everyone else.... or build a SMART Diablo to have great gas mileage and still beat a ferarri.... (youtube that, its sick) or get a bike.... Yamaha R6's seem to be popular...Not many cars on the road that are in the reach of normal people can touch that...

 

ok I'll shut up now....lol I'll be able to help you further if you tell us more of what you're looking for...

 

ok rant's over, sorry if this doesnt help you at all.... :P

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Or if you're looking at something in the import world, try looking at some Evos and WRX's, they seem to be abundant so you can probably get one for a good price used.... however Evo's have some of the worst reliability...EVER......(sorry evo owners)

 

Go EVO!!!

 

 

http://www.carpw.com/pictures/mitsubishi/L...on_8_2003_1.jpg

 

(don't actually own one, but would like to)

 

 

from what i have heard, the SRT-4 are okay cars, but they do require more money than say, a '99 neon without the turbo. this should be obvious.

as for how reliable it is, i can't say. i don't know he has had any problems with it, but he just got it in the past 6 months. until it survives a minnesota winter i don't really know what maintenance it will need and how often.

 

you should get a new camaro. they look pretty awesome, or the new shelby GT500KR. it gets 540 hp with a 5.4 liter supercharged v-8. thats a lot of money for gas each week

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I've looked into wrx's for the awd, and the ok speed, but a srt 4 is easily much quicker. The WRX would be a very good match up to purchase though. Drivin it up snowboarding would be cool. However, with the inverted 4 cyl boxter engine... very expensive to work on, and so are all the parts :( thats the only reason I am not looking into one. If I find one for around 10 grand, it could maybe sway me, but not sure. My neighbor has a WRX, and says they are good cars if you have the money. I could always slap on a bigger turbo and whatnot to make the wrx quicker.

 

 

Still not sure! Drove an 04 srt 4 today, it had a replaced rack and clutch though. Not broken in at all, so it was a weird drive. I will say that it was FAST, squeeled thru 1st and 2nd! i love it when the dealership ppl dont ride with you :)

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Ii love it when the dealership ppl dont ride with you :)

 

X2 The Typhoon test drive was VERY entertaining.... The 15lb AWD Boost Launch sold me on this truck. 0-60 in 5sec. and a quarter in the mid 13's isnt too shabby for a stock 1993 GMC Truck lol and no one ever sees it coming, total sleeper.

 

If you're dead set on the SRT-4 go ahead and get it, just make sure you join a reliable SRT4 forum and research and learn nonstop for months and months, trust me, for a forced induction vehicle, you're gunna have to... and try to get a clean one, not one that has a rebuilt this or that or one that shows signs of it being beat on... obvious ones include "drive it like you stole it" decals, and un-obvious ones are the condition of the shifter if its a manual, if its all worn out and messed up it may be telling you that the previous owner liked to slam gears.... check the tires to see if there are any signs of crazy burnouts on the treads, it'l look shredded and stuff...

 

I had a checklist to follow for my Typhoon, of course your SRT4 is way different, being a 4 cylinder car and not a 6 cylinder heavy metal brick....I'll link you the checklist so you can just get some ideas on what to look for... Checklist LINK Numbers 1-8 should help you since they are kind of universal... everything else is kind of Typhoon/Syclone specific.

 

One smart thing that you are doing is dealing with a dealership... you can get warranties and stuff through them. If you deal with a private seller, they can easily omit information that they dont want you to know, and then disappear after your purchase. I made my purchase through a private seller, however he was very honest and had documentation for everything major that was done to the truck. A good thing to do is run a Carfax on the Vin, it usually finds problems with the car or informs you of a perfectly clean title...its not 100% perfect, but a hell of a lot better than not knowing anything at all...

 

btw.... uhm what color srt4 are looking to get? lol

White on White FTW! When it's all shined up and glossy, necks will break when you drive by, especially at night....it gotta be a true white though, not a pearl one like on the cadillacs...

Like this example...(yea thats the ty)2556633612_bbc7d7f902.jpg

 

They also look good in Red or Black....

 

:P while ur at it get some reflective SRT4 badges for night time intimidation...

2364811201_844f67484b.jpg

 

 

And for a finishing touch, a GSC decal...Thats a whole other story though, you'll see on the forum soon.

Good luck with your purchase!

 

 

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the SRT4 is a hell of a car to have, consider that i dont like any american car, it easily outmatches the neon, it has different tranny, exhaust, intake and a bunch of other features such as a turbocharger which leads to get about 220 to 240 hp. i think it wont be a good deal on gas since it requires much more gas money since you neEd higher octane fuel, but overall the car has won many prices. it sounds pretty nice, altho i dont know if the parts are cheap since this car has a lot of factory mods, dependin on the package!

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check for any c 30's around here, and nothin! They look ok, but I'm guessing volvo parts would be just as expensive as vw's, if not more haha. I am opening up more to wrx's, but I'm still hesitant to even drive one lol.

 

Yeah, the SRT 4 gets slightly better milage than my passat does, i'm assuming. But the higher octane will obviously make it more expensive per fill up. That is a speed bump, but it's not stopping me.

 

And I am still a little new to cars in general so some newb questions about the SRT 4 I drove. The steering 'stuck' when I was turning a couple of times, and was quite difficult to turn. The dealership said they just barely replaced the rack and pinion not three days before and that it still needs to be broken in. How much would it get broken into? Easy as whip cream to turn? like stock? or will there always be a noticable difference?

and the clutch. IDK if it was just me but I did pick my car up 30 minutes before the test drive and my car just got a new clutch too, so I was just barely getting used to that. They said that the clutch on the srt4 was new and would need to be broken in also. I thought stock/oem clutch's dont need to be broken in? Do they? And how much would it change from the point it is at now?

 

The car also had a rebuilt title from a front end crash, 6 months ago. If I got a trustworthy mechanic to check it out, it wouldn't be that much of a deal, right?

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dude if you arent a mechanic dont buy a car that has a rebuilt title, why you ask? in a crash it could have a damage chassis which fuks up your whole ride! the clutch and rack its total bullshit, salesmen dont fukin know how mechanics in a car work!!

 

the clutch has to be broken, this means you have to get used to it, it will feel different (or its harder to push, or it comes out pretty fast) but just for the first 150 or so miles, after that it should feel normal or it has to be ajusted and that goes for the steering problem, if it pulls or its just hard to turn do not buy that car man, it could be from a rack problem to a chassis problem, to an alignment problem to an a tie rod fuck up, dude bottom line from an ex-racer and a civic enthusiasm, if your up to getting your hands dirty and invest on the car after you buy it then go for it, if you dont want any kinda problems then stay away from crashed cars and any rebuilt title vehicle, it takes to much damn work and it'll give you headaches!

 

take this picture to learn a little bit!

 

 

steering-rack.jpg

 

steering-power-rack.jpg

 

let me know if i can help in anything else, i can even talk to my buddies who own this car and have actually gotten to work on their performance parts!

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Yeah, after reading up a bit, I'm not gonna get a dirty car. Clean title, stock (or very few minor mods) and I want it to drive perfect to me. The one problem with that, is i'm going to have to wait for the perfect candidate... waiting sucks! lol but I guess it gives me more time to start saving up and get ahead on money :)

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civic si is a fukin good car, a little expensive tho, and the si changes the mileage per gallon a lot!

 

waiting = best fukin choice, while you wait do a lot of research on possible cars you want man, dont narrow it to just 2 models, get 4 so you can be constantly lookin for the perfect deal for u!

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well F*$%!!!! I can't get the loan. :( I can get a smaller loan however. And I need to get out of my car ASAP, so I can't really save up for a bigger down payment for an srt 4 :(

 

Any input on a Nissan Sentra SE R Spec V? I just want a good handling car, good gas milage, with a little go in it :D

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I'd say any Nissan or Honda would be a great car to just have fun in. If anything, you should consider a new Civic coupe....non-SI. You get around like 180bhp, you can go up to 38 on the highway, and the insurance wouldn't kill you either. Plus I think you're pretty killer looking cars.

 

I think since Honda USA revamped the VTEC system for the new SI's, they really killed the car. I think the only reason someone would buy the SI model is because of the VTEC badge. You're going to pay about an extra $5000 for less miles per gallon methinks.

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I'd say any Nissan or Honda would be a great car to just have fun in. If anything, you should consider a new Civic coupe....non-SI. You get around like 180bhp, you can go up to 38 on the highway, and the insurance wouldn't kill you either. Plus I think you're pretty killer looking cars.

 

I think since Honda USA revamped the VTEC system for the new SI's, they really killed the car. I think the only reason someone would buy the SI model is because of the VTEC badge. You're going to pay about an extra $5000 for less miles per gallon methinks.

 

 

nissan or honda are good on gas. parts are cheap. and it doesn't take a lot of money to make em FAST.

Honda is by far my fav....

but that is just my opinion

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  • 3 months later...
  • 10 months later...
I have a friend who has an SRT4. It sounds amazing for starters...

 

He also has the stage 2 turbo, an upgraded intercooler, forged pistons and heads, hi-flow catback exhaust, and exedy clutch. Now he's running right around 300 horsepower.

 

I would say go for it. They're such nice cars.

 

no such thing as a "stage 2 turbo"

 

 

the stage 2 kit came with bigger injectors, different mapped computer....just saying

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