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Car Forum / Dodge / Dodge Cars / June 20042004 SRT-4
I just purchased a 2004 SRT-4. Let me start off by saying this car truely flies. I had a 99 Mustang Cobra with Flowmaster exhausts and a S-Trim Vortech Supercharger. So I know fast and this little SRT-4 is FAST for a STOCK car. The only problem I am seeing is that on turns the cars seems to rattle a bit. Does anyone else notice this? Also, what can I do to make this car reall fly? Any Suggestions? > I just purchased a 2004 SRT-4. Let me start off by saying this car > truely flies. I had a 99 Mustang Cobra with Flowmaster exhausts and a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > a bit. Does anyone else notice this? Also, what can I do to make > this car reall fly? Any Suggestions? I have one of these and do not notice any rattle. The SRT-4 actually feels quite solid. (BTW: I come from a similar path as yourself ... I previously owned a 99 Mustang GT w/ Flowmasters ... prior to that I had a Corvette ... yes the SRT-4 is wicked fast even with my prior experiences ....) My current stable is a 97 Taurus SHO (owned since new), and this SRT-4. Anyway: Can you describe this rattle? > > I just purchased a 2004 SRT-4. Let me start off by saying this car > > truely flies. I had a 99 Mustang Cobra with Flowmaster exhausts and a [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Anyway: Can you describe this rattle? Thanks for the reply. When I am in a turn I hear a rattle of some sort. Now I brought and just picked it up and they told me that its the noise from the exhaust and it isn't rattle. I'm going to drive around the block a few times and see if that really is it. I might have had the new car jitters and just noticed something that wasn't really there. Seeing how you came from a car similar to mine and it seems to me you like fast cars. How do you feel when you drive the SRT-4. At first I didn't want to buy it because compared to the Cobra it really looks like a ladies car. But once you get in and turn it on. Just listening to the pipes sing and feeling the push on this car. The girl feeling goes away fast and you immediately start looking for the next person to race. >> Anyway: Can you describe this rattle? > > Thanks for the reply. When I am in a turn I hear a rattle of some > sort. Now I brought and just picked it up and they told me that its > the noise from the exhaust and it isn't rattle. The heatshield on my wife's SRT-4 rattles a bit, that's a known issue with these cars but it is a benign problem. > At first I > didn't want to buy it because compared to the Cobra it really looks > like a ladies car. In my household it *is* a ladies' car :) Regarding adding power, Mopar has three "Stage" turbo mods. Stage 1 is a computer mod and usually produced 240hp at the wheels. Stage 2, which is what the wife has on order, has a four-position boost control and seems to produce about 270fwhp on race gas. Stage 3 swaps the turbo out but it has not been released yet. Check out the "Tuner Transformation" TV show. With about $3K of mods they produced 345 fwhp. At that point your power-to-weight ratio is about the same as a chipped s/c SVT Cobra. www.srtforums.com is a good resource. > >> Anyway: Can you describe this rattle? > > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > www.srtforums.com is a good resource. Great info!!! Thank you. Tell your Wife she has a kick a.s car!!! :) > Seeing how you came from a car similar to mine and it seems to me you > like fast cars. How do you feel when you drive the SRT-4. At first I [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > girl feeling goes away fast and you immediately start looking for the > next person to race. I certainly don't feel that it looks like a ladies car, but I'll admit the look did take some getting used to. (Especially after coming from the extremes such as the Mustang and the far *far* more sedated and conservative SHO.) I was more concerned about (this is almost funny) looking like I was having a mid-life crisis. I had the means to buy a much more expensive car ... I looked at the Porche Boxter, the Suburu WRX-4, a Mercedes E-class (yeah, I was all over the road because I didn't NEED a car .. I just kinda wanted one.) In the end I felt that the SRT-4 had the best "bang for the buck" *by far*. I was tempted to hold out for the 2005 Mustang, but that had a few negatives: 1) First year run, 2) High gas & insurance cost ... The look of the car is growing on me. I don't think I'll EVER get used to the 10 foot wing in the back, but I'll learn to live with it. (I learned to live with the equally ill-conceived wing on my 97 SHO which has the appearance of a skateboard strapped to my trunk-lid). That said: driving the car is amazing. You feel like superman and there are very few Lex Luthur's out there. I've gotten tons of compliments on the car and have even been hit on by a few chicks. (Which is good for the ego, but I doubt my wife would let me bring home an 18 year old who's got the hots for my car ..) <GRIN> Anyway: Enjoy the ride. I hope you get that rattle worked out (or at least identify if it exists or not) > I had the means to buy a much more expensive car ... I looked at the > Porche Boxter, the Suburu WRX-4, a Mercedes E-class (yeah, I was all [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > learned to live with the equally ill-conceived wing on my 97 SHO which > has the appearance of a skateboard strapped to my trunk-lid). The look of the car turned me off to it. I own two Neon SXTs, an '03 and an '04, and the decision to stick with the SXT instead of the SRT-4 was a hard one, but made easier by that huge wing and all the holes up front, not to mention the huge wheels. Don't get me wrong, I love the SRT-4 performance, but I decided to go conservative. My cousin picked up an '04 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and it's one hell of a screamer. I'd be interested to see an Evo and a SRT-4 go at it. The Evo has the Neon beat in HP and Torque, but I think the Neon is lighter. Handling is close too, I think. Anyone raced an Evo yet? NG '04 Neon SXT, stick '03 Neon SXT, auto > My cousin picked up an '04 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and it's one hell of > a screamer. I'd be interested to see an Evo and a SRT-4 go at it. The Evo > has the Neon beat in HP and Torque, but I think the Neon is lighter. > Handling is close too, I think. Anyone raced an Evo yet? I haven't, but it would be a fun race. As for looks, in spite of your criticism of the SRT-4 (and I agree about the wing, although I like the wheels and the nose) ... the SRT-4 is *far* better looking than the Evo ... (IMHO) > As for looks, in spite of your criticism of the SRT-4 (and I agree about > the wing, although I like the wheels and the nose) ... the SRT-4 is > *far* better looking than the Evo ... (IMHO) Agreed. And there will most definately a crowd interested in them years down the road as we've seen with the Shelby Dodges and the GLH cars. I know he's worried about the resale on that car too. NG >> As for looks, in spite of your criticism of the SRT-4 (and I agree about >> the wing, although I like the wheels and the nose) ... the SRT-4 is [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > the road as we've seen with the Shelby Dodges and the GLH cars. I know he's > worried about the resale on that car too. With Mitsubishi trolling SCCA Regional website for owner names who are autocrossing and putting them under "warranty hold", while Mopar supports One Lap efforts and provides outstanding after-sales support, I think the SRT-4 will be the long-term resale winner. With the Cobalt SS, Ion Red Line, and rumors of a turbo Focus RS out there, this is like the early Seventies, viewed the wrong way through the peephole! > > Seeing how you came from a car similar to mine and it seems to me you > > like fast cars. How do you feel when you drive the SRT-4. At first I [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > the extremes such as the Mustang and the far *far* more sedated and > conservative SHO.) I wouldn't think it would take THAT much getting used to. It's like a conventional Neon, only it's on steroids. I guess I might have a bias, driving a 2000 Neon and all. > I was more concerned about (this is almost funny) looking like I was > having a mid-life crisis. Far too practical to be a mid-life crises. > I had the means to buy a much more expensive car ... I looked at the > Porche Boxter, the Suburu WRX-4, a Mercedes E-class (yeah, I was all [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > far*. I was tempted to hold out for the 2005 Mustang, but that had a > few negatives: 1) First year run, 2) High gas & insurance cost ... Certainly does win in bang for buck category. It might not be as "Refined" as the Japanese types would like, but when I took one out for a spin, I loved it. I still love that car, but I know it makes much more sense for me to drive a normal Neon. > The look of the car is growing on me. I don't think I'll EVER get used > to the 10 foot wing in the back, but I'll learn to live with it. (I > learned to live with the equally ill-conceived wing on my 97 SHO which > has the appearance of a skateboard strapped to my trunk-lid). That's supposed to be a wing? I thought there was a malfunction at the trunk-lid plant. The oval Taurus SHO wins the award for the ugliest / stupidest spoiler in existence. The normal Taurus spoiler from that era isn't nearly as bad. > That said: driving the car is amazing. You feel like superman and there > are very few Lex Luthur's out there. I've gotten tons of compliments on [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Anyway: Enjoy the ride. I hope you get that rattle worked out (or at > least identify if it exists or not) > The oval Taurus SHO wins the award for the ugliest / stupidest spoiler in > existence. The normal Taurus spoiler from that era isn't nearly as bad. True enough, although the truth of it is that the wings on any of these little toy cars is a joke. In fact the whole toy car scene is a joke.  SignatureIf you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Linux Registered User #327951 >>The oval Taurus SHO wins the award for the ugliest / stupidest spoiler in >>existence. The normal Taurus spoiler from that era isn't nearly as bad. > > True enough, although the truth of it is that the wings on any of these > little toy cars is a joke. In fact the whole toy car scene is a joke. Define "toy car" ... are you referring to Fords? >>>The oval Taurus SHO wins the award for the ugliest / stupidest spoiler in >>>existence. The normal Taurus spoiler from that era isn't nearly as bad. >> True enough, although the truth of it is that the wings on any of these >> little toy cars is a joke. In fact the whole toy car scene is a joke. > Define "toy car" ... are you referring to Fords? No, I'm referring to any little car commonly seen these days, which has a "spoiler" on the back. Makes it look like a toy, and serves no valid purpose. Usually accompanied by a large diameter (and loud) muffler/tailpipe, and "ground effect" plastic moldings in the front/back. SignatureIf you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Linux Registered User #327951 > >>>The oval Taurus SHO wins the award for the ugliest / stupidest spoiler in > >>>existence. The normal Taurus spoiler from that era isn't nearly as bad. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > purpose. Usually accompanied by a large diameter (and loud) > muffler/tailpipe, and "ground effect" plastic moldings in the front/back. While I don't particularly care for spoilers, not all are after market on rice pretend performance cars. I also wouldn't call the SRT-4 a toy car, nor would I necessarily call the SHO one either. >> No, I'm referring to any little car commonly seen these days, which has a >> "spoiler" on the back. Makes it look like a toy, and serves no valid >> purpose. Usually accompanied by a large diameter (and loud) >> muffler/tailpipe, and "ground effect" plastic moldings in the front/back. > While I don't particularly care for spoilers, not all are after market on > rice pretend performance cars. While that may be true, they do all have one thing in common: lack of purpose. > I also wouldn't call the SRT-4 a toy car, nor would I necessarily call > the SHO one either. Well, I would. SignatureIf you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Linux Registered User #327951 >>>No, I'm referring to any little car commonly seen these days, which has a >>>"spoiler" on the back. Makes it look like a toy, and serves no valid [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Well, I would. Any car with a top speed of 140+ has the speed whereas a spoiler *could* actually affect performance. (I doubt that is the case on either of the two cars in question) but it's not unreasonable. For example: They had to have a recall on teh Audi TT in it's early days to actually ADD a spoiler. (Recall # 99V300000) The car would become unstable during high-speed abrupt driving without it. And no ... I wouldn't call either car a "toy" car. > >>>No, I'm referring to any little car commonly seen these days, which has a > >>>"spoiler" on the back. Makes it look like a toy, and serves no valid [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > actually affect performance. (I doubt that is the case on either of the > two cars in question) but it's not unreasonable. Nothing like pushing down the back of a front wheel drive car when at speed. Though I doubt the spoiler has any function in the SHO. I also wonder what the purpose of a spoiler is on so called "sport" edition minivans. > Nothing like pushing down the back of a front wheel drive car when at speed. > > Though I doubt the spoiler has any function in the SHO. > > I also wonder what the purpose of a spoiler is on so called "sport" edition > minivans. With the light rear end of a FWD car it makes a TON Of sense to push the back end down. (Unless you want the back end to come around on you in a sharp turn.) The spoiler on the mini-van might be for two things: 1) Clean the back window from dirt-build up. (Depending on the angle) 2) Reduce drag somewhat. (Not that I can see how this would be overtly effective.) > > Nothing like pushing down the back of a front wheel drive car when at speed. > > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > The spoiler on the mini-van might be for two things: > 1) Clean the back window from dirt-build up. (Depending on the angle) I've seen such devices on school busses. It didn't seem particularly effective. Plus vans tend to have rear wipers / washers. > 2) Reduce drag somewhat. (Not that I can see how this would be overtly > effective.) You mean there is no chance it's there just for looks? >>>Nothing like pushing down the back of a front wheel drive car when at > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > You mean there is no chance it's there just for looks? OF course! I'd even say that there is only a SLIM chance that it's there for the other reasons that I mentioned! >> While that may be true, they do all have one thing in common: lack of >> purpose. > > Any car with a top speed of 140+ has the speed whereas a spoiler *could* > actually affect performance. (I doubt that is the case on either of the > two cars in question) but it's not unreasonable. The SRT-4 could actually use a little *more* downforce in back. A lot of us are experiencing ABS glide at the faster tracks. During trail braking, one of the rear wheels locks because there isn't enough weight on it. The ABS is not set up to recognize a 135-150-to-zero lock like that on one wheel so it simply modulates *all the brakes*. The idea that a FWD car doesn't need any wing on the back, even on longer tracks, has no currency. For drag racing and street driving, it may not be necessary, but come out to Nelson Ledges or Mid-Ohio and see if you don't wish you had more aero. And a lot of these "toy cars" will surprise you. Does anyone really think a 340 AAR 'Cuda would make it around a road course faster than an SRT-4, given the era-appropriate suspension and tires? The fact that some neighbor kid's weed-whacker Civic with a homemade exhaust and park-bench rear wing doesn't mean the SRT-4 is slow. Some of the Stage 2 cars are already hitting mid-twelves on DOT drag radials. I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... Do you hear it constantly in a turn? Is this on any turn? or only on a full (wheel locked in one direction) turn? Where (approximately) is the sound coming from? The steering column? Under the hood? > I just purchased a 2004 SRT-4. Let me start off by saying this car > truely flies. I had a 99 Mustang Cobra with Flowmaster exhausts and a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > a bit. Does anyone else notice this? Also, what can I do to make > this car reall fly? Any Suggestions? > I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > a bit. Does anyone else notice this? Also, what can I do to make > > this car reall fly? Any Suggestions? Guy, Thanks for all the info. The rattle was the plastic guard they put on under the front of the car. I removed it and everything seems to be fine now. Driven... I agree with you on the mid life crisis thing. I felt the same way. This car's looks does take some getting used to, but you forget about the looks once you get in and hit the gas. This car flies.... Plus with the Mopar stage turbo upgrades it can really fly. I have checked into upgrades on the engine such as the Mopar 3 stage upgrades. They have a ton of stuff you can add to this car and it when finished yu will still be $5k under the WRX STi. I love it!!! Thanks for all you input. >>I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > when finished yu will still be $5k under the WRX STi. I love it!!! > Thanks for all you input. Besides the looks, I'm getting used to the "sports car" feel of it. I got too spoiled in my SHO where it's more like a luxury car inside. (PLENTY of room.) In the SRT I squeeze in over the bolster and settle in. Of course once you are in you feel like you are sitting in a Viper. VERY nice. (It's like getting new shoes, you gotta get to the point where they finally feel like yours while you hate to part with the old ones ...) <-- Does that make any sense. :-) I think I'm going to look at a stage 2 sometime later this year or early next year. Engine power is like crack ... very addicting. <SMILE> > In the SRT I squeeze in over the bolster and settle > in. Of course once you are in you feel like you are sitting in a Viper. Until you crank it up, and hear the "roar" of that little 4-banger, of course. LOL! > Engine power is like crack ... very addicting. Indeed it is! You should try it in a car with an engine! SignatureIf you're not on the edge, you're taking up too much space. Linux Registered User #327951 >> In the SRT I squeeze in over the bolster and settle >> in. Of course once you are in you feel like you are sitting in a Viper. I drove an '00 Viper GTS from Lauderdale to Knoxville. I recently sold SR4's and frankly, more or less the same seats (but with cloth) though it never gave me the remote feeling of sitting in a Viper. I'd have to lay them way back, stick a huge hood out front, dull the dash down a bit with, say, a Dodge 400 ashtray (standard Viper fare), and put a baseball sized gear shift ball on the tranny. I rather like the Ferrari 308/328 sized aluminum one on the SR4-T a lot better. Even dealer trading a few SR4's never gave me the remote feeling of being in a Viper, but the seats are about the same.. <grin> >Until you crank it up, and hear the "roar" of that little 4-banger, of >course. LOL! Given that the SR doesn't sound like a normal 4 at all and that it actually DOES have a bit of a roar too it... hehe. Welcome to the first US production car in a long time that doesn't have any mufflers. It reminds me more of the paddoc at Sebring than it does of a stock street car. >> Engine power is like crack ... very addicting. >Indeed it is! You should try it in a car with an engine! Good point.. That GTS had no problem breaking the rear end out at over 85mph on the way back up here.. Poor Mustang Cobra thought his 390hp was good.... Turns out it was only adequate.. <grin> >>I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... >> [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > when finished yu will still be $5k under the WRX STi. I love it!!! > Thanks for all you input. The plastic gaurd? Are you referring to the black air-dam-like piece? If so, you should probably put it back on... It comes from the factory with it in the trunk. The dealer is supposed to install it. I guess your dealer did a poor job. From what I understand, it's supposed to help hold back air in front of the car, thus building high-pressure in front of the car, and low pressure behind the grill. This forces more air through the intercooler and radiator... > >>I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... > >> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > of the car, and low pressure behind the grill. This forces more air > through the intercooler and radiator... Yes, that is it. Well sh.t. I will have them put that on immediately. I am very interested in the Mopar upgrades. Where can I find out more about them? > > >>I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... > > >> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > I am very interested in the Mopar upgrades. Where can I find out more about them? I went and had them put that part back on my car. No more rattle. Thanks for the input. I also went a little crazy while I was there. I bought the turbo upgrades to stage 2 including the turbo toys. I also purchased the Cat-Back Exhaust. Does anyone have any info on the blow off valve conversion kit? > I bought the turbo upgrades to stage 2 including the turbo toys. I > also purchased the Cat-Back Exhaust. Does anyone have any info on the > blow off valve conversion kit? We are still waiting on our Stage 2 kit, hasn't been delivered yet. We have the Mopar BOV. It is *loud*. >>>>I don't hear a rattle either... I've got an '04 as well.... >>>> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > I am very interested in the Mopar upgrades. Where can I find out more about them? Sorry for the late response.... Here is the best place for information.. www.srtforums.com I'm ken830 over there... |
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