My Impressions Neon SRT-4

[Sorry_Officer]

Well my buddy has had his Neon SRT-4 for about 2 weeks now and I figured I would give everyone the low down.

It is a normal Neon SRT-4, non-stage package. I drove it last Saturday for the first time and I think....it's ok. Through 1st and 2nd gear it pulls like any other 14 second car. It's real strength is between 65 to 100. It is pretty stout up top and could hold it's own. Launching is a bitch, it reminds me of launching my buddies Integra Type-R at 5-6k.

We also took it out to my uncles airplane strip (20' wide and 1/2 mile long) and got some legal private property racing done.

1st 02' WRX Wagon (Stock Except AEM Short-Ram) vs. SRT-4 (Stock)....

First let me say, a good launch in the WRX with all-wheel drive puts an easy 2-car lengths on the SRT-4 from the get go and the SRT-4 cannot catch up. So, note to self and everyone else, SRT's suck from a launch.

14.8 Second GAGT vs. SRT-4....

From launch I catch him for an immediate 1 1/2 car length consistantly. And he does not make it up very well. At 80mph he is at my rear bumper and at 100-105ish he is almost door to door. My guess is even with the best driver a stock SRT-4 could not pass my car until around 87-90mph on the street.

So there you have it, any other SRT related questions??

[VTECSiGAH8R]

2003 or 2004? 2004's have LSD which would make the launches much easier and consistent.

[Sorry_Officer]

Originally Posted by VTECSiGAH8R

2003 or 2004? 2004's have LSD which would make the launches much easier and consistent.

I think 2004, but it maybe a left over 03'. Not sure, good question.

[AMRAAM4]

Originally Posted by Sorry_Officer

1st 02' WRX Wagon (Stock Except AEM Short-Ram) vs. SRT-4 (Stock)....

First let me say, a good launch in the WRX with all-wheel drive puts an easy 2-car lengths on the SRT-4 from the get go and the SRT-4 cannot catch up. So, note to self and everyone else, SRT's suck from a launch.

14.8 Second GAGT vs. SRT-4....

From launch I catch him for an immediate 1 1/2 car length consistantly. And he does not make it up very well. At 80mph he is at my rear bumper and at 100-105ish he is almost door to door. My guess is even with the best driver a stock SRT-4 could not pass my car until around 87-90mph on the street.

So there you have it, any other SRT related questions??

There really isn't another car beside a Skyline or a car equipped with a professional driver that is going to take an AWD WRX or Evo off the line.

As for the SRT-4 verse your car....something was wrong, because that isn't an accurate representation of a race. The car stock will consistantly take you by a second with a good driver. It has been proven time and time over.

[n43210]

yea im thinking the srt-4 will take a grand am anytime of the week.

[UNCTYPE-S]

dont those things run 13sec stock. how did that thing not kill you.

[Sorry_Officer]

Originally Posted by AMRAAM4

As for the SRT-4 verse your car....something was wrong, because that isn't an accurate representation of a race. The car stock will consistantly take you by a second with a good driver. It has been proven time and time over.

Nope. That car no matter who drove it could not get up to me until 95 to 100mph or more sometimes. I even drove it and he drove my car and I could not pull on my own car until higher up. I was really surprised.

You also have to take into consideration, I get better traction at the airstrip then I do at the track for 1/4 mile times, I also have brand spanking new T1-S's. His G-Tech (inaccurate it may be) had my car pinned at 14.43's to 14.49's. His best was a 14.29 but usually he ran 14.4's. The cars were dead nuts in 1/4 times, but when it came to racing I outran him through 1st and 2nd, Halfway through 3rd and then he made his comeback. But off the line it proved to be a better launch advantage for me time and time again, and he could never make up the difference until late.

I need Digi-Cam with video. You guys would have loved the action at the airstrip....

BTW, my GF's WRX takes me pretty good from a launch. Not as bad as the SRT, but it gets it advantage and keeps it pretty damn good. But on a poor launch the WRX is history to pretty much anything that runs 14's.

[n43210]

what mods do u have to ur car?

[Sorry_Officer]

Originally Posted by n43210

what mods do u have to ur car?

CAI, 62mm Throttle Body, Ported & Polished UIM/LIM, Heads (Custom), Borla Exhaust, Water Pump Underdrive Pulley, 180 Thermostat, DHP Custom Dynotune, AFPR....best official time at GAP 03' 14.8 in the 1/4.

There is more little piddly crap but way too much to list.

[n43210]

impressive list for a grand am but i still am puzzled as to how you won. well i guess had srt-4 to the owned list

[Sorry_Officer]

Originally Posted by n43210

impressive list for a grand am but i still am puzzled as to how you won. well i guess had srt-4 to the owned list

Puzzled, the SRT-4 sucks from a launch. From a roll it's tough as nails, but from a stop it is very vunerable. I saw him race a white GAGT on hwy 100 last wednesday and even a GAGT with stock exhaust ran door to door with him on the street.

[n43210]

looks like ill be messin with them srt's at a stop then

[VTECSiGAH8R]

After reading this thread....take you damn friend back to the Dodge dealer with his SRT-4 and tell them to give him a new one because his is busted if it loses that bad on the launch that he can't catch up until like mid 3rd gear. These cars trap over 100 mph in the 1/4 stock and his can't even pull until past 100?

[AMRAAM4]

Originally Posted by VTECSiGAH8R

After reading this thread....take you damn friend back to the Dodge dealer with his SRT-4 and tell them to give him a new one because his is busted if it loses that bad on the launch that he can't catch up until like mid 3rd gear. These cars trap over 100 mph in the 1/4 stock and his can't even pull until past 100?

I agree, something is wrong with his car or the people driving it. S_O's car is fast for a GAGT, but 14.8 is nothing and the SRT-4 will take it easily. Like VTech said, these cars are trapping around 100, a GAGT is high 80's low 90's....what's the problem here? Not to mention many people are awing at the SRT-4 from all realms, this thread makes it sound like the Grand Am community has some weird shot against them

[Sorry_Officer]

Originally Posted by AMRAAM4

I agree, something is wrong with his car or the people driving it. S_O's car is fast for a GAGT, but 14.8 is nothing and the SRT-4 will take it easily. Like VTech said, these cars are trapping around 100, a GAGT is high 80's low 90's....what's the problem here? Not to mention many people are awing at the SRT-4 from all realms, this thread makes it sound like the Grand Am community has some weird shot against them

Maybe it's the driver? I drove it once against my own car and the same thing happened though. Maybe you need to launch that car differently.

I am also not saying any GAGT has a shot against them, but from what I have seen from my buddies SRT-4 those cars are not invinsible stock. I even drove the thing for about 30 minutes and I was not entirely impressed with it.

I think the reason they trap so high is because they are really strong from 65 to 100mph plus. Down low they just do not do anything special.

I bet ya his 1/8 mile at the strip is worse or comparable to my 1/8 mile. But after that it is a different story.

[GregFarz78]

04 SRTs are running 13.9s and that magazine racing you know it can be lower, they said the main difference was the 03 had trouble putting down power and the 04 came with lsd and 15 more HP which improved it a lot. I'd still take a wrx over an srt though.

[PontiacGT2K]

Wow....big surprise here....srt-4's really are glorified neons.

After driving a buddies '04 SRT-4....I have to say the same. It launches like crap, doesn't pull as hard as one would expect, and handles like crap. It does pull hard top end, and I'm sure it can be easily modified, but bah, just a neon.

[VTECSiGAH8R]

Originally Posted by PontiacGT2K

Wow....big surprise here....srt-4's really are glorified neons.

After driving a buddies '04 SRT-4....I have to say the same. It launches like crap, doesn't pull as hard as one would expect, and handles like crap. It does pull hard top end, and I'm sure it can be easily modified, but bah, just a neon.

A lot of people have been wrecking it too driving it on the highway. Everyone claims it is because the ass end is so high up and the rear suspension is ****ty. Heh, I think it's just all the 16 yr olds driving them.

[teambeechstreet]

Originally Posted by GregFarz78

04 SRTs are running 13.9s and that magazine racing you know it can be lower

My friend just recently went to the raceways in Sacramento and taped a stock SRT-4 run against her friend's turbo civic. The SRT-4 ran a 13.8 and the turbo civic ran a 13.9. Then she recorded a stock S2000 vs the same SRT-4 and the SRT-4 ran a 13.7 and the S2000 also ran a 13.9.

[VTECSiGAH8R]

On SRT-forums there is an '04 that I'm pretty sure is stock at 13.6. Not too shabby, but that's somewhat pushing their stock ability.