well...yes they are already stainguarded....i just knew a guy who does it locally and he did it as a favor so i watched him do it for peace of mind.


just one thing i want to warn you of the SRT.....i used to also think that long island winter wasnt too bad...maybe 4-5 storms a year.

but honestly....I used to have an 04 cobra as a daily driver and i couldnt use it at ALL in the winter time. the cold weather alone is enough to lose traction alot...as well as rain. i needed something i could drive all the time in all weather. good thing i still had my z06 as a weekend car. driving the cobra everyday was fun....but 450 tq at the wheel in the cold months is no good for you...you have to drive very easy....dont plan on going ***** to the wall in cold weather....lots of torque and low profile tires make a deadly combo.

I wanted to be close to the SRT-10 in looks and performance tho...so i got the Laramie QC with AWD and all the bells and whistles....added SRT-10 rear spoiler....nice custom pinstripping....srt-10 push button start...a nice sound system....and some nice go fast goodies that i dont have enough room to list aside from the intake and exhaust.

you will be happy with the hemi all year long....but if you NEED a truck in the winter....you WONT be happy with 2WD and low profile tires on the SRT-10......only as good as a sports car. might as well get a sports car instead of a 5k pound truck that has no use in the elements!!

 

You mean they don't make 22" knobbys?? Great advice and It has given me pause to think about how well the streets here are plowed each year.
See folks? This is good stuff! I'm learn-ding!


"Me fail english? That's unpossible!"

 

i wonder what would happen if you put 17's on a srt-10.... :O

 

go for the SRT it has all the "GO FAST" goodies on it and they are under warranty try doing all of those mods every one else mentioned and you are going to be spending big bucks getyting your truck to run right sure parts and installation cost under 10K but tuning it all to work right is going to cost a lot more

 

I faced the same question when I was buying my Ram. I opted for the Daytona. Much better price and with the hemi if you plan to go off road you'll like it better.

The Daytona was almost $20K less. The only difference is the engine.

-G-

 

And the suspension. I don't know about the quads but the std cab SRT-10 has an awesome setup in the rear.

 

the SRT-10 quad cab would be my choice. can carry 4 people, tow 7500 lbs, and run the 1/4 mile in 13.7. i dont believe any sports car can say all that. motor trend just did a test on the quad cab a while back, maybe you can find it on there site. either way id buy the SRT. just my $.02.

 

only difference is the engine???

How about leather seats, much better sound system, better body kit, nicer gauges, the "hood" that everyone else spends 600 bucks on, the 22" wheels and Pirelli tires (worth about 1200 each wheel/tire), better suspension, MUCH better brakes, the of course an 8.3L V-10.

Daytona looks cheap to me...esp on the inside...but that just my opinion.

 

Here are things to consider from my point of view as an SRT owner:

We get a lot of comments from a lot of people about the price tag. Those people tend to be one dimensional and only talk about drag racing. "Ican go faster for a lot less money!" Well, people are easily hitting low 13s in these trucks. And, if this was a dedicated straight line performer, mid to low 12s would be a breeze. Dodge could have dropped a ton of weight in the tuned road racing suspension, the huge sway bars, the leather interior, the 90lbs. ea. wheels and tires, the 15"/14" 4 piston brakes, the 500 watt stereo w/ subwoofer, etc., etc. Smaller wheels would allow for use of drag tires. They also could have gone with the auto in the RC as well as the QC. But, they would be removing the very things that make driving these trucks so much fun. SRT-10s are not just one dimensional. Yes, they perform well at the strip but they are much more than that. They are an all around "G machine" type of performer. They pull 0.9 gs on the skidpad. That's more than 4,600 lbs of lateral acceleration! They are amazing on the mountain roads up here in the Rockies. They also stop as well or better than most sports cars. SRTs can run well at the strip, autocross, road race, top speed or just cruise the street. You have to make some consessions to do so many things so well. As to the price tag and all the things this truck can do, I don't don't know of one SRT owner that thinks they paid too much.

The SRT QC will give you the same utility as any other 1/2 ton but you can get where you're going a lot quicker. One guy in Germany hauls his Harley around on the autobahn at over 135 mph. He regularly drives 130 - 155 mph when he's empty. Another QC owner blew away a ricer street racer - while towing a car hauler.

There are several who use their SRTs for daily drivers/work trucks in rain, snow or shine. The QC will be a better winter vehicle with the automatic but will still require some judicious use of your right foot. SRTs can easily get out of shape on dry ground much less icy or wet pavement.

Any engine's given level of reliability will suffer when pushed to higher performance levels. Yes, you can push a hemi to run like a stock V-10 but you're increasing the chance of stuff breaking and decreasing the reliability. The V-10 makes 500 hp in a very mild street tune. If you want to go faster and modify, there is a whole lot more room to go when you start at 500 horses.

Imo, I like the looks of the Hemi Sport kit. That's the route I would go if I were in the market for a hemi truck.

Well, that's my take on the question. Hope it helped.

 

Ahh yes, as the discussion wears on we are getting to the meat of things:

1) 17" "Winter Wheels"? Good thought. I could store them in the garage and slap them on when needed. Still it's a 2x4 with alot of power...I'd have to put a few bags of quickcrete in the back.

2) Go fast goodies voiding the warranty? It's important to me that my dealership can back me when I need service and with the high-tech set-up of the SRT, I need that piece of mind. Of course I hate dealerships with a passion but Dodge has one of the best warrantys around and it represents my "leg to stand on". I may not know truck engines but I completely rebuilt my '76 FLH and just because the S&S B carb said "bolt-on" didn't mean I wasn't tinkering with it for days to get the flow right. On the other hand, I really like to tinker and my hobby is taking the bikes apart and putting them back together. Just thinking about torquing a wrench on a Hemi has my furry palms itching. Hmmm...are "GF Goodies" like superchargers a home project? Could it be done in a weekend? would I need timing strobes or fancy equipment?

3) No off roading for me. I'm tired of floating like a boat even if it means I can no longer hop islands to avoid traffic. (DAMN that's a nice sentance! Any of you writers out there can use a version of it in an article and send me a copy ) The Daytona has a suspension that has been tuned differently than the Laramie 1500 I drove and I really do like it's stock power but I am having a hard time getting past the engine noise in the cabin. I liked the exhaust note but on a longer trip...? The low rumble would lul the baby to sleep for sure! I'm very used to the Navi and the Lexus which have sound dampening features. I liked driving the Daytona. I even did a burnout on a back street on the test drive and thoroughly enjoyed the cushioned seats. Wife would be more comfortable not feeling so much of the road and although I like the SRT, I too am not fond of the harder ride. But then again, my lexus feels the same way and a change of tires would solve the problem and still give me the tuned suspension I love.

Once again, thanks for your input everyone!

Saturday's the day so keep your thoughts comming.

CanynroChris