Yeah around here in New England (I've noticed this from RI, MA, and NH) You can't even test drive the 05's without a commitment to buy- signing papers and a 20% deposit! When the dealer told me that I laughed in his face and just said "Its a Mustang, not a Ferrari" and walked out.

 

That hurts!!!!


But there are at least 4, maybe 5 brand new '04 Lightnings left in Vegas!!!

My salesperson said there are maybe 40 in the country. One of the reasons I got the fever is I was thinking exclusivity(sp?) not in the IMMEDIATE future but who knows. For now I'll drive it and enjoy it.

 

Forced induction (especially on a V8) is the best way to go- cheaper to modify and you see incredible gains from small mods. No one can argue that the Lightning is an incredible truck. I think of the SRT10 as a collector guy type of car, not a performance guys type of car- and I think its also priced that way. A lot of Viper owners will buy this truck as their toy, and guys who want to modify/race on a realistic budget, will buy a Lightning. Just my opinion on the two.

 

My buddy has an 01 Ram 1500 regular cab, 5.9L, 4X4 with a 3" lift, 33" tires ect. Hook a trailor to that truck, and get on the highway at 70mph. The thing overheats. I'm not talking about a LOAD either. I'm talking a flatbed single axle trailor with a couple 4-wheelers. Dodge is poodle poop. I have dozens of stories about people I know having bad experiences. Everything from 3 tranny's in a year (Dakota), to door handles coming off in their hands. Your dad made a huge mistake, along with whoever pays $57k for the SRT10. They probably just have it priced like that so they can keep it a while, get customers in the store, and use the bait and switch into one of their baby trucks. They'll eventually come down, and get rid of it once the newness wears off.
Brandon

 

No. The SRT-10 Ram is priced like it is because the Viper V10 alone is probably worth more than your truck.

Read the forum rules before brand bashing. Dodge like it or not isn't poop. Or they wouldn't be in the car business today.

 

I've had 4 Full size Dodges and 4 Full size Fords (and 3 Chevys, 2 Nissan, 1 Toyota and one D50{which is Mitsubishi}). I don't know that one is so much better than the other but they are very different. I've had rust and oil leaks on both Ford and Dodge but no major problems with either even at 140,000 miles plus. I don't brand shop as much as I price shop for the truck with the features I like.

 

Muscle_car fan- Your right, the truck is priced 10k higher than MSRP because the engine alone is worth more than my personal vehicle. Very good explanation. Thanks for the wake up. lol

Osbornk- I guess you are lucky. I know too many people that haven't been able to climb the 100k hump without serious problems for it to be coincidence. I don't say negatives about Dodge because Ford is my personal preference. I think a Chevrolet Silverado is a quality truck. Not my personal choice, but a good truck. My father-in-law gets his oil changed every 15k, if that, and is constantly hauling horses, cattle, and whatever else, and he has rolled over 300k in 2 different Chevy's since I've been around. Personally, I have never seen a good running Dodge over 175k.

 

OKLAHOMAF100.

I was just making a point. This truck is one of a kind. You wanna play u gotta pay. You want a 1/2 truck that will do 150+ mph bone stock with an NA Viper V10, your gonna have to pay for it. The dealer will charge what it wants. There is nothing you can do about that. That doesn't mean that the truck is crap, or isn't worth it. The SRT-10 isn't the same thing as the Lightning.

 

I don't think luck had anything to do with it. I think it is maintenance and catching minor problems early before they cause a major problem. I do think people tend to be less careful with the Dodges regarding maintenance and repairs because they feel so much more like a rough and tough truck than a Ford or Chevrolet. I have friends who have trucks by Ford, Chevy and Dodge that have 200,000+ miles on them and one has a Chevy passing 300,000 and still on the original engine.

 

Sometimes brand loyalty will rear its ugly head

The SRT-10 is an incredible truck, as is the Viper an incredible car. But the price ding is not because of some exotica piece of engineering. The V10 has been around a looooong time and in Viper tune its been around over 12-13 years(?) Furthermore, the mighty V10 is just an offshoot of the corporate 5.9 pushrod motor plus 2 cylinders.

Like Ford is doing with the GT and to a lesser extent the SVT(RIP) by keeping production ARTIFICIALLY low the price remains artificially high.

If prices were equal concerning SRT/Lightning it would be a tougher decision. Being that I think Rams are ugly and the Lightning is more easily/cheaper to mod, I'd still pick the L. (there's that brand loyalty again )

 

I know for sure that the old 8.0 L V10 that was in the 1st, and 2nd gen Vipers were 5.9s with 2 added cylinders. I am not sure that the 8.3 is though. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Your type of brand loyalty is a respectable one. You don't just say Dodge sucks this and that, and that anything Dodge is crap. You just sway towards Ford more, and would take the Lightning over the Ram. Thats fine with me. Its people that don't give ethe credit, and bash, bash, bash. There is a thin line between brand bashing, and brand loyalty. I am loyal to Mopar, but respect Ford for their accomplishments with trucks. You can be brand loyal, and open minded at the same time. Its a shame that so many here arn't like this.

 

I think the current engine is a stroked version of the old 8.0l V10 - which as you said was based on the 5.9 + 2 cylinders.
The old viper tune was created by Lamborghini - when Chrysler had ties with them.
I think Dodge did the tuning for this engine in house, not sure though.

 

The Viper motor is the same architecture.....old or new, different stroke.
If the truth be told, I'm slightly jealous of Dodge right now. The 5.7(fake-hemi) kicks the (edited) outta my Marauder. I do think compared to the hemi the 150 lacks some grunt, though it's an incredibly overbuilt 1/2 ton. And Dodge still has a muscle-truck. At least the V10 I'm ordering from Jeff here at FTE has some bragging rights at 360 HP and 450+#'s of torque.

Dodge has some serious hardware, and don't let anyone know at FTE but I have the GM card and will own a C-6 Vette.......soon.

PB, hook a brother up???

 

One word. Blower...
You could have a serious sleeper on your hands, and a HEMI wouldn't know which way it went.
I know it is foolish to compare a modded car to a stock one, but the 4V heads breath pretty well, and are suited to a supercharger (don't ask me why i know that...)
NOOO....
Seriously I have a fair bit of respect for the 'Vette, but the lack of a blue oval on the front of it (and unavailable in RHD) is a bit of a killer...

 

If the numbers that GM has released on the C6 Vetter are accurate, the Viper may just have fallen from top dog when it comes to American performance cars. Though I do see the Viper in a league of its own. It still holds what Viper owners, and enthusiasts have come to ador. Sleek looks and raw power. When the SRT-10 Coupe comes along it will probably outperform its convertible partner.

The V10 used in the Viper is a hell of a motor. And is in a detuned state. I think that the 8.3 is good for another 100-150 hp at least. DCX needs to take the neccessary measures to keep this car where it has stodd for the past 13 years. On top. I am faithfull that they will deliver. If they havn't already with the coupe. Time will tell.

Going back to the Hemi Cuda convertible discussion. There were 14 Cuda converts equipped with the Hemi made in 1970. In 1971 there were 7 made Hemi equipped. Totalling 21 Hemi Cuda convertibles ever made. I found these numbers in an article that I read yesterday. On of the 7 Hemi Cuda converts made in 71 was originally ordered by Centennial Chrysler, which was owned by my grandfather at the time, and still is today. He told me that the car is worth north of half a mill. A good article, and an interesting read. A guy in the articles owns 3 Hemi Cuda converts, and a Hemi Challenger convert.