Joined
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5,153 Posts
So about 3.84 miles each Saturday and Sunday?
Heck, I walk that more than that :jester:
But still, please do keep it :smile:
Thank you SRT-4 - 10 Years Of Balls To The Wall Fun
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Heck, I walk that more than that :jester:
But still, please do keep it :smile:
Joined
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4,820 Posts
Yes, keep it.
Trust me on this.
Trust me on this.
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4,711 Posts
It's sort of strange to think that I have had this car for more than 13 years now. It has truly been beat to hell and back, and certainly looks the part. I just recently installed a low mileage trans from an '04, since my poor '03 trans finally got tired after 150k miles, and finally having an LSD is incredible! If it weren't for all the squeaks and rattles, it would almost feel like a new car. Lol!
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5,153 Posts
Yep
Joined
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16,855 Posts
As I sit here tonite, on an very icy day in the midwest, drinking vodka and orange juice, with permission to come in two hours late tomorrow morning, I want to tell you all a little story. This story involves 1320 feet. This 1320 feet is in a place called Fontana.
So I had never been at a track. Perusing the forums here one day in the San Diego area, a bunch of people were headed to a track in Fontana. So I loaded up at 5:30 in the morning and headed up from Oceanside. I had been in Oceanside for maybe a 2 weeks at that time, and I had never lived in any area that had toll roads. Hell I'd only owned my SRT for 6 months, 5 of which I spent in Iraq. So I'd been driving it for about a month at this point.
So on my way up I come across, yep, a toll road. Worse yet, it's not even 6 a.m. (track opened at 7 for inspections) so there is nobody in the booths. Apparently you carry either EPass thingamabobs, or you can pay cash. Oh, but not bills, you need like FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS IN CHANGE. Who the HELL carries that much change? Not this guy, not ever. I mean, maybe if you found a strip club that accepts quarters (and if you do, you better damn well tell me where). No wait, don't tell me, I can't imagine how horrible the women would look...
So I didn't have money, I flirted with driving down the road the opposite direction and removing my plates, then I realized I was already likely on camera? I held my wallet up in the air, pulled bills out, and did a "what do I do?" hands in the air, shoulder shrug, then got in my car, and took off down the toll road. I seriously thought I would:
A) have spikes come up out of the road and blow all my tires, or
B) about 10 cop cars roaring up behind me like some sort of OJ Simpson pursuit, with me on the evening news in handcuffs
Did I mention I'd never been on a toll road? If that's not obvious by now...
So thankfully none of that happened, and I found the track easily. This of course again, 2006, there were probably about 10 SRT-4's there, I mean, let's be honest, San Diego had more SRT-4's at one time than illegal mexicans. So I had a lot of people to visit with. I ended up in the inspection line behind a complete POS Honda civic, loaded with hispanics, and the driver kept revving to like 8k rpm over and popping and smoking every time he moved ahead 5 feet in line. Then they'd look back at me and laugh.
It was then I realized why. One of the inspection guys walked to the back of his car, looked at my car, then tossed the guy and his car out. There were like 5 people in that stupid little Honda and they all jumped out and started arguing with him. I was perplexed and got out, walked to the front of my car....
This fucking asshole had been blasting the front of my car with oil the entire time, completely coated the entire nose, it looked like I had a liquid bra on my car. I started yelling at the guy, then two of them came towards me yelling, not even the driver. Thankfully they had security there and they were told either get out of go to jail. So they all hopped back in their car, revving loudly (like that was anything new?) and screeching out of the lot.
I would have probably smiled at them being kicked out, but at that point I was too busy pulling cleaning materials out of my vehicle and trying to get about a half gallon of oil off of my car. Unfortunately I couldn't finish cleaning, the inspector apologized and told me he had some questions, and then upon passing the inspection I had to get inside.
And again, love our community, 3 or 4 other SRT-4 guys helped me clean my car up, including some with some really amazing products, much better than my paper towels and windex haha.
So then it was a waiting game, I didn't want to head up right away, I had questions, so I watched and inquired. The first thing I noticed were two huge diesel 4WD pickups lining up, and thinking to myself "What a bunch of dumb bastards, wasting everyone's time in those trucks..."
And then they proceeded to run 12.1 and 12.3 respectively, putting out enough black smoke to cause protests from Santa Barbara to Berkley... and I stood there with the "O" face, partly out of being ultra impressed, and how stupid I felt about not knowing how propane injection and 60 lbs of boost work with a 3 ton vehicle.
So finally, got my nerve up and got in line. I had no idea who I'd be lined up with, there were like 30 pairs of cars waiting, and the closer I got I had it narrowed down to another Honda, an RX-7 that appeared to be heavily suped up, and a dark red Mustang GT (2003'ish).
The RX-7 pulled over, apparently wanting to run against someone specific, and it ended up as the Mustang GT and I moving ahead...
Now, I don't know how anyone elses first time is at the track, but I seriously think my heart was racing wayyyy faster than the first time I had sex (although I was a LOT more drunk that night, but that is another story). Moving ahead to the mark, seemed like time was standing still and moving way fast at the same time.
Then suddenly, the light was moving down and hitting green and I was letting out on the clutch and hammering down, peeling out in first, then bam down into second, I had the jump on that mustang and damn sure was going to take him, he had a bad launch, and I had him...
...and I looked down, and the shift knob was in my hand...
*@(*#$(*U(@(*#&U$(&*(&!!!!
I tried to drop it and shift to third but it was too late, I had redlined RPMS, which on a stock SRT4 means, if you are racing, you are now falling way back. I ran like a 15, YAH ME!!!
I pulled back around to where all the SRT4's were sitting, and they were like "WTF was that???" and I held up the shift knob to a host of maniacal laughter... followed by a bunch of "You haven't superglued or screwed that shit down yet???". (that night I had the superglue, and it held, for about 2 years, flew off again, but that's another story).
I think I did about 6 runs that day, it was so busy. Interestingly enough, that SAME mustang showed up on the street right beside me at the light just after I left the track, and ended up asking me wtf happened "You had me right at the strart, did you blow your motor" and I explained, to more laughter. Then at the light we went, to about 50 mph, and I had him pretty good that time, but wasn't going to go all out, neither was he.
That was my first track experience, and it was worth every minute. I honestly hope that everyone who owns one of these cars gets an opportunity to do this. I have to explain to people who ask why I have this car, "Do you like roller coasters? Do you like downhill skiing? Do you like mountain biking steel trails?" If the answer is no no no, they'll never understand. If the answer is yes to any of those questions, there you have it, you can't explain the heart pumping adrenaline experience. Hell I've had times lining up where my back physically hurt from excitement, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like I said, sex never got me that excited, and I was pretty damned frisky in college... so it wasn't for lack of activity (At this point I'd try to convince you all I'm a virgin but that wouldn't fly, too old, and have kids).
Oh, and about 6 months later (long after I'd moved back to the midwest) I found a letter from some government agency in California, for failure to pay that toll. Yah, that toll never did get paid. Fuck that.
So I had never been at a track. Perusing the forums here one day in the San Diego area, a bunch of people were headed to a track in Fontana. So I loaded up at 5:30 in the morning and headed up from Oceanside. I had been in Oceanside for maybe a 2 weeks at that time, and I had never lived in any area that had toll roads. Hell I'd only owned my SRT for 6 months, 5 of which I spent in Iraq. So I'd been driving it for about a month at this point.
So on my way up I come across, yep, a toll road. Worse yet, it's not even 6 a.m. (track opened at 7 for inspections) so there is nobody in the booths. Apparently you carry either EPass thingamabobs, or you can pay cash. Oh, but not bills, you need like FOUR FUCKING DOLLARS IN CHANGE. Who the HELL carries that much change? Not this guy, not ever. I mean, maybe if you found a strip club that accepts quarters (and if you do, you better damn well tell me where). No wait, don't tell me, I can't imagine how horrible the women would look...
So I didn't have money, I flirted with driving down the road the opposite direction and removing my plates, then I realized I was already likely on camera? I held my wallet up in the air, pulled bills out, and did a "what do I do?" hands in the air, shoulder shrug, then got in my car, and took off down the toll road. I seriously thought I would:
A) have spikes come up out of the road and blow all my tires, or
B) about 10 cop cars roaring up behind me like some sort of OJ Simpson pursuit, with me on the evening news in handcuffs
Did I mention I'd never been on a toll road? If that's not obvious by now...
So thankfully none of that happened, and I found the track easily. This of course again, 2006, there were probably about 10 SRT-4's there, I mean, let's be honest, San Diego had more SRT-4's at one time than illegal mexicans. So I had a lot of people to visit with. I ended up in the inspection line behind a complete POS Honda civic, loaded with hispanics, and the driver kept revving to like 8k rpm over and popping and smoking every time he moved ahead 5 feet in line. Then they'd look back at me and laugh.
It was then I realized why. One of the inspection guys walked to the back of his car, looked at my car, then tossed the guy and his car out. There were like 5 people in that stupid little Honda and they all jumped out and started arguing with him. I was perplexed and got out, walked to the front of my car....
This fucking asshole had been blasting the front of my car with oil the entire time, completely coated the entire nose, it looked like I had a liquid bra on my car. I started yelling at the guy, then two of them came towards me yelling, not even the driver. Thankfully they had security there and they were told either get out of go to jail. So they all hopped back in their car, revving loudly (like that was anything new?) and screeching out of the lot.
I would have probably smiled at them being kicked out, but at that point I was too busy pulling cleaning materials out of my vehicle and trying to get about a half gallon of oil off of my car. Unfortunately I couldn't finish cleaning, the inspector apologized and told me he had some questions, and then upon passing the inspection I had to get inside.
And again, love our community, 3 or 4 other SRT-4 guys helped me clean my car up, including some with some really amazing products, much better than my paper towels and windex haha.
So then it was a waiting game, I didn't want to head up right away, I had questions, so I watched and inquired. The first thing I noticed were two huge diesel 4WD pickups lining up, and thinking to myself "What a bunch of dumb bastards, wasting everyone's time in those trucks..."
And then they proceeded to run 12.1 and 12.3 respectively, putting out enough black smoke to cause protests from Santa Barbara to Berkley... and I stood there with the "O" face, partly out of being ultra impressed, and how stupid I felt about not knowing how propane injection and 60 lbs of boost work with a 3 ton vehicle.
So finally, got my nerve up and got in line. I had no idea who I'd be lined up with, there were like 30 pairs of cars waiting, and the closer I got I had it narrowed down to another Honda, an RX-7 that appeared to be heavily suped up, and a dark red Mustang GT (2003'ish).
The RX-7 pulled over, apparently wanting to run against someone specific, and it ended up as the Mustang GT and I moving ahead...
Now, I don't know how anyone elses first time is at the track, but I seriously think my heart was racing wayyyy faster than the first time I had sex (although I was a LOT more drunk that night, but that is another story). Moving ahead to the mark, seemed like time was standing still and moving way fast at the same time.
Then suddenly, the light was moving down and hitting green and I was letting out on the clutch and hammering down, peeling out in first, then bam down into second, I had the jump on that mustang and damn sure was going to take him, he had a bad launch, and I had him...
...and I looked down, and the shift knob was in my hand...
*@(*#$(*U(@(*#&U$(&*(&!!!!
I tried to drop it and shift to third but it was too late, I had redlined RPMS, which on a stock SRT4 means, if you are racing, you are now falling way back. I ran like a 15, YAH ME!!!
I pulled back around to where all the SRT4's were sitting, and they were like "WTF was that???" and I held up the shift knob to a host of maniacal laughter... followed by a bunch of "You haven't superglued or screwed that shit down yet???". (that night I had the superglue, and it held, for about 2 years, flew off again, but that's another story).
I think I did about 6 runs that day, it was so busy. Interestingly enough, that SAME mustang showed up on the street right beside me at the light just after I left the track, and ended up asking me wtf happened "You had me right at the strart, did you blow your motor" and I explained, to more laughter. Then at the light we went, to about 50 mph, and I had him pretty good that time, but wasn't going to go all out, neither was he.
That was my first track experience, and it was worth every minute. I honestly hope that everyone who owns one of these cars gets an opportunity to do this. I have to explain to people who ask why I have this car, "Do you like roller coasters? Do you like downhill skiing? Do you like mountain biking steel trails?" If the answer is no no no, they'll never understand. If the answer is yes to any of those questions, there you have it, you can't explain the heart pumping adrenaline experience. Hell I've had times lining up where my back physically hurt from excitement, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Like I said, sex never got me that excited, and I was pretty damned frisky in college... so it wasn't for lack of activity (At this point I'd try to convince you all I'm a virgin but that wouldn't fly, too old, and have kids).
Oh, and about 6 months later (long after I'd moved back to the midwest) I found a letter from some government agency in California, for failure to pay that toll. Yah, that toll never did get paid. Fuck that.
Joined
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14 Posts
Haha, that's a great story!
I own a black, mostly stock 2003, had it for 2 years now after buying it from a friend of mine. Used it as a daily the first year, now I only drive it in the weekends to meetings/shows or just for a nice bit of cruising.
Attended multiple track-days but never had the balls to participate, mostly because I'm afraid I'll break something and won't be able to drive her back home
But I am determined to try it... someday!
I own a black, mostly stock 2003, had it for 2 years now after buying it from a friend of mine. Used it as a daily the first year, now I only drive it in the weekends to meetings/shows or just for a nice bit of cruising.
Attended multiple track-days but never had the balls to participate, mostly because I'm afraid I'll break something and won't be able to drive her back home
But I am determined to try it... someday!
Joined
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1,919 Posts
Bought my 04 used in 07 with 30K on it, just rolled 230K this morning on my way to work. I love this car but I have an SRT8 now because the 4 is too small for the whole family. Its been a great car and a ton of fun.
230k! Congrats! My wife hates to take my car because with two kids there's barely any room for anything else. I hate driving her Pacifica even though it's a nice car and all the thing is like driving a tank only tanks are faster! So I recently bought a 96 impala with a 383 stroker and a 410 rear end. It's got enough balls to excite me and the trunk is so big we can fit the stroller
Bought my 04 used in 07 with 30K on it, just rolled 230K this morning on my way to work. I love this car but I have an SRT8 now because the 4 is too small for the whole family. Its been a great car and a ton of fun.[/QUOTE]
Bought my 04 used in 07 with 30K on it, just rolled 230K this morning on my way to work. I love this car but I have an SRT8 now because the 4 is too small for the whole family. Its been a great car and a ton of fun.[/QUOTE]
Joined
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16,855 Posts
I did look at the SRT-8 Cherokee to replace my Cruze, but I really wanted a pickup. I have the SRT-4 now parked most of the time, especially this time of year.
I do have fond memories of the car as my daily driver for 2 years. I find myself so protective of the car now haha.
I do have fond memories of the car as my daily driver for 2 years. I find myself so protective of the car now haha.
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4,820 Posts
This.
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6,811 Posts
WOW! one 12 year and two venerable 13 year forum vets, giving the :thumbsup: for keeping and treasuring the SRT4. Brings a :crying2: to this geezer eyes.
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3,481 Posts
I'll add to that consensus. Don't sell it.
My srt4 was never a daily after 2005. Fortunately I had a Volvo S60 to haul the family. However I'm in the process of selling the Swede to acquire a 2008 300c SRT8 ??
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6,811 Posts
Add another 13 year vet to the keep it list. Thanks for your input njshift. Your contribution to the forum and knowledge about the SRT4 and other SRT cars, is sincerely appreciated.
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