SRT-10 Questions... about to buy one

[En4cer30]

Hey all,

I just decided to join your message board here as I have been ion the search for a Ram SRT-10 for about 6 months now.

A little about me, then to my questions. If you don't care about me, just skip this paragraph

I love cars and everything about them. I have the inability to leave a car stock. Heck, when I rent a car, I always return it with 50hp more than it came with. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've been wanting a sport truck for a long time. I have always liked the Lightnings, the older Sy/Ty's, and of course this beast known as the SRT-10. I always like to own 1 fun car and at least 1 or 2 other daily type vehicles. My fun car of recent has been a 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. She's been great to me, but I think it's time to move on. Honestly I would keep it and get a ram too, but I can't see paying insuranc3e in excess of almost $4000. Nonetheless, I probably wouldn't go all on modding this truck like I normally do, but I have been reading posts here for a few weeks, so I have a good idea what I want to do.

So, here's my questions... To note, I am looking for a 2005-2006 RC

-Reliability...I've been looking at trucks with under 10,000 miles on them. I have some personal history with Dodge Ram's in general. How is the reliability on these trucks. Specifically on the engine, trans, rear, etc? How is the reliability on the rest of the truck (ie. paint, integrity, interior, exterioe, etc)? Any key problems to look out for? How much of a beating can these trucks take? If not really beaten, how many miles will they go? I just haven't seen many high mileage ones.

-Theft... Is theft high on these vehicles? I have owned several cars that were in the high theft bracket for cars, and that kept me from driving certain places.

-I am looking for an '05 or '06... excluding the new interior, new radio/nav, new front, new colors, etc... is there any reason to select a 2006 over a 2005?

-Warranty... Having owned several higher performance versions of cars, I honestly have never brought my vehicle to a dealer for any warranty work. However, that being said, how are most dealers with warranty work on these vehicles. Mechanically, lets say I have the basic boltons. I can tell you Subaru as a company sucks with warranty. Luckily, I never needed to use it, and luckily I could afford to just replace or upgrade parts I needed to.

-When purchasing one of these trucks... what should I be looking out for? Any hints? Like I said, I have been looking for about 6 months. And everyone I see just doesn't do it for me. I'm very picky about my cars.

Any additional info would be great.

After I make the purchase, which I estimate will be after the winter... I will have some additional questions on suspension upgrades which I have been reading about. I'm used to car that will take turns at high rates of speed...and I love suspension upgrades on vehicles.

Thanks in advance for all the help...

 

[nycstev]

I have had both 05 and 06. The 06 comes with better navigation system....
Other than that they seem the same to me.

Welcome to the forum. If your from Jerzzee make sure you come to the NE GTG's

 

[TJ-SRT10]

Welcom En4cer30 to the RBC.

I guess the first question you need to ask yourself is what am I going to use
this truck for? RC by warranty are not allowed to tow anything, but some of the members here will chime and say that you can tow small items. The no towing is to protect the tranny. These are high performance vehicles and not your daily tow truck. I have an 04 RC with 65K on it. Its my daily driver. I have not had any major problem with it aside from the feable cluck upgrade.
The 05-06 will probable be a better choice for you since alot of the upgrades
where done on those model years. You just have decide what you want it for. Others will chime soon, just check back periodically. Again welcome.

Tony

 

[Halligan]

First of all, welcome!!!! This place is rad. You're going to find so much stuff on here it's not even funny. And then you're going to meet some crazy freakin people. :rock:

I'll do my best to answer most of your questions:

Reliability...I've been looking at trucks with under 10,000 miles on them. I have some personal history with Dodge Ram's in general. How is the reliability on these trucks. Specifically on the engine, trans, rear, etc? How is the reliability on the rest of the truck (ie. paint, integrity, interior, exterioe, etc)? Any key problems to look out for? How much of a beating can these trucks take? If not really beaten, how many miles will they go? I just haven't seen many high mileage ones.

These trucks are like most cars - do the required maintenance and they will run. There are plenty of folks on here that use these trucks as their daily driver. With a 2004-05 RC, the main problem that comes to my mind is the slave cylinder w/ the clutch setup. If you're going to drive it hard and dump the clutch, you're going to have to upgrade. Good thing is, there are a couple of vendors on here that will help you get the right setup for you for about 1000 bucks. There is a "How many miles have you put on your truck" thread somewhere on here.

Theft... Is theft high on these vehicles? I have owned several cars that were in the high theft bracket for cars, and that kept me from driving certain places.

This truck, from what I take on here, doesn't seem to be HIGH on these vehicles. Does it happen? Yea, once in a GREAT GREAT while. There are also have been a few folks on here that were victims of vandalism (those fkin bashtards!) and even one that was held at gunpoint to get out of his truck that ended up whoopin' the dudes ass. :rock: :rock: For the most part, though, it's not a huge issue. One awesome security upgrade that comes to mind is the the Vec 3 - a computer upgrade. This will not only help your horsepower, tune your vehicle, etc. but it will also give you the ability to "burn a card" that acts as a 'killswitch.' :elefant:

-I am looking for an '05 or '06... excluding the new interior, new radio/nav, new front, new colors, etc... is there any reason to select a 2006 over a 2005?

I'm not to hip on this question - I believe there is a thread on this as well. But IMO, go drive BOTH. I don't think there is much difference ....someone else take this question please. I drive an 05 RC CE, and love that thing, however I like the interior of the 06 much better.

Warranty... Having owned several higher performance versions of cars, I honestly have never brought my vehicle to a dealer for any warranty work. However, that being said, how are most dealers with warranty work on these vehicles. Mechanically, lets say I have the basic boltons. I can tell you Subaru as a company sucks with warranty. Luckily, I never needed to use it, and luckily I could afford to just replace or upgrade parts I needed to.

Magnuson and moss warranty act - read it, I highly recommend just getting familiar with it. Most of the dealers are cool with you having a few bolt-ons, but get to know your service guy and mechanic a little bit and ask them. From my general observation, some people get away with things that I would not. The mods I have on my truck (in my sig) my service guy has already told me ...no big deal. If you're going to turbocharge your truck, and expect them to rebuild your bottom end for free when you run 159812039821 psi - it wont happen.

When purchasing one of these trucks... what should I be looking out for? Any hints? Like I said, I have been looking for about 6 months. And everyone I see just doesn't do it for me. I'm very picky about my cars.

As opposed to looking over any other car - double check the rims, paint, etc. As how the owner drove the car (though they may just lie to you, it never hurts). Ask why they are selling it. All of the normals. Specific for this truck - drive it. That's the only way that things will become apparent to ask about.

PM me if you need anything else. Damn my hands are tired.

- Kyle

 

[BigRed460]

So, here's my questions... To note, I am looking for a 2005-2006 RC

-Reliability...I've been looking at trucks with under 10,000 miles on them. I have some personal history with Dodge Ram's in general. How is the reliability on these trucks. Specifically on the engine, trans, rear, etc? How is the reliability on the rest of the truck (ie. paint, integrity, interior, exterioe, etc)? Any key problems to look out for? How much of a beating can these trucks take? If not really beaten, how many miles will they go? I just haven't seen many high mileage ones.

The main thing is the clutch, only good for 10,00-20,000, the slower you drive the longer it will last. After it goes out the first time you can get the viper master/slave and a performance clutch for around 1,500$ installed. Other than that we have a few high millage ones 40,000 to 60,000 miles....

-Theft... Is theft high on these vehicles? I have owned several cars that were in the high theft bracket for cars, and that kept me from driving certain places.

I have only seen one or two, mainly because nobody really knows what is in these things....

-I am looking for an '05 or '06... excluding the new interior, new radio/nav, new front, new colors, etc... is there any reason to select a 2006 over a 2005?

IMO

The 06' have a differnt front grill thats suspose to rase the top speed (158 I think), but they weigh more. The 06's are more rare too. They both come with 4,56 rear ends and bigger brakes ('04's dont')

-Warranty... Having owned several higher performance versions of cars, I honestly have never brought my vehicle to a dealer for any warranty work. However, that being said, how are most dealers with warranty work on these vehicles. Mechanically, lets say I have the basic boltons. I can tell you Subaru as a company sucks with warranty. Luckily, I never needed to use it, and luckily I could afford to just replace or upgrade parts I needed to.

Anyone can say what they want, but you have no warranty once you put your first mod on(unless you fight them which cost mucho $$$$) They have to prove the mod caused the failure to void the warranty. I had mine voided at 2,500 miles (bone stock)

-When purchasing one of these trucks... what should I be looking out for? Any hints? Like I said, I have been looking for about 6 months. And everyone I see just doesn't do it for me. I'm very picky about my cars.

Look for: clutch wear (revv it up and drop it and see if it slips), Tire wear/ signs of racing (rubber in the wheel wells), oil leaks, and check to see if it has ever had waranty work done.

Any additional info would be great.

After I make the purchase, which I estimate will be after the winter... I will have some additional questions on suspension upgrades which I have been reading about. I'm used to car that will take turns at high rates of speed...and I love suspension upgrades on vehicles.

Thanks in advance for all the help...

One last thing you might check is the TSB on the crank pully, some were never torqued down and they come loose...


Thanks,
Zach

 

[WAZZSUP]

Hey all,

I just decided to join your message board here as I have been ion the search for a Ram SRT-10 for about

Thanks in advance for all the help...

As I started reading your first ever post it reminded me I have a.d.d. So all I got was what is quoted above.......have a great stay. I like my 05'...but not until I modded it.

 

[Kevan]

En4cer30- Kyle (Halligan) speaks the truth.
To elaborate on one point he made: find a good local VIPER CERTIFIED tech you trust. Any 5-star dealership will have a Viper Tech, but find one you like and trust. A little bit of talk goes a LONG way with that.

A word of advice: Once they read the hood badge, EVERYONE will want to race you. Ricers, every Mustang & Camaro/Firebird built (ever), soccer moms, euro trash. Get used to it.

Anyone can say what they want, but you have no warranty once you put your first mod on(unless you fight them which cost mucho $$$$) They have to prove the mod caused the failure to void the warranty. I had mine voided at 2,500 miles (bone stock)

PUHLEASE tell me you're smarter than that.

 

[VIPR PWR]

Welcome aboard......I have the 05 QC and love it ---haven't had any problems except getting the front end aligned.....and the auto trans sloppy shifting ,which a shift kit cured. I lowered the rear a bit using Stinkers( Vendor on the site) Shackle kit---It seems to have helped the handling more...Other than a few visual mods ,Mine is stock..I do my own work and have yet to use the warrenty at 21K. Just a plug to you to think about a QC...also Black is the fastest color....

 

[BurntRubber]

Outside of the clutch you could probably get 200,000 miles out of the truck.
The can withstand a tremendous amount of abuse (except clutch).
Make sure and find the one you want there are some good buys out there now.
Your STI can be made faster cheaper. things are expensive for this rig!

good luck

 

[Yellow venom]

If your looking for a truck that turns heads and you don't mind buying tires for! (also get you into trouble in a hurry with!) Then your lookin at the right truck!!
I think for the most part in the reliability part,well you can ask anyone,Its all in how its been drivin,not neccassarily into the ground,just that the guys(which is alot of us here) enjoy pure performance in a truck ,Thats why we drive them and thats probably why alot of us mod them! If you mod them in most cases it because we want MORE performance and ounce you get more performance out of them....well you just gotta make sure it works!! Right guys and gals?

 

[En4cer30]

Awesome responses...Thanks.

With my Sti, I am very anal about maintenance. If you know them, you know they like to make oil disappear. I check my oil regularly and change it at proper intervals. I already pay about $60+ for oil changes as it is, so $100+ isn't anything.

For the most part, the Sti is very expensive to mod as it is, so I'm not worried about cost...

I will be using this truck as my fun car. I may daily drive it from time to time, but it will never see a track. I'm used to getting revved at by everyone in my Sti, especially since I have a regular WRX wing on it, so most think it's a stock WRX.

I'd really like just to bump power a little on the truck, since I have the inability to keep it stock. I'll probably just go with a Cat Back... Magnaflow seems to be the best options, maybe an Intake setup... or just keep the stpock box and fo r a high flow filter, maybe a tune... then the otehr mods, like a B&M Short Throw Shifter, Suspension upgrade (not sure which yet, as I don't want to go too low), Clutch upgrade with the viper slave/master, and then I'll leave her be for a little.

I figure this will create a nicely optimal setup, not too crazy and should yield me a good long life with the vehicle.

On a side note, I work for a 5-Star Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealer. I prefer not to name which. We have an excellent mechanic here who I will definitely be utilizing.

For the most oart I am excited about this truck... I just need to find the right one.

I am definitely looking for an 05 or 06, and not an '04...

Thanks again... any additional responses or recommendations are definitely appreciated. Once I actually own the truck, I'll be asking for some more help.

Thanks again...

 

[Riff62]

Check out some of the ones for sale here..there are stock, sorta stock, not stock..04,05,06, RC, QC, etc..Seems like for the right price, some will part with their truck..Plus you get brownie points for buying a members truck..

 

[Halligan]

Outside of the clutch you could probably get 200,000 miles out of the truck.
The can withstand a tremendous amount of abuse (except clutch).
Make sure and find the one you want there are some good buys out there now.
Your STI can be made faster cheaper. things are expensive for this rig!

good luck

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMEN!

 

[Django]

Welcome to the asylum.......

Might as well keep yer wallet open..... Beware the addiction..........

These trucks and this forum rule....

D

 

[hashash]

black 06s are for real men ....

 

[hashash]

also dont think about modding the hell out of it , because the fact is that whatever you do it wont be that FAST . unless you do something like a 1200 hp UGR build and that would cost over 40K.

on my 06 QC i put on magnaflow,DC pcm and a mopar intake and am very happy , the truck is not scary fast , but i like the performance and sound now . i even smoked a bmw 330i hard last week

Sherif :burnout:

 

[bigike]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT BUY ONE OF THESE TRUCKS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Surgen generals warning states that
"these trucks can and will cause erections lasting as long as you own it. TO DATE THE ONLY CURE HAS BEEN RUNNING OUT OF GAS MONEY!

THERE IS NOTHING YOUR DOCTOR CAN DO ABOUT THIS!

That being said buy one and never look back!

 

[CDiesel]

05's look cooler...black is the best color

 

[eddie102870]

if you get a rc make sure and do the clutch and slave upgrade first. doubt youll be able to keep it stock long. like they said its and addiction.

 

[FATJACK]

if you get a rc make sure and do the clutch and slave upgrade first. doubt youll be able to keep it stock long. like they said its and addiction.

I drive the piss outa mine daily, 37000 miles on the original clutch and still feels strong.:rock: :rock: