Dodge Challenger SRT8 Hemi Kill Story

[HAWAIIZR-1]

On the way back from a Cars and Coffee I was riding along side of this Black Challenger SRT8 and he decides to rev at me to impress his wife or girlfriend. I just ignored him at first then at the next light he decides to do a small jump and so I tap the throttle back with a jump, but there is cop in front of us. So as soon as the cop turns left off the highway I just open up a little to cruise along onto the freeway and the Challenger is no where to be seen so I'm just cruising home. Then in my rearview I see something coming up fast and I move to the side from the far left lane as he stays on the side. I have a car in front of me so I cut to the right lane to go around and he takes off. I downshifted to 3rd and immediately caught up to him and laid on it, by the time I shifted to 4th he was about 5 or more cars lengths behind me and he quit. I only got to 120 when I let off since he was so far behind. I guess he found out his muscle car is not that great. They have good power and torque, but I guess it is way too heavy.

Not that great of a kill story to be proud of, but my first since getting it back on the road last month. It was the first time I got to really open it up so I had to take advantage of the opportunity. The LT5 sure is music to your ears at wide open throttle. At least I found out that my smoking issue with the pcv system is resolved. It's a great day in paradise.

[Gunny]

:thumbsup:

George

[rhipsher]

There heavy pigs.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

There heavy pigs.

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have wasted my gas on this one.

[WB9MCW]

Nice Kill Craig -- Soon they will be Fi-Par or Mo-At anyway. Viper is dead soon too!

==========================================

New Chrysler to be leaner, greener and with an Italian flourish

NEW YORK — Leaner, greener and with an Italian flourish - that's the "New Chrysler."

Or at least that's the plan. Chrysler LLC is counting on a reversal of fortunes through a quick bankruptcy and a combination with Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA. The result will be a drastically remade lineup in dealer showrooms.

Analysts say Chrysler's most valuable brands - Jeeps, minivans and perhaps pickups - will survive. Chrysler's plans call for it to also sell a handful of electric cars. Fiat will add a smattering of small fuel-efficient cars, like its peppy 500.

The rest of Chrysler's existing lineup will likely be history.

[Wild and Blue]

Yeah, I guess I shouldn't have wasted my gas on this one.


Oh, but what a glorious way to waste fuel. =D>

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Nice Kill Craig -- Soon they will be Fi-Par or Mo-At anyway. Viper is dead soon too!

==========================================

New Chrysler to be leaner, greener and with an Italian flourish

NEW YORK — Leaner, greener and with an Italian flourish - that's the "New Chrysler."

Or at least that's the plan. Chrysler LLC is counting on a reversal of fortunes through a quick bankruptcy and a combination with Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA. The result will be a drastically remade lineup in dealer showrooms.

Analysts say Chrysler's most valuable brands - Jeeps, minivans and perhaps pickups - will survive. Chrysler's plans call for it to also sell a handful of electric cars. Fiat will add a smattering of small fuel-efficient cars, like its peppy 500.

The rest of Chrysler's existing lineup will likely be history.

Bryan,

Good stuff. It's a good thing it was not one of the Vipers at the Cars and Coffee as I would have had to roll over and go into submission; it had two Nitrous tanks with dual stages. Thanks for your comments and information.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Oh, but what a glorious way to waste fuel. =D>

Yes indeed and hopefully next time it will something that will put up a "Challenge"; maybe one of these with dual superchargers and a 1000 HP:mrgreen:.

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j86/hawaiizr1/rdp_1000hp_dodge_challenger_001-010.jpg

[Hammer]

Nice one Craig.

Had an SRT8 at the drags last night. It ran 13.17 best. Not too bad, but I wonder what it would have done in a mile?? I ran a best of 13.3 but I was about 5 mph higher with no traction.

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Nice one Craig.

Had an SRT8 at the drags last night. It ran 13.17 best. Not too bad, but I wonder what it would have done in a mile?? I ran a best of 13.3 but I was about 5 mph higher with no traction.

Thanks John. Yes, not bad for that heavy tank; that is pretty good. I wish we had a drag stip here and the fight continues in Hawaii. I can't even believe they closed our several years ago. I know what you mean about the lack of traction and I'm thinking about a set of drag radials on my stock wheels; especially once I put the 4:10s in. Rolling starts from 80 MPH make a big difference and maybe he would have taken me at the 1/4 too.

[Scrrem]

There heavy pigs.

Man, I really wanted one of these bad when they first came out, but the more I read about them, I'm glad I kept my Z.
Rich

[A26B]

Nice Kill Craig. Kind of like snakes to me, they're all cobras! Kill them all.

BTW, what was the PCV problem & how did you cure it?

[rhipsher]

Well! I hate to admit it. But a year ago I got my but kicked bad by a snake at 70mph on the freeway. I heard this big rumbling coming up behind me fast. This guy was looking to kill a corvette. It was an SVT Cobra and it was pumped pumped pumped. I don't even think this thing was street legal. It had skinny drag tires on the front and drag slicks on the rear. His engine was shaking my ZR-1. So I down shifted to 4th gear at 65mph and mashed that peddle as far as it would go and he even let me have the jump on him twice. He came flying by me like I was standing still. He wanted to do it a 3rd time. I looked at him and said dude you win I give up. I'm sure the out come would not have been so lopsided if I had Jerry's 415. I've never been beat before that day and havn't been beat since. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take one in the gut. This Cobra had an enormous amount of horse power to do what he did. And after the embarrasing defeat he dished out. He even got in front of me and lit his tires up at 50mph and there were chunks of rubber hitting my windshield. All it takes is $$$. I love my Z and would never choose a Cobra over it. In stock form a cobra wouldn't have a chance. But never the less I got my azz handed to me by a non stock Cobra in a "most spectacular fashion" as Mike Tyson would say.

[1990 415]

Well! I hate to admit it. But a year ago I got my but kicked bad by a snake at 70mph on the freeway. I heard this big rumbling coming up behind me fast. This guy was looking to kill a corvette. It was an SVT Cobra and it was pumped pumped pumped. I don't even think this thing was street legal. It had skinny drag tires on the front and drag slicks on the rear. His engine was shaking my ZR-1. So I down shifted to 4th gear at 65mph and mashed that peddle as far as it would go and he even let me have the jump on him twice. He came flying by me like I was standing still. He wanted to do it a 3rd time. I looked at him and said dude you win I give up. I'm sure the out come would not have been so lopsided if I had Jerry's 415. I've never been beat before that day and havn't been beat since. Sometimes you just have to sit back and take one in the gut. This Cobra had an enormous amount of horse power to do what he did. And after the embarrasing defeat he dished out. He even got in front of me and lit his tires up at 50mph and there were chunks of rubber hitting my windshield. All it takes is $$$. I love my Z and would never choose a Cobra over it. In stock form a cobra wouldn't have a chance. But never the less I got my azz handed to me by a non stock Cobra in a "most spectacular fashion" as Mike Tyson would say.
if you were going 65 mph why didn't you downshift to 2nd rather than 4th? you would had given much more of a fight from 2nd at that speed.

[rhipsher]

My car pulled hard and was running great like it always does. But it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I was way out gunned. At 126mph in 4th gear we were neck and neck and when he decided to leave me behind his cobra was like a slingshot and was 6 cars ahead of me in seconds. My 342rwhp was no match. What happened to me probably doesn't happen very ofter. There was some serious money put into that car. Between 4,000 rpm's 7,000 is where the sweet spot is in a Z and when I down shifted I was at 5,000 when I stomped on it.

[A26B]

My car pulled hard and was running great like it always does. But it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I was way out gunned. At 126mph in 4th gear we were neck and neck and when he decided to leave me behind his cobra was like a slingshot and was 6 cars ahead of me in seconds. My 342rwhp was no match. What happened to me probably doesn't happen very ofter. There was some serious money put into that car. Between 4,000 rpm's 7,000 is where the sweet spot is in a Z and when I down shifted I was at 5,000 when I stomped on it.

I think you're probably gonna get flamed by one of our Canuk bretheren (1990 415) on this. They KNOW about this kind of stuff.

By my rudimentary calculations,

1)Stock gears (3.45:1) (4th gear, 1:1 final drive ratio)(25.4" tire dia), speed @ 5,000rpm = 109.6mph, not 65mph, rpm @ 65mph would be 3,000 rpm.

2) to be at 5,000 rpm @ 65mph, you would have about 5.80 gears

3) if you mean that you downshifted to 4th @ 65mph, then "cruised" up to 126mph, when you stomped on it, still in 4th gear, you would have to have 3.00 gears to be at 5,000rpm.

No flame intended, just considering what 1990 415 had to say, which I would agree with in a stock geared ZR-1. With my gears of 3.73, I would have probably gone to 3rd at 65mph. Any which way, it still sounds like you got bit by da snake.

[rhipsher]

To be perfectly honest, In the heat of the moment I really can't say what gear I was in. All I know for sure is that I needed to get that sucker down to 5,000 quick before stomping on it. And this dude even was gracious enough to wait till I was ready. How kind of him. But I do know without a doubt my tach was right on the money at 5,000 when I mashed it. But yes I did get envenomated. But my feelings weren't hurt. It simply had allot more muscle than I did.

[1990 415]

I think you're probably gonna get flamed by one of our Canuk bretheren (1990 415) on this. They KNOW about this kind of stuff.

By my rudimentary calculations,

1)Stock gears (3.45:1) (4th gear, 1:1 final drive ratio)(25.4" tire dia), speed @ 5,000rpm = 109.6mph, not 65mph, rpm @ 65mph would be 3,000 rpm.

2) to be at 5,000 rpm @ 65mph, you would have about 5.80 gears

3) if you mean that you downshifted to 4th @ 65mph, then "cruised" up to 126mph, when you stomped on it, still in 4th gear, you would have to have 3.00 gears to be at 5,000rpm.

No flame intended, just considering what 1990 415 had to say, which I would agree with in a stock geared ZR-1. With my gears of 3.73, I would have probably gone to 3rd at 65mph. Any which way, it still sounds like you got bit by da snake.
Jerry, I would never be so bold as to flame someone on this forum. However I do have a humble recommendation for Ripsher: bore and stroke that LT5 to allow yourself to really "bring the pain." Once you have your neck snapped back by a stroker you won't want stock ever again. I do know of a very fine running SGC 402 that is for sale. It only makes 525rwhp, but I think it should whoop most mustangs. Just food for thought.:dancing

[rhipsher]

Jerry, I would never be so bold as to flame someone on this forum. However I do have a humble recommendation for Ripsher: bore and stroke that LT5 to allow yourself to really "bring the pain." Once you have your neck snapped back by a stroker you won't want stock ever again. I do know of a very fine running SGC 402 that is for sale. It only makes 525rwhp, but I think it should whoop most mustangs. Just food for thought.:dancing Mine would be a good candidate for a stroker. Its not a low mile Z. It just turned 79,000 miles. If I can't afford to have it done all at once I guess I could do it in stages.

[1990 415]

Mine would be a good candidate for a stroker. Its not a low mile Z. It just turned 79,000 miles. If I can't afford to have it done all at once I guess I could do it in stages.

That's the positive mind set i like. No better time than the present to start your stroker project. after having done my own stroker i can tell you first hand that in the end it is much less expensive to simply buy a completed vehicle with the stroker already done than build it up yourself. However, once the project is done you feel proud as a peacock and the permagrin might make you look like the Joker (Ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?):)

[rhipsher]

I hear a 415 stroker crank alone runs $5000. Would'nt I need special LT5 specific tools to do the engine work?

[1990 415]

I hear a 415 stroker crank alone runs $5000. Would'nt I need special LT5 specific tools to do the engine work?
correct about the price of the crank. doing a 415 yourself isn't a very easy project to fill the spare time. if you are a very experienced and accomplished engine builder then maybe consider it. it's not like doing a 383 on a chevy smallblock. I would recommend getting on the known engine builders in the ZR-1 community for the 415, such as Jeff Flint, Marc Haibeck, Aaron Scott or Corey Henderson. Good luck if you try to tackle it yourself.:wave:

[rhipsher]

I wouldn't tackle a 415 build myself. It would only make sense to have Corey do it since he's close. Just happy and greatfull to own a ZR-1 at all. Plus I don't think spending $25 to $30K on a car that already cost me $22k would go over to well with my wife. She's already pissed because I have more toys than she does. I have to keep the peace in order to get a piece if you know what I mean. I'm a slave to the peice.:mrgreen:

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Nice Kill Craig. Kind of like snakes to me, they're all cobras! Kill them all.

BTW, what was the PCV problem & how did you cure it?

Jerry,

Thanks, I hope to have something worth bragging about the next time.

I thought I had the PCV problem licked with burning oil, but it is just better and not cured. My original PCV pipe brackets were broken so the world's most expensive hose to me was sagging and possibly causing oil to be sucked in at a great rate that it should have causing my oil burning. One of the members was so kind to give me a set of pipes and I bought the SAMCO hoses with new PCV valves. It really did help and I thought I had it cured but the caravan to the local Corvette show and shine on Memorial Day proved otherwise as there was complaints from the Vettes behind me. I'm not sure if I just did not burn out all the residue from the prior problem or not. I might end up trying to Seafoam as I have heard about and see if I can clean it out and then monitor the plugs, catch can and exhaust. I am going to do some vacuum testing before going leak down and compression testing. I can't imagine that I have oil ring problems with 53K miles, but you never know. If so then I have to do some serious thinking about a build up or get rid of it.

[z proud]

Who has the 402 for sale?

[1990 415]

my brother Dwight has a black 1994 402 built by Aaron Scott of South Georgia Corvette. It has 525 rwhp and is very clean. Will not disappoint.