Like it wasn't hard enough... 2004 SRT-4 is legal for Camber Bolts

DistantTea · Feb 20, 2004

Apparently the way they wrote their service manuals allows for crash bolts to be used on all neons... great.

So the 2004 now has 7" wheels instead of 6", an LSD, and 80 more wheel horsepower and at least damn near 100 foot/pounds of torque over the mazdaspeed at just barely more weight.

Thats insane. Even Grassrootsmotorsports is working one over for DS.

http://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com/srt4.html

I never worried because of their camber problem... they were pretty much stuck at a max of about -.4 degrees and had attrocious understeer and wheel spin problems. But with the 7" rim grassroots has fitted 225/45/17 hoosiers and I bet they get at least -1.5 out of their crash bolts.

Like it wasn't hard enough to be the underdog.

Turbo Matty P · Feb 20, 2004

hahaha....i hear ya. Damn those neons. I still think the best VALUE car is the MSP. It's the perfect blend whereas the SRT4 only excels in really one catagory.

jebus · Feb 20, 2004

i think the srt looks rediculous

Leigh · Feb 20, 2004

They're ugly... doesn't make it any less frustrating to lose to them though...

DistantTea · Feb 20, 2004

Hey now, I haven't lost to an SRT-4 yet in Autocross. That might change next year though if I ever have to run a fully prepped 2004 with a good driver.

100ft/lbs to the wheel advantage. ONE HUNDRED!!!!!

daperspeed · Feb 20, 2004

DistantTea said:
Apparently the way they wrote their service manuals allows for crash bolts to be used on all neons... great.

So the 2004 now has 7" wheels instead of 6", an LSD, and 80 more wheel horsepower and at least damn near 100 foot/pounds of torque over the mazdaspeed at just barely more weight.

Thats insane. Even Grassrootsmotorsports is working one over for DS.

http://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com/srt4.html

I never worried because of their camber problem... they were pretty much stuck at a max of about -.4 degrees and had attrocious understeer and wheel spin problems. But with the 7" rim grassroots has fitted 225/45/17 hoosiers and I bet they get at least -1.5 out of their crash bolts.

Like it wasn't hard enough to be the underdog.

Damn what a value for the money. Now if it wasnt a Neon, wasnt so ugly AND had a little "Made in Japan" sticker on the drivers door (my preference) I would have been in one now.

Leigh · Feb 20, 2004

Hey now, I haven't lost to an SRT-4 yet in Autocross. That might change next year though if I ever have to run a fully prepped 2004 with a good driver.

I have driven once against an SRT-4 and it was my first event with the MSP... there don't seem to be many in this area... He beat me pretty soundly & I decided I was going to find a way to go fast enough to kick his butt!

He's not been back to the group since though =P
Does that count as a forfiet?

100ft/lbs to the wheel advantage. ONE HUNDRED!!!!!

That's way too much.... Why are we in a class with this car again? >.<

DistantTea · Feb 20, 2004

Its not hard to beat the 2003 SRT-4... just drive smooth and corner hard and watch them spin those tires and push out every apex on their tiny little tires. But the 2004 is just a different critter. They fixed most of what was wrong with the 2003. Now really I'm not too worried about the power gains over the two cars. I'm really worried about those camber bolts though because if they can get more than -1.5 out of them they're going to be able to hang the corners with almost the same grip levels as the MSP. We can still turn in faster and transition better, but I think a properly made SRT-4 is going to make that up with raw speed after the corner.

I'm still working on being the best MSP autocrosser I can be though. The car is still better than I am but I'm closing in on it. Gotta find that Zen.

MSP Pro · Feb 22, 2004

Yup, the 2004 SRT-4 is now an overdog in DS. Just be glad you didn't go out and blow 40 large on a BMW 330ci thinking it was the car to have in DS! I think it should go to BS to run with the other 230 hp cars, but not much chance of that. By the way, the SRT-4 dynos at 230 hp and 250 ft-lbs of torque at the wheels. Divide those numbers by 0.85 to account for drivetrain losses and you get: 270 HP AND 295 FT-LBS OF TORQUE. Still think it's a DS car? Hmmm??

Fear · Feb 25, 2004

both nissan and mazda better jump on that bandwagon. it would be a large improvement for those running DS/STX.

DistantTea · Feb 25, 2004

Good new is Per from Grassroots motorsports did AWFUL at the Ft. Myers tour in that SRT-4. He lost by several seconds to Jeff Robinson who is one of the ITR drivers local to me. I don't know if Jeff improved over the winter or maybe found a new formula for tires but I could usually hang in under a second against him halfway through the year last year.

But then I found out the SRT-4 was not running its new camber bolts... but 2 seconds is a lot of ground to make up (the SRT lost 2 seconds a day over two days) with just camber bolts.

rowan · Feb 25, 2004

But was he driving the 2004 model with LSD and wider rims?

DistantTea · Feb 25, 2004

Yes, but didn't have the bolts in and apparently the car suffers from such horrible turbo lag that if you aren't a left foot braking hero it has wierd drop/surge problems, which usually ends up lighting your tires up coming out of a turn as you overcompensate with throttle.

http://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com/srt4.html

rowan · Feb 26, 2004

Leave it to the Americans to engineer a turbo car in 2003 that acts like it's from the 80's ..

Funny it would have so much turbo lag with such a big engine..

Hmm I just looked at those pics in the GRM link you posted. That has to be the dumbest exhaust setup I've ever seen ....

And if they're so concerned about burning up the tires, maybe they should give some 205's a try instead of 225's just to see how they perform.

Roywhitep5 · Feb 26, 2004

if they werent neons, i'd like them

jflo · Feb 26, 2004

bahh...go whip some neon ass DistantTea !

rowan · Feb 26, 2004

Question ....
I haven't really read Grassroots Motorsports that much. I have a bought a few issues here and there over the last couple of years. But ...
Have they ever done an autocross project car that they actually liked?

Reading their comments about the neon reminded me of their comments when they tried to build a new Civic Si ... they seemed to complain a lot about the car and couldn't pull off any good results with it.

Maybe they liked the new Mini? It's kind of hard to screw those up.

Mike R · Mar 1, 2004

rowan said:
Leave it to the Americans to engineer a turbo car in 2003 that acts like it's from the 80's ..

Funny it would have so much turbo lag with such a big engine..

Cough *Ford SVO* cough. That is an awesome turbo 4 banger car from the 80s. No lag.

Like it wasn't hard enough... 2004 SRT-4 is legal for Camber Bolts

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