Thanks to sponsors Timberline Dodge, Stevens Marine, Latham Motors, and some local help, the Pac-NW VCA was able to pony up a sizeable cost offset, and host an SRT/10 "engineering evaluation" of sorts here in Portland. THANKS PVO Team Viper for your help/trust/support/willingness. WHAT A COMPANY !
This SRT/10 was not a mule, but a C-1 vehicle. #30. New fenders, new deeper hinge covers. New decklid spoiler. "What we saw is what we get." Longer wheelbase by about 3". Important: Only the FRONT is wider, by about 2.5". And you can feel it. read on...
Hydraulic, variable speed radiator fan, temp interfaced. Unusual radiator-water-oilcooler-heat exchanger that some race teams will understand. Key FOB trunk release. Tiny Trunk, no spare; Cool red START button like my 67 E-Type had. HOT sills for now....still improving. Power pedal adjusters. Manual dead pedal adjust, tools required. But a real DEAD PEDAL ! Sueded seat centers to minimize fanny-slide. Seatback tilt difficult to find and use. Coils under the I/M. Forceps and patience needed to change wires. Airbox houses twin, horizontal cannister filters. Twin air scoops thru grille and a duct (not a NACA) in the hood. Very **** looking when hood is up, unlike current airbox.
Pre-Cut and plugged 6-pt Racing Harness anchors, and channels thru the seat to accomodate them (THANKS J.F. and H.H.!) Glass rear window w/ defrost. One-latch top. (Low roofline 6'3" tall is a challenge.) When top is up, the doorlatches auto-drop the windows 1/8 inch to open doors from a TIGHT seal. Then automatically close windows TIGHT when car starts. Light switches, including fogs, are all on turn signal stalk. 14" front AND rear rotors. BIG rear Brembo "VIPER" calipers, with a Stop-Tech-like e-brake caliper below. Impressive thru the wheels
30 or so members attended over the 2-day event. Watch for a story in Viper magazine, so I wont write it all here. A senior engineer from PVO, with Team Viper since 1991, was our honored guest. "RB" like the roast-beef sandwich. Cool guy.
Tech Session; 90-mile convoy; car show with 19,000 spectators, police ******, beach resort luncheon; rider swap every 20 miles;
convoy back, rider swaps. Dinner/doorprizes. 8am-5pm Driving school next day, Portland Int'l Raceway. Life is GOOD.
The grandstand began to fill. More in Viper Mag.....
EVERY VCA member who wanted one, got a chance to ride at PIR for an evaluation. 3 laps. Serious track rats got out grinning WIDE. Non-track members got out wobbly-legged.
And the Viper was at 75%, with the PVO engineer at the wheel.
Much Much more in Viper mag............ but read on.
After all our members had ridden, I hoped to cajole a chance to (secretly?) do a rider swap on the way back to Timberline Dodge. We were told that only official engineering evaluation events could allow a non-official driver in a pre-production car. My hopes were very low of that rider swap. Tech Ken Klickman had driven the car fom Reliable drop to the showroom, a few blocks. "Logistics necessity." I was jealous.
So, as the day waned and members departed, we found ourselves with a 10-minute gap. I was called to the tower. PVO engineer dangles the keys like a carrot and says the magic words:
"I have a special request....Id like you to do an engineerig evaluatiion and give me a report. Three Laps." You could have heard a pin drop. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Yes. 75% max, report back. WHOOPEEE....down the tower. Ooops. Forgot Brenda.
Collected Brenda. Helmets on. Key wont start ! My luck. OOPS. Red Start Button. VROOM. Whew. Lemme see....75% is about 4500 rpm, right?
Motor hot. Fuel good. Released. Solo. Free at last, Top Down.
TALL, ANGULAR FENDER TOPS! Exotic view. Looks like a Vector fender, kind of. Deep hood louvres to look down into...If/when a radiator hose ever blows, the windshield WILL BE DOUSED or FOGGED.
Familiar steering rate and response, but FLAT. No roll. Goes where pointed, when pointed. Ride is much less stiff than ACR, and somehow more supple than the GTS. Nice riding, not stiff. Comfortable, seat, slide track Up-Down wheel, not a tilt wheel. Exactly like my StealthTT and Neon RT.
Looong clutch release. Sean will fix. Looong tall shifter knob travel. MGW will fix. Raging power off the line, shift at 4000.
LONG travel again. Same "feel" but long...... Shift at 4000.
Apprroacing T1, I normally brake at "6 marker" (before the 5)
So I lift and brake at 6. HOLY SHEET this thing has got some real BRAKES. Reminds me of Panoz GTS. WOW. I release brakes at 2 mark, already going too slow ! Hard right, Indy cars go 35-40mph. Paul Tracy 41. 42 is in the gravel. FLAT, NO ROLL. TURNS in and unsteers great.
Downshift, 2nd, Puuuuls out of 2, around 3. Short straight.
I brake at 4 normally....... 2 now. WOW. BRAKING MONSTOR.
Power goes on SSMMMOOOOOOOOTHE as silk.
Now, the surprize: T5,6,7 can be BUGGERS in my GTS if you add too much throttle. NOT THE SRT/10 ! The new viscous-coupled rear end reminds me of how a 911TT puts power down. No scuffing like the GTS rear as it grabs for traction. Acts like a Quaife. HOOKS UP NOW. AMAZING. Flat. No body roll.
Back Straight. GTS usually 130mph. I am SO CONFIDENT of these awesome brakes that I just brake at 4. Usually 5+. WOW! Coulda gone even deeper. Now, a usual body-rolling weave thru 80-85mph T 10/11. I love this dead pedal !!!
This SRT/10 is FLAT. No roll. But a compliant yet firm ride. Not stiff bouncy. NICE. I can actually FEEL the lower center of gravity, due to the lowered motor and trans. Also moved rearward. Man, this beast is balanced and low-feeling.
Front straight. Corner worker boss signals his jealosy. Says Im Number One ! Now, lap two.
I go deeper than ever before, still shifting at only 4500 rpm.
Faster now, and still flat, controlled, amazing. Back straight I go to 5000 rpm. Way below redline. Still pulling. Obviously stronger than my GTS. Front straight again, check guages. **** .....temp says 260 ! YIKES. Uh-oil. That is oil temp! Normal. What a car........... Brakes galore, I cannot get over how great these brakes are!
Lap 3, 1/2 cooldown. Pit. PVO sees the grin, says TAKE ONE MORE
SESSION. Cody *****, our incoming VP gets in. We reprise the 3 laps, but now I know the car a bit better. Did I say how amazing the brakes are? The rear-end hookup? The flat, responsive chassis and steering? The ride? FAST. Still shift at 5000 rpm, straight up. Habit I guess. Session ends too soon. Corner workers, knowing my glee, are applauding. You would think I had won an event ! (I guess I did, kind of..)
Closing comments:
-Car is quiet, even at WOT. Aftermarket
-Upper Sills are HOT, flat. ZAF-easy to dress up. Aftermarket.
- Come to VOI-7 and drive one yourself, thanks to PVO again !
I chased the SRT/10 a few laps, too. (Taillight signature is what most other cars will ever see...including most Vipers.) Awesome b-u-t-t end look on this car at eye-level from behind it, even tho he did hit me with a 110mph big gooey tire ****!
**** backwards at 100, Im going 100... = 200? Black on yellow.
Tires are really sticky, and seem to be able to be bolted right on a GTS. PVO guy did not like the jack-wielding lug wrenchers eyeing the setup! But I think its a no-brainer fit, per some tape-measure lookseeing.
Ill edit in some more comments later.
Did I say how happy our VCA was for this privilige? THANKS JF,HH, and RB for the best Pac-NW event ever! And we've had some great ones.
LAST COMMENT: If status/outrageous looks/curb appeal are top priority, this car (only) comes in on the podium. But if performance alone, in every aspect, is your top priority, make it your own.
This Viper makes my 93RT seem like my 67 TR-GT6. And my 2 GTSs seem like fond cousins, but of an earlier generation. Gen-III means something here.
The 2003 SRT/10 ROCKS my fellow owners.....It gave me goosebumps again, just to write this. I just hope I can afford to keep mine. (Please buy some parts, soon?) I have seen the light. I am converted.
Grail Keeper, you have kept the faith. You should be proud.
JonB~~~~~:<~ Pac-NW VCA Event Planner
This SRT/10 was not a mule, but a C-1 vehicle. #30. New fenders, new deeper hinge covers. New decklid spoiler. "What we saw is what we get." Longer wheelbase by about 3". Important: Only the FRONT is wider, by about 2.5". And you can feel it. read on...
Hydraulic, variable speed radiator fan, temp interfaced. Unusual radiator-water-oilcooler-heat exchanger that some race teams will understand. Key FOB trunk release. Tiny Trunk, no spare; Cool red START button like my 67 E-Type had. HOT sills for now....still improving. Power pedal adjusters. Manual dead pedal adjust, tools required. But a real DEAD PEDAL ! Sueded seat centers to minimize fanny-slide. Seatback tilt difficult to find and use. Coils under the I/M. Forceps and patience needed to change wires. Airbox houses twin, horizontal cannister filters. Twin air scoops thru grille and a duct (not a NACA) in the hood. Very **** looking when hood is up, unlike current airbox.
Pre-Cut and plugged 6-pt Racing Harness anchors, and channels thru the seat to accomodate them (THANKS J.F. and H.H.!) Glass rear window w/ defrost. One-latch top. (Low roofline 6'3" tall is a challenge.) When top is up, the doorlatches auto-drop the windows 1/8 inch to open doors from a TIGHT seal. Then automatically close windows TIGHT when car starts. Light switches, including fogs, are all on turn signal stalk. 14" front AND rear rotors. BIG rear Brembo "VIPER" calipers, with a Stop-Tech-like e-brake caliper below. Impressive thru the wheels
30 or so members attended over the 2-day event. Watch for a story in Viper magazine, so I wont write it all here. A senior engineer from PVO, with Team Viper since 1991, was our honored guest. "RB" like the roast-beef sandwich. Cool guy.
Tech Session; 90-mile convoy; car show with 19,000 spectators, police ******, beach resort luncheon; rider swap every 20 miles;
convoy back, rider swaps. Dinner/doorprizes. 8am-5pm Driving school next day, Portland Int'l Raceway. Life is GOOD.
The grandstand began to fill. More in Viper Mag.....
EVERY VCA member who wanted one, got a chance to ride at PIR for an evaluation. 3 laps. Serious track rats got out grinning WIDE. Non-track members got out wobbly-legged.
And the Viper was at 75%, with the PVO engineer at the wheel.
Much Much more in Viper mag............ but read on.
After all our members had ridden, I hoped to cajole a chance to (secretly?) do a rider swap on the way back to Timberline Dodge. We were told that only official engineering evaluation events could allow a non-official driver in a pre-production car. My hopes were very low of that rider swap. Tech Ken Klickman had driven the car fom Reliable drop to the showroom, a few blocks. "Logistics necessity." I was jealous.
So, as the day waned and members departed, we found ourselves with a 10-minute gap. I was called to the tower. PVO engineer dangles the keys like a carrot and says the magic words:
"I have a special request....Id like you to do an engineerig evaluatiion and give me a report. Three Laps." You could have heard a pin drop. ARE YOU SERIOUS? Yes. 75% max, report back. WHOOPEEE....down the tower. Ooops. Forgot Brenda.
Collected Brenda. Helmets on. Key wont start ! My luck. OOPS. Red Start Button. VROOM. Whew. Lemme see....75% is about 4500 rpm, right?
Motor hot. Fuel good. Released. Solo. Free at last, Top Down.
TALL, ANGULAR FENDER TOPS! Exotic view. Looks like a Vector fender, kind of. Deep hood louvres to look down into...If/when a radiator hose ever blows, the windshield WILL BE DOUSED or FOGGED.
Familiar steering rate and response, but FLAT. No roll. Goes where pointed, when pointed. Ride is much less stiff than ACR, and somehow more supple than the GTS. Nice riding, not stiff. Comfortable, seat, slide track Up-Down wheel, not a tilt wheel. Exactly like my StealthTT and Neon RT.
Looong clutch release. Sean will fix. Looong tall shifter knob travel. MGW will fix. Raging power off the line, shift at 4000.
LONG travel again. Same "feel" but long...... Shift at 4000.
Apprroacing T1, I normally brake at "6 marker" (before the 5)
So I lift and brake at 6. HOLY SHEET this thing has got some real BRAKES. Reminds me of Panoz GTS. WOW. I release brakes at 2 mark, already going too slow ! Hard right, Indy cars go 35-40mph. Paul Tracy 41. 42 is in the gravel. FLAT, NO ROLL. TURNS in and unsteers great.
Downshift, 2nd, Puuuuls out of 2, around 3. Short straight.
I brake at 4 normally....... 2 now. WOW. BRAKING MONSTOR.
Power goes on SSMMMOOOOOOOOTHE as silk.
Now, the surprize: T5,6,7 can be BUGGERS in my GTS if you add too much throttle. NOT THE SRT/10 ! The new viscous-coupled rear end reminds me of how a 911TT puts power down. No scuffing like the GTS rear as it grabs for traction. Acts like a Quaife. HOOKS UP NOW. AMAZING. Flat. No body roll.
Back Straight. GTS usually 130mph. I am SO CONFIDENT of these awesome brakes that I just brake at 4. Usually 5+. WOW! Coulda gone even deeper. Now, a usual body-rolling weave thru 80-85mph T 10/11. I love this dead pedal !!!
This SRT/10 is FLAT. No roll. But a compliant yet firm ride. Not stiff bouncy. NICE. I can actually FEEL the lower center of gravity, due to the lowered motor and trans. Also moved rearward. Man, this beast is balanced and low-feeling.
Front straight. Corner worker boss signals his jealosy. Says Im Number One ! Now, lap two.
I go deeper than ever before, still shifting at only 4500 rpm.
Faster now, and still flat, controlled, amazing. Back straight I go to 5000 rpm. Way below redline. Still pulling. Obviously stronger than my GTS. Front straight again, check guages. **** .....temp says 260 ! YIKES. Uh-oil. That is oil temp! Normal. What a car........... Brakes galore, I cannot get over how great these brakes are!
Lap 3, 1/2 cooldown. Pit. PVO sees the grin, says TAKE ONE MORE
SESSION. Cody *****, our incoming VP gets in. We reprise the 3 laps, but now I know the car a bit better. Did I say how amazing the brakes are? The rear-end hookup? The flat, responsive chassis and steering? The ride? FAST. Still shift at 5000 rpm, straight up. Habit I guess. Session ends too soon. Corner workers, knowing my glee, are applauding. You would think I had won an event ! (I guess I did, kind of..)
Closing comments:
-Car is quiet, even at WOT. Aftermarket
-Upper Sills are HOT, flat. ZAF-easy to dress up. Aftermarket.
- Come to VOI-7 and drive one yourself, thanks to PVO again !
I chased the SRT/10 a few laps, too. (Taillight signature is what most other cars will ever see...including most Vipers.) Awesome b-u-t-t end look on this car at eye-level from behind it, even tho he did hit me with a 110mph big gooey tire ****!
**** backwards at 100, Im going 100... = 200? Black on yellow.
Tires are really sticky, and seem to be able to be bolted right on a GTS. PVO guy did not like the jack-wielding lug wrenchers eyeing the setup! But I think its a no-brainer fit, per some tape-measure lookseeing.
Ill edit in some more comments later.
Did I say how happy our VCA was for this privilige? THANKS JF,HH, and RB for the best Pac-NW event ever! And we've had some great ones.
LAST COMMENT: If status/outrageous looks/curb appeal are top priority, this car (only) comes in on the podium. But if performance alone, in every aspect, is your top priority, make it your own.
This Viper makes my 93RT seem like my 67 TR-GT6. And my 2 GTSs seem like fond cousins, but of an earlier generation. Gen-III means something here.
The 2003 SRT/10 ROCKS my fellow owners.....It gave me goosebumps again, just to write this. I just hope I can afford to keep mine. (Please buy some parts, soon?) I have seen the light. I am converted.
Grail Keeper, you have kept the faith. You should be proud.
JonB~~~~~:<~ Pac-NW VCA Event Planner
