Hey! I'm not looking to pick a fight with Ryan. I used the Reversed and
Remanded language because I thought it was a clever way of dropping the
evenings biggest news into an on-topic email.
Like I said, I grew up around drag strips and performance cars. What does
it really matter if a single vehicle pulls off a miracle run 4-8 tenths
faster than the typical production model?
>From what I've seen the fastest combination available from Dodge bonestock
is a stripped down 5speed RC 4.7L with 3.92's and SG. The reason is so
much the megapower of a 4.7 as it is the availability of a manual, 150lbs
off the nose, and the lighter overall weight due to options. Those R/T
wheels are HEAVY!!!
I much prefer the R/T's and I much prefer the old magnums because they are
familiar. I can tune them and mod with much less effort. I was pleasantly
surprised when I got stuck with a lowly 4.7L. It's pretty strong right out
of the box.
If I was going to build the ultimate handing and performing truck, I'd have
to give the nod to 4.7L RC 5-speed. The weight advantages and the
availability of a manual trans are too big of obstacles for the R/T to
overcome in the hands of a serious demon possessed hotrodder. To watch
Gary Pinkley's truck handle with a V6 and a 5 speed you quickly see the
advantages of getting the weight off the nose. A 4.7 is closer in weight
to a 3.9 than a 5.9!
In terms of potential, cubic inches are always tough to overcome, but the
5.9 is pushed harder than a 4.7 in stock trim. A 4.7 can use more static
compression and lots more cam without affecting streetability. You can't
do this in a 5.9 without side-effects. Likewise, you can add more boost to
a stock 4.7 than a stock 5.9. But for now the 5.9 will be cheaper to mod.
Not that any serious modding is cheap!!!
In the end of the day, I'm not sure which I'd prefer to have. An R/T
offers instant handling, style, and performance out of the box. If I
wanted to push the envelope and dump some bucks into mods to build the
fastest autocrossing and drag strip chewing beast I could, I'd go with
Matt's truck.
For my own current choice, I wanted to lease a cheap work truck/daily
driver that could tow 6700lbs. I thought I'd end up with a 318 Ram SLT
with a bench seat and tall skinny tires. Instead I ended up with the
WunderSLT. It beats up on M3's, NSX's, TT Quattro's, Cobra SVT's, and
others at the autocrosses. It runs mid 15's at the track and sounds cool.
It also carries a chrome grill, Dumbo ears, and a class IV receiver hitch.
To each there own...
-Steve Ekstrand
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