questions about gen3

[mercury51]

i now have a 1997 gts and a couple vetts.i am in the market for a gen3.is there anything i should know ,look out for , be aware of ,problems ,strong pointd ,weak points?

thank you in advance

Bill

 

[JonB]

The weak link in a Gen 3 (2003-2006) is the rear diff. 03 are particulary fragile. By 05 Dodge replaced the weakest internal link, but the 03-06 hyrdo-lock is NOT a good rear end product vs 92-02 and 08+ Rear Endurance after 40k miles will be iffy, esp if tracked........

The first few hundred 2003s had motor issues, and specifivc vins needed a valve job. CHECK THE DODGE VIN HISTORY before buying any 2003.

Brakes are fantastic vs your 97. 500+HP is nice, too. HOT COCKPITS vs 97 unless you get an aftermarket exhaust.

10-spoke boat-anchor 03-05 standard wheels with run-craps are a low...........1 OE rear wheel/tire weighs 80 lbs !!!! Belong on a 51 Merc

 

[MikeR]

Id personally look for a 2005 and up. If you want a Coupe then your only choice is a 2006.
Other then a good inspection, there's really no big problems with these cars. Most problems come from when we mod them and go overboard without beefing stuff up.

 

[black mamba1]

04 has problems w/ piston rods breaking under hard driving, leading to engine failure and fire. If you get an 04 you should replace the rods.
I have heard that the 05's and 06's have more conservative tuning than the 03's and 04's, resulting in slower 1/4 mile times. You will see many stock 03's and 04's running 11.77's in the 1/4 mile, every stock 05 and 06 I have seen run in the 12's.

 

[Hamrhead]

Wasn't there an issue with the Crank Pulley coming loose on the 04's?

My '04 SRT Ram had this problem. It's a simple fix IF you catch it in time. If you don't, it can wipe out the crank.

 

[black mamba1]

Never heard of a crank problem. But the engine issue is widely known, as a result you can get an 04 at a really good price. Spend like 2k and get the rods replaced, and you then have a monster!

 

[fqberful]

Wasn't there an issue with the Crank Pulley coming loose on the 04's?

My '04 SRT Ram had this problem. It's a simple fix IF you catch it in time. If you don't, it can wipe out the crank.

The balancer bolt not being properly torqued was on both the SRT Ram and the Viper in 2004. My 04 SRT Ram had this problem as well. Luckily I caught it before it caused any real damage.

My 06 Viper Coupe is bullet proof though I'd strongly recommend upgrading that POS visco-lok carrier in the rear end to a Quaife.