Between MSRTs...

**Dragao** · 02-14-2006, 03:25 PM

Hello everybody,

Got a black Magnum SRT in mid-December...wish I had found you guys earlier, this seems like a good place to be for those of us who dig these high-tech musclecars.
Almost exactly a month, and 1100 miles into this friendship (broken-in and ready for fun), some loser in a van pulls out in front of me and knocks me across the road, over a curb, over a short brick wall, and into someone's HOUSE...about two feet into their guest bathroom to be specific!

Fortunately, I wasn't speeding...because between Electronic Stability Program interference, a curb that flattened all four tires and a slippery lawn, there wasn't much stopping the 40 mph 2-ton car. I really thought the Brembos should have done more initially to slow the car down, but it seemed that the ESP was releasing the brakes more than clamping down on them.

The insurance company totalled the car because the brick wall really tore up the whole bottom of the car, including the radiator, oil pan (black stripe across the lawn), tranny, and both ends of the suspension.

The tow truck driver delivered the death blow by dragging the car up onto a flatbed by the rear suspension links. There were stress-buckles in the roof from the body twisting around during the roller-coaster ride.

Oddly enough, the airbag went off after everthing seemed to come to a rest...I looked out the window and said to myself, "holy crap, that's a house!", then the bag went off in my face like a Roadrunner cartoon (Wile E. Coyote hits the ground, THEN the parachute opens).

I'm thankful because there was relatively little damage to me thru all this nonsense, but it still seemed to me that the ESP was actually working against me. I had a very similar situation last year in a Chevy Avalanche (which I traded-in for the MSRT)..lotsa crappy drivers in Los Angeles, yea? Some idiot turned left in front of me when I going about 50mph, and after getting on the binders, I was able to "thread the needle" and avoid several vehicles in what at first appeared to be a no-way-out situation. The Avalanche was taller, wider, heavier, and moving faster, but it disgraced this car in a very similar situation. I was singing praises to the engineers who developed the Avalanche's Stability Program, but I'm cursing the mish-mash of Chrysler and Mercedes components that have been turned into a new model (SRT), possibly without due consideration. Did these people even take into account the new braking system and tweak the ESP accordingly? I had a Mercedes ML430 (4WD SUV-like thing) before the Avalanche and was fairly unimpressed with the ESP in that vehicle, mostly cuz I off-roaded it a lot.

Since this is still the coolest vehicle that meets my needs, I will still probably get another one, but my trust is fairly shaken in some of the engineering.

I am glad to have found you guys, I'm diggin' the Forums!

Be cool, watch out for idiot divers out there!

Brian V., aka "Dragao" (big Dragon)

**ZMagnum** · 02-14-2006, 03:37 PM

Wow. OMG. Amazing intro. What carnage. I hope you are doing okay. It's so sad to hear about a new SRT getting smashed up like that.

I can't comment on SRT ESP but I know members here are pretty impressed with their ESP in general. Of course you will hear quite a bit about getting ESP to turn completely off for doing burnouts and at the drag track. For driving in snow I've heard great things. Don't get too much snow here in Tucson so I've not had a chance to test that out.

Welcome to the site. Any pics would be great.

I, for one, am in favor of you getting another MSRT.

**magnumdude** · 02-14-2006, 03:41 PM

Damn a totaled SRT! That sucks BIG TIME!!! Any parts for sale? LOL By the way welcome to the forum

**redinorange** · 02-14-2006, 03:59 PM

Welcome to the forum. Glad to hear you are OK and getting another (Save some for the rest of us).
Come to the Meet and greet at the Anaheim Hooter's on Feb 25th and retell this tale (and hear a hundred more.)
I guess pictures are out of the question...

**formerice** · 02-14-2006, 04:04 PM

Holy $hit , glad your ok. I don't think the stability control is that bad, it's kept my ass out of the ditch a few times already. I had a 50 mph head on in a Toyota Tacoma into a **** in a GMC4x4 who drove into my path. E verything seems to go into slow motion. I was thinking this thing is never going to slow down, when in reality only traveled 10 feet before impact. You know once you've had SRT8 you ain't gonna be happy with anything less!

**COLORADOMAGNUM** · 02-14-2006, 05:16 PM

WOW....What a story. I'm glad you're okay. Must have been a heck of a mess to total out a brand new SRT. Probably best thing to happen though. That car would never be the same if they chose to repair it.

**HotRodK** · 02-14-2006, 05:21 PM

Sorry to hear about the MSRT. Cars can be replaced. At least your OK.

**Jaak** · 02-14-2006, 06:22 PM

The ESP saved my behind in some freezing rain so it's worth every penny as far as I've experienced. If the ABS was kicking in, there was a traction problem and it might have been the time speeding up for you in that "@#&$" instant.

I feel for ya Brutha! Hate to have my SRT trashed..

**Ozzie** · 02-14-2006, 08:38 PM

Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear about your experience.

**Cam** · 02-14-2006, 09:07 PM

First, welcome to the forum!!!.

Man thats a sad story, hated hearing it. I'm with you on the esp gripe. amazing that I've logged over a million miles in all kinds of rides. Most all of them not having anykind of moma's little helpers and have done just fine. I'm not saying theres anything wrong with it, but I for one could do without it, just give met a switch for the ABS (I do like that sometimes

) If you get one before the MnG in March, ya got ta come along.
Heck, come no matter what, bring a peice of your old car so we know its really you. Matter of fact, bring the brake package and just drop it off in my ride after it gets to heavy, I'll take real good care of it.

Originally Posted by magnumdude

Damn a totaled SRT! Any parts for sale?

Bastrd, beat me to it, darn forum leaches, always one step ahead.

**magnumdude** · 02-15-2006, 12:22 AM

Originally Posted by Cam

Bastrd, beat me to it, darn forum leaches, always one step ahead.

I'm looking for you in March......And I get the brakes. LOL

**sugar-tj** · 02-18-2006, 01:06 AM

man, you got to get out of l. a.
btw, welcome from new jersey...
glad your ok!!!!
any pictures?????

**Dragao** · 03-11-2006, 11:29 PM

Thanks y'all for the well-wishes and the kind words, this is feeling like home already!

The insurance companies finally found the idiot who caused this drama at fault (there is a little justice in this world), now I hope the jerk's karma runs over his dogma and he gets what he has coming to to him for trying to lie his way out of his obvious and dangerous mistakes.

I gotta new MSRT8 finally...same as before, but with option 2 now, so it has all the possible options now. Didn't want the kicker, and I'm not impressed with it so far, but maybe after I follow the advice posted on this forum to quiet the rattle, I'll change my mind. I still don't think it's worth $800...but I couldn't find a black one without it.

Huntington Dodge jerked me around for weeks on the replacement (prolly cuz I was getting a great deal at $1500 under MSRP), so I hit the phone and found another one in the Valley for $2700 under MSRP at Reseda Dodge. They turned out to be boneheads too, but I got the car after a little game of hardball. I got a free oil-change service contract cuz I caught 'em in a lie as well. I'll get the oil changes done there and find a better dealer for anything extra someplace else (maybe Valley Dodge, any reports on their Service Department??).

Will be going to Spring Fling...looking forward to meeting you cats & kittens out there and putting faces to the names!

Sorry it took so long to get these pix up here, but I had to figure out the protocol...

Take care everyone!! Dragao