300C SRT-8

Author
Discussion

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Monday 3rd November 2008
quotequote all
I would value some constructive opinion on this car....

I'm currently running an 06 Chevy Suburban 1500LT, which I bought because I needed a monster for work. Thankfully I no longer need an 8 seat colossus and am looking for something that will deliver a few more grins.
I have been looking at a number of options. I thought about waiting (who knows how long) for a new Camaro. Then I looked at an RT Challenger (can't afford an SRT-8). I was a bit disappointed in this car, other than it's looks.
Today I was called by a Chrysler dealer who has just taken an 07 300C SRT-8 in p/x.
It's black, stock (aside from sat/nav) and clean as a whistle - however, it's got 30,000 miles on it.
The up-side is that it is $26,000 - so it appears to have done it's depreciating (new list is $46k).
I know it's a bit ghetto - poor man's Bentley etc., but it's not blinged-up or banged-up and I'm quite attracted by 425 horsepower and enough torque to pull a house down, all for the price of a low-end BMW.
I have driven a SRT Magnum and was well impressed by it's eyeball flattening abilities - shame about the auto trans, but I could live with that.
Anyone aware of any horror stories, other than 14mpg and potential target for yardie drive-by's, with this car?

MrVelox

2,974 posts

188 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
$26,000 is no special deal for that car, it's got 30k on the clock, out of warranty in 6k miles and the lifetime warranty doesn't apply to SRTs, regardless it's on the original owner only.

It's probably worth around $21-22k trade... offer $23k to start.. unless they did some work to it (Tires, brakes..etc..) then 24kish ought to be able to buy it.

Of course, if I told you what trade-in was on your Burban you'd have a heart attack.

Edited by MrVelox on Tuesday 4th November 05:53

LuS1fer

41,137 posts

246 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
Against the 300C-SRT8, I'd take the Cadillac CTS-V all day long - classsic LS6 Z06 engine and better handling.

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
MrVelox said:
$26,000 is no special deal for that car, it's got 30k on the clock, out of warranty in 6k miles and the lifetime warranty doesn't apply to SRTs, regardless it's on the original owner only.

It's probably worth around $21-22k trade... offer $23k to start.. unless they did some work to it (Tires, brakes..etc..) then 24kish ought to be able to buy it.

Of course, if I told you what trade-in was on your Burban you'd have a heart attack.

Edited by MrVelox on Tuesday 4th November 05:53
OK thanks for that. I guess the trade value is somewhat irrelevant, as I'm not a trader. If I was, I don't think I'd be selling my inventory at trade either. My thought was that this car has dropped it's pants by 50% in it's first year and consequently the depreciation bell-curve would start to flatten-out now. Is this not so? I can't find one cheaper than this. Another local Mopar dealer has an 07 in red with 14k miles - but he's asking $37k, which I thought was a little out of order. I'm not super-concerned about the mfr warranty, as the dealer will throw-in a 24 month after-market warranty - and I probably won't keep it that long.
Is this car such a pig that one year down the line (with albeit twice the ave miles) priced at half it's new sticker, it's still a crappy deal? And is 30k on a 6.1 litre, lazy, unstressed drive train that big of a deal?
You're right about the value of the Land Yacht - thankfully, it's on a maturing lease, so GMAC can enjoy the fun of disposing of it!
Thanks for your thoughts Mr V.

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
LuS1fer said:
Against the 300C-SRT8, I'd take the Cadillac CTS-V all day long - classsic LS6 Z06 engine and better handling.
Whilst I appreciate the input, you are obviously sniffing paint.
I'd "take" the CTS-V all day long too if it was $26,000. With tax, tag, title and dealer fees, the Caddy is more like $66,000. So, not really comparable, in this context.

As an afterthought, your CTS-V facts are all to bollix too.
The CTS-V has a 6.2litre 556hp supercharged LSA motor - not the LS7, 7 litre 505hp normally aspirated, as used in the Z06. wink

LuS1fer

41,137 posts

246 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
LuS1fer said:
Against the 300C-SRT8, I'd take the Cadillac CTS-V all day long - classsic LS6 Z06 engine and better handling.
Whilst I appreciate the input, you are obviously sniffing paint.
I'd "take" the CTS-V all day long too if it was $26,000. With tax, tag, title and dealer fees, the Caddy is more like $66,000. So, not really comparable, in this context.

As an afterthought, your CTS-V facts are all to bollix too.
The CTS-V has a 6.2litre 556hp supercharged LSA motor - not the LS7, 7 litre 505hp normally aspirated, as used in the Z06. wink
Thanks for the input, Matt. I was of course talking about the LAST CTS-V with the 5.7 litre LS6 from the C5 Z06 which the car you're referring to replaces. So, with all due deference, I was rather assuming you might know about cars in the country you live in. I've looked at many a second-hand CTS-V in your price range though never got round to importing one (and won't now the £/$ rate has collapsed) but still desire one. So my observations still stand and sniffing water-based paint has no real detrimental effect. wink


Edited by LuS1fer on Tuesday 4th November 16:26

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
Forgive me - and I certainly defer to your superior knowledge. I am no expert, when it comes to the Cadillac brand, but you offered a very worthwhile alternative. I do quite like the 'stealth' design of the car. Initially, I thought - "Great idea, this guy may have saved me from myself", but then I did a quick hunt for availability of a 2007 CTS-V.
Sadly, not one of the 10+ dealers I looked at within 100 miles of me had a CTS-V in their inventory - so I went to Eb*y and there are 5 available, the nearest one being in Texas (a fair schlep from FL) and it had 50k miles on it - 'Buy it Now' for $26k. This didn't get me all hot'n'heavy.
I don't really want anything much more than a year old, if I can help it. 2005/6 CTS-V seems to be around the same price (and almost as scarce as 07) as the SRT I'm pondering - and the Chrysler's on my doorstep.
Thanks for the suggestion - and apologies for firmly grasping the wrong end of the stick.
Maybe I should just wait for the Camaro - if they can get their asses in gear and give me some firm pricing/delivery dates. Every time I call these putzes, they try and talk me into a Malibu. Utter jerk-offs

LuS1fer

41,137 posts

246 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
To be honest, Matt, I'd consider waiting for the Camaro. Even the 3.6 is going to have the Caddy V6 direct injection with something like 345hp and may well escape the dealer markups that the higher model cars will inevitably attract. All the lemmings may well gravitate to the V8s but the V6 might be the surprise of the range unless GM dumb it down. This is assuming that Chevy can finish organising that piss-up in a brewery they promised. wink

I'm still amazed at how little money the old CTS-Vs are losing.

MrVelox

2,974 posts

188 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
Matt Harper said:
Forgive me - and I certainly defer to your superior knowledge. I am no expert, when it comes to the Cadillac brand, but you offered a very worthwhile alternative. I do quite like the 'stealth' design of the car. Initially, I thought - "Great idea, this guy may have saved me from myself", but then I did a quick hunt for availability of a 2007 CTS-V.
Sadly, not one of the 10+ dealers I looked at within 100 miles of me had a CTS-V in their inventory - so I went to Eb*y and there are 5 available, the nearest one being in Texas (a fair schlep from FL) and it had 50k miles on it - 'Buy it Now' for $26k. This didn't get me all hot'n'heavy.
I don't really want anything much more than a year old, if I can help it. 2005/6 CTS-V seems to be around the same price (and almost as scarce as 07) as the SRT I'm pondering - and the Chrysler's on my doorstep.
Thanks for the suggestion - and apologies for firmly grasping the wrong end of the stick.
Maybe I should just wait for the Camaro - if they can get their asses in gear and give me some firm pricing/delivery dates. Every time I call these putzes, they try and talk me into a Malibu. Utter jerk-offs
Matt,

A very close friend of mine is a wholesaler in Gainesville. He is one of two or three people on the planet I will buy a car from sight unseen.

If you want I can call Pat and see if he can find you something? Or if you want I can e-mail you his info, he might be able to help.

I'd also strongly suggest that you drive a CTS-V before you buy the SRT-8. The CTS-V is a cut-price M5, the SRT-8 is a bit of a boat, just my opinion tho.

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Tuesday 4th November 2008
quotequote all
Damn straight! I'm f*cked if I can find a CTS-V in this state.
By all means - and thanks very much for helping out.
I am tempted by the 300C - only because of my experience with a similarly powered Magnum, which was just as fast (and stopped just as well) as my C5 Corvette. I confess I hadn't really considered a Caddy. That said, I want a recent one - not really interested in anything over a year old. But any help you and your friend can offer would be gratefully received.
Regards
Matt

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Went out today to test drive the SRT........ and came home with it.
I'm not really the type that procrastinates, I suppose.
I knocked them down by $3k and they threw in a 60 months/60k miles bumper-to-bumper, so I'm feeling pretty good about the deal.
Added bonus - it has every factory option offered (apart from bling trim).
It's an angry mo-fo.
It's going back in at the weekend for a Zoomer cat-back and an Airhammer.
Thanks for the CTS-V prompt - a smart alternative, but they're like rocking-horse sh!t. Everyone I talked to laughed at me when I said I was looking for an 07 for less than $30k - and within 250 miles.

MrVelox

2,974 posts

188 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Matt,

Good deal you got there! I have been searching.. no nice Vs out there... did get your e-mail and was just about to tell you the bad news.

Ive been looking halfheartedly for a cheap one for myself.. that or maybe an S-Type R.. nothing out there atm frown

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Thanks for taking the trouble Bill. I appreciate it.

LuS1fer

41,137 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Is it time for a "This thread is worthless without pics" post?

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
If I can figure out how to post pix, I will. hang on......

Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Here goes nuthin'.......




Matt Harper

Original Poster:

6,620 posts

202 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Gaaaddayam, it worked!

Now - I somewhat object to being a rolling advert for a dealer, so how do I remove the dealer badge (vinyl sticker by the look of it), without buggering the paint?

LuS1fer

41,137 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th November 2008
quotequote all
Very nice indeed.

Just pull and peel the vinyl tape and use polish to remove the sticky that's left, if any.

MrVelox

2,974 posts

188 months

Sunday 9th November 2008
quotequote all
Matt,

Sweet ride! TO get the stickers off the decklid, sorry, bootlid, get a hairdryer.. get it warm enough to soften the stickers, use a plastic razor blade (In the help section of AutoZone) and GENTLY scrape it off with that.

Then use a SMALL amount of Petrol to remove the sticky stuff left over. Wax it as soon as you are done with the petrol, like dont wait but a few minutes... get paint protected immediately.

rusal

526 posts

186 months

Sunday 12th April 2009
quotequote all
not a clue what the argument was all about. why the heck would you put a cad in from of the srt.
you have all been sniffing paint.
take another look at them. cad been hit with an ugly stick no mistake. the srt is you bad bad boy.
wasnt a contest was it.
i put the corsa catback on mine and regret it. especially after what it cost to get it here and fit it.
i have the springs on the way with some cut outs already got the predator and the AFE11 and the T stat done. where can you have so much fun for so little.