[BOBBYON]

hey charger geeks,
my daughter is going to start driving in june 2011
i want her to use my 2006 dodge charger srt-8 car but, i want to de-tune it and make it less explosive!
is there a way to de-tune an srt-8? so it will not go so fast aside from a block of wood under the accerlerator?
any comments, suggestions and ideas would be appreciated
thank you worried dad:driving:

 

[sws4420]

My wife and I have talked about this, as my oldest son will be driving in about 4 years. There's no way I'd let him drive the Charger, especially as a first car. There's plenty to focus on while driving forgetting about the horsepower at their disposal. I remember all the trouble and predicaments I got myself into with my Cavalier as a teenager.

Granted she's a girl and probably more responsible than I was as a kid. Just saying.

 

[jjbNana]

Same boat here. My 16 year-old daughter doesn't understand why she is not allowed to drive my Charger. By the way, it wouldn't matter to the insurance company if you did de-tune the car. It's gonna cost ya.

I've found that (at least in MD), as long as she's in a learner's permit mode, my insurance rates aren't affected even though she's listed as driving my wife's Grand Caravan. As soon as she's "licensed" (provisional or full), our rates will be slightly more than double (at least they gave me fair warning).

Good luck, brother...

 

[keviiinn]

in total seriousness, I really wouldn't recommend that you let your daughter drive the SRT8 as her first car. I'm not saying anything about her driving ability or your teaching ability or anything like that, but this is not smart.

 

[GLHS837]

My 16 yo daughter is learning to drive on both the wifes 99 Blazer and my 06 SRT-8.....

but no, she will most likely never take it out by herself, not for years to come. For daily driving, we have bought a 1991 Civic 5 speed that will be hers to use until she buys her own first car. And then her brothers to use after that. After, of course, they install a transmission into it

 

[jjbNana]

Wow! You're a braver man than I. However, that's about the route my wife and I are taking (minus the driving my Charger part)...

Good luck.

 

[redlinertmax]

I agree with all the statements above, Insurance will be high and I wouldn't recommend an SRt8 or an R/T as a first car for a first time driver. However, to answer your question. If you have a predator you can set the speed limiter much lower and also adjust the shift points way down and the rev limiter. This would help reduce the overall speed of the car but it's still way quick enough off the line to get someone in trouble. I'm not sure what the minimum speed is you can set the limiter to in the predator. I just adjusted mine all the way up and didn't pay attention to the low end. Probably in the 60mph range.

 

[GLHS837]

Wow! You're a braver man than I. However, that's about the route my wife and I are taking (minus the driving my Charger part)...

Good luck.

Eh, I figure knowing beats ignorance any day. I would rather her learn to respect the power from me, in a controlled environment, than when she's 18 and some chucklehead lets her drive his modified car.

 

[alberni_charger_R/T]

Taught my daughter in my Ram1500 4x4 and paid for drivers Ed once she was licensed the wife let her drive the neon or the ram, charger was strictly off limits. lol

 

[Hailey_R]

If you love your car (and I guess your daughter too) don't do it! Being 18 myself, my Charger is my first car, it's a 2.7 but it's still proved to be a lot to handle should something go wrong. It'll be a year in April since I got that car and I've already managed to glide her up a curb and into the bushes just because of rain.

I can't imagine the trouble I would have already been into if I had an SRT8. I definitely want one eventually, but right now due to my inexperience, I'm not worthy!

 

[Nightops]

Even if you do manage to teach her to respect the power on tap of such a car, and you manage to stomach the insane insurance of having a young driver behind the wheel of it, she is going to be surrounded by all the other chuckle-headed drivers at her school.

Do the car, your wallet, and your daughter a favor and let her drive a beater car that won't let her get into trouble so quick.

 

[GLHS837]

Guys, dont confuse me with the OP, my daughter is learning to drive mine, but will not be allowed to take it out alone until sometime in her 20s.

 

[hendge]

hey charger geeks,
my daughter is going to start driving in june 2011
i want her to use my 2006 dodge charger srt-8 car but, i want to de-tune it and make it less explosive!
is there a way to de-tune an srt-8? so it will not go so fast aside from a block of wood under the accerlerator?
any comments, suggestions and ideas would be appreciated
thank you worried dad:driving:

I would contact Diablosport and see if they can come up with a tune that limits RPMS and has a WOT restriction. Johan is person to ask for.

don't know if it's possible with them just know that other companies can do this for fleet vehicles etc...Just a thought.

 

[maans88]

There should be something like "valet key" my mom's Honda came with one, it limits ur speed


Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide

 

[Yankee]

First off, de-nutting an SRT Charger should never be allowed under any circumstances no matter what the reason (I'm not understanding why you WANT your daughter to drive your SRT... are there clearly no other alternatives?). I think GLHS has the right idea, let her drive the SRT under strict controlled circumstances, i.e. with you or your wife in the car - no exceptions.

My advice would be to absolutely NOT neuter your SRT and get your daughter something cheap and more practical to drive as her first car. Better yet, do what my parents did and make her get a job and pay for her OWN car.

 

[Coffee With Scream]

probably not the best idea. my dad had a shelby daytona turbo z when i was 15. and he sold it that year. i was hoping to drive that car but i knew the only time would be with him in it. way too much power for a 16 year old. really wish i got to drive that daytona. that car is the car that got me hooked on dodge

 

[bds71]

another thing to consider - even if you would/do neuter your SRT. the charger (SXT, R/T, or SRT-8) is a BIG car. most 16-17 year old kids are still growing. and girls in particular are still pretty small. her visibility will be crap, and if she lost control - trying to get 4200+ pounds under control once lost is a challenge for an EXPERIENCED driver.

my advice: get her (or any teenager) a beater for certain. but also, make it something small. something where they have good visibility from as many angles as possible. the charger/challenger/300/Magnum is simply too large a vehicle for a first time driver. otherwise i expect you will be hearing: "i didn't see it!!" a LOT.

 

[GLHS837]

Thats one reason I am training her partially in the Charger. Any driver should be able to adapt to any vehicle. Maybe not drive VIR in it, but be bale to safely navigate out in public. But I agree the first car should be something small, but also preferably nimble. I want them to develop the skills of seeing the road ahead, and get in the mindset that crashes are to be avoided, not that they have the mass to ride it out.

As for not being able to regain control, that's why I recommend real driver training, given in a real school. Not traffic school, where they teach how to stay between the lines and what to do when everything goes right. But schools where they teach what to do when it all goes wrong. How not to panic, but keep driving, and stay alive. Tirerack has a basic course, taught at different venues around the country, only $75, a good primer.

http://www.streetsurvival.org/index.php

Thats more than %90 of drivers ever know. But me, I also suggest, if you can afford it, something with higher speeds. You might also look for one like this, which has a rigged skid car

http://decisivedriving.com/

this just scratches the surface. I will gladly put my google skills to use helping any parent find stuff in their area. We dont put pilots in charge of aircraft until they have proven they cna handle it in almost any emergency, why do we let kids drive off in 4,000lbs of metal with so much less training?

 

[drjimm5]

Agreed with outside real driver's ed. No way my kid's will be turned loose just on school-provided DE and the joke of a road-test that doesn't include getting on/off the highway but does require a 3-point turn. If you can't affford a smaller, less powerful car for her then it's probably OK for her to learn on yours but I wouldn't let her drive it for real once she has a license.

 

[Stubbs1911]

Just my two cents worth,...

...but I'm a 45 year old man and I have a hell of a time restraining the urge to let my SRT loose every chance I get. And most people consider me to be a rather level headed and controlled individual. I simply do not see any teenager, regardless of relative maturity level, being able to fully comprehend the sheer power of these beasts and would fully expect to see them push the vehicle way beyond their driving abilities, especially when their friends find out that "you have a SRT!?! How Fast does it go!?!". Especially if it's their first car and they have no experience in how "normal" cars feel and react. Dude, please get her something more in tune with her driving experience and skills. Nutting the SRT just wont do it, she will be challenged to push it just because its an SRT, even if it's limited to 80. Get her something that won't encourage that.