Hello everyone!

I don't own a Crossfire yet, but am considering purchasing one. I don't know much about Crossfires, but I have loved them since they came out.

I drive a 93' Town & Country and would like to use my T&C as my winter car and the Crossfire as a recreational car. I've always loved Chryslers, and I'd love to build a driver's car (basically a car which handles well and can move). I've got some general questions regarding the Crossfire platform:

1. The SRT-6. I read that it only comes as an auto? Is this true? I really want a manual.
2. As far as power is concerned, how much power can I realistically add (staying N/A) without blowing the drivetrain?
3. How is the aftermarket scene for this car?
4. How reliable are these cars?
5. What are known problem areas and things to look for when inspecting used Crossfires?
6. What are specific mods that everyone would recommend installing? (If anybody is familiar with the Chrysler LX platform, this would mean mods like the AirHammer intake or Diablo Predator Tuner)
7. Any notable year to year changes? Are there certain model years to stay away from?

Thank you all for your help! I will scour the forums over the next few days and try to answer some of these myself.

 

 

First, the car is not a Chrysler product. It's built on a Mercedes engine/chassis and was assembled in Germany. The only Chrysler part of it is the window sticker and owner's manual.

1. Auto only - period. The SRT is an AMG product and it's just the way it is.
2. Not a LOT, seems like maybe 30 HP with a tune, CAI, etc. (Watch someone correct me now!)
3. Leaving that for others.
4. This is brought up all the time - I think they are fairly reliable. Mine is a daily driver and my only car.
5. Same as most used cars; but there ARE some things to look for (AFAIK) in the SRTs. Again, others will chime in....
6. Tunes and CAIs are quite popular and effective. But go look over Needswings website and see what he has to offer!
7. VERY little changed between 04 and the 05--08 runs. O4's are all "Limited" models and are Coupes. 5 brought the Roadsters and I believe the SRT came out then, too.

Have fun reading the threads, and get to a local GTG and you'll find owners will bring you up to speed quickly! I will say this, at age 49 these cars turned me into a "Car Guy" - something that no other car could ever do!

 

The 2003 SLK320 engine and drivertrain base is rock solid, but you are talking about 7-8 year old cars. As original owner on the roadster, only repair was the recall on the fan and a loose door bolt. The SRT6 had the IC replaced under warranty. I change the oil and filter before putting them to bed for the winter. 41k on the roadster, 20k on the SRT6.

 

And is the SRT-6 3.2 V6 just a supercharged version of the 3.2 in the normal cars? Or is it a completely different engine altogether?

 

Mercedes-Benz M112 engine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

The C32 AMG is a special version of the 3.2 L (3199 cc) C320, fitted with a helical twin-screw supercharger and water-to-air intercooler. The supercharger was developed in conjunction with IHI and features Teflon-coated rotors producing overall boost of 14.5 psi (1 bar). Output is 354 hp ECE (260 kW) at 6100 rpm with 332 ft.lbf (450 Nm) of torque at 3000-4600 rpm.
Applications:

• 2001–2003 C32 AMG
• 2001–2003 SLK32 AMG
• 2005–2006 Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6

 

In addition to the s/c, I thought the engine had improved and heavy duty internal parts, like the piston rods. In other words, beefed up over the n/a engine.

 

Confirmed. Also, beefed-up clutch packs in the transmission. Different compression ratio, MAP versus MAF, etc.

Not to mention the more robust brakes, suspension, a BCM with higher allowances to aid handling...

It's a relative bargain compared to the N/A, unless you simply prefer the purer driving experience of a six-speed and lighter chassis, in which case the N/A versions perform beautifully. It's all about your expectations of the car and how you prefer to play.