PT Cruiser Turbo 5 speed?

I never really cared much for PT Cruisers, but a friend just picked up a low mileage five speed turbo for $2200. The news that the ScAries is down in the 10s has me wondering what kind of potential these ugly little things have.

What say ye?

Should be more or less the same drivetrain as an SRT-4, right?

Yeah, I think it's very similar to the SRT-4 drivetrain, so they can be made fast cheap.

Same drivetrain, smaller turbo, smaller injectors (i think), and a different tune.

Very fast for cheap.

Yea its just an uglier srt-4 , A local guy has one with all the factory mopar upgrades done to it and its a very quick car he said it was running in the 12's with the factory warranty still in tact, take it this was a few years ago

I can't help but thinking you are just putting lipstick on a pig. A very fast pig but still a pig.

The chassis sucks. The front control arm bushings are way to light for the weight of the "light truck", they fail often, and to change them, you usually end up spinning the cage nuts(weak cages) in the front bulkheads. The solution goes as follows.

That's right, instead of making the cages stronger, they just put a dimple to show where to cut.

I had this same thought a few years back; basically was told that the suspension in the PT Cruiser sucks compared to the Neon though I didn't get specifics as to what was different.

I would rather have an HHR SS but you don't see those for $2200. I guess there's a reason for that.

Engine is the same as you would find in an 03 SRT-4 (small injectors) the transmission is completely different, Greteg in the PT, NVG in the SRT-4. There is no LSD for a PT cruiser. I would suggest swapping back to a N/A Pt Cruiser's NVG T-350 simply because you can get an LSD.

There are some differences in a PT Cruiser Turbo and GT Cruiser

PT Cruiser Turbo: 180hp all automatics and some 5spds best identified by the 2.4 Turbo badge on the lower right tail gate. No intercooler.

GT Cruiser: 215hp some 5spds. "2.4 Turbo High Output" badge on lower right tailgate. Engine identical to SRT-4

The control arm bushings aren't that bad these at this point are nearing 10 years old bushings need changed. I do several sets of neon/pt control arm bushings every month and very rarely do I have the nut break free. Use the correct tools and methods and it only happens on very very rusty cars. Replace the bushings with Prothane (not Energy) and torque them properly.

Front suspension is about the same on all PL cars the PT cruiser rear suspension is completely different it is a twist beam.

HHR SS's are half a decade newer you probably cant get a 2008 GT Cruiser for $2200 and if you can I want!

I hate PT Cruisers. But, then again, I hated the GLHS when it was new. I'd give my first and second born for one now though

The most i have seen from a stock SRT/ PT GT bottom end was 700whp.

Just sayin.

I've been waiting for one to swap into the lighter first gen Neon. Haven't found one cheap enough yet, though, because I don't REALLY want another Neon toy.