Can you tell this is not a Dodge Viper? OK, you got us there. Still, back in 2004, the Mopar people put the supercar’s 8.3-liter V10 into a truck, and thus the Ram SRT-10 was born. What about this example? Well, the short answer is that the pickup is special for more than one reason and you can stick around for the long, 800 hp answer.
The carmaker built slightly more than 10,000 units of the Ram SRT-10 over three short years and buyers could choose between this single-cab and a quad-cab iteration. The lighter, more agile two-door made the most out of the N/A V10’s 500 hp. It covered the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 4.9 seconds and could party all the way to 154 mph, which turned it into the fastest production truck in the world back then.
However, they don’t make ’em like this anymore. That’s because we now live in a world where factory super trucks like the TRX successor of the SRT-10 Ram are built for dune bashing rather than terrorizing the asphalt.
Then again, with contemporary performance trucks rocking supercharged V8s straight from the factory (hi there, 2023 F-150 Raptor R!), purists enjoying these “old-school” road-biased performance pickups may be in trouble. Then there’s the threat from electric trucks, such as the 835 hp Rivian R1T, which isn’t even portrayed as a wicked special.
So, what can an enthusiast do? Well, how about adding a generously-sized turbocharger to that 8.3L monster so the resulting 800 hp means all the Hellcats running around these days still know their OGs?
What is a 2004 Ram SRT-10 VCA?
The aftermarket turbo recipe mentioned above is precisely the one used for the truck parked on our screens, which comes with a six-speed manual.
That and a bunch of Viper Club of America badges. These show that the 2004 Ram SRT-10 is part of the just 50 trucks that were only offered to Viper owners who had to enter a raffle for the chance to buy one.
And now the Electric Blue Pearl with dual Stone White stripes truck (this was the color scheme for all VCAs) is for sale on Bring a Trailer.
It’s got a fully built V10 and then some
Sure, given the age of the truck, that forced induction might make you extra cautious. However, you should know that the engine was fully built to withstand the extra muscle, featuring upgraded internals and side pipes (told you this may be a Viper!). Besides, the odometer only reads 3,600 miles, so, in garage talk, the thing hasn’t even been broken in yet.
And, if you decide to put the North Carolina-based JTS Venom Performance-built V10 to good use, you’ll have a carbon fiber driveshaft, a rebuilt limited-slip differential, and a rebuilt Tremec T56 six-speed manual on your side.
And while the tech upgrades are a delight, not everybody might enjoy the otherwise moderate aftermarket work done to the exterior (e.g. the hood and the 22-inch wheels), as well as to the cabin (e.g., seat covers).
All in all, it’s difficult to tell exactly what those mods will do to the price of the machine, but know this: about a year ago, another Ram SRT-10 VCA edition, which had 2,400 miles on it, traded hands on BAT for $75,000. For the record, that’s the kind of money that will buy you a brand new 2023 F-150 Raptor (options not included in this price), but they make it with a V6 now…
