School me..... looking for some purchase advice on a Viper
11-27-12, 08:54 AM
#1
School me..... looking for some purchase advice on a Viper
Hey guys, i have been looking for a fun car for some time and have recently been turning my attention to the earlier generation dodge vipers. i have been looking at the 3rd gen (03-06) and have been impressed with what i can buy with my budget. i am looking to spend in the 40-50k range and i want something that is rare. i see corvettes and older muscle cars frequently and i want something that is going to stand out a bit.i have always liked the viper, it was the car i had posters of on my wall as a kid. i am aware that the vipers are great on the track but thats about it. they aren't comfortable, refined or that pleasant to be in for more than 30 minutes. the problem is that i dont know anyone that has driven or owned one of these. i ride my bike to work most days and drive my truck when its nasty out - the viper will be only for track days and the occasional weekend drive so i am not overly concerned with the comfort factor. does anyone have experience driving or owning one of these? any feedback or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Last edited by huddleston; 11-27-12 at 11:16 AM.
11-27-12, 09:42 AM
#2
Lexus Fanatic
I can't comment much on the newer Vipers, as I haven't reviewed or test-driven one. But an old friend of mine had two of the older coupes (with the blue-white Shelby stripes) in his sports-car-rental company, and both of them were just awful in the build-quality/reliability department. They were full of squeaks/rattles, doors had to be re-hung on both of them, and they both spent a lot of time in the shop for a rain-related design-defect where heavy rain and puddles on the road would splash water up on the V-10 engines and mess up the heads and head-gaskets.
11-27-12, 10:39 AM
#3
well that certainly doesnt sound good. any other feedback guys? surely someone has some experience with these cars.....
i will look into what you mentioned mmarshall, i still need to do some reading to uncover what the common issues and problem areas with these cars are prior to purchasing.
i will look into what you mentioned mmarshall, i still need to do some reading to uncover what the common issues and problem areas with these cars are prior to purchasing.
11-27-12, 10:52 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
His company only kept them about 5-6 months (until the winter months dried up the sports-car rental buisness) and then sold them both off to private owners...at a big loss.
11-27-12, 05:14 PM
#7
Lexus Test Driver
There was a great thread on sister site, six speed on buying a Viper, you should look there..
One big part I remember, are coupes, (the Viper GTS) are much, much better then the roadster.
Good luck !
One big part I remember, are coupes, (the Viper GTS) are much, much better then the roadster.
Good luck !
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11-29-12, 06:44 AM
#9
Lead Lap
The comparisons to the first-gen cars are irrelevant. I used to hang around the Viper forums a lot and have driven an SRT-10 all of 10mi 
. These cars are pretty much bullet proof because they're so simple. You'll need to make sure the the clutch, diff, and body work on these vehicles is top notch or you'll be quite unhappy.
Be weary of the fact these are tiring cars to drive, have very cheap interiors, and will punish you if you don't concentrate during hard driving. The coupes are more desirable than the roadsters. The cabin is HOT.
. These cars are pretty much bullet proof because they're so simple. You'll need to make sure the the clutch, diff, and body work on these vehicles is top notch or you'll be quite unhappy.Be weary of the fact these are tiring cars to drive, have very cheap interiors, and will punish you if you don't concentrate during hard driving. The coupes are more desirable than the roadsters. The cabin is HOT.
Last edited by TangoRed; 11-29-12 at 12:46 PM. Reason: grammar error
12-02-12, 04:58 PM
#12
I have driven 2) 2002 ACR coupes & 2) 2003 Srt 10. As you mentioned I was ready to get out of the 02's after 30 minutes. The 2003's are a huge improvment in many ways especially comfort. These cars are probably the most difficult production car to drive fast since they have enough torque to break the tires loose just about any time. I would recommend renting one before commiting to owning.
12-02-12, 08:12 PM
#13
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Vipers are great cars, I have owned three of them.
Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.
I would recommend models from 1996 and newer.
For best advise, check out the Viper owners website .... www.viperclub.org
Feel free to PM me with any specific questions.
I would recommend models from 1996 and newer.
For best advise, check out the Viper owners website .... www.viperclub.org
01-04-13, 01:59 PM
#14
I own a Gen I for about 5 years now. No major problems or issues. Some older cars had head gasket issues, not mine 
, at least for now. I track mine all the time with 60K miles on it, so far so good. Gen 3 and up motors are better built. All things considered, the drivetrain on those cars is solid. People might not like the comfort, as Viper has stiff chassis. Mine is a little bumpy, so you need to keep your eye on the road. I'm 6'1 and never had any problems with comfort even after driving for 3-4 hours. Great cars. I hope you going to like yours.
, at least for now. I track mine all the time with 60K miles on it, so far so good. Gen 3 and up motors are better built. All things considered, the drivetrain on those cars is solid. People might not like the comfort, as Viper has stiff chassis. Mine is a little bumpy, so you need to keep your eye on the road. I'm 6'1 and never had any problems with comfort even after driving for 3-4 hours. Great cars. I hope you going to like yours.
01-04-13, 02:52 PM
#15
No offense, but I never quite understood people's desire to "stand out" when it comes to something such as a car purchase. You can stand out by buying whatever makes you happy and disregarding what anyone else thinks of the car... Although I guess that advice is somewhat self-contradictory since maybe it means you should disregard what I think and get a Viper if you really believe it will make you happy. But hopefully you know what I mean.
My opinion is that with the C7 around the corner, you can get a brand new 2013 C6 Corvette fully loaded in your price range (maybe even a Z06 that's just a year or two old), and it will be more reliable, more feature rich, more practical, and not much slower (not at all in the case of the Z).
One other thing, though, is that you can make a car stand out even with some subtle mods or body accents that may even be available from the factory. Just a drop and some wheels can make a car look so much different/better than any of its siblings.
... Just my $.02.
But hopefully you know what I mean.My opinion is that with the C7 around the corner, you can get a brand new 2013 C6 Corvette fully loaded in your price range (maybe even a Z06 that's just a year or two old), and it will be more reliable, more feature rich, more practical, and not much slower (not at all in the case of the Z).
One other thing, though, is that you can make a car stand out even with some subtle mods or body accents that may even be available from the factory. Just a drop and some wheels can make a car look so much different/better than any of its siblings.
... Just my $.02.