Copernicus
Enthusiast
For those of you who read my previous post a few days ago, I purchased my 01 Sapphire GTS this weekend. What an experience! Literally 5 minutes into my return trip, I had people in their vehicles taking pictures of me and the car. I had to cover a little over 400 miles on my return trip, so I could tell this was going to be a great trip. I had contemplated having the vehicle shipped, but I not only wanted to inspect the vehicle in person, I also want to make sure there were no serious mechanical or electrical issues - there is only one, which I will address below.
Upon arriving at the dealership, I was handed the keys and allowed to take it for a test drive. I was a little taken aback by being handed the keys and allowed to drive it at my leisure. I have seen a few Vipers now in my search for "the" car, but I had never heard a completely stock example. I was a little surprised how nice the exhaust sounded after reading some of the accounts of how the V10 more closely resembled the exhaust note of that of a UPS truck. Perhaps I'm not as critical as others or I have not given enough credit to how good a UPS truck sounds.
First impressions.
I have sat in quite a few Vipers although admittedly never driven one. I turned the key and the engine started without hesitation. The first thing I did was nearly miss the brake pedal and step onto the gas. The pedal lay out certainly takes some getting used to. All of the pedals seem to be about 3 inches to the left of where I am used to. I pulled out of the dealership cautiously, signaled right, and off I went. You simply cannot get an appreciation for the fighter jet type feel you get once you are out on the road. It made me feel more connected with the road and the car, both of which I was very happy with. The vehicle shook, it bounced, it was noisy, it was raw....I absolutely loved it. I don't think I quit smiling for my entire test drive....all this without taking the engine above 3.5k rpms. I was not anxious to have the back end kick out in the middle of my first test drive with cold tires, so this was more to verify the soundness of the vehicle. I returned to the dealership and the first words out of my mouth upon exiting the vehicle were, "I'll take it."
20 minutes of signing paperwork and friendly back and forth conversation and I was on my way. Perhaps the fastest purchase I have ever completed on a vehicle. All of the negotiation was done prior to my arrival, so I just needed to complete some paperwork and hand over a check.
So, not to bore you guys with the rest of the details, it was 400 miles of people racing up to see the car, stopping at gas stations and having people come out of the cracks to see and get a better look at the vehicle. It was certainly an unforgettable experience.
Now, a couple questions:
The vehicle did not have a manual. I suspect the original owner decided that he did not want to part with it. I have ordered a replacement, hopefully to arrive soon, but wanted to ask a few questions until it arrives.
1. Opening the driver's side door does not turn the two overhead lights on, the passenger side door does. I assume there is a switch somewhere on the door that is not functioning properly? Does anyone know where that switch is located? Bottom of door, back side where it latches, etc?
2. Does the alarm automatically activate when you lock the doors with the key fob? I am asking this in reference to winter storage. I would hate to lock the doors and have the alarm draining the battery as it sits in a garage.
3. Now, this question is more region specific. I have made an appointment to have my car state inspected on Friday at Montrose Dodge in Maryland. I chose this place because it was a 5 star dealer. Does this mean anything? Probably not, but I was hoping they would be reputable as that 5 star designation cannot be given away freely can it? For my own sanity, I'm going to ask to ride along during the "test drive" to ensure proper mechanical functioning. Is this allowed or am I going to simply aggravate the tech by doing this?
I have a picture on this computer that I can upload once I figure out how to do so...
Upon arriving at the dealership, I was handed the keys and allowed to take it for a test drive. I was a little taken aback by being handed the keys and allowed to drive it at my leisure. I have seen a few Vipers now in my search for "the" car, but I had never heard a completely stock example. I was a little surprised how nice the exhaust sounded after reading some of the accounts of how the V10 more closely resembled the exhaust note of that of a UPS truck. Perhaps I'm not as critical as others or I have not given enough credit to how good a UPS truck sounds.
First impressions.
I have sat in quite a few Vipers although admittedly never driven one. I turned the key and the engine started without hesitation. The first thing I did was nearly miss the brake pedal and step onto the gas. The pedal lay out certainly takes some getting used to. All of the pedals seem to be about 3 inches to the left of where I am used to. I pulled out of the dealership cautiously, signaled right, and off I went. You simply cannot get an appreciation for the fighter jet type feel you get once you are out on the road. It made me feel more connected with the road and the car, both of which I was very happy with. The vehicle shook, it bounced, it was noisy, it was raw....I absolutely loved it. I don't think I quit smiling for my entire test drive....all this without taking the engine above 3.5k rpms. I was not anxious to have the back end kick out in the middle of my first test drive with cold tires, so this was more to verify the soundness of the vehicle. I returned to the dealership and the first words out of my mouth upon exiting the vehicle were, "I'll take it."
20 minutes of signing paperwork and friendly back and forth conversation and I was on my way. Perhaps the fastest purchase I have ever completed on a vehicle. All of the negotiation was done prior to my arrival, so I just needed to complete some paperwork and hand over a check.
So, not to bore you guys with the rest of the details, it was 400 miles of people racing up to see the car, stopping at gas stations and having people come out of the cracks to see and get a better look at the vehicle. It was certainly an unforgettable experience.
Now, a couple questions:
The vehicle did not have a manual. I suspect the original owner decided that he did not want to part with it. I have ordered a replacement, hopefully to arrive soon, but wanted to ask a few questions until it arrives.
1. Opening the driver's side door does not turn the two overhead lights on, the passenger side door does. I assume there is a switch somewhere on the door that is not functioning properly? Does anyone know where that switch is located? Bottom of door, back side where it latches, etc?
2. Does the alarm automatically activate when you lock the doors with the key fob? I am asking this in reference to winter storage. I would hate to lock the doors and have the alarm draining the battery as it sits in a garage.
3. Now, this question is more region specific. I have made an appointment to have my car state inspected on Friday at Montrose Dodge in Maryland. I chose this place because it was a 5 star dealer. Does this mean anything? Probably not, but I was hoping they would be reputable as that 5 star designation cannot be given away freely can it? For my own sanity, I'm going to ask to ride along during the "test drive" to ensure proper mechanical functioning. Is this allowed or am I going to simply aggravate the tech by doing this?
I have a picture on this computer that I can upload once I figure out how to do so...
