Potential repair costs of owning a 96/97 GTS

justin5809

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Hi all,
i am debating on whether or not i would like to get a viper as title says i would be looking for 96/97 GTS. But before making a rash decision i wanted to find out what type of potential costs i would be getting myself into. I have used the search button and have found about all i care to know about rear tires and oil changes but i am after the true costs of problems ( tranny, thrown piston, block, seal replace) the types of things that may go wrong.

As for the car i would be looking for one with low (less the 18k miles) and hopefully one that has not been tracked. So for anyone who has put some miles on a car through regular city driving/weekend warrior what types of things have gone wrong for you?

also i am not mechanically inclined so the work will be outsourced to a tech.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the novel.
 

TAILWAG

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I think the most important thing would be that you find one that has been VERY well taken care of and has all mantainence records.
 
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Venomiss

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Here's an idea for you.

Where are you from? Find out what reliable Viper tech is nearest to you and give them a call. (Guessing that's who would be doing the work for you)
Since you will not be doing the work yourself ask how much they charge an hour and for the areas of work you are interested in finding out.

I would also call Mark Jorgensen from Woodhouse or Chuck Tator from Tators Dodge.

This thread might be helpful for you too:
http://forums.viperclub.org/dealer-...-post-good-first-time-buyers.html#post2400410
 

dave6666

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So for anyone who has put some miles on a car through regular city driving/weekend warrior what types of things have gone wrong for you?

Mine needed a new clutch and slave at about 18K. Can be pricey if you pay someone else.

There's lots of "little" stuff that adds up real fast, especially if you do not do your own work. Fluids, plugs, wires, chassis maintenance and inspections, alignments. Does not matter if it was tracked or not, these are things you should do. And like was pointed out, look for a car with clear concise and detailed records on this kind of stuff.

The only other unusual problem I've experienced besides the uncontrollable urge to spend thousands more on the car modding it all the time, is a defective gas tank. I just keep filling it for now.........
 
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justin5809

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Where are you from?
I am located in jacksonville, fl.

The clutch replacement has been a recurring theme in most posts ive read. what is the main cause for replacement, from hard driving or weak fact. clutch? Ive driven many porsches and corvettes and have never had a problem with the clutch up to and past 60k so i am somewhat unfamiliar as to why itd need to be replaced. Also can u put pricey into perspective?
clutch 1000-2000 ? and about how ofter do things like seals, plugs, wires need to be swapped?
 

dave6666

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Where are you from?
I am located in jacksonville, fl.

The clutch replacement has been a recurring theme in most posts ive read. what is the main cause for replacement, from hard driving or weak fact. clutch? Ive driven many porsches and corvettes and have never had a problem with the clutch up to and past 60k so i am somewhat unfamiliar as to why itd need to be replaced. Also can u put pricey into perspective?
clutch 1000-2000 ? and about how ofter do things like seals, plugs, wires need to be swapped?

Like it sez to the side, assuming you are asking me, Burleson TX.

The clutch can last forever or barely at all. If you need the slave, put a clutch in regardless. The clutch is $165 off ebay for Luk. Slave is a little more. I would suspect total cost for tranny R&R and parts to be about $1K, with the ebay kit.

As far as "seals" go, there are some that go one these cars but I wouldn't pin down one or another as worse than the other, although timing gear covers seem to get the spotlight more than others. But if it ain't leaking, don't fix it. Just give the car a good looksie underneath from a rack view.

Here's a good page for some tips...

DC PERFORMANCE INC. MOTORSPORTS PARTS, SERVICE, & PERFORMANCE CENTER
 

Bandit3

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My first inquiry before buying my Viper was to check on insurance costs, this may be prohibitive. On the clutch repair--at our shop, clutch (new parts) and labor is 975.00 including surfacing the flywheel. Not too pricey.
 

Dan Cragin

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We help many new owners make the right choice on new purchases. Please feel free to call.
 

trojewski

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I have an early '96 GTS, now has 20K miles on it. It had an ECM gremlin early, since then...zero problems. No leaks, no clutch problem, just routine maintainence. I would consider all the service very reasonably priced at my local Dodge dealer (especially after owning a string of Porsches thru the '80s & '90s!). And, yes, it has seen the track on many occasions. Go for it!
 

big-n-italian

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i dont think maintaining a viper in "frequency" is really any different than any other car. you will see from this forum that alot of work is done to vipers, but most of it is what i call fun work (mods and upgrades) and not necesarily required work. i suppose it has something to do with the fact that most vipers arent daily drivers and just dont get driven very much.

if you pay someone to do everything, of course it will cost more. a good viper tech isnt cheap. a viper is unique and there are some things i dont recommend doing yourself especially if you arent that type of guy anyway. clearly a viper isnt a mitsubishi galant or a chevy camaro, so you have to expect some added costs to be involved, but i dont think its all that bad. like someone said, buy the best car you can afford and you will more than likely have fewer problems to deal with. find a car with very few miles or try to find a car with miles that has been very well maintained. both types of cars are out there. good luck.
 
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justin5809

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No leaks, no clutch problem, just routine maintainence.

For routine you mean oil, filters, and so on or what else is included in routine?

I dont plan on using the car but a day or two a week just for a cruise around town or the beaches definately not gonna be a daily driver. and thats part of the reason im trying to find out what both ppl who use them as W/W and dailies notice as far as routine maintenance. Just to get an idea of what i need set aside for a rainy day.

Thanks for the replies so far its helping me wind down to a conclusion.
 
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Venomiss

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For routine you mean oil, filters, and so on or what else is included in routine?

I dont plan on using the car but a day or two a week just for a cruise around town or the beaches definately not gonna be a daily driver. and thats part of the reason im trying to find out what both ppl who use them as W/W and dailies notice as far as routine maintenance. Just to get an idea of what i need set aside for a rainy day.

Thanks for the replies so far its helping me wind down to a conclusion.

Here is one really good write up on how to change your oil. Might be helpful for you.

http://forums.viperclub.org/srt10-srt10-coupe-discussions/617529-changed-oil-3.html#post2595591
 

RTTTTed

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If you drive the car really easy you shouldn't have any problems with it. The problems start when you do burnouts etc. The wheelhop is really tough on our cars. Stock the clutch is probably the first thing you'll need to replace (around 80K?). Once modified these cars make so much power that you have to replace all the stuff that would bust, like axles. Otherwise my big power car got a new STOCK clutch at 20,000mi. Now I've got 42,000mi. on it. I've upgraded to bigger front/lighweight brakes and tires. Only problems I've had is with my tuning and that's only become a problem recently.

Ted
 

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