Introduction and a couple questions

chiplee · Dec 4, 2006

Hello all,
New here and wanted to say hello. I've never owned a viper but I've lusted after them for a long time. I'm looking for honest opinions of total cost to own and practicality of the Gen III's. I have three other cars that make fine daily drivers but I plan to drive the viper most of the time if I buy it. I'm an active duty Captain in the Marine Corps and I'm not going to pretend I don't have to think about money like some of you apparently don't. Some of your garages are pretty impressive indeed and I'm jealous, but I'm an F-18 pilot so there, lol. I have found a black 2003 with a transferable max care warranty and 13000 miles for under $50k. What is the general consensus on reliability and maint. and how feasible is a road trip of say 600 miles in this thing?
Thanks in advance for any replies.

Bobpantax · Dec 4, 2006

1. How close is he nearest dealership with a competent Viper tech?

2. The cost of oil changes is considerably more because of the number of quarts and the use of Mobile One synthetic oil.

3. A 600 mile trip is no problem but determine, ahead of time, the places that can fix run flats along the way. Remember. You will have no spare tire. Also, trunk space is limited.

4. New tires will be quite a bit of money. To get an idea of how much, check TireRack's prices. If the 2003 has the original tires on it, they may look good but still need replacement due to heat cycling or other factors.

5. Pull a carfax on the vehicle to make sure that it has not been involved in a problem.

6. If you live in a climate that gets snow and ice, you will not be able to drive the vehicle year around.

7. The cost of replacement parts for a Viper is very high. A warranty is very important.

8. If you do not like people staring at you, don't get a Viper.

Thank you for serving our country. Happy Holidays.

Bob

chiplee · Dec 4, 2006

Great info and it's my pleasure

On the small trunk: Can I fit golf clubs in there?

I had already checked on tires at tirerack but then I found them on ebay, the OEM set, for like $1300 for all four, pretty reasonable.

As for finding a dealer close by I'm always moving so I'll have to hope for the best on that, and the 7/70 bumper to bumper warranty is one of the biggest reasons I'm very interested in this car. Apparently he bought the warranty available here http://www.extended-warranty-pro.com/index.html and it is transferable. Anyone have experience with that maximum care warranty?

MikeR · Dec 4, 2006

As far as clubs, Ive heard one set in the vert and 2 sets fit in the Coupe. I have not tried,cause all I can do is miniature golf,so I only need one putter. :laugh:

04mystic · Dec 4, 2006

I stayed on the fence for years and once I took the leap I was ate up with it. I will always own a viper for the rest of my life. You will love every minute of it.

Now, to me it is not in anyway a daily driver. It is actually a comfortable car to take trips in, took a 2000 mile trip in one). But my problem is Im always worried someone is going to vandalize it. People are very jealous of these cars. So mine doesnt go too many places where it cant be parked in a garage overnight. If I go to a resturant or something I try to park it where I can keep an eye on it.

Its just like being with a **** woman, it sure is fun but your always worried somebody else is going to mess with her ,lol.

rblong · Dec 4, 2006

Yes a set of clubs fit in my 06 vert just fine. Might get two sets if they were day bags.

GR8_ASP · Dec 4, 2006

I believe you can get 2 sets of clubs about 8" dia in the convertible trunk.

twinturbo3150 · Dec 4, 2006

Im jealous as hell, that you fly a F-18!!!! clubs fit fine in the coupe as well with room to spare

zorroespanol · Dec 4, 2006

Your worries are over...

I'll trade you my 04 SRT, my Benzo S430 and I'll even throw in my old Peogeot 505 that I have in Spain.

All that for your F-18.

Dude, are you kidding me?? You are the one making us all jealous here!!! I bet you get more thrills in one practice flight on an F-18 than we get out of the life of our cars...

Ok, to address some of your answers...

600 mile road trip... Ouch!! but definitely can be done, your back will break before the car, it is very reliable.

I may get grilled by the 03 owners here, but I'd wait until the '08 viper comes out (very soon) and buy an 04. on any production car all minor glitches are fixed after the first year of production, which is statistically more prone to trouble.

I am pretty sure if you wait a couple of months you'll get that 04 for the same price or less than that 03 is being offered now.

Good luck and welcome!

Mike Dolan · Dec 5, 2006

In my opinion, the Viper is one of the few supercars you can actually drive regularly. Since purchasing mine new in Feb of this year, I have put almost 19,000 miles on it. No problems, no worries. Oh, and throw in 9 or 10 track days to boot. Try that in an Italian exotic, and you would be looking to mortagage the kids to pay the shop repair & maintenance bills.

My tires are original, and look fine. I expect them to be expensive to replace, but that would be true on any car with the kind of performance we are getting from our Vipers. Insurance isn't too bad either, assuming you have a good driving record.

I was in the Marine Corps from '66 to '70, we didn't have F18's yet, mostly Phantoms, A4's & A6's. I worked on the C-130's, in fact I think they are the exact same planes we had back then. Last time I saw them the avionics still had vacuum tubes, and that wasn't too long ago. In '68 there was a program to update the ARC 38's to newer transistorized radios, but in the late '90's they were still waiting.

In summation, I think the Viper would suit you just fine, and you would love every minute of it.

Regards,
Mike Dolan

chiplee · Dec 5, 2006

Well I'll tell you, your kind and helpful replies go a long way toward convincing me to own a viper. I've always been active at the forums for any car I own. I consider it an extremely valuable resource and a fun place to share experiences with people who share your affliction. Not sure what I expected but some of you may be surprised what kind of nonsense you run into at other forums.

on the suggestion to wait for an '04 when the '08s come out I think it sounds like a great idea. I read a thread here though about the '03s having better engines and better warranties though, and don't forget the one I'm considering is an '03 with an '05 in service date and a warranty to 2012 or 70k. I think I can get it for $48k. Would still really like to hear any experiences you fellas might have with the maximum care warranty available at the link I posted.

oh and do the 'O4s also have 7/70 powertrain warranties like it says at edmunds or was that just the '03s?

thanks again

ah, last thing: yes it is indeed very very cool to fly F-18s and I don't take it for granted for one minute. I'm all about the intangible benefits of a job like mine, and some of the tangible ones too :nana:

, but come on, some of you guys have some unbelievable rides.

Fred(DrivingSchool)Kinder · Dec 5, 2006

The factory warranty is great! My 98 GT-2 had a tranny replaced in 2005 for $50.00. I think the new warranties are $100.00/visit.

My 2003 is great. Drove it from N. Calif. to L.A. for the Viper Zone event in 2003. Only 400 mile trip (one way) but a blast and my co-pilot was my son, 4 at the time. He enjoyed every mile of the drive.

It would be interesting to know the failure rate of the run flats and failure analysis. I am not aware of run flats being a problem. The cost of ownerships seems very low for a super car. No special service other than an additional 4 - 5 qts. of oil at service time. Driving in heavy rain or snow can be very risky with the large tires acting like pontoons. Keep the snake parked in bad weather.

PaViper · Dec 5, 2006

on the suggestion to wait for an '04 when the '08s come out I think it sounds like a great idea. I read a thread here though about the '03s having better engines and better warranties though, and don't forget the one I'm considering is an '03 with an '05 in service date and a warranty to 2012 or 70k. I think I can get it for $48k. Would still really like to hear any experiences you fellas might have with the maximum care warranty available at the link I posted.

oh and do the 'O4s also have 7/70 powertrain warranties like it says at edmunds or was that just the '03s?
thanks again

The 04s had the 7/70 as well, but the aftermarket warranty covers a lot more items than the factory 7/70. I would buy the car you want when you find the one that suits you. There are no guarantees about the future of the Viper so I would not wait speculating on the future value of any given model or year. I would not be afraid of an 03, as long as you check all the known issues before taking delivery. Good luck with your decision and post pics once you do :2tu:

Bobpantax · Dec 5, 2006

Clarification. My comment concering run flat repair was not directed at the failure rate of run flats. The rims are wide. The side walls of run flats are tough. The rims can be easily damaged by a tire repair facility unless it has the special machine required. In Miami, which has many high end performance vehicles, there are only two stores with the proper equipment within ten miles of me. The nearby dealer does not fix flats due to liability concerns. It is my understanding that many dealers have the same policy. Also, most reputable tire repair stores will only fix a run flat once. Then, the tire should be replaced under the warranty.

Bad_Byte · Dec 5, 2006

Chiplee, Welcome Sir.

I have a feeling you'll soon be a part of this madness, trust me you won't regret it. I purchased my gen 1 from a Marine F-18 pilot. I can send you his name if you want, great guy and he treated me right. I know the community is relatively small and you may know him.

Regards

chiplee · Dec 5, 2006

Sure PM me his name I might know him. I know a bunch of Navy Hornet guys too. You're right it is a small community and my first cruise was aboard the USS Harry S Truman in the persian Gulf so I got to work with 3 other Navy squadrons for 6 months and they're great dudes.

I'm hoping I can get the deal done on this '03 but prices on '04s seem pretty similar right now. Seems like it's only the cars that came with 7/70 powertrain warranties that are upgradable to a full 7/70 warranty so I'm almost certain I'll buy an 03 or '04.

Here's a pic from Iraq 04/05 get gas is almost all we did.

You must be registered for see images

Lee00blacksilverGTS · Dec 5, 2006

Please do youself a favor and check out the price of either a brand new leftover 05 or 06. Price of an 05 will be mid to high 60's. And the financing will be at the lowest rates. Brand new car. Start with some of our very friendly and Viper supportive dealers.
Bill Pembeton at www.woodhouse.com
John Gastman at www.romocoinc.com
Chuck Tator @www.tatorsdodge.com

Just tell them what you do for a living and that we sent you.

chiplee · Dec 7, 2006

Please do youself a favor and check out the price of either a brand new leftover 05 or 06. Price of an 05 will be mid to high 60's. And the financing will be at the lowest rates. Brand new car. Start with some of our very friendly and Viper supportive dealers.
Bill Pembeton at www.woodhouse.com
John Gastman at www.romocoinc.com
Chuck Tator @www.tatorsdodge.com

Just tell them what you do for a living and that we sent you.

That sure would be nice but the payment would just be unreasonable. Not impossible but beyond something I'd consider financially responsible at this stage. It'll have to be under $50k for the joy of driving to over come the pain of lost investment capital if you know what I mean. I hope to trade the car I buy now on a blue/white '06 coupe when they come down a bit. that's the car I really want.

Flexx91 · Dec 7, 2006

1. How close is he nearest dealership with a competent Viper tech?

2. The cost of oil changes is considerably more because of the number of quarts and the use of Mobile One synthetic oil.

3. A 600 mile trip is no problem but determine, ahead of time, the places that can fix run flats along the way. Remember. You will have no spare tire. Also, trunk space is limited.

4. New tires will be quite a bit of money. To get an idea of how much, check TireRack's prices. If the 2003 has the original tires on it, they may look good but still need replacement due to heat cycling or other factors.

5. Pull a carfax on the vehicle to make sure that it has not been involved in a problem.

6. If you live in a climate that gets snow and ice, you will not be able to drive the vehicle year around.

7. The cost of replacement parts for a Viper is very high. A warranty is very important.

8. If you do not like people staring at you, don't get a Viper.

Thank you for serving our country. Happy Holidays.

Bob

In addition to a Carfax, have your local dealership's service department run the VIN to obtain a service history and if the TSB's were performed (two for the 2003 model year).

Alabaster Mamba · Dec 7, 2006

I had an independent inspector inspect the car when I purchased mine. They had a buyback policy as well. It was pretty cheap considering the overall cost of the vehicle.

Asp Man · Dec 7, 2006

A ton of good advice here, all practical issues. But don't discount the emotional factor with a purchase like you're considering!

Have you thought about a low mile genII? There are allways a few nice ones out there, it seems. Three things I can think of (and I am biased towards GenIIs) initial cost can be lower, the performance is near equal and the insurance may be a bit lower. Just a thought.

Steve-Indy · Dec 7, 2006

Welcome!!! I pretty much agree with above...and, am all for the D-C max care warranty...just be sure that you go through a dealer to get the actual warranty transfer done properly...noting that it only transfers to the second owner by my recollection.

Agree with running the VIN at a Dodge dealership...and, would note that you need to see the report YOURSELF. You would be surprised to see the things that a VIN report and a Carfax can discover.

Finally, pay to have a SRT-10 certified Viper tech to inspect the car...and, it wouldn't hurt to have a well seasoned VCA member along with you for your inspection.

Good luck...and THANKS for the job that you do !!!

viperbilliam · Dec 7, 2006

Mine is a daily driver (my only set of 4 wheels - two other vehicles are motorcycles). I have driven 600 mile trips several times. I'm very comfortable - trip from Vegas to the Bay Area (San Jose) - 9 hours with three 5 minute breaks (one or two of them for gas)- no problem but I'm 5'11" and 180 lbs. The only nitpick in comfort for me is the footwell area can get a little warm in hot weather unless you operate the air conditioner. I'm not rich either.

2 VENOMOUS · Dec 7, 2006

Welcome Chiplee, some real good advise mentioned above. When you feel that edge coming on and not near the F-18 you'll have the Viper, two awesome rides!! hey I also pilot an F-18C.....1/6 scale, I guess that doesn't count...ha ha ha

hope you get what you want, and Thanks for what you do

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