Low Mileage Vipers

I have seen this so many times now, and I am trying to figure it out. I have a hard time with understanding how guys can have these cars with 800 miles, or under 10,000 miles on cars that are over 5 to 20 years old. Is it just something that sits in the garage to show people? Are you scared of it? Did you think it was an investment? I just don't get it. Forgive me if this comes across as a rant, It's not intended to. In my opinion these cars were meant to be driven. I can't grasp paying 100K for a Gen 4 viper after taxes to just let it sit in the garage for 5 years with a whopping total of 500 miles. Hell, it hasn't been broken in yet. Did you buy it just to tell people that own a fantasy car? Reality is these things are fantasy's to many people. They only wish they could get one, and the chances of being able to ever own one are very slim if you don't have the means to afford such an beast. Granted if you are fortunate enough to own a large stable of high end cars, I could understand it, but that's about it.

Am I missing something here?

Hey,
I see this ALOT also. A couple 2009s around for sale for under 3000 miles. A 2010 with 800 miles... New 2013 and 2014 with under 1000 miles.

Its not like these are delicate machines or cost 1000s to maintain like other cars in the price range. Viper engine is pretty damn tough. The cars simple design lends to easy to maintain yourself.

My first thoughts in regards to this were the intial "look at me i have a Viper" thing, then the reality of the uncomfortablity sitting in it and getting in and out of it (That makes a big difference to me) Becomes alomst a pain in the ass (literally) to drive it. Or plan around longer trips but then people trailer their Viper (They should be pointed at and laughed at BTW)

BUT on the flip side i can think of people who buy them to drive them, just to say they drove or owned it then buy the next model year. Money is a non issue.

The Viper isnt the only car to have these sort of buyers but its funny to see a 2001 with "high miles" at 30,000 miles... Hell my truck took that many miles to fully break in!

Im sure this will turn into a flame war though. Goto driveviper.com and the VOA

Can't speak for everyone, but a lot of owners have multiple cars and there are only some occasions where pulling the Viper out of the garage makes sense. In my last few years of ownership, I found myself taking the SUV out more because it was the practical choice for running errands, driving to work and taking road trips. The Viper was rarely being driven, so even though I loved having it around, it didn't make much sense to have it collecting dust in the garage.

Cars are meant to be driven. Cars that sit tend to have more problems than cars that are driven and maintined. I put about 2000 miles a year on my Viper, and wish I could do more. I bought my 03 with 23,000 miles, and it now has 31,200. Drive 'em...life is too short. I've seen life cut short this year, and you have to live now.

I am one of the low mileage guys so here's my take

I really enjoy the Viper ownership. Always wanted one and when the right one came along, it was a no brainer to buy it.

Fact it as much as I love to drive it....I don't have to do that to get my 'fix'. Just being around it makes me happy. Keeping the miles limited is also important to me. I will own this car for a very long time and I have the type of personality that needs it to be pristine.

Those that drive their car a lot need to understand that there are others that wont. Doesn't mean that we don't get the same enjoyment out of the ownership.

Where I live also plays a role. Using my toys start in May and end in September/October. During these months I mix it up between a few cars, bikes and boats. When it comes down to numbers its very unusual if I get anywhere near 1000 miles on any car. The Viper got less than 100 miles on it this last season. This doesn't mean I would even think about it not owning it

Its pretty interesting that these threads always get started by those that drive their cars a lot. They just don't seem to appreciate the fact that there are others that wont. Almost like they are pissed of that someone owns a car and doesn't drive the snot out of it

You don't see low mileage owners starting threads about not understanding how anyone wants to put tons of miles on these relatively rare and unique cars

I don't think miles will necessarily hurt a car but miles are miles and will ultimately wear anything mechanical out

Value plays a smaller part but there is no question that a low mileage car will be a whole lot easier to sell down the road.

I for one would not consider buying a used car of this caliber with more than 5K miles.

So this is my take. Deal with the fact that someone feels differently. Doesn't make anyone right or wrong. We all own these cars for different reasons and that's OK

Matt

Unfortunately I only get to drive my cars about 3000 miles a year and those miles get divided between the Callaway and the Viper. The Vette seems to get more of the miles since it is usually easier to get out of the garage.

Not to change the topic but there is a stigma with Vipers with over 10,000 miles being less desirable and their values seem to be effected dramatically. I don't plan on selling my Viper anytime soon especially since I know I cannot replace it at any value. I don't know why these cars have that stigma but they always have. This may be why some people keep them in the garage, it is not my reasoning as chances are I will be dead when mine gets sold. The Viper is probably one of the toughest vehicles on the road and will without a doubt go over 200,000 miles without even touching it but for some reason the early Viper owners decided to devalue their cars when they reached 10,000 miles. I would love to know how this got started and why. They are not Ferrari's.

First off, my car only had 1000 miles when purchased in 2012 so I can’t take credit for that. It now has ~2500, only 500 in 2013.

WHY?!?

- I have a 2 year old. I need to take her to day care. Driving the Viper on weekdays just isn’t possible. Even if I didn’t have to take her, I commonly need to use my SUV during the weekdays for the cargo area.
- The only time I can drive the car is on weekends. This assumes: 1. I have an open day (I’m usually either working or spending time with the family. 2. It isn’t raining.
- This year we are in a rental while our house is being built. The Viper is in storage 1 hour away.
- The typical Indiana driving season is ~8 months.

I don’t feel the need to drive the car unless it is going to be enjoyable. I don’t enjoy driving it in the rain, snow, etc.

I think unless you are single / retired / super wealthy / no kids other things tend to get in the way of driving. For example, I have both a job and a business which is one reason I am able to have a Viper but also the reason I rarely have time to drive it.

For all the above reasons, even though I love cars, I don’t think I’d ever want to have more than 3 “toy” cars as I don’t think I could put them to use.

Mine is an 04 and I just hit 64,500 miles in my car yesterday! I put roughly 20k miles since I bought it nearly 3 years ago. I bought my car to drive it as much as I can. The higher mileage didn't bother me too much when I was looking for one. As long as it passed inspections I was fine with it at the price I got it for. Fall is my most favorite season. So top down in 60 - 70 degree weather is a no brainer for me. Loving every minute of my drives regardless where I drive to. I live down south so I drive my car year round.

I think the main reason most sports cars have lower miles is because they are secondary cars. Its not rocket science.

I understand what Matt is saying above, and agree with most of it, even though mine's a "driver". I have to keep my mileage under 5000 per year here in PA to stay emissions exempt, and I also have an SRT8 Charger. I show both cars, and combined they get less than 5000 miles every year. I try not ot drive them in bad weather (unless I get caught out in it), but life does often get in the way.

100 miles in a season is impossible as well. One show I go to is that round trip, and that is 1-way to Carlisle for me. Even just going to Cars and Coffee on Saturdays is a 15 mile round trip if that was all I did, so I will always get some miles on the cars. I think we shoudl ALL consider ourselves lucky for being able to own and drive a Viper, no matter how much we actually drive them!

I can see situations where some don't get driven as often. Storage is one that hits home for me, oddly not for the Viper though. I largely daily drive mine, regardless of weather. About the only time I'd not want to drive it is with snow on the roads. It was 18 degrees here this morning and I use it because it's the most comfortable car I have for the conditions. Backup DD is my 67 Dart with a 5.7 and a new 6 speed, but it sits outside and the heater isn't exactly stellar with only floor vents.

Getting back to the storage point, this is the main reason my 71 Vette and motorcycle don't make it out often. I rode the bike twice all year (once moving between houses) and the Vette has only made it out maybe 5 times. It's just a hassle to go out to where I keep it, drive it around, and bring it back. If I want to drive it for more than a day I usually need someone to take me unless I want to leave a different car at storage. It kills me to have it sit like that, but it was my first car and every time I do take it out or even pull the cover off I know there's no way I could get rid of it. Nothing special about the car mechanically (base model with very few options), but there's just something about it. In a certain sense I wouldn't miss it if it were gone because I don't regularly use it, but on the other hand whenever I would think about it I'd probably kick myself for letting it go. It used to sit in the garage, but I'd have to move two if not three cars of the family to get it out, so even then I didn't drive it much because it wasn't accessible. If I had a huge garage where I could pick whatever I want and get in it and go it might be a different story.

MoparMap said:

I can see situations where some don't get driven as often. Storage is one that hits home for me, It's just a hassle to go out to where I keep it, drive it around, and bring it back. If I want to drive it for more than a day I usually need someone to take me unless I want to leave a different car at storage.

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For me as well. I don't have a garage, and I garage my Viper nearby (about 1 mile from my residence). It's a VERY secfure location, so much so that I only have access to it from about 7 am to 7 pm, so it can be an issue if I'm out late. Like you said, still can sometimes be a hassle just to go get it, etc. If I have to leave early Saturday for a show, I have to get it the afternoon before, etc. But still worth it in the end!

My '08 gets 3,000 to 4,000 per year. I have multiple cars and generally do not use the Viper for errands, work, etc. This level of use keeps the car pristine and gives me my muscle car fix!

I generally put 1000 to 2000 miles a year on my Vipers. Several reasons: First I own a Viper as an enjoyment vehicle. I am busy and don't get a lot of time to get her out. Secondly, like most here, I have aways owned multiple vehicles and (other than the dds') when I get the time to have fun I spread out the time I have among the several vehicles to choose from.

I bought my '97 GTS this summer. It only had 13,500 miles on it and had only been driven 3,000 miles since 2003. I have put on 3,500 miles in the last 4 months. I love driving it and I get it out as often as I can. If I go a week or so without driving it, the moment I pull out of the drive way the next time and give it the throttle it feels like the first time all over again. lol I never plan on selling it, so it will be a high mileage Viper when I am done with it.

I have been in vipers going on 3 years now and I thought I would drive them way more than I do. As someone mentioned earlier, between work, side work, family, and travel, I just don't have the opportunity to rack up the miles. All these things allow me to have my dream car but it also limits it's usage. Also, I'm a little OCD about the car being clean, so I won't spend 20 min cleaning it up for a trip to the store.

Don't you guys get some enjoyment by just owning one of the best cars out there? Yes they are fun to drive, but they are also fun to glance at as you leave the garage with the daily driver. When I do drive them it's a special experience that I completely enjoy. I've always had a performance car or two, but I've never had the urge to drive them daily. I kind of reserve that for special times. I think that somewhat explains why you will see some low mileage older cars out there. That's my explanation anyway for having 900 miles on my 2010 coupe, 3700 miles on my '05 vert, 1100 miles on the Cobra and 9700 miles on my '84 Vette that I bought new in '84.---Dave

I guess its like having sex with your super model wife on just your birthday and Christmas. LOL I prefer more often.

I used to think all you guys were crazy for not driving your viper all the time. It was always hard for me to understand that concept and I always though to myself, if I'm ever lucky enough to get a viper I will drive it constantly. Well now I own a 2006 coupe and don't drive it a whole lot. Like others have said, the circumstances have to be just right. Where am I going? What's the weather like? I worry about the car if I'm going to leave it in certain parking lot or overnight at the airport, no way. Also, sometimes Im just not in the mood to take on all of the attention and just want to get from a to b in a low key fashion so I take the dd. I certainly don't want salt touching the car so the winter is out and the high torque makes the car silly to drive in the rain, at least if you want to have fun you can't. A couple times I spent hours detailing the car and didn't want to drive it because I didn't want to get it dirty so I threw the silk cover on it. I still have my moments though occasionally where I blow through a full tank of gas in a day or two.

heath1225 said:

I guess its like having sex with your super model wife on just your birthday and Christmas. LOL I prefer more often.

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Haha, agreed. I put more miles on my Viper this year than I did my "daily driver"
I like the sex.

I do get a smile every time I go into the garage to hit the beer fridge. Every time I see it I smile. Heck the people I work with about shat themselves when they saw it. Just the entertainment enough from that makes me enjoy the machine. There have been lots of people telling stories of the guys/gals/kids that walk up and state the "OMG OMG OMG Thats an awesome vette!". If the 12,000+ of these cars that were made were actually driven, I'd bet you'd actually hear LESS of these stories because people would recognize the cars more frequently than not. I can respect the person who wants to keep their car pristine. As I am also that person! However I still love to drive it. I had a bagged truck that was a show piece. Took 1st through 3rd regularly in shows, I sold it after I put 150,000 miles on it while still showing it. Granted it wasn't a viper, but it was treated like it was something rare and unique. Granted if you own a bunch of cars/bikes/boats in this category; I can understand if the mileage is spread out through 4 or 5 vehicles, or if you're in a location that prevents driving it for 8 months out of the year.

Yep, if you bought the car as a weekend toy and you happen to have multiple weekend toys, that drives the mileage way down. Sometimes it seems pretty excessive, paying all the insurance and registration fees on something you only drive two weekends a month.

Anyone who can afford this kind of luxury should take a minute to think how fortunate we are, considering the things that happen to folks every day due to natural disasters and other events beyond our control. OK-- I was just watching the Philippines typhoon coverage and it is sobering to say the least. I try to keep telling myself "don't sweat the small stuff-- it'll ruin your days"... and really, it's almost all small stuff until you run into a death in the family, a serious illness, or something like a hurricane flattening your town.

Sonsman--
Well stated--Dave

I don't mind the OPs question; but, it is funny to hear someone ask "Why don't some of you play with your toys more than you do?"

My Viper is a 2002 GTS. I acquired it used (one prior owner) in 2010. It had 8000 miles on it. This last weekend the odometer turned over at 20,000 miles. It is finally broke in. I live in Texas, and going anywhere requires mileage be put on the car. Driving to a C&C would for me, be like someone in Rhode Island driving from one end of the state to the other, and then back again. Yet, I'm in a situation where I can only put a maximum of 5000 miles per year on my car. I'm limited to that mileage by the insurance company with which, the car is insured. I mostly drive it to Viper events (local club) of one sort or another. But I also try to get it out at least every other week, even if it is just for a few trips through town - gotta keep that battery charged.

I suspect a lot of low mileage vipers are due in part to being garaged up north, where the driving season is much shorter. Some states are more subject to adverse weather than other states. That too, shortens the driving opportunities. Additionally, many owners don't have the luxury of living in close proximity to a Viper Club, which greatly enhances the joy of driving these cars. And some people have jobs that adversely impact their ability to get out with a group. The guy that maintains my car for me is in that position. He works most Saturdays year round, and unfortunately, most drives are planned on Saturdays.

I really don't think there is an issue here, with low mileage Viper drivers vs. high mileage Viper drivers. I think there are for the most part, logical reasons for there being low mileage cars and high mileage cars, and that people in general are not afraid to drive them. It is more a case of life style, and geography that affects how and when they are driven. Those of us that have more opportunity should count our blessings. I'm sure there are many owners that wish they could be in our shoes.

AZTVR said:

"Why don't some of you play with your toys more than you do?"

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Great question!! If we were all the same life would be kinda boring, right?

Everone has the right to drive his or her Viper as much or as little as they want, without being judged

Getnlwr, I'm with you on this one. If I spend a ton of $ on a car, I'm going to drive it all the time and enjoy it as much as possible. I bought a brand new 2010 ACR last year, and have already put 11,000 miles on it. In fact, it's my daily driver and even gets driven in the winter. I work from home too, so none of those 11,000 miles are from commuting. I put 300 miles on it last weekend and never even left town.

I've owned my 2010 since new and only have 900 miles on it, I feel like such a loser. On the other hand I own eight other vehicles so maybe that will help offset me being a loser.

I understand that people buy cars for different reasons, what I don't get is someone buying a car and putting 150 miles on the car and selling one or six months later. Did the person not understand what they are buying, or is it a bucket list thing? I have been looking at Gen 4 cars and many of theses cars have 4 or more owners with very little milage. I buy my cars to drive and enjoy, I don't worry about miles, some years I put on 4000 others under a 1000 miles, depends on time.