1999 RT10 in the UK

[FelixOP90]

Hi all,

I posted briefly on theFacebook page but since it was public everyone had their 2p worth.

I'm in Wales, UK andplaced a deposit on a 1999 RT/10 which has been in the UK since new. I've always lusted after a Viper, since I was a boy watching them inthe British GT series and playing the Viper Racing PC game!

I've had a Corvette C6 6 speed convertible for 4 years and a C4 6 speed for 6 years previous to that. However I was able to save a bit and when I saw this car Ithought it would be an opportunity I'd regret not taking!

A Corvette is a raresight on UK roads and a Viper even rarer! Hopefully my past experience of the Corvette's with the steering wheel on the wrongside and 6 speeds will lessen the learning curve of the Viper. I'm lucky enough to have taken my C6 to Europe a few times and driven a friends one (with over 230k on the clock) down to the Sahara desert and also up to the Arctic Circle! Meanwhile my C4 managed a couple of laps at Spa-francorchamps in Belgium.

I have some questions already for my soon to be Viper. It has covered only 19k miles, with under 1k in the last 10 years. I'd like to give it a thorough service, all fluids, filters, plugs & wires. Is it worth also changing the coils? I used Rockauto & Summit Racing with the Corvette's as they have excellent fast shipping and international customer service. Would I be okay to get familiar brands from Rockauto for service parts?

The tyres are supple but circa 15 years old so I am going to replace them. Looking at the UK market for 335/30/18 it's very limited. I would like Michelin's but it seems I can only get Pirelli's. Is there a preference?

Lastly, and this set the Facebook masses off, how realistic is it to use during winter? Would I categorically have to wait until spring to avoid the salt which is put down? In South Wales in rains quite often so even insummer I anticipate getting caught in the rain at least. I always used my Corvette's year round with little worry. I'm not the type to own a garage queen but absolutely want to use, maintain and enjoy my car.

Looking forward tobeing part of the Viper community!

Felix

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[Goggles Pizano]

Talk to us about parts. We can help ship you stuff.

Winter will be depending on temperature and tires.

 

[Bill W]

I have only seen summer tires for my Gen ll Viper. They get hard once the temperature dips into the 50s and below. Check the tire manufacturer's recommendations for cold weather. I live in South Carolina, where most days are mild in winter, but I won't drive my Viper if it's in the low forties or below. As for salt on the roads, I avoid it, but that's just me.

 

[MoparMap]

I've had decent luck with RockAuto for maintenance parts on my 04. I just pay attention to the brands and try to get stuff that's more well known at least. More unique parts are likely going to be harder to find, but there are some still out there.

As for driving it year round, I've done that and it's a mixed bag. I had Michelin Pilot Supersports on my car since I bought it and really liked them as a tire. They were great in rain (when they still had good tread at least) and they even do really well on the track. The one thing that will stop them in their tracks though is any amount of snow, and I mean any. I once got a dusting of snow one morning (like, <1/4") and thought "no big deal, the main roads will be fine". I couldn't even let out the clutch without touching the throttle without spinning the tires, even trying to start in 2nd gear. That being said, I have also driven them when the weather was in the teens (Fahrenheit), and they survived. They will have significantly less grip than in summer, so you have to be careful, but I was just commuting with my car and driving it lazily (plus I had a very fortunate commute with very little traffic).

So it's not like the car will immediately go screaming into the first ditch it sees if the weather is under 50 degrees, but you do need to be very careful. Maybe work your way down and do some test drives to get a feel for how the car responds as the temps fall to find where you're comfortable with it. I would still only drive in the cold if it was dry though.

You might see if Continental has a size that will fit your car. I have been looking at a new set of tires they came out with for my 04 since Michelin seems to be really sporadic with when they do runs of Viper sizes. The PSS was also discontinued and replaced with something else, which I'm sure is probably still a fine tire, but they do get pricey.

 

[FelixOP90]

Thanks all. It's good to hear the car won't immediately melt in the rain.

I'm going to pick it up this Thursday weather is damp and about 50f so I'll take it slow. Luckily it's almost all motorway from London to Cardiff.

I'm going to order the Delphi coils, champion plugs and other service items from rockauto. Are the expensive plug wires worth it over standard motor products etc? They are 10x the price.

The power steering was a bit whiny and he had previously had the pump replaced. I'm thinking of new Mopar pump and the IPSCO bracket. Anything else I should be taking care ofcin anticipation?

 

[FelixOP90]

Drove it home from London to Wales today! About 175 miles total with 45f weather. It's a bit like my C4 6 speed only MORE!
The transmission has a whine under load. My old C4 ZF6 would do that but the T56 in my C6 was smooth and quiet (albeit at the back) I'll start with all new fluids and filters. Super excited!

 

[SecureOpossum]

Congrats, what a great way to enjoy the first day together!

Here's what I did when I got mine (with ~40k miles on it): tires (Continental ExtremeContact Force), plugs (Champion RC12ECC, gap to 0.035"), wires (Quality Wires, and yes, they are worth the premium), belt, IPSCO power steering pulley and bracket, and ALL of the fluids. Now while it's cold and you'll have overall less days to drive it is the best time to knock out as much maintenance as you can, so you have more time to enjoy it once the weather is nicer.

The Conti ExtremeContact Forces have been great for me during the fall and winter since I got them, but I'm in North Carolina so the conditions are similar to what Bill W mentioned. I've got Contis on both of my dailies (VW wagons), and they've always treated me well, as well.

The fluids I used were:
- Engine oil: Mobil 1 High Mileage 10W-40
- Oil filter: Mopar 5037836AB
- Coolant: Mopar Orange
- Transmission: Amsoil 75W-90 MTL GL-4
- Differential: Valvoline 75W-140 w/ LS additive
- Brake: DOT-4 fluid
- Power steering: Valvoline power steering fluid

I'm by no means an expert, but I scraped all of this together from a bunch of research on the forums. If I missed anything or got anything wrong, hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

 

[RedGT]

Congrats mate! I’m originally from London. A chap near me in Acton had 2 ‘97 vipers in his driveway for years rotting away. I remember walking by his house dreaming of having my own one day. I’ve since moved to Manhattan and have a few cars including a 2015 Viper. I drive it year round. There’s a black ‘99 Viper similar to yours I see at NYC car meets. He also drives year round… but gets extra credit with the lack of creature comforts vs. me

 

[Jim Myke]

I have a 98 RT/10, first off all tires are really summer tires for that car, if I were you and I had to drive it in the winter I would put a set of winter tires on it, (snow tires) good ones. When I got the car I was told by many owners to watch I dont get bit, I short time later I found out what that ment, if your not carefull that car will go where you didn't intend it to go, on snow or slush you wouldn't have a chance. The price of 4 winter tires could be expensive but not as expensive as replacing body parts. Enjoy and be carefull

 

[FelixOP90]

Thanks guys. That's good to hear some other cars being driven.

I've got new Pirelli P Zero on now and I'm catching up with maintenance at the moment. Done the spark plugs which looked original and a coolant change. Next week I'm using a friends ramp to change the rest of the fluids. Will post a proper thread here in time with more detail