Cool cars that s u c k to own...........

99RT10GTS

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And just because:

 
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BoondocSaint

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My thoughts on the Viper...
1.) It's one of the most affordable hand built low production (just over 31,000 TOTAL) iconic sports cars you can own.
2.) Maintenance won't bankrupt you the way other low production sports cars can.
3.) The driving experience is visceral which makes me feel alive every time I drive my car. Many modern sports cars are a snooze fest if they aren't being driven at the limit.
4.) The race pedigree is EPIC. The Viper destroyed EVERYTHING in the late 90's through early 2000's. FIA championship 97-02, 24hrs of Lemans 98-00, etc., etc., etc. The race DNA is very present in the road cars, and that makes me feel connected to my love of watching GT racing when I drive.
5.) These cars have aged well in that they are still amazing looking next to any modern offering. These cars continue to capture the imaginations of everyone at cars shows just the same way it did me when I was younger.
6.) I really could keep going, but I'll sum it up like this... It's not a perfect car, the interior is meh, the gas mileage is abysmal, there is some parts bin stuff going on, some parts can be expensive and hard to source given the age and low production numbers, it is not an easy car to drive at the limit for us mere mortals, and the car is unforgiving of aggressive or unskilled inputs...

All of that being said, these are genuinely special cars. Many manufacturers have desperately tried to capture that something which makes a car more than the sum of it's parts, few have pulled it off to the level the Dodge Viper has.
 

MoparMap

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I've seen those video previews, but haven't watched any yet. I think the only real Viper that would "****" to own would be one of the gen 1/2 roadsters. Any other Viper is perfectly livable and useable on a near daily basis. I don't think they are nearly as harsh and miserable to drive as a lot of people seem to make them out to be, but I've also grown up with sports cars and classics that didn't have a lot of modern features to begin with, so I was used to it. My mom has a gen 1, so I know first hand the annoyance of feeling like you can't drive the car half the time since it isn't exactly a "sealed" vehicle. She has a hard top, soft top, and now both hard and soft windows as well, but they really don't make the car weathertight or that much more realistic to drive in poor conditions. I've driven my gen 3 through pouring rain and on long road trips and it's just fine to me. I don't see how a **** stock one would be all that unpleasant to drive aside from the hot exhaust setup on the later gens. Nowadays I think twice before a long trip with mine due to the loud exhaust, new cam, and upgraded shocks, but I would probably still do it anyway if my wife would put up with it. They are all super easy to work on and built to last, so it's not like you have to take the engine out every 10,000 miles to service it or anything. Just keep the fluids and tires fresh and have a good time.
 

Monopoly

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First 2 videos seem more towards Gen 1s. Gen2 RT/10 just needs a bigger trunk of my golf clubs :D
 

Lobotomy

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IMO.. The cons on our Gen2 cars are the dwindling supply of water pumps and headlights....among a few other parts... $1,000 water pumps and $5,000 headlights will soon make these not repairable. I am hoping the aftermarket steps up in some way.
 

KC Chief

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I hate even responding to this, but you baited me!

Anybody can go on the web and say anything, and often times its uninformed and simply a way to get a rise out of people. Clearly these dudes don't know Vipers very well... At all... And they are appealing to an audience that most likely is equally ignorant, so formulating a response to ignorant people saying ignorant things to equally ignorant people is falling in line with all the ignorance.

If you know Vipers, you know.
 

BoremViper97

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I've seen those video previews, but haven't watched any yet. I think the only real Viper that would "****" to own would be one of the gen 1/2 roadsters. Any other Viper is perfectly livable and useable on a near daily basis. I don't think they are nearly as harsh and miserable to drive as a lot of people seem to make them out to be, but I've also grown up with sports cars and classics that didn't have a lot of modern features to begin with, so I was used to it. My mom has a gen 1, so I know first hand the annoyance of feeling like you can't drive the car half the time since it isn't exactly a "sealed" vehicle. She has a hard top, soft top, and now both hard and soft windows as well, but they really don't make the car weathertight or that much more realistic to drive in poor conditions. I've driven my gen 3 through pouring rain and on long road trips and it's just fine to me. I don't see how a **** stock one would be all that unpleasant to drive aside from the hot exhaust setup on the later gens. Nowadays I think twice before a long trip with mine due to the loud exhaust, new cam, and upgraded shocks, but I would probably still do it anyway if my wife would put up with it. They are all super easy to work on and built to last, so it's not like you have to take the engine out every 10,000 miles to service it or anything. Just keep the fluids and tires fresh and have a good time.
Why do you say that about the gen1/2 roadsters? I have a 97 rt/10 and have no idea why you’d include my gen2 alongside the generation that lacks door handles and air conditioning.
Honest question
 
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99RT10GTS

99RT10GTS

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IMO.. The cons on our Gen2 cars are the dwindling supply of water pumps and headlights....among a few other parts... $1,000 water pumps and $5,000 headlights will soon make these not repairable. I am hoping the aftermarket steps up in some way.


I sell waterpumps for $700 shipped, so............
 
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99RT10GTS

99RT10GTS

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Why do you say that about the gen1/2 roadsters? I have a 97 rt/10 and have no idea why you’d include my gen2 alongside the generation that lacks door handles and air conditioning.
Honest question

Good choice, 97 is a great year to own. Only 117 made. I've had several, do you own one of the B/W RTs?
 

MoparMap

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Why do you say that about the gen1/2 roadsters? I have a 97 rt/10 and have no idea why you’d include my gen2 alongside the generation that lacks door handles and air conditioning.
Honest question
It's really just because of the lack of a quality top in my eyes. The gen 2 windows do make that easier to deal with, but the tops for either generation aren't exactly the best quality when it comes to keeping the weather out. I guess maybe they aren't all that different from the T-tops of yore (I should know, I have a 71 Vette that has them and they leak all the same), but the Viper one is certainly way more unwieldy to try to put on if you get caught in bad conditions.

The gen 1 did have A/C, though I'm not sure it was all that amazing and with the lack of good cabin sealing it was likely even less useful. Generally I just consider it annoying to own anything that can't be driven in most weather conditions. My gen 3 admittedly can't drive in snow (I have tried), but it will drive in pouring rain just fine with no real worries to me. I don't like to drive it in the rain if I can help it, but if I do I don't have to worry about the inside getting wet and shorting out switches or anything like that. The gen 2 definitely made some advances in useability, but a roadster is still a roadster to me.
 

BoremViper97

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It's really just because of the lack of a quality top in my eyes. The gen 2 windows do make that easier to deal with, but the tops for either generation aren't exactly the best quality when it comes to keeping the weather out. I guess maybe they aren't all that different from the T-tops of yore (I should know, I have a 71 Vette that has them and they leak all the same), but the Viper one is certainly way more unwieldy to try to put on if you get caught in bad conditions.

The gen 1 did have A/C, though I'm not sure it was all that amazing and with the lack of good cabin sealing it was likely even less useful. Generally I just consider it annoying to own anything that can't be driven in most weather conditions. My gen 3 admittedly can't drive in snow (I have tried), but it will drive in pouring rain just fine with no real worries to me. I don't like to drive it in the rain if I can help it, but if I do I don't have to worry about the inside getting wet and shorting out switches or anything like that. The gen 2 definitely made some advances in useability, but a roadster is still a roadster to me.
I appreciate your detailed response.
However mine seems to be fully weather proof and car wash proof.
I’m new here so maybe I don’t-know-what-I-dont-know.
 

MoparMap

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I appreciate your detailed response.
However mine seems to be fully weather proof and car wash proof.
I’m new here so maybe I don’t-know-what-I-dont-know.

Hey, if it works for you then awesome! Always happy to see someone enjoying their car and using them regularly. And honestly I'd take any Viper over no Viper at this point, regardless of others say. I love driving my mom's 94 just as much as my 04. It's just a really neat unique experience and the car is just full of characters. I'd never suggest you made a bad decision buying any year of Viper. My preference is just the later ones for the added benefits they got over the years. I don't really think any Viper ***** to own.
 

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