Corvettes and Vipers

[riverflyer]

I had an old friend drop by for a suprise visit last weekend. My girlfirend had to work early the next day so excused herself. It was good to see him and we stayed up late, indulging and talking...what else-cars. Well women entered in several times too!
Anyway, he is a died in the wool corvette guy with two in the garage and many owned and sold. In the morning we fired up the 99 rt10 and took her out for a spin. He said he had always loved Vipers but had never been in one before. After a short drive we were out in the country and about to climb a steep forested ridge with great sweeping turns. And though I concentrated mostly on the road, I did notice his knuckles turning very white around the passenger handle! After 10 or 12 miles we returned home, he with a big smile and me, I am sure, feeling a bit smug or at least proud of the snakes awesome power. Anyway, when he left the next day, he was mumbling about having to go to the hassle of selling both his corvettes so he could, of course, STEP UP.
That sure didn't take long.

 

[RavenFan_94]

This story has been told 100 times. And, I don't mean that negatively. I was that guy not so long ago. Vette and Porsche are history for me. I stepped up, hopefully he will too.

Good one river.

 

[RX VIPER]

If the knuckles turn white it's ok, just beware of the brown underpants!!

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

 

[phiebert]

To be fair to Vette guys, they are nice cars but it ***** to be 2nd...or maybe 3rd.

Lately I've been drueling over a Diablo. With the Murcielago coming out, the price of the Diablo's have come down a bit. I've always been heavily in love with those cars but I must admit that I'm having a hard time getting myself to the point of spending a couple hundred thousand for a used Diablo just so I can still kick my own a$$ with my Viper. I think they are beautiful cars though!

 

[cratica]

Yep, I was one of those guys too. Had a vette, always wanted a viper, finally got the viper. It's a very common occurance. Vettes are neat cars but Vipers are in a totally different league in terms of driving excitement!


In my office at work, I have about 30 diecast car models, 29 are vette, 1 is a viper. I've loved vettes all my life and it had been my favorite car since I can remember. It is 2nd place now! I need more viper models!

 

[NOMERCY]

I love my Vette and will always have one. But a Viper is coming in the near future. I just have to: close on my house, finish the basement, buy my wife a new SUV, buy myself a new SUV get another vette and do a TT 427.

Lots to do in the near future. I will have a Viper by next summer.

 

[SapphireGTS]

I always said I'd keep my C5 when I got a Viper. After I test drove the GTS I said to my self "when would I ever drive the vette"

We all make mistakes.

 

[BYT U L8R]

I just sold my Vette Saturday after 11 years. I need to fund my upgrades for the Viper. I loved the Vette. It was a solid car. But after two years with the Viper, I could care less about the Vette...And that was the problem...I did care MUCH less for the Vette. It went down hill fast. Oh, well!

 

[CitySnake]

Vette Owner: Vipers ****...waste of money. For the extra 25G's I can make my Vette twice as fast!
Viper Owner: Ever drive a Viper?
Vette Owner: No, b-b-b-but.....

<yawn>

 

[riverflyer]

Yes, absolutely no disrespect meant to vette owners as they are very cool cars, BUT.....
Though not as hot either! And don't draw a crowd every time you stop either!
Phiebert, know what you mean, I watch the Modena and Maranello prices drop and lust after either one, but just can't justify the cash. Of course if I had more of it, AND a bigger garage.
No mercy, how do you like the Dinan set up on your m5? I am a longtime lover of e39's and have a beautiful blown 540/6 parked next to the viper. ANd honestly still am thrilled by the styling. Sometimes I just flip on the light at night and marvel at the beauty in black(both) glistening in the garage. Must admit though, since getting the snake, the bmw doesn't get out much!

 

[YouWish]

Same here had a C5 Vette liked it alot but always wanted a Viper. It's cool that the Viper comes out of the box as a street legal race car but,if the Viper had a straight six in it i would still buy it because, she is just so beautiful. I sit in my garage some nights just to stare at her. Never did that once with the Vette.

 

[agentf1]

Hmmmm, been on the fence for a while now and read threads like this and think sell the Z06 and make the move and then I drive the Z and think hmmm, sell the show car which I don't drive or show much anymore and put a viper next to the Z06. I am leaning towards the latter since the Viper will be a keeper and I won't want to put too many miles on it etc... But financially the harder of the two. Now if chevy didn't come out with the Z06 it would have been a no brainer. ***

 

[slaughterj]

Hmmmm, been on the fence for a while now and read threads like this and think sell the Z06 and make the move and then I drive the Z and think hmmm, sell the show car which I don't drive or show much anymore and put a viper next to the Z06. I am leaning towards the latter since the Viper will be a keeper and I won't want to put too many miles on it etc... But financially the harder of the two. Now if chevy didn't come out with the Z06 it would have been a no brainer. ***

Decisions decisions. What's the concern with Viper mileage, not much use to have if you don't drive it?!

 

[agentf1]

I figured I would put around 2000 miles a year on the viper tops and I usually put about 5-6000 a year on the vette. Right now I only put about 2-300 miles a year on the 76 show car and wonder why I even keep it as it just takes up garage space that I need for a Viper. It is my perception that you want to keep the miles in the 10 -20,000 range tops on the viper for it to be desirable/hold its value. You guys that drive them alot please don't flame me this is just my perception of the viper market. I know what I am looking for in a Viper and that is one with under 10,000 miles and suspect that is what most people want. Again this is not meant as a flame but I think a viper with 25k is comparable to a vette with 50k and starts getting less desirable/cheaper. This is probably since people think Vipers are driven alot harder than most cars and I know there are exceptions to the rule. As I said I will probably keep the GTS a long time as I did with my 76 and the Z06 will probably be replaced every few year.

 

[NOMERCY]

No mercy, how do you like the Dinan set up on your m5? I am a longtime lover of e39's and have a beautiful blown 540/6 parked next to the viper. ANd honestly still am thrilled by the styling. Sometimes I just flip on the light at night and marvel at the beauty in black(both) glistening in the garage. Must admit though, since getting the snake, the bmw doesn't get out much!

The Dinan S2 package is great. The car handles very well ... sometimes I have to remind myself it is a 4 door sedan. It pulls real hard at speeds above 100 and is extremely comfortable/practical to drive.

My neighbor in Hawaii who is a serious car nut, (has dozens of em'), got to drive it down to the shippers, (just moved back to Colorado). I drove the Vette and he drove the M5. After we got there he told me that it was the finest car he had ever driven. He said it was the "whole package" and wanted to buy it from me. He probably has one by now.

 

[slaughterj]

I figured I would put around 2000 miles a year on the viper tops and I usually put about 5-6000 a year on the vette. Right now I only put about 2-300 miles a year on the 76 show car and wonder why I even keep it as it just takes up garage space that I need for a Viper. It is my perception that you want to keep the miles in the 10 -20,000 range tops on the viper for it to be desirable/hold its value. You guys that drive them alot please don't flame me this is just my perception of the viper market. I know what I am looking for in a Viper and that is one with under 10,000 miles and suspect that is what most people want. Again this is not meant as a flame but I think a viper with 25k is comparable to a vette with 50k and starts getting less desirable/cheaper. This is probably since people think Vipers are driven alot harder than most cars and I know there are exceptions to the rule. As I said I will probably keep the GTS a long time as I did with my 76 and the Z06 will probably be replaced every few year.

Hmm, I don't know if they higher miles are driven harder as a % of the amount they are driven, given that a lot of those miles for higher mileage vipers end up being highway miles, not hard launches, etc., and even at 100+ sustained highway speeds, I doubt that would make the highway miles significant.

 

[ViperJoe]

Lately I've been drueling over a Diablo.

You think the Viper TAX is bad......... Lord have mercy!!!!!!!!
Rule of thumb is like $500 PER cylinder for a "major" tune-up! OUCH!
And a water pump or throttle body, ROTFLOL!!!!!!!!

 

[riverflyer]

I figured I would put around 2000 miles a year on the viper tops and I usually put about 5-6000 a year on the vette. Right now I only put about 2-300 miles a year on the 76 show car and wonder why I even keep it as it just takes up garage space that I need for a Viper. It is my perception that you want to keep the miles in the 10 -20,000 range tops on the viper for it to be desirable/hold its value. You guys that drive them alot please don't flame me this is just my perception of the viper market. I know what I am looking for in a Viper and that is one with under 10,000 miles and suspect that is what most people want. Again this is not meant as a flame but I think a viper with 25k is comparable to a vette with 50k and starts getting less desirable/cheaper. This is probably since people think Vipers are driven alot harder than most cars and I know there are exceptions to the rule. As I said I will probably keep the GTS a long time as I did with my 76 and the Z06 will probably be replaced every few year.

Agent, I had the same mind set going into this experience. I bought a cherry 99 with 6400 miles on it. Well in 5 weeks I have put 1600 miles on it and I usually average about 5k per year TOTAL for my three vehicles. Point being, if you have one of these babies sitting in the garage, it is very hard to resist "going for a quick drive". The other day I dropped my girlfriend off at her mechanics and told her I was going for a quick drive while she settled up. Well, the drive was quick but I went about 40 miles. I agree low mileage cars are worth more but after having one for awhile, I don't think the savings is worth trading off the fun of cruising. Just my 02cents worth.

 

[kgrif]

I think they are totally two different cars and serve different needs for different people. Both are fine vehicles.

 

[V10 MOJO]

I drove every one of the cars i was considering in 1999, glad i ended up making the right choice for the purchase, theres been no looking back