Help! Looking at used viper...

[jimandela]

I would pass on any snake without power windows...
i think that means 97 and up....
good luck..

 

[Matt M PA]

First--power windows did not appear in RT's until '97. 96's had sliders. I frankly like the fact that the earlier RTs did not have "real" windows. (And I had a '94) Anyhow, if you want a sidepipe car....the '95's are the best of the breed. It seems that many of the headaches associated with early RTs were remedied by then, like hood cracking, head gasket leaks, etc. You really should not expect to have numerous mechanical problems if the car was well taken care of....but bear in mind that most Viper repairs are not cheap. Finally, see if there is one for sale at a reputable dealer (like Woodhouse) or a VCA member, where the car is of "known quality". In the end, it all comes down to the fact that like any other used car...there are good ones, and ones to avoid. Good luck!

 

[prodiver]

I have a 95 that I bought 6 months ago and it had 17000 mi. on it. I live in Calif. but flew to Denver to get it. Looked for a couple of months in Calif but ran across what I was looking for at a good price there. The car now has 30000 mi. on it. A few track events and a couple of runs to San Diego. I have the Northwind sliding windows and both tops. If the car is sitting in the rain they don't leak. Driving in the rain they leak quite a bit. I went from a Corvette ZR1 to the Viper and the transition has been slow. I miss the creature comforts of the Vette, cruise control, gas readout, windows, door handles, just to mention a few. The Vette is a refined sports car, the Viper is just raw horsepower and that is what I love about it. If you can live without the creature comforts you will love the Viper.

 

[scottgf]

I have a 94 RT/10 and have got stuck in the rain a couple times.
I only have the factory soft top with side curtains and I must say they hardly leaked a drop. Actually it leaked 2 drops in about a 30 minute period driving on the frwy. in a pretty good rain.
The leaking isnt the problem, its keeping the snake in one lane when its wet.
Listen to the folks on this board, they know more than anyone else.
I wish I had known about this board before I bought mine, I really lucked out and got a great car, but I could have bought a lemon. These guys and girls really know thier stuff.
Good luck,
Scott

 

[SEASNAKE]

I've driven my '94 daily for the last three years. (16K mile/year). Maintenance is higher than normal cars with the cost of tires and fluid changes ($200/month). What really costs are the extra things you buy & possibly track time. Stock Gen 1 per manual 12.9/112mph 1/4 4.9/60mph - which is pretty reasonable from the times I've seen.

All Vipers have some minor problems, most just aren't driven enough to experience them. My car leaks very little with the hardtop on. The softtop only works when sitting still or in light drizzle. Many GTS cars also leak in rain, but even fewer Vipers are driven in rain so you it's hard to get good data about that.

 

[Sniper]

Needasnake-For 2 to 5 grand I had mine lightly modded and can now outrun Gen II's. Can't give track times yet, waiting for Y2KGTS to get me to the track.

 

[SEASNAKE]

Thanks - it looks even better with the 18" rims on it now. I need to get the avatar changed.

$2-5K can get you much faster. It just depends on what you want to do. Road, drag race or just street driving. 50-70 HP gain is easy for that money - just in bolt on mods. This will get you in the low 12s and make you a match for stock/lightly modified Gen 2 cars in the 1/4. For road racing you may want to mix the money with just mufflers, K&Ns, brakes, suspension. There's lots of good stuff in the cookbook recipes on the VCA site.

Get one and drive it for awhile before doing anything. Figure out what you want to do with it, then choose your mods for your preference.

 

[scottgf]

Ive had my 94 for about a year and a half, put aprox 15k miles, mostly weekends, one road course event, and one drag race day.
"KNOCK ON WOOD" I have only changed the oil and put on a set of tires.
IMHO, its not a very "hi tech" type of car and seems to be VERY reliable.
GO GET ONE!!!
Cheers,
Scott
ps. mine is bone stock, maybe thats why its reliable.......

 

[Robert1994]

The rain here is very warm, so it does not pose any
real problems on a drive. In fact I love the soap dish
and towel rack ( JonB $139.95, $625.00 in carbon fiber).
Also Viper Wizard, has an OEM snorkel kit that is outstanding !