New 2008 SRT - Hood and Trunk gaps - Too picky??

[Doubleup]

On my new 2008 SRT-10 I think the factory alignment of the hood and trunk gaps are poor. However with the long lines between the trunk/hood and side quarter panels I don't know how possible it would be to make them perfect... My hood has a slight gradual dip in the middle on the driver side not following the top of the quarter panel line. The trunk is just shifted a bit off from one side to another…

Is this a common problem with the Vipers or has anyone noticed this enough to bother them??

I have to be honest I work with my Dad quite often on muscle car body work and he always wants perfect gaps; now I have addiction with this and it's a brand new car...

I don't picture getting a dealer spending hours to perfect this under warranty and would probably just make it worse...

Any comments??

 

[VIPER 93]

Hand built,they all have there own little flaws

 

[wallbanger]

http://forums.viperclub.org/srt10-s...-2008-quality-control-issue-my-ssg-viper.html

 

[Doubleup]

At your expense that makes me feel better as I do not have that many problems...

On mine the hood issue more irritating and challenging as all four corners are aligned perfectly and have the proper elevation. The hood is just what appears to be sagging in the middle. With this long of a hood it is a very long line to maintain and even elevation. Seems the only way to fix it would be to put larger rubber bumpers under it in the correct areas to keep it spaced up/aligned. If it weren't on the driver side staring at me when I drove it I would just leave it alone...

 

[CCBrian]

Got our new ACR ... it has some flaws...don't care...bought it to drive hard.

 

[John N]

The hood on my '08 has the same 'sag' on the driver's side. At first I fixated on it when driving, now am used to it & have come to the conclusion that it really isn't that bad. I guess it is easier to accept after experiencing how superior the car is to my '97 GTS overall.

 

[eagles]

I feel your pain. Yea more orange peel than '96 or '03 and a few whoop de doos in the surface of the doors near mirrors also. My hood gaps are fine but my '08 trunk lid has a wider gap at
the fender than the passenger side. I am anal about equal gaps but I can't figure a way to fix it so that's the way it is. The car still rocks. Eagles

 

[GTSRboy2000]

Not as bad as it is on vettes, i was looking at a ZR1 at the autoshow the other day and it had giant gaps between the hood and fenders. If you getting a "affordable" supercar, you have to give up things like perfect gaps. Ferrari's chassis are dipped in a huge vat of of anti-rust solution for example, you just dont get that reeaallly tight quality with somthing under 150k....or at least i think.

 

[PaViper]

my 06 hood was misaligned a very small amount, and was only noticeable because the stripes did not line up where the hood meets the front fascia, very easy adjustment by adjusting the striker (as long as we aren't talking about an abnormal amount of gap). As far as the dips in the hood or front fenders, you can adjust the front fenders by using the bolts that hold the fender in place under the hood. usually you can see where there are washers or shims along the fender to adjust the height to meet the hood line. Here is a pic of my stripe alignment before the adjustment, I cant find the after pic, I will have to take another one. As you can see, we are not talking about a big adjustment....but after a friend pointed it out to me, I wasn't happy until it was right

 

[wallbanger]

lot of crack addicts on here

 

[Freiherr]

The hood of my 2004 SRT-10 has exactly the same dip on the driver´s side.
First time I noticed it I was really horrified.
I took my car to the dealer, we checked the alignment of the hood carefully and found out that it was absolutely perfect apart from the sag.
Since that "fault" is only visible from the driver´s seat and nobody else ever noticed it I decided to leave it exactly as it is.
Meanwhile I don´t even notice it anymore and it doesn´t bother me anymore.
A few years ago I purchased a brandnew Mercedes, and it´s hood wasn´t misaligned - it was completely deformed.
They never managed to fix it properly, so I gave the Mercedes back and bought my first car made in USA - a Vette.
Today I can say, that my Durango and my Viper are the most reliable cars I have ever owned in my lifetime - so just forget the slight dip and enjoy your Viper!

 

[ROCKET62]

While it would be great to have perfect fit and finish from the factory - this is a handbuilt car and subject to minor imperfections. The front fenders on the SRT are actually fairly easy to adjust. Just takes a little bit of time, some round spacers (about 5/8", various thicknesses), and a twelve pack of your favorite beverage.

If you take a look at the screws that hold the top of the fender in place, you will notice the round spacers underneath the fender. With my body kit, I marked the areas and gaps with some blue painters tape. I then used crayon/yellow wax pen to circle the screws before adjusting. Loosen all of the screws and add spacers to the area that are low and push/pull the fender in/out to adjust the gap.

If you dont have the time/patience, it would be a nothing job for you local body shop.

 

[wallbanger]

ladies and gentlemen we have a winner

While it would be great to have perfect fit and finish from the factory - this is a handbuilt car and subject to minor imperfections. The front fenders on the SRT are actually fairly easy to adjust. Just takes a little bit of time, some round spacers (about 5/8", various thicknesses), and a twelve pack of your favorite beverage.

If you take a look at the screws that hold the top of the fender in place, you will notice the round spacers underneath the fender. With my body kit, I marked the areas and gaps with some blue painters tape. I then used crayon/yellow wax pen to circle the screws before adjusting. Loosen all of the screws and add spacers to the area that are low and push/pull the fender in/out to adjust the gap.

If you dont have the time/patience, it would be a nothing job for you local body shop.

 

[fireball]

There was this tag hanging on the bumper on both my Vipers.......


NOTE: Genuine snakeskin is a natural material. Every skin is unique, featuring individual characteristics, akin to fingerprints, that reflect the skin's natural snake pit origins. Markings such as battle scars, aggression marks, and grain variation should be viewed not as imperfections, but rather, an assurance that your snakeskin is a true, top grade battle hardened skin.

 

[bluesrt]

On my new 2008 SRT-10 I think the factory alignment of the hood and trunk gaps are poor. However with the long lines between the trunk/hood and side quarter panels I don't know how possible it would be to make them perfect... My hood has a slight gradual dip in the middle on the driver side not following the top of the quarter panel line. The trunk is just shifted a bit off from one side to another…

Is this a common problem with the Vipers or has anyone noticed this enough to bother them??

I have to be honest I work with my Dad quite often on muscle car body work and he always wants perfect gaps; now I have addiction with this and it's a brand new car...

I don't picture getting a dealer spending hours to perfect this under warranty and would probably just make it worse...

Any comments??

american sports cars have the best fit and finish to date,new in the 70,s they were extrmly horrible,heck they are perfect now days in comparison