New guy saying hello

[John_C]

Hello everyone..my name is John and i am new to the boards

As of now, i have a Camaro SS pushing around 400 rwhp, running 12.40's.

I want a Viper, but not sure if it is worth spending 30k more then a Z06 which also gets alot of my respect. since i am in a tight situation as far as budget, i thought i would come on here and ask you guys for opinions.

Get a used Z06 with 5k miles on it for approx. 40k or wait a yr or so, keep my ss, and save up for a Viper? I truly do love both cars and i want to make the right decision. Thank you everyone, and i am looking forward to joining the fun.

p.s- my buddy has a Z06, and he has some videos of him racing a Viper at the track, maybe i can post the video..he has a bunch actually, he loves Vipers and gives them all the respect they deserve also. We are both very big car enthusiasts and always give props to where it is due.

Johm

 

[FLX109]

WELCOME,
My advice GO VIPER

Go for a ride then decide

Good luck on your decision

FLX109

 

[AJT]

I have had a 96, 98, 01 vette & still have a 79, I just traded my 01 in 7 months ago & there was no looking back. The viper so much more fun to drive. There are so many vetts on the road you really do not have anything special. If funds are a determining factor go with an older one to get started, then you will be hooked.

my .02
Andy

 

[CAS]

You are gonna hear this a lot, but there is truely no comparison between the Z and the Viper. The Viper is something which must be experienced.. The Viper is just a really special car, and if you wait a year, keep your (fast!) SS, you won't regret it. I will say this though - right now is probably the best time to buy. Viper prices are TANKING and you can pick up a very, very nice GTS for 50K - the same as a new Z. Look at the classified section of this site and check out these Vipers. The members here are extrememly meticulous and you won't end up with a lemon. Check it out, and welcome to the site.

Regards,

 

[Vic]

I remember, almost two years ago, being on the horns of a dilemma, "Get a new Vette, or get a new Viper?"

My wife said "You already HAD a Vette, wait for the thing that you REALLY want, something different"

So I waited until I could afford it, and got my GTS while the Sapphire color was running.

Wow! What a difference! What a unique and different automobile! I've never regretted it, and am still in love with it today. Just gotta get that blower now.......

 

[Magicboy2]

You can get a perfectly good older Viper for $40k... I speak from experience.

 

[John_C]

You are gonna hear this a lot, but there is truely no comparison between the Z and the Viper.

In what terms? can you explain to me?

I know the Z06 is a really fast car. I keep on saying "My buddy", maybe i will get him to register, but he runs 12.2-.3's all day long with just a cai, exhaust, and drag radials. His best is a 12.10 This is with an 01 Z06 not an 02.

I know the GTS isnt that much quicker then 12.2's, am i correct?
i thoght that is what GTS's run anyways..please correct me if i am wrong. maybe i am not educated enough about these cars.

 

[Gerald]

You are gonna hear this a lot, but there is truely no comparison between the Z and the Viper.

In what terms? can you explain to me?

I know the Z06 is a really fast car. I keep on saying "My buddy", maybe i will get him to register, but he runs 12.2-.3's all day long with just a cai, exhaust, and drag radials. His best is a 12.10 This is with an 01 Z06 not an 02.

I know the GTS isnt that much quicker then 12.2's, am i correct?
i thoght that is what GTS's run anyways..please correct me if i am wrong. maybe i am not educated enough about these cars.

12.2 w/ drag radials on a vette? Stock vipers with normal everyday street tires are turning that and much better.. I think vipers with drag radials are hitting 11.6 or 11.7 at 118 - 120 mph? No comparison if you think about it..

G

 

[jimandela]

i have minor mods.. (no engine work) and I am at aprox 525HP!!
the viper is the only choice and get yellow it's even faster!
good luck
Jim

 

[V10 MOJO]

tough decision...for the individual who is making it. only you can decide man. if cost is not an issue then you got several other factors; style, power, handling, etc

but, since you came to a viper site to ask opinions, my .02 worth, go viper ONLY if;

1. you dont mind being the center of attention most of the time and always being noticed all of the time
2. you love good ol muscle car power and knock the earth off it axis, neck snappin torque
3. you feel amenities and refinements are for ladies
4. you like not seeing five of your bretheren car every other stop light


many other reasons but i wont bore you with my opinions.

i too couldnt decide at first, i was looking at a mercedes sl600, a vette and a viper. after realizing im a muscle car person at heart, the choice was waay too simple and im glad i made the right choice.

my only complaint; all the [******] attention it gets and all the power this thing has

 

[John_C]

12.2 w/ drag radials on a vette? Stock vipers with normal everyday street tires are turning that and much better.. I think vipers with drag radials are hitting 11.6 or 11.7 at 118 - 120 mph? No comparison if you think about it..

G

oh, i did not know that..i was browsing through some forums earlier and was looking at some of the viper times, and i see that stock, or even near stock, some people were running 12.2's-.4's.

 

[V10 MOJO]

stock; high elevens if your a good driver

 

[1TONY1]

Welcome John, I think the times with equal tires will favor the Viper......but......like rdustman said above. If you like attention then you will be amazed. Kids jumping up and down screaming......everybody is your new best friend......it still amazes me. This doesn't happen in a Vette, I have had three. Z06's are great but it "ain't no Viper". If you can spend 40k on a Vette then you can spend 40k to 45k or so on a Viper. I promise you won't regret it !!

 

[VIPR GTS]

Its sort of like the Harley saying, "if we have to explain, you won't understand".. The Viper is just a different class of car. Forget the speed, they are both faster than most of us can handle, the Viper is just in a class of one.
And I work for a Chevy dealer, could have a Z06 for employee price minus hold back, but there was no way I would give up on my Viper dream. Now, its a Roe SC Viper. Save your coins and get the car that stands aprart from the crowd.

 

[Torquemonster]

For sheer driving excitement - it's hard to beat 500 cubic inches of mountainous torque - something the Vette does not have anything close to by comparison..... acceleration figures are only half the story - go drive a Viper and get the other half of the story - then it'll be clearer...., plus just stand by one and look at it.... a Vette looks nice, but a Viper looks fantastic!

 

[CAS]

Sorry John, I was away from my computer. As Gerald said, there were some completely STOCK (with Pilots) Vipers running mid-high 11's. (The fastest showroom stock time ever recorded was 11.66 @119 with a 1999 Silver RT/10, Popular Mechanics. Highest stock trap I've seen has been 12X) Obviously this is with the very best drivers available, but overall, these cars can be wicked on the strip. But, you are right, average times for an average driver on an average track are about 12.2-12.4 @ 117. For a road course, they are even more potent, but only with, again, an experienced driver. (But, hell, learning is half the fun ).

But, I wasn't speaking in purely performance terms when I made that statement. There's an aura a Viper puts out when it is driven. Trust me, it's the curves. This car is absolutely visceral and somehow brutally elegant at the same time. There's something about looking over that long horizon of hood and feeling the torque as you step off the clutch that you are piloting a car that is very, very special..
I could literally go on like this, lol.

You have to drive one to know ..

Clint

 

[Magicboy2]

I'm sure you get the message by now.

Both are fast cars. Both are great cars.

Drag strip times shouldn't enter into your decision. Tenths of a second aren't that hard to make up with mods. If you can launch consistantly well, you'll easily run with many Vipers that you come across.

You either want a Viper or you don't. The ownership experience is the big intangible, and although I have nothing but respect for the Z06, that intangible is far above and beyond what any Vette can give you.

 

[2BADD 4U]

Well Spoken Clint!!!

John, I had an 85 vette, and a 2000 Vette conv, modded 6 spd. I have owned both the 00 vette and my new Viper Gts at the same time....I just got rid of the 00 vette...NO COMPARISON!!!! The Vette felt SOFT and SPONGY all the way around...handling, steering, clutch, and Especially the TORQUE!!! I now have 500 miles on my Final Edition #338 red/white striped GTS...AWESOME is an understatment...This is the coolest car on the planet. If you want Torque, and the Awesome Looks with it...Ya gotta go Viper...I will never own another Vette. NEVER! As Clint spoke above...It is a Special experience to own and drive your Viper...The attention that it brings is incredible...100 times more than any vette. Lets see...there are about 2 million vettes on the road, and approx. 15 thousand Vipers on the Road....Do the Math. but like Clint stated...it has the Curves and style to match the power...GO FOR IT!!

Best of Luck!!! Dave

 

[KenH]

If funds are really tight and you are looking for the best 1/4 mile performance for your $ as your post seems to indicate, the Viper is probably not a good choice for you.

If you are looking for the best american automotive experience you can have without compromise, then it should be at the top of your list, but you must never use the phrases 'best bang for the buck' or 'it's just a car' again.

--- Ken

 

[John_C]

thank you so much guys, i appreciate all the advice.

Like many of you have said, both are great cars. They are both truly awesome performars in regards to any performance category. But like said, the drag strip is not what i will be making my decision upon.

I definatly agree that the Viper gets more looks, it is a better looking car. very exotic. I love it.

I will keep you guys posted on the outcome...thank you again.

John

 

[RedSnakeGTS]

you can get a z06 with 5k miles for under 40 around here (dallas)

 

[Tom Welch]

Welcome John,

Pony up for the Viper. There are lots of reasons why to own one and NO reasons not to.

Want to see some video footage of Vipers at a GM shootout, go to breathless performance website (find it on the z-06 forum). Take a look at which cars were the fastest at the event. You will find the fastest class dominated by Vipers. There were tuner vettes on hand, including LPE 383 and other top cars, but none ran within a second of our 9 second daily driver.

I also have recently owned a C-5, a nice car, with lots of gadgets and decent power. When it was time to go out on the town, the Viper always won out and the vette sat in the garage. I finally sold it. It was no slouch either as we modded it with headers and a nitrous system and put it in the 11's on stock run flats!

In the end, I guess it comes down to what you like and what you can afford. After owning both, the decision would be easy for me to raise up another 10-15 grand for the Viper. To see the stares and glares, watch cameras flash, and having such an ice breaking conversation piece is priceless in my opinion.

Just my un-educated observation.

Tom

 

[MHQC]

There's an aura a Viper puts out when it is driven

That about sums it up. John, I sacrificed a couple of years not having a serious muscle car (my vette is not a muscle car). All my buddies had hopped up camaro's, mustangs and vette's etc... I would bite my tongue everytime we went cruisin' in there cars. BUT, today I can appreciate the sacrifice I made. Now it's my buddies saying "let's take the Viper". The fact that you want more info about the Viper confirms that you have been bit; the poison just takes a little time before it is a full blown case. Then you will be talking Viper this and Viper that to the point where you wife/girlfriend will force you to buy one just to keep you quiet.

Believe me, this board WILL drive you to purchase one. I can promise you

Get the Viper. You will have NO regrets.

 

[iispms]

Welcome John!!

I just bought my 98 for $40,100. It has 20k miles. If you look hard enough, you will find a good deal. I looked at Z06's as well. I was going to pay 39,500 for a used 2002, but their were to many of them, so I went with the Viper.

Just keep your eye out and join the snake club.

Chip

 

[2BADD 4U]

Ya Know...this is really a NO BRAINER!!!

Best, Dave

 

[PhilC]

The Viper is clearly the better car to have for many reasons but you should definitely keep in mind that everything for the Viper costs multiple times what it should just because it's for a Viper (commonly known as the Viper tax). Keep in line with your budget, you cant go wrong with either car (they're both great) and if it's the Vett now, down the road you can look forward to the Viper

 

[PhilC]

btw John, if you get the vett, bring it to Englishtown and we'll line up and we can settle the minor dispute from the other thread

 

[Daffy Duck Viper]

I've always liked Corvettes, but they are no Viper. I love Vipers! Anyone claiming a Corvette is in the same class as a Viper is just simply not being objective. The Viper has an energy about it, even just parked on the street, that a Corvette doe not have. By comparison, a Corvette is rather mundane, though comparing a Corvette to most other cars, it leaves them wanting. Bottom line, if you can afford a Viper by waiting a little longer or purchasing an earlier year, do not settle for a Corvette.

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