Prospective owner have some Viper related questions.

[papabear]

Maybe my first posts subject was a little to specific so I will try these questions again.. I have just started looking at buying a Viper as my weekend car. I have a few questions that I hope people here can help me with. I am wondering about the interior room in these cars. I am a larger man 6'1" about 250 lbs. would there be enough room in a Viper for me to be comfortable? I have not been able to find one locally for sale to go try for myself. Also I have heard that the interiors are excessively hot. I know how the exhaust is run on the car and the engine being set back can cause some extra heat but is it manageable? How is the car on extended trips? Is it comfortable enough to be driven 2-300 miles without needing chiropractic help? I have owned many highly modified cars in the past and my wife has said this time she is not going to get beat up by the car or have to wear ear plugs to ride in it. So if I can cover those points I should be in good shape. Also are there allot of differences other than the obvious ones between the RT/10 and GTS? I am leaning toward the GTS just because is reminds me of the Daytona cobras but the RT/10 would be nice to have in good top down weather. If there is a owner near Nashville that might consider giving me a walk around and point out things viper specific to look for when inspecting a car I would be greatly appreciative. I thank you all for your time to read this and any help or suggestions you can offer me.

John..

 

[BADVENOM]

John I am roughly your size and have no problems with the comfortability issues on drives of that distance..I have Sciatica and the seats are quite comfortable. The heat isn't a issue in a rt especially with high flo cats and the top off and windows down.Good AC. I think you would be more comfy getting in and out with the rt rather than the gts from a head standpoint.. I have my windows and top in bags in the garage all summer..never drive with them!

As far as the noise level it depends if you keep the stock exhaust, if you do the cars not loud at all..

 

[ViperJoe]

I drove 800 miles in the Z-06 with no problems, but the 350 miles in the Viper killed me, it might have been the 45psi in the tires due to it being in storage though.

 

[Viper Specialty]

45 PSI!?!? LOL, yep, that could make your A$$ and Chest become "one" on a long trip. Normal is 29 PSI.

 

[kgrif]

6'4", 195 and I fit fine without the seat mod. Yes it does get hot, use the air or get the FF cat and Cat back and that will reduce the heat. Re the wife, mine hated riding in the Z06 but will go anywhere I want her to in the Viper. She says it rides better and i think she likes all the attention.

 

[plumcrazy]

im 6'-3",280lbs. I picked up my 98 GTs from woodhouse in nebraska with a 1" seat lowering kit installed already for me and drove it all the way home to NJ and had zero complaints. plenty of leg room, no heat issues at all. very comfortable for both me and the wife on the ride home.

 

[joe117]

I can't believe folks are telling you that Vipers are comfortable.
A Viper enthusiast may overlook reality but it doesn't sound like your wife is going to.

The things that you ask about are real. The Viper isn't a torture chamber but it not as comfortable compared to a Vette.

It get's hot inside and I'd say it is cramped compared to a Vette.

If you mod the exhaust the way most guys do, it will be loud enough to be annoying on long trips. A GTS with exhaust mods might drone inside.

An R/T with the top in place, has very little headroom for getting in and out.

Vipers ride rough compared to a Vette.

A gen1 R/T with the top down will have every bit of trunk space filled with the top, side curtains and rear window.

The convertible top is workable but it is a pain.

I'm sure you are going to hear from some guys that claim they are 6'3" and have no comfort issues and that there is no heat problem and that the exhaust is just like music and that Vettes **** and all the other things a Viper fan will say.
The truth is, these cars are not quite as civilized as Vettes. They are lot's of fun anyway.

 

[BADVENOM]

What joe says is true but you weren't asking about a comparison to vettes, and joe is the ultimate pessimist!

 

[joe117]

Most people know what Vettes are like and so the Vette is a good benchmark for comparison.
Some categories a Vette is worse, some better. Why isn't a comparison the best way to talk about it?

Some of the guys on the site like their Vipers so much that they can't be objective.

 

[papabear]

Thanks for the replies. This is the kind of information I was looking for. If the heat can be helped by exhaust modifications then that is no problem to fix. As for the ride questions the majority of my previous cars were set up for max handling. So they had high rate springs hard shocks etc. I do not expect the Viper to ride like a Town Car but compared to previous cars of mine I think a stock suspension car will ride fine. I think as far as fitting and being comfortable I am just going to have to find a car to get into. Since this will really be my weekend car/toy I can live with allot of small things. As for long trips that will probably be a rare occasion since my daughter usually goes with us. I just purchased a Mercury Marauder for interstate trips.
I will say one thing after reading this board and learning more about modifying a Viper. The Viper is a great car to start with. With my last car a 1999 Cobra I had done allot to get it to the 500 RWHP that it had. With a Viper just bolting on a 5 psi supercharger kit goes well over that. I am really looking forward to a car like this now. I may go down to Atlanta and look at a GTS I saw when looking at ad's to at least check out how well I fit in it. I look forward to hearing any other things you can tell me about these cars. Thanks for your time.

John..

 

[alabamaacr]

John,
If you are ready for a Viper, or just need help deciding whether one is right for you or not, I strongly suggest you contact Mike Robbins at Ringgold Dodge in Ringgold, GA. (877-755-1751). Mike is Dealer-Principal (2nd generation) and a Viper enthusiast himself. He usually has several in stock and you won't beat his deals. Located about 10 minutes south of Chattanooga.

 

[papabear]

Alabamaacr that is the dealership I was referring to. He has a GTS that I was wanting to look at. I thought the dealership was closer to Atlanta. Thanks for the advice on a good dealer.