97 Viper GTS
Enthusiast
Well, after much debate for the past few months, I ended up purchasing a 1997 GTS coupe. It is a great car, with 17K miles on the chassis and 5K on the engine. It is an LPE engine with just over 500/500 rwhp/ft lbs torque, and has lots of suspension mods, roll bar, harnesses, and Wilwood brakes in the front and rear:
I changed the fluids, replaced a bad front wheel bearing, bled the brakes, and headed to MSR this weekend on street tires:
My best lap was a high 1:27, and I generally ran 1:28-1:29s. Russell Siebert and David Tittle (pictured in the car above), who are much better drivers than me, put down a couple 1:25s. I locked the tires up a few times, and the tires lost most of their grip after a few heat cycles, so it is time for some slicks and light-weight rims. I am also looking forward to retro-fitting the car with ABS. I think I have made a lot of progress already, though. It is MUCH harder to drive a Viper fast than a vette, porsche, or lambo. The phenomenal torque curve of these cars makes it so easy to get the rear end out at a 45 degree angle... I am used to driving a heavy, powerful car (3600 lb 300ZX twin turbo with 400 rwhp), but the Viper is a whole new ballgame. Here is a recent dyno, compared to the dyno just after Lingenfelter rebuilt the engine:
The car has some more restrictive mufflers on it now, which accounts for the 30 hp loss. It has plenty of power for me, and it is still incredibly loud.
Needless to say, I love this car, and am looking forward to developing my driving skills (and improving my lap times) at MSR in the near future. My best time ever in my 300zx was a 1:25:42, so I should eclipse that very soon in the snake!
Just wanted to introduce myself, thank all of you for this great forum, and especially thank the members that gave me advice recently about my Viper purchase. Currently, a streetable Viper made the most economic sense for me.
I changed the fluids, replaced a bad front wheel bearing, bled the brakes, and headed to MSR this weekend on street tires:
My best lap was a high 1:27, and I generally ran 1:28-1:29s. Russell Siebert and David Tittle (pictured in the car above), who are much better drivers than me, put down a couple 1:25s. I locked the tires up a few times, and the tires lost most of their grip after a few heat cycles, so it is time for some slicks and light-weight rims. I am also looking forward to retro-fitting the car with ABS. I think I have made a lot of progress already, though. It is MUCH harder to drive a Viper fast than a vette, porsche, or lambo. The phenomenal torque curve of these cars makes it so easy to get the rear end out at a 45 degree angle... I am used to driving a heavy, powerful car (3600 lb 300ZX twin turbo with 400 rwhp), but the Viper is a whole new ballgame. Here is a recent dyno, compared to the dyno just after Lingenfelter rebuilt the engine:
The car has some more restrictive mufflers on it now, which accounts for the 30 hp loss. It has plenty of power for me, and it is still incredibly loud.
Needless to say, I love this car, and am looking forward to developing my driving skills (and improving my lap times) at MSR in the near future. My best time ever in my 300zx was a 1:25:42, so I should eclipse that very soon in the snake!
Just wanted to introduce myself, thank all of you for this great forum, and especially thank the members that gave me advice recently about my Viper purchase. Currently, a streetable Viper made the most economic sense for me.
welcome, and remember there is no cure for the smiles these things give....
