Who here has owned a Corvette Prior to a Viper?

[Ken Larsen]

I had a 94 drk blue/black .. The vette had a lot of little gadgets that they viper does not. Of course thats one of the reasons i got the viper. It was almost every month something was going wrong with all the electronic CRAP!. tire pressure system.. digital dash. temp control unit. and dont even get me started on the frigin remote/alarm system! loved the looks of the vette, hatted just about every thing else!

 

[Don Hiltz]

I had six Corvettes between 1972 and 2000. When I sold my last one to buy my Viper, both my wife and 9 year old son cried. Neither could believe that I would be "Vetteless". However, after nearly a year, both of them realize that a Corvette is not in the same ballpark with a Viper. Notwithstanding the absence of creature comforts, the Viper is far superior in looks and performance. Moreover, by virtute of its uniquity, it gets more attention than a videotape of Bin Laden's castration.

 

[Gerald]

GOtta admnit, when you buy a viper your after something different. I used to love the looks of the 68 to 73 chrome bumpers ('73 chrome in back only) . Then the bubble backs and c-4 (yuck!!) and then the C-5 came out. Still a little too "barbie" and not enough power. Nice comfort,etc. If I wanted comfort, I would've bought a Lexus, etc.
I just love the attention the viper gets. When I had a 'vette I never had ppl take pictures of me and the viper on the highway (happens often), I've never had people come up and ask if they can sit in my car. One word: UNEXPLAINABLE.


Gerald

 

[RC Viper]

I had a '92 Vette Roadster prior to my '97 GTS. I enjoyed the car quite a bit, but I agree with the other responses that it was just too common and did not have the brute power of the Viper. It is important to note that, to a certain extent, the safety systems on the Vette (i.e. ABS and traction control) would protect you if you did something stupid. The Viper is not as considerate. You need to respect the power and only apply it in the right situation. If you do something stupid (i.e. flooring it on off-ramps) it will hurt you.

 

[Jim Peffers]

I have had two Corvettes, a 1960 283/270hp and a 1969 350/350hp which was built to about 425hp (cam, intake, carb, headers and sidepipes). The '60 was a great car, wish I still had it. The '69 ran very strong and the engine and drivetrain held up very well, but the rest of the car had a lot of problems, especially the vacuum-operated systems.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

My last Vette was a 69' 427/435 tri-power roadster. A perfect example, NCRS top fight. I bought the Viper and kept them both for about 6 months, but I never drove the Vette. The Viper was too much fun. Finally someone offered me $40,000 for the Vette and it went bye-bye.

 

[Robert Dyck]

Sold my C4 LT-1 customized Vette to get the Viper.

I liked my Vette, but hated the wobbly frame with the targa off.

The C5's I believe should not have that problem. Of course, as everyone here states, there is absolutely no comparision between the cars.

My 97 GTS is four years old and has 32,000 miles, but I would not consider making an "even" trade for a 2002 Z06 with zero miles.

But I still like the Vettes, and I'm happy that they are carrying the torch in GTS after the Vipers.

 

[Jack]

I had a '91 ZR-1 I sold before buying my 97 RT. I owned the ZR-1 for eight years and in that time I never really warmed up to it the way I had some of my earlier muscle cars (66 Hemi Coronet, 69 RR six-pack, 73 SD-455 Trans Am). The LT-5 motor was a work of art but the body flex in the C4 just drove me up the wall. I don't think the rest of the car was quite up to the same level the motor was.
The Viper is great, it replaced both the ZR-1 and the Buell Thunderbolt (I got foolish and threw it into a ditch). In terms of power and handling, I'm sure it's the closest I can come on four wheels to the feeling of riding a sportbike. The Viper is single purpose, that's what makes it so good. Corvettes, in my opinion are a little bit of a compromise.

Jack Janney
'97 Blue/white RT-10

 

[Viablo]

I still have my 90 ZR1. If the zr1 was stock i would have ditched it a long time ago. It runs like a bat out of hell and since it has some suspension work it handles pretty good.
At this point i still feel more comfortable in the vette than the viper when it comes to spirited driving. But that's because i have been driving the zr1 for over 8 years and 84,000 miles vs the GTS' 1200 miles. The only thing i do not like about the viper is that it lacks antilock brakes and it sits too high. But then again if i lowered it i would scrape the heck out of the bottom. These i will overcome with driving time i'm sure.
To make a long story short: My zr1 is slightly faster in the 1/4 than the viper. It runs away from it after that. The GTS is stock.
Having said all this "BUY THE VIPER". you will not regret it.
To quote motor trend when the GTS first came out: "You don't have to drive fast to get noticed in this car."
it's funny i'll race everyone in the vette. i've fried more rice burners than you can imagine.
But when i'm in the Viper I let them go and laugh to myself making sure they see me in their rear view mirror. They usually disappear after that weaving in and out of cars.

 

[ACR Joe]

Ehh, who hasn't? I've owned 11 and sold a 94 ZR-1 to buy the Viper. I love Corvettes and would never poo-poo the car, but I've also never looked back.

 

[Afy]

I had a C5 Coupe and miss the gizmo's.. especially the HUD and active handling..

But the Viper is an entirely different beast...

 

[FikseGTS]

Neil.... I got pulled over for going 68 MPH on my Sea-Doo GSXL..... coast guard say I was "going WAY to fast"....

I thought he was racing me!


I never had a vette, but just coerced my dad into buying a 2002 Quicksilver Vette with the 6-speed..... picking it up tomorrow...

with 0% financing, I was thinking about picking up one also!

we'll see how I like it, or he likes it...

Brooks

 

[Jim Hodel]

My wife and I bought a new 99 GTS, and also bought an 01 Z06 about 4 months ago. Both cars are great. Whichever one I'm driving at the time is the one I like 'best'.

Jim

 

[Phil Lee 94 red RT]

I had a 98 red c5 and traded it for my red 94. Best thing I ever did.

 

[viperdoctor]

Had a 2000 Mil Yel C5 Coupe...Now have a 2001 Yel GTS...Chicks totally dig the Viper way more than the Vette.

 

[Newport Viper]

I still like Vette's. Had that, mustang ect. Nothing gets the looks like a viper. I was in a Kmart parking lot, in Orlando, when a tour bus of kids from Brazil pulled up. They wanted my autograph and pictures of the car, they thought I was a movie star. Things like that, didn't happen in the Vette.