Dodge Viper?

[GO DAWG GO]

Fellas,

I ran across this 1995 RT10 Dodge Viper for sale. 30k miles on it. Its in beautiful condition. I think i could buy it for ~$25K.

Just wondering if any of you have any experience with these cars and can tell me if this is a good or bad deal.

I like the Dodge Viper and think it "may" be a good investment in a sense that it wouldnt over time become a depreciating asset. I have gut instinct it may increase in value over time like our Pcars.

BTW; the 930 is staying in the garage...Ms Viper may just share a stall..

Let me know what you guys think about this purchase?

Thanks

Bob

[allaircooled]

Good friend of mine has one. Newer than that one though. He says never again. 25k miles and pieces of the interior all falling off. Seat bolsters are deformed. Quality of workmanship is the same as a Dodge Neon. I'm sure there are more problems but that's all I can think of right now. As he says, at least it's got 500hp.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

If that were a blue GTS with white stripes on it I'd try to poach it out from under you.

I spent a lot of time behind the wheel of an SRT-10 (3rd gen) and most of the time it was scaring the hell out of me. Not that that's a bad thing.

[kach22i]

I was a passenger in one once, but the guy never opened it up.

It was like riding in a very low truck, the engine sounded like a truck - I swear.

Ticket getter, cannot have any fun in it.

[GO DAWG GO]

Maybe the interior was falling apart because it had 500 horsepower....ha!

This one looks fine...atleast for now...?????

[porsche4life]

No... Just no...

The later ones are better, (still not great) but the early ones are just pretty cheesy, and don't even make a good noise!

[GO DAWG GO]

Kach,

The engine was developed for a truck...I thought it sounded pretty hostile though..

I like it...But looking for pre-buy feedback...

Did you like it?

[Joe Bob]

I hear the brakes need a serious work over.....

[GO DAWG GO]

My 930 is red and a ticket getter...but I have never been pulled over...and I drive it...sometimes hard..really hard..

Has a zork too!

[TechnoViking]

I've ridden in two as an instructor at the track. They were both on their second engine, FWIW.

M

[TechnoViking]

Oh, and one got fastest lap of the day at a PCA event. With my instruction of course.

[scottmandue]

I hear nothing but bad things about the viper...

But I want one anyway

Of course if I had that kind of money I would buy a Porsche... however I see you already have a bada$$ Porsche.

[David]

Try driving one before you get to interested.

And if you still want one after that, put it on a lift and have a Viper expert look for frame damage since most of them have it and it'll be a pain to make right after that.

[GO DAWG GO]

Tech,

Is that fair to rate its reliability using a track car...They get pretty abused...It probably had no interior either..ha!

Looks like the vipe isnt rating very well among you Porsche guys...Hmmmm...

I wanna hear it all....

[GO DAWG GO]

I drove it yesterday...While I punched it getting on the 405 yesterday the heater hose came off the heater core on the plenum..pulled over and slipped it back on...lost alot of antifreeze. It did get up a run well ...the only thing I noticed was it followed the grooves in the freeway...I told the dealer to rack it and re- set the toe in..

Besides that, my head touches the fabric on the roof...

The car is crazy looking..and does sound pretty awesome... besides being cheesy and having interior part mayhem...I do like it, and the dodge forums don't dog it too bad.

Actually waiting for someone to chime in who actually own(ed) one...

[flipper35]

The square shouldered fat tires cause the tramlining. Some tires are worse than others, but it probably won't go away completely.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by GO DAWG GO

I drove it yesterday...While I punched it getting on the 405 yesterday the heater hose came off the heater core on the plenum..

Besides that, my head touches the fabric on the roof...

BAH! We are Kalifornians! We don't need no stinking fabric roof!

I saw a documentary on the Viper, they are supposedly hand built in a separate factory.

However a little alarming when hoses start randomly popping off.

[Rusty Heap]

Viper Alley - Dodge Viper Forum -SRT Viper



lots of info there from real owners.


I've rode shotgun in a couple around road courses, on the same track day as driving my '82 SC, so back to back I was able to compare both, as I was in intermediate class and he was in advanced, about 20 minute sessions.


I'd love to have a Viper, serious. I've worshiped them since they've come out. I have the 4x4 Truck version in a long bed ram. The torque is phenomenal


that said, on the track, the Viper pushed HARD in the corners, even with it's aluminum block that V10 up front is heavy.

So way different it having major under steer, pushing, compared to the over steer pendulum effect of "lifting throttle in the corner and the back end gets real light" of the Porsche 911.


the Viper is what it is, raw pure horsepower. No it's not a refined corvette that owners want traction control and the onboard HAL 9000.


daily driver maybe not,

but something to orgasm everytime you punch it...........I had a ride in a '96 Blue/White once, torque hits hard off the line and we got up to 55 mph.............THEN he shifted out of first gear..........



true story.

[GO DAWG GO]

Scott,

Yes...The hose thing doesn't worry me too much. I am the type to flush the system and check everything anyway...Did think it was odd...must have been the torque of the engine because the heater plenum was on the extreme side where if the motor twisted slightly it could conceivably pull the hose off of if it, if the heater hose was alittle short. The fabric roof can be tweaked to add some head room...


Still would like to hear some empirical knowledge of real issues...Cheesy may apply to some things...My dodge truck rides like it has no suspension and has a cheesy dash..still reliable and a great truck..

My 930 makes me gray haired because of the crappy way it was designed and how difficult it is to work on...left handed wrenches and just odd design..But I still love her...

I wanna hear a real biiiiiich...

Thanks

[GO DAWG GO]

Brent,

The square shouldered fat tires cause the tramlining. Some tires are worse than others, but it probably won't go away completely.
My 930 does it too in certain places. I did correct it significantly when I reset the toe-in. Thanks for the chime..I looked up "Tramlining" and gathered some great input...Thanks