what is it like to own a dodge viper
The original Dodge Viper is one of the coolest cars to come out of the Nineties. Cartoonish looks, a lightweight body, and a naturally aspirated V-ten engine making in backlog of 400 horsepower immediately powered information technology to the top of the must-have supercar listing, rivaling Corvettes, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches of the era. All-time of all? Early examples accept become nigh every bit affordable equally a new Toyota Camry, pregnant pretty much anyone can own one.
Thinking about picking upwardly an old Viper of your own? We're glad to hear information technology. Here'southward how to find the best one.
Chrysler'south Supercar Awakening
The Viper was the brainchild of Bob Lutz, then President of Chrysler and now a Route & Track contributor. His goal was to build a flagship sports automobile with extreme proportions and a big engine upwards front, inspired by the Shelby Cobra. Chrysler designer Tom Gale put together a clay model, engineers devised a high-performance V-ten to power information technology, and CEO Lee Iacocca gave the thought the greenish light. The Viper fabricated its official debut as a concept at the 1989 Detroit Motorcar Evidence and went into production with nigh identical looks in 1992 equally the Viper RT/10.
Nether the Viper's massive one-piece clamshell hood sits Chrysler's 8.0-liter naturally aspirated V-10. When the Viper was in the planning stages, Dodge's truck segmentation was hard at work on a heavy-duty iron-block V-10 engine for 2500 and 3500-series Rams. Thus, the sports motorcar squad chose an engine with the same displacement and layout, though the Viper engine does not share whatsoever parts with the truck engine.
Lamborghini was endemic by Chrysler at the time, merely reverse to popular belief, the Italian automaker didn't blueprint or assemble the Viper engine. Lamborghini did, however, use its connections in the aluminum industry to assistance Chrysler develop prototype castings for the aluminum-block Viper engine, according to The Bulldoze. The Italian visitor also helped graft a Formula one-style external cooling manifold onto the block to proceed temperatures down, along with adapting new applied science including sequential multipoint fuel injection and dual throttle bodies, each with their own intake plenum. The engine was rated at 400 horsepower and 450 lb-ft of torque from the factory—big numbers now, and positively jaw-dropping in the early Nineties. Redline was 6000 rpm.
Early Vipers are exceedingly hardcore cars, with no ac, no ABS, and no traction or stability control. The door windows are plastic, and there's no real roof, just a removable cloth slice for emergencies. The lack of creature comforts undoubtedly helped functioning—we measured a sub-5-second 0-lx and a quarter-mile time of just over 13 seconds during our 1992 first drive.
Thanks to a by and large fiberglass composite body surrounding a rigid tubular steel backbone frame, the Viper didn't demonstrate any cowl milk shake or steering-cavalcade jolts in our in-period review. Underneath the torso sits a fully independent suspension with Koni coil-over shocks with eight inches of travel. Interestingly, the lower control arms and the rack-and-pinion steering were taken from the Dodge Dakota pickup.
Dodge made air conditioning optional in 1994, and gave the Viper a calorie-free overhaul for the 1996 model yr. Updated roadsters got new rear-exit exhausts to replace the infamous side pipes, which had a habit of called-for unsuspecting passengers' calves. Other updates included a 15-horsepower increase, an optional fiberglass snap-on hardtop, a stiffer tubular frame, bandage aluminum rather than steel suspension components, and a new five-spoke wheel blueprint in place of the iconic three-spokes.
Also new for '96 was the Viper GTS coupe, with a real stock-still hardtop and power side windows. The GTS got a higher-compression engine with updates to the intake and exhaust, too as a revised cooling system. It was rated at 450 horsepower, a 35-horsepower improvement over the RT/x. The GTS also got a reworked interior, driver and passenger airbags, exterior door handles (on early roadsters, you entered past reaching through the window to pull the interior door handle) and adaptable pedals. All of these GTS comfort features and engine upgrades fabricated their mode to the roadster for the 1997 model twelvemonth.
Dodge introduced a special-edition GTS coupe chosen the Viper GT2 for the 1998 model year, jubilant the Viper'due south 1-2 class finish at that year'south 24 Hours of Le Mans. The GT2 got a massive rear wing, thin-spoke BBS wheels, aero improvements, and an improved air filter design that bumped horsepower to 460. Just 100 were built. The adjacent year, Dodge introduced an ACR variant to the Viper lineup as a $10,000 selection. It got the 460-horsepower engine and the GT2 wheels, and ditched the stereo, air-conditioning, and fog lights for weight savings.
Then Which One Is Right for Me?
That depends how much you desire to spend, and what sort of body style y'all prefer. Early Vipers tin be found for sale in the mid-$20,000 range for kickoff- or second-year models with some miles on the clock, with prices running into the six figures for depression-mileage special edition cars in perfect status.
If affordability is your goal, you'll likely be aiming for a Viper congenital before 1996. That means a roadster with the least powerful V-10 and no existent roof or windows. These cars tin can be routinely plant for less than $30,000 in decent status with reasonable mileage. And just because you're getting the lowest-horsepower Viper doesn't mean it's going to exist a bad time. Think: These first few years were the only early Vipers that got side-go out exhausts and those iconic three-spoke wheels. And it's yet a V-ten supercar with some truly outrageous looks.
Dodge understood that non everyone wants a fair-weather-only roadster—that's why the automaker added the GTS to the mix starting in '96, later on all. A existent roof, airbags, and actual side windows fabricated information technology less of a toy, and a much-improved interior and l more horsepower made it more than appealing to more people. Of class, having all of those things means spending more than money—a GTS will command around $20,000-$30,000 more than than a comparable RT/ten.
More of the collector blazon? The GT2 and ACR variants of the original machine are the nigh desirable among the Viper faithful, and prices reflect that. In 2018, a GT2 with under 4500 miles on the clock sold for €94,300 (effectually $106,000) at an RM Sotheby's sale. Price isn't the only obstacle on the road to GT2 buying, either—since Dodge built just 100 examples, they rarely come up for sale publicly. That means you have to be patient until 1 shows up, and movement apace when information technology does.
ACRs are a fleck more reasonable—they're more along the lines of a desirable trim level, rather than a limited-production special edition. These cars unremarkably sell in the $50,000-$lx,000 range, or less if the mileage is on the higher side. It'south worth noting that before you commit to an ACR, you should take into account the model's lack of air-conditioning and stereo. The whole point of a GTS coupe is its improved livability. Take out two of the machine's nigh livable features, and you're left with a rail special that's not meant for cruising.
What Do I Have to Expect Out For?
Despite its outrageous looks, wild proportions, and scenic operation, the Viper isn't all that complex. Many of its parts are shared from other Chrysler products of the era, meaning that routine maintenance and repairs are often easier than you'd wait. At that place are some other costs you have to go along in mind, though.
While many of the Viper'due south mechanical bits are like shooting fish in a barrel to source, cosmetic items like body panels, wheels, and exterior trim can be side by side to impossible to detect. Compared to most Chrysler products, the Viper was an extremely low-production vehicle, so replacement fenders, trunk lids, doors, and bumpers have been in brusk supply for years. Picked upward a parking lot crash-land and need to supervene upon your clamshell hood? Don't be surprised when yous become striking with a five-figure bill to replace it.
Early Vipers (recollect 1992-1993) suffered from piston ring issues, which led to high oil consumption problems. This led to several engine replacements early on, while the cars were still nether warranty. If yous're the type that needs numbers-matching everything, information technology may be worthwhile to compare block numbers to VINs. Other well-known problems include leaking from the thermostat gasket on earlier Vipers, and leaks from the rear main seal and timing cover gaskets on afterward product cars.
As Vipers begin to age, rubber pieces similar coolant hoses, bushings, and belts will begin to crack and fail, so we recommend getting a pre-purchase inspection—ideally from a store familiar with Vipers—to discover any underlying issues that are hard to spot. The power steering pump caster is likewise a well-known failure item. And if you spot sagging doors on a GTS model, don't worry, it hasn't been in an accident. According to The Drive, Dodge used the same door hinges on roadsters and coupes, and the weight of the power window motors and glass fabricated the coupe doors probable to sag over time. The issue can be fixed easily by adjusting the hinges.
Mayhap the nearly well-known maintenance upshot for early Vipers is tire availability. From the manufactory, the auto came with 275/xl-17s upward front, and 335/35-17s in the rear—not a size yous see on many other cars. Viper clubs oft fix group buys to go new tires at a reasonable cost. Afterwards, the car got a slightly more than accessible 18-inch wheel and tire bundle, so keep that in mind if you plan on called-for condom oftentimes.
What About the Community?
Viper owners are some of the most defended and obsessive enthusiasts out there. Recall Corvette owners turned upwardly to 11. Despite the auto'southward smaller production numbers, there are plenty of clubs, online groups, and forums created solely to talk Viper. You'll never get lonely if you're an owner and need someone to talk to about whatever sort of issue yous might be having. We recommend joining the Viper Possessor'southward Association if you lot want to go the full experience.
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Source: https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/buying-maintenance/a32945059/dodge-viper-buyers-guide/
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