Tippy

The wheels look tiny but you get the point:

streckfu's

^^^ Is that the off road package?

vincer77

They are cool cars. Drove an early GTS that had been hot rodded by Caldwell (Oreca fame) and I felt like I was driving on ice.

TexasRider

I bet it is. It will blow anything it wants "off the road." Thanks for putting up that picture Cory. That baby makes me drooly !

87 944 Thanks for all that info. It appears that there is a dealer that has several and has sold a lot of them here close to Houston out at Tomball. Heck Tomball Dodge was always a truck dealer back in the day when I lived out there close. They also had one of the best chicken fried steaks at the restuarant at 4 Corners as it is known. So I am going to go on a run over there next week and see these cars unless they sell out before then. I cant go wrong on this trip.

ausgeflippt951

I had a couple buddies with 1st- and 2nd gen vipers: the 1st gen was a convertible; the 2nd gens, both hardtops. I've also had the pleasure of driving a couple of the newer 3rd gens.

My thoughts, which echo what most have already said. Note: these are my opinions, only:

1) the 3rd gens are, objectively, a much better car. But, they feel like a new Dodge, and I hated that. But the motor is spectacular. Did not have the opportunity to drive on the track, so I can't comment. Magazines liked it though.

2) Don't even bat an eyelash at the 1st gens. They're terrible cars, in just about every way.

3) The SECOND gens (i.e., they looked like the 1st gens, but with a cute duck tail spoiler, like the blue/white one above -- a rare color combo, btw) are the Viper I would personally buy.


The reasons why I wouldn't buy a 2nd gen viper:
-- The motor was from out of a truck.
-- In hot weather (I'm from AZ), they overheat in traffic. Badly.
-- The interior sucked
-- The shifter is not very precise. Come to think of it, neither were the brakes or the steering.
-- Tires are mucho expensive
-- The pedal tray is offset horizontally by a few inches from the steering wheel position
-- The brakes are terrible
-- The ride height is weird. It's because there is actually no "wheel well" in the traditional sense, meaning the wheel can't "tuck" under the fender when the suspension compresses
-- The bucket seats are horrible.
-- You will literally burn your calves every time you try to get out of the car (make sure to wear pants. Or enlist in a yoga class to increase your flexibility)


The reasons why I WOULD buy a 2nd gen viper
-- The motor was from out of a truck: meaning, it has 10000000000 torques (cue Jeremy Clarkson)
-- They're cheap, given their rarity. Great ones go for $40k.
-- They have TONS of personality, and to me, that means a lot. Unfortunately, personality is often due the car's more...under-engineered aspects.
-- They look SO COOL! One of the best-looking cars every made, in my opinion
-- The shoulder belt is on the OTHER SIDE of the bucket seat -- see what I mean about personality?!
-- Slap a good exhaust on these things and they will sound like pure sex. V10's are a perfectly-balanced engine.


The best reason why I would buy one of these: Try to find one in great condition for a mere $35k. Then, spend $10k fixing everything that sucked about these things: brakes, engine cooling, exhaust, seats, steering wheel, shift linkage, and suspension. For this cash, you'll have yourself one helluva fun car that destroys any other type of exotic you were thinking of buying.



As you can tell, I don't think it'd make a great daily driver. But I'm speaking a little hypocritically right now: I daily drive my 370hp, stiff-as-hell, manual steering 951.

dontnow

I work at a Dodge/Jeep dealer in service department in Arizona. For a spare car, I would buy one. I am 6'4" and fit in the GTS better than the roadster (with the top on). They do NOT overheat unless something is failing in the cooling system. The most recent had some window regulator issues, but otherwise good cars. The first gen cars are raw, interior parts were sourced from pedistrian cars. Down side of the early cars is some interior parts are not being serviced by Chrysler any more. Customer needed a bezel, wasn't available is all colors, so had to paint to match. Like mentioned before, you will burn your leg on the side pipe opening.

bill d cat

The engine is probably pretty happy, but I seem to remember the footwell getting toasty-warm and I drove the Vipers in Connecticut.

At least with a 911 you shouldn't need worry about the ice cream melting on an errand to the grocery store.

dontnow

Yes I forgot the earlier ones do get the footwells toasty, part of a front engine car. You can probably insulate them better.

ausgeflippt951

Huh -- interesting. You'd know better than I; the only maintenance I did on them was helping to install a set of brakes/coilovers.

And good point about being tall -- for such a large car, their cabin doesn't offer much room. I'm 6'1" and fit fine, but my 6'6" friend can't fit at all.

PSUice944

Never owned one but a friend of mine went through a few. Biggest thing is supposedly to get the side pipes, cause otherwise in traffic you will roast sitting in there. Then when you get out you get to brand the inside of your calf to "join the club" while the thing sets off car alarms IDLEING down the road!

Something to be said for just a MEAN car....

hacker-pschorr

This is an early Dodge Viper, and IMO still the best one

User 52121

I used to know a guy with a 2000 Viper GTS about 10 years ago. My impressions when compared to my friend's 2000 Corvette FRC (aka "hardtop") with a few bolt-ons:

• The Viper got a LOT more attention. A LOT. If you like people gawking at you, I don't think you can do much better than a Viper.
  
• The Viper felt crude. Rough. And *cheap*. And this is in comparison to a Corvette, which while very good by GM standards, isn't exactly the pinnacle of build quality.
  
• The Viper was faster in a straight line. Not by much. But it was faster.
  
• The Viper felt like a truck, torque-wise. It made torque everywhere. Nail it at 1,000rpm or 3,000rpm, the car "felt" the same. Just torque. The flip side - it had no real appreciable "power band."
  
• Continuing on the "power band" comment - the Corvette *felt* faster. The higher you revved it, the harder the car pulled. That, IMO, made it more entertaining to drive. The Viper just "got it done". The Corvette wanted you to wring it's neck a little.
  
• I wound up buying a Z06 after all this.

TexasRider

Generally I would think to get the oldest ones too.

But that GTS........... Whew Baby !

TexasRider

Thanks Jim. I dont want folks to Gawk but I would not mind having something a bit different either. Heck a full half or more of the Porsches I see here in town are driven by ladies. And I like ladies too - but you know what I mean.

I probably would not have a 951 if it was not for that long hood. And when I went to get a Cayman or at least I thought I wanted one as I had been looking at the new Z. But high schoolers had the Z's.

So at the dealer the sales guy told me quietly " The Cayman is a little girly frankly." I am sure he was thinking I would go on the S or to the 911 then.

And no I dont think those are girly cars. One of the super babe girlies I have ever known drove a monster jacked up Ford Powerstroke dually to pull her horse trailer.

TexasRider

I have got to go work and make some Viper money .... but ya'll keep pouring it on me. Thanks !