$2,000 service, are you serious?

[triplexotica]

I like that Wal-Mart receipt. Oil, fire ant killer and tortilla. Makes for a very interesting snack!

Dave! I couldn't help noticing the fireant killer and tortilla on your Walmart receipt. Is there something we need to know!!

 

[sparks]

I find it very funny that some of you guys can spend over $70k on a car but your to cheap to support a local dealer or parts store ! Keep buyin at walmart and support those crooks !!!

 

[plumcrazy]

i support ME

im not as rich as you obviously...

 

[Peter Nielsen]

Do the oil change yourself for ~$65. Buy the oil in 5 qt jugs at Wal-Mart ($26 each for Mobil One) and filter from Dodge ~$10.

Impossible to find at Walmart around here if you want Mobil1 0W40. The oil (10.5qt) will run you close to $80 with tax from Advance or the Zone these days.

My local Dealer/ViperTech does the oil change and provides the filter for $25, so the total is only slightly more than $100...

3 years ago you could get the oil for around $40...

Peter

 

[sparks]

i support ME

im not as rich as you obviously...

If you have a viper your not hurtin'.

 

[Bobpantax]

Question for some of you. What do you think it is worth to have access to someone who is an expert 24/7 if something goes wrong with your Snake? For the sake of comparing apples to apples, I would appreciate it if only those who actually use their Vipers for the track or a road course in addition to daily or near daily driving would answer. Servicing a garage queen or a weekend princess is not the same thing as servicing a car that is actually used for the intended purpose of a Viper.

If I add in the value of all the times people like Mark Leslie and Mark Jorgensen have been available to answer questions at "no charge" or help me over the years, any fee I have been charged, on an average basis, comes out to be very little. This was particularly true in Mark Leslie's case with my Gen II Viper. The reason my Woodhouse Performance Edition Viper is bullet proof is because Mark J. built it that way and Mark Leslie keeps it that way - sometimes with occasional input from Mark J. When I am on the road course at Homestead, it is important that I trust the car. Having it thoroughly inspected and serviced by Mark L. and his techs allows me this trust. When is the last time you saw a NASCAR or Indy car driver do his own wrenching? My driving skill set is certainly not that good, but my need to trust the car is the same. Some of you use less expensive fluids. That's great for you. But, if you are using the car as intended by its creators, using cheaper, less capable and robust fluids is a foolish and short sighted venture which could result in unnecessary wear and tear on mechanical components.

 

[viperbilliam]

The initial poster's prices looked normal to me unfortunately based on my experiences with Dodge dealerships with good Viper techs. I have been charged almost $300 for changing the rear end oil, dealer supplied fluids included. I believe the transmission oil change was $200. These same people charge $300 for an alignment. Viper tax. My insurance company found one dealership that would align for half that. I wonder what the difference is.

 

[BlknBlu]

To me Walmart and Viper do not mix well. I never shop at Walmart.

Bruce

 

[kwiksilver]

The initial poster's prices looked normal to me unfortunately based on my experiences with Dodge dealerships with good Viper techs. I have been charged almost $300 for changing the rear end oil, dealer supplied fluids included. I believe the transmission oil change was $200. These same people charge $300 for an alignment. Viper tax. My insurance company found one dealership that would align for half that. I wonder what the difference is.

That would be $150.00

 

[viperbilliam]

That would be $150.00

Always at least one of these in the crowd!

Procedure-wise, would there be a difference is my concern. I went to this shop - looks good so I'll try it out when it comes time.

 

[Sweet Ride]

Procedure-wise, would there be a difference is my concern. I went to this shop - looks good so I'll try it out when it comes time.

Procedurally almost every alignment on almost every car/truck is the same. The benefit of using a Viper Tech is that he may have alignment specs that differ slightly from "standard" that may be better for the street or track. Is it worth the money? Depends on how you use your car...

 

[Sweet Ride]

Question for some of you. What do you think it is worth to have access to someone who is an expert 24/7 if something goes wrong with your Snake? For the sake of comparing apples to apples, I would appreciate it if only those who actually use their Vipers for the track or a road course in addition to daily or near daily driving would answer. Servicing a garage queen or a weekend princess is not the same thing as servicing a car that is actually used for the intended purpose of a Viper.

If I add in the value of all the times people like Mark Leslie and Mark Jorgensen have been available to answer questions at "no charge" or help me over the years, any fee I have been charged, on an average basis, comes out to be very little. This was particularly true in Mark Leslie's case with my Gen II Viper. The reason my Woodhouse Performance Edition Viper is bullet proof is because Mark J. built it that way and Mark Leslie keeps it that way - sometimes with occasional input from Mark J. When I am on the road course at Homestead, it is important that I trust the car. Having it thoroughly inspected and serviced by Mark L. and his techs allows me this trust. When is the last time you saw a NASCAR or Indy car driver do his own wrenching? My driving skill set is certainly not that good, but my need to trust the car is the same. Some of you use less expensive fluids. That's great for you. But, if you are using the car as intended by its creators, using cheaper, less capable and robust fluids is a foolish and short sighted venture which could result in unnecessary wear and tear on mechanical components.

I think the value of 24/7 knowledge is priceless. That's part of the reason I pony up the cash to be a Club member and access this site. Any time I have issues, I can do a search for the specific problem and usually get an answer. There are enough experts on this site to be able to fix 99% of the problems you could imagine on a Viper. If I can't get the answers here, there are other experts that I can call.

As for the rest of the post, there are reasons that skydivers pack their own chutes... A lot of people feel that their way is the right way and they wouldn't trust anyone else to do it properly. That being said, there are many people out there that know a lot about cars and how to properly set them up. That's all well and good but they usually come along with a pretty hefty price tag. For some people, doing it themselves will be the way they do it until they can afford the guidance of a tenured professional. Would I let the ORECA guys prep my car for a track event? Hell yes I would! But until I can afford it, I will use the collective knowledge of the individuals I know and do the work myself.

While I rarely see top crust NASCAR guys working on their cars, most of them got to where they are by starting out at a local track where they had to do their own work. At every level under the Cup series, drivers perform much of their own work. Ask any under-funded Nationwide, Truck series, or Camping World West/East driver and they will tell you how much they do.

Please explain the fluids comment. Last I checked Mobil 1 was Mobil 1 no matter where you bought it. Obviously there are different grades but all the fluids in your vehicle have to meet a minimum of standards set by the API. As an example, NAPA branded oil is pulled from the same vat as all Valvoline products but is $1 or more less per quart. Same oil, same standards, different label = less money. I'm not sure how that affects the performance or longevity of a vehicle or it's systems.

 

[Bobpantax]

Thank you for your response. Some of the posters do not use the spec oil for the car per owners manual. Another factor in my decision is that my Viper is not stock. Mark J. did the mods and Mark L. is familiar with the mods. This board has alot of data but it is of limited use in real time situations. For example, last Fall I was at Homestead Speedway and I needed an answer to a question. I called Mark J on my cell and got the answer. I then called Mark L on my cell phone and set up an appointment to implement the suggestion of Mark J. No stories; no waiting; no excuses. And that is the way it always is. The stories about Vipers being ******* at a tuner's shop for weeks or months are easy to find in the archives. ( Admittedly this can also happen with some dealers.) Those who want to indulge in the belief that it takes that long to do the mods described in those posts are free to do so but that does not mean they are correct. My first round of mods in 2006( supercharger, competition coupe oil pan, cat back exhaust, Motons, Eibachs, lowered and corner balanced, and a few minor things) was done within one week after Mark J. received the car from CAAP. The second round of mods done in January 2008 ( Racelogic traction control, installation of 08 differential driveshaft and transmission, mount PS2 tires, install Woodhouse engine and transmission mounts, install prototype MGW shifting mechanism, and a few other minor things was done in one week. Then, last November, to improve track performance, after making an appointment and while I waited for the car, I had Mark L's tech install the 172 degree thermostat, the colder set of plugs and the DC blower tune. A good performance team is a very valuable asset and I feel that I have been very fortunate to have one.

For those who do all their own wrenching and mods, that's great. I prefer the comfort provided to me by me knowing that Mark J and Mark L, on a combined basis, probably know more about the mechanics of the Viper and its maintainence than anyone else except for The Wizard ( Chuck Tator) who I hold in equally high regard.

 

[ViperTony]

Don't hate me because I do my own maintenance work. One of the reasons I've always been fascinated about the Viper, particularly the GenII, is because of how easy/accessible the engine is to work on. An oil change is an oil change. I've been doing them for the last 20 years on all of my cars. Viper is no different. Tranny, diff, brake bleed, coolant, etc. is fairly straightforward for seasoned DIY's. I don't think I've ever ventured away from manufacturer's fluid specs or recommendations. For my Viper...Mobil 1 is Mobil 1....whether you get it from Tator's, Walmart or Costco. My Viper calls for Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic...unless I'm missing something Mobil 1 containers are labeled.

Anything outside of my comfort zone goes to Tator. Mopar-specific fluids, filters and parts I buy from Tator even if Chuck may be a few $$$ more, 1.5 hrs out of my way and just an all-around incredible guy. Major Viper work goes to Tator. On occasion if I save a few $$$ along the way, guess what? I put the money towards parts for mods I buy from our site sponsors. There are certain things I'm comfortable doing on the Viper and things I'd rather leave to the experts. Hey, how about that: I can do maintenance work AND support our site sponsors. Go figure. I guess I like to have my cake and eat it too.

 

[turbo5oh]

Since we are talking about fluids what type do you guys rec for the trans and the diff oem or some other type?

 

[Bobpantax]

Don't hate me because I do my own maintenance work. One of the reasons I've always been fascinated about the Viper, particularly the GenII, is because of how easy/accessible the engine is to work on. An oil change is an oil change. I've been doing them for the last 20 years on all of my cars. Viper is no different. Tranny, diff, brake bleed, coolant, etc. is fairly straightforward for seasoned DIY's. I don't think I've ever ventured away from manufacturer's fluid specs or recommendations. For my Viper...Mobil 1 is Mobil 1....whether you get it from Tator's, Walmart or Costco. My Viper calls for Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic...unless I'm missing something Mobil 1 containers are labeled.

Anything outside of my comfort zone goes to Tator. Mopar-specific fluids, filters and parts I buy from Tator even if Chuck may be a few $$$ more, 1.5 hrs out of my way and just an all-around incredible guy. Major Viper work goes to Tator. On occasion if I save a few $$$ along the way, guess what? I put the money towards parts for mods I buy from our site sponsors. There are certain things I'm comfortable doing on the Viper and things I'd rather leave to the experts. Hey, how about that: I can do maintenance work AND support our site sponsors. Go figure. I guess I like to have my cake and eat it too.

Hi Tony. There are different weights of Mobil 1. The spec Mobil 1 costs more than the weight of Mobil 1 used by some. Back in the day, I changed my own oil and other fluids but that was long before environmental laws existed and you could just dump the old oil down the street drain. By the way, did I mention that the ride to Mark's is on a highway with a 70 MPH limit and not that much traffic on Saturday morning?

 

[ViperTony]

Hi Tony. There are different weights of Mobil 1. The spec Mobil 1 costs more than the weight of Mobil 1 used by some. Back in the day, I changed my own oil and other fluids but that was long before environmental laws existed and you could just dump the old oil down the street drain. By the way, did I mention that the ride to Mark's is on a highway with a 70 MPH limit and not that much traffic on Saturday morning?

70mph? Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Hey, one thing I didn't mention about going to Tator's is that it's all highway until I get to the fun twisty parts just before his shop.