Avg Gen 1 Maint. costs per 5k miles

[SnakeBolt]

Just trying to get an idea of maintenence costs for like a 94 rt, what do you guys w/ gen 1's usually spend on maintenece/minor repairs about every 5k miles? Is this the kind of car that little things go wrong all the time?

 

[Tusc]

Excellent question. I'm in the market myself. Though after scanning the boards for a while it seems that aside from oil leak issues the cars are fairly solid.

TTT

 

[Sniper]

There's not much little stuff to go wrong on a Gen I. If something goes wrong, it's usually something big.
-No windows
-No outside door handles
-No power anything
-ect...

 

[Gear Grabbn Gary]

Matt, Except 10 cylinders of power!!!!

 

[RedEnuf93]

I bought my -93 with 7600 miles a year and a half ago. Now it has 18000 miles.
Cost: 1 set of Michelin tires and Mobil 1+ filters every 3000 miles.

Other than that it has been working flawlessly!

(Oh... and 18 gallons of gas every friday!)

Lauri

 

[SteveBCloud9]

I'll take a stab at this one since I track all of the cost including oil changes, filter cleanings, plugs, wires, tires, oil leaks, etc. In my business plan I went out 5 years and calculated what I would have to replaced in that time frame and then divided it into a monthly cost. I was very close on my estimates. I came up with $ 1,720 (actual costs) last year based on every 5000 miles. You have to realize that my Viper is absued 100% of the time and may require MORE maintenance than your average creampuff. I did all of the oil changes myself as well which saved some $. This is also for a 96' but I would think that the older the vehicle, the more $ you will spend on it. This amount may seem to be a lot but when you replace rear tires every year, it adds up fast. If you take care of your snake, maybe take 75% of this cost or $ 1,290. Hope this helped.

Viper on........

 

[Gerald]

Gas and an oil change.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

Well, despite not having a Gen I, I can't see where you would have more than $600 in expenses every 5,000 miles, excluding major service such as tuneups - and $600 seems high to me. From a pure maintenance standpoint:<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Oil Changes (2 every 6,000 miles) - $150
<LI>Tires (1/4 wear every 5,000 miles, thus 1/4 cost of four Pilot Sports) - $350
<LI>K&N filter cleaning kit - $15
[/list]

While Steve's costs reflect a rental car (which I would argue would be the single most abused Viper on the planet), many of us "vigorously exercise" our Vipers as well. While I have had some warranty issues, my normal maintenance costs have been around $150 every 5,000 miles - oil changes only. If you are talking about warranty issues, as with ANY used car without a warranty, you are rolling the dice. I don't think oil leaks were as big an issue as head gasket problems on Gen I's. If the car you are considering hasn't had them replaced, you might want to price this into your calculations "just in case". If you want to look at long-term ownership and many miles (which I suspect is what Steve is doing with his calculations), price a tune up, clutch replacement, brake pad replacement (and possibly rotors if you are doing a lot of track events) and all the other things you would normally maintain on a sports car.

Overall, I think the Viper is a VERY solidly built car that can last for a very long time under some of the most brutal conditions. I don't think the maintenance costs are that much higher other than the fact you are "feeding" a couple extra cylinders (bigger oil pan, more spark plugs, etc.). Good luck in your search!

Chris

 

[SnakeBolt]

Excellent information - thanks guys....

 

[GATOR SERPENT]

Get an Extended Warranty. My 94 has gotten a New Air Cond, New Tranny, and Arrow Rebuild. Car has never been on track. But, if I did not have the Warranty...you can imagine.$$$

You better figure in the Mod's you will do to. You may not think you need them when you buy the car, but you will "Need" them when you do buy it. It's addictive

 

[SnakeBolt]

who do i buy those from - can it be purchased at any time, and will any dodge dealer accept it? (i know only go to certified viper techs....)? How much, 1500?

 

[garolittle]

I owned my '94 RT/10 for two years (logged about 14,000 miles during that time). The only unexpected maintenance was as follows:

$100 - New plugs and plug wires
$0.70 - Blown light fuse

 

[Tomcat]

A DC extended warranty is no longer offered. The last day you could purchase a DC warranty was 12-31-01 which is 8 years after the year of manufacture. DC's limit is eight years and is set in stone by contract as far as I know. The after market contracts are hit or miss. Getting warranty service is the issue with those. Hope this helps. Sorry for the bad news.

If you haven't purchased a snake yet, GET ONE WITH A DC WARRANTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY ARE TRANSFERABLE ONCE!

I HAVE MINE FOR 51 MORE MONTHS AND FOR A TOTAL OF 71M MILES.

tw