Can you describe the Gen 1 Viper RT driving experience?

[Murder after Midnight]

Gonna be in the market for a 92-95 RT in yellow or red, it's my dream car. I hear these cars are pretty raw ride quality wise..........how's the handling, acceleration etc? Is the clutch heavy, does it take alot of effort to shift through the gears?

 

[denniskgb]

hei whats up with the user name? seriously? make sure head gasket is done when looking for one.

 

[FrankBarba]

For me it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. First ride was with "Willie" sat in the passenger seat proceeded to the highway and he smashed the gas....What a rush..Then and there I was hooked. Purchase a 95 drove it, washed it, waxed it, and still to this day this was my favorite Viper. Handling is good, no abs, easy to drive once you establish some drive time. One day i decided to convert to full track car. Never missed a beat...wish i still have that Viper.

 

[ROCKET62]

Harley with 4 wheels. Hot, loud, and if it rains - you're gonna get wet (even with the top on).

And ...... it will put a smile on your face like no other car. Still miss my first Viper - a carryover '93.

 

[Titan1969]

Riot, fun, no frills, real driving experience, hot sometimes, attention getter, decent hp, great handling.

I have owned '73 Challenger with BDS blown 440 CI, turbo'd sportbikes, sprayed cars and bikes and the Gen 1 still makes my heart race when I start it up.

For me it has the old school driving experience with the cartoon looks, big torque, great reliability and ease of maintenance. There are no safety items other a seatbelt, so I check myself every time I want to throttle hard and pay attention.

 

[MoparMap]

It's really not that bad, though I'm used to driving somewhat less feature-filled cars. The biggest criticism I think I'd give it is just that it can get pretty hot in there. You've got a pretty tight passenger compartment with a hot transmission on one side and hot side exhaust on the other (even with the gen 2 rear exit exhaust they still route down the sides). Steering is probably heavy by modern standards, but I think it's nice for the car and appropriate for the application. I wouldn't say it's fatigue inducing, just pretty weighted. Pedal controls are nice and direct with a pretty solid brake pedal that operates a little more like a race car in that it's more pressure controlled than travel. The throttle is pretty short throw as well, so you have to be fairly controlled with your foot, but it's not sure twitchy or anything like that. The clutch is probably also fairly heavy by modern standards, but you'd likely never notice any fatigue unless you were doing something like a parade. I've never quite understood people complaining about shifter effort, but the T56 is one of the nicest shifting transmissions out there. It's very direct feeling and fairly short throw, so it's going to require more effort than a 2 foot long floor shifter on a pickup, but by no means would I call it difficult.

I drive a 2004, but have driven my mom's 94 several times and it still puts a smile on my face. Doesn't matter that it's down probably ~100 hp or has marginal A/C or is more cramped or anything. It's just fun. I would still probably be crazy enough to daily one (probably a gen 2 though as I would want a permanent weatherproof roof), but am guessing the vast majority would use one more as a fun car, and for that I think you'd be plenty happy enough with the setup. I took a few laps in both the 2004 and the 94 back to back at a track day earlier this year and really both cars feel very similar to me at least. I could drive a similar line and the cars both reacted in similar fashions for my driving style.

 

[RedEnuf93]

****ing awesome.
Big Monkey, no brain. Best way to describe it....
I've owned a Gen one for 15 years and its a hoot to drive. (assuming you dont need abs and other junk to ruin your driving experience.)

 

[zombiesnake]

gen 1 + 2 are a driving experience. nothing quite matches the brutality of these cars.

 

[Bad Brad]

I Have a 95 1st Generation, Just Fun, No ABS, No Traction control, More Torque than HP !!!! Always get a thumbs up, questions at anyplace I
stop . I have a hardtop if it looks like rain, otherwise top off on sunny days. Go to car shows always park near the vettes it will be the ONLY
viper around. People just don't see vipers or know what a machine they are!!! Always be careful the Snake will BITE one if you let it. You don't have to Prove a thing !!! You know what you have and everyone else WISH they had it!!!!!!!! Love my Viper write [email protected]
for photos, get yours and send me photos !! You NEVER regret owning a Viper!!!!

 

[ViperJohn]

A lot of good comments, to me two words best describe experience......Raw and visceral.

 

[mtmclaughlin]

I really think they're good cars. Yes, raw and brutal are the two words that everybody uses to describe Vipers. That's exactly what they are when you are either 1.) at full throttle and beyond 100 mph or 2.) driving on the ***-hole infested roads of Baltimore. If you are driving within the realm of, oh say, the law, it's quite a pleasant car. I have a Gen 1. The windows are curtains that you have to install and the top has to be unrolled first. Both are very easy tasks. (And I don't get wet with them on, even in torrential rain--which I try to avoid, but hey, can't predict the weather!) Other than that, they're very comfortable cars. I drove mine home from Detroit (to the Baltimore area) with my dad in one day. We flew out in the morning, and drove home that afternoon/night. We felt GREAT at the end of it! Cruise around in sixth gear at 65 mph and you're burbling about at 1,000 RPMs so the engine isn't taxed and neither are you. The seats are great, the interior layout is a hair shy of the-best-ever, and it operates as smoothly as any other good car.

The thing I hate hearing over and over again (especially from "experts" who have never actually driven the car) is that it has a "REALLY HARD, ER, GRRRR, SHIFTER TO MOVE. GOTTA USE YOUR WHOLE BODY TO, UGH, HURL THE MASSIVE SHIFTER INTO ITS NOTCHY PLACE!" That's bull cookies. The shifter is fantastic! I have the stock leather knob on mine (not the ball) and I'd have it no other way. It's also right next to the steering wheel, which is the perfect location. Yes, the Miata (let's always draw comparisons to that car) has the "perfect" gearbox. I've had three of them and, yes, they do have perfect transmissions. But they also have 125 horsepower. You know, actually, let's draw a comparison to that little car. Miatas are great. The Viper does everything a Miata does, but it's all stepped up a few notches. More power, more grip, more size. But both are light (for what the Viper is, it's light), nimble, and fun roadsters.

You WILL NOT be disappointed. Go get it, and don't look back. And don't listen to people who have never owned one.

EDIT: You know, if I didn't feel like I was committing blasphemy by doing so, I'd daily-drive one.

 

[mtmclaughlin]

In fact, I'm going to go drive mine right now. So what if it's 9:00 PM!