'Can't leave the Viper unattended....

[Alternative]

\'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

'Ate dinner at a restaurant in downtown Huntington Beach with my girlfriend last night. Parked the Viper in front of the restaurant, and not a minute later, it gathered a crowd. Several teenagers pretended the car was theirs by pressing their car alarm remote, or walking towards the driver's side pretending that they were going to unlock the car. There was a mom with a stroller who had her picture taken, and I don't think there was a single passerby who didn't notice the car.
Pretty funny, but I was paranoid as heck. Made me ate my dinner twice as fast, so we could get out there.
Anyone know where I can get the "batmobile" security (ie: metal barriers that automatically surrounds the entire car)

 

[Hot Rod]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

My Viper is rarely parked outside of eyesight. Yes - it draws crowds too. I usually invite the kids to not just look at it but to sit inside as well. Usually makes their day - I just ask that they not drool on it.

My most intense paranoia occurs when a "silver haired" senior citizen insists on parking next to the car when parked at the far end of the lot. Had one of those moments just this past weekend at Pharmor. Fortunately, I was coming out as she was exiting the car. Quick reflexes prevented a sure door ding.

 

[cycloneGTS]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kelly T:
The formula for disaster was at hand: Kids on skate boards + same kids wanting a close up look at Viper = Scratches, dings and me losing it.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Too funny!

 

[David Jenkins]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

Al, I left you a message last week??? Did you get you car done yet? "Viper" auto alarm makes a neat deal that has an audible message, "Viper armed, stand back" when the alarm is set and people are too close. dj

 

[Qualitywires.com]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

It has to do with the silver color. It's the best! Attracts more attention. ha!

When I first had my 1994 rt/10, first day an old lady hit my door with her car door. Man I was mad! I too eat double fast and shop double fast when my car is outside.

 

[King GTS]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I can relate. Be careful though. I've read countless Posts about our members Vipers being vandalized by "someone in the crowd." Whenever I go to restaurants where I can't see my car, I ask valet to watch it carefully. Sometimes they even put cones @ it. For the most part, I've found, that people just wanna be close to an amazing car. But there are those jealous people out there that hate to see anyone doing better than they are & will take the opportunity to let you know about it.

 

[Bonkers]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by King GTS:
I can relate. Be careful though. I've read countless Posts about our members Vipers being vandalized by "someone in the crowd." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Just a point of note to anyone heading to Rehoboth Beach DE or Ocean City MD there are a freakishly high occurrences of top end convertibles becoming the targets of some jealous, sick, demented mind. This person(s) will throw half drunken milkshake containers and other nasty trash into the car and there have been a rash of keying as well. Not that you car would be unsafe here, just be a little more security heightened.

 

[Performin Norman]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I don't take my Viper anywhere that I can't watch it. It just draws too much attention to leave unattended. Its too bad it has to be this way.

 

[slaughterj]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I leave mine unattended all the time, from grocery stores and shopping malls to downtown streets at night and outside clubs. I haven't had a problem yet.

One time I pulled around front of a club to pick up a friend and head out around closing time, and it drew quite a crowd. I was watching people pretty closely, and noticed one guy walk around to the side I was on (the street) and was looking back over to his bud and laughing and "subtly" acted like he was keying it. He was a bit away from the car though, so I let it ride, but did wonder what sort of a$$ even acts that way - figured it was the same sort of a$$ that actually engages in such activity.

 

[SteveBCloud9]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

That's my job... giving my car to complete strangers who will leave it anywhere and everywhere..... after 16k miles, not a dent or ding......yet.

 

[BYT U L8R]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I'm finding just some of the joy taken away from owning the Viper. I can't park anywhere without someone parking right next to it, even if I'm parked in BFE (bu** Fu***** Egypt). Or the "**** eyes" some people give the car. I'm propably just paranoid, but who wouldn't be (I guess that's what insurance is for).

 

[King GTS]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

BYT U L8R,
Don't think your being paranoid. When I have topark in a space - I always double park.

 

[onerareviper]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

KingGTS,

I wouldn't recommend taking up two spots. People that are the 'keying type', are already in go-mode when they see a $80,000 car. Now taking up two spot really makes that 'keying types' blood boil. Rich & Arrogant. I agree with Gerald on this one..... Try to blend with the crowd, if that's possible.

In Heaven, no one keys cars....

 

[CAVIPER]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

Someone once told me you could hook up and old model T coil to a cars body so it would shock you if you touched it. This sounds good in theory and is fun to think about but you would probably get sued for doing it and of course its useless on a fiberglass car

 

[motomike]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I rarely leave my car unattended and if I do it has to be within sight, especially with the top off. I don't want any hassles with someone messing it up.

Too many times when I taken special effort to park my car in an end space leaving plenty of clearance to the adjacent space sure enough some idiot or van mother pulls into the adjacent space and parks their vehicle over the lines into my parking space defeating my efforts to leave plenty of space. Shear laziness, a lack of concern, simply poor driving/parking skills. It's scary. The are many people around these parts who can't even back their car up in a straight line for 10 feet and make every effort to avoid situations where they have to back their car up.

 

[Gerald]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I've had 2 vipers and been a viper owner for approx 3 years. Not a ding, scratch or key yet. I never worry about it, and try NOT to park it away from other people. I've noticed that if you park it sideways or away from everyone, they get offended and will GO OUT OF THEIR way to do something to your car (previous corvette, etc). I've also found just parking it normal and 'with the crowd' makes it very noticeable and it sticks out too much for ppl to vandilize it because lots of people ,etc in plain site..
Now watch, I"ll get it keyed tomorrow..


Gerald

 

[Vic]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

Its funny in a sad way, but I just happened to be near a lady getting into her Volvo, and she swung her door wide without a thought for where it would end up. I caught the door before it could hit my car. Some people!

Yesterday, on the I5 North, a minivan from New Mexico sort of cut me off, as it rushed to get in front of me in the fast lane. I was just starting to wonder if the driver was being intentionally rude, but right then, I saw a flash come from the dark tinted rear window. They took a picture of me! (It couldn't have been the Viper, must have been because of me, 'cause I'm so cool)

Immediately my attitude went back to peacefully conceited, oops, I mean, peacefully contented, because they swung in front of me for the express purpose of taking a picture. That made it ok, and massaged my needy ego. I guess they don't have many Vipers in New Mexico. (There is a tally in the latest Viper quarterly, its probably about 20 total for the whole state)

Its weird, but I am getting more compliments on the Viper now, after 7500 miles, and 8 months of ownership, than I did when it was new. At first I thought people in So Cal were just jaded from pagan materialism, and could give a **** . But lately, everywhere I go, people have something good to say.

What a strange and wonderful car! It sure is different, and destined to become a classic. (I mean, even more than it already is.)

 

[agentf1]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

This is why I opted for the Z06. Close in performance but a little more stealth. I will eventually get the Viper also for weekend rides when I don't have to park it. Its a shame that the thing I love about the Viper the most (the looks) sometimes works against you.

 

[2tall]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I park it normal at work, everyday, out in front. No crowds. Ever.

Of couse, it may be because I work kitty corner from Sommerset mall, which is the probably the most expensive, top-end, snootiest mall I've ever been to (if a mall can be that way). I didn't even know a such thing as mall Valet existed until I moved out here.

"1A" Acorn zip code ain't lying.

But I digress. In my little area, I've gotten a lot of attention (compared to other cars), but this craziness you speak of doesn't occur. I've had 1 car in 2 weeks of ownership honk the horn and ask me to spin them (to which I replied "can't afford it, I just bought the car"

).

The most I get is 1:2 drivers rubber-necking as they drive by and people inside whatever business I walk into during the day when I park up front.

Maybe Detroit people just have been there, seen that, because of the rampant car-mania in the town...

 

[Bonkers]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by John Wright:
Try using a car cover. I've found that if a cover is installed people don't really know what kind of car and they are less likely to investigate.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yeah, but that would get kind of impractical for driving to the local Autozone or post office. My impala (for some odd reason) seems to be the target every so often for "Keyers." In fact I almost had one guy purposely run a shopping cart full gallop in to the side of it at Kmart. He seemed to think that the punk 20 year standing off to the side couldn't afford a car like that and was awfully surprised when I clotheslined him two feet from the panel. His excuse to the cop was that since I had such an ego by parking the car as far from the store as possible (all by itself in the middle of the lot) that I needed to be taught a (humbling?) lesson.


Anyway I think I'd prefer a lot of people lingering around my car. Though its been proven incorrect I'd like to think that someone would notice someone scratching the side.

 

[BigCarrot]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I went to a supercross race here in Dallas and came home with a nice little scar on my hood. It looks like someone kicked the crap out of it with an army boot or something. Another guy around here with a gen 1 ******* RT supposedly valet parked at a **** bar last week and some drunk took a **** in his front seats. Last time I checked, a Viper doesn't even remotely resemble a porta-*****. People are just sooo jealous!

 

[Hiper]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I've probably had the worst experience here in Boston!

1st: My car was keyed right in my own garage! I live in a condominium and we've got an underground garage, some jealous resident or guest keyed it really bad. Not to long, but very deep.

2nd: It looks like some idiot kicked the front bumper with his boot, since it has a nice wide scratch.

3rd: Parked on Newbury Street, which is supposed to be the "upscale" shopping area in Boston, it was parked right in front of me, but someone managed to spit right on my hood!

Keep in mind that i've only had the car for six months. It really ****** me off to see people act this way just because the car looks amazing!

 

[99 Sidewinder]

Re: \'Can\'t leave the Viper unattended....

I have left my Viper unattended almost everywhere I went for 13k miles. Just last week I parked at a restaurant with my brother and a couple of younger kids... about 19 or so parked next to me in the back of the lot. They were pretty rowdy and seemed to be drunk. When I came back out to the car I found food on the hood and in the interior. It seems they had some leftover corn they needed to get rid of. I am glad they didn't throw soda (or anything sticky) and I am glad they didn't damage the paint with a key or anything. I know another RT/10 owner who had a beer dumped into his interior. It seems there may be some appeal to throw things into the interior of an open convertible. In any case I have second thoughts on leaving it unattended now.
Usually the Viper attention has always been positive. I always get compliments at every gas station and at the Drag strip people love it. My wife was attempting to follow me on the highway in her car and kept getting cut off from people trying to get a look. Two of the cars took a flash photo.
Kids always give the thumbs up when I go by their house and at traffic lights.
Attention can be good when you want it and bad when you don't.