Concerns with high-miles Vipers?

[Tusc]

I know Joe117 has had good luck with his '94, but for those of you above 40,000 miles, what mechanical problems seem prevalent in these "high miles" Vipers?

I've been keeping tabs on the Viper market for a while now and I have a few different years in mind. I am not the type to put just 1 or 2 thousand miles on a car in a year, and so I am considering models with higher milage than the average garage queen GTS. Which can also be read; I am 24 and seeing if I can swing a GTS for close to the settlement cost on my late C5 while at the same time not wanting to take a low-miles cherry GTS and add 30k to the odometer in just two years.

Right now, I'm not even sure yet whether I'll be staying with a C5 or GTS. For all I know, I may end up getting something completely different and entirely too much of a daily driver.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I have a 98 that developed a timing cover oil leak at around 40k. I now have nearly 70k and no leaks. Thanks Larry at www.MacedoMotorsports.com

 

[snowmann]

Seems to me as if the garage queenies have more problems with their Vipers then people that enjoy them. I have not seen anything "prevalent" with high mileage Vipers. I think they all have small quarks, but nothing major.

 

[Martin D]

No problems......51,500 HARD MILES(plus 20 bottles of NOS)

 

[GR8_ASP]

No significant problems here with a 1995. I replaced the clutch at 32,000 miles. But when replacing it I noted that I still had 50% life remaining. One torn balljoint boot (possibly due to me overfilling with grease. Nothing else beyond the normal maintenance items and upgrades.

 

[Magicboy2]

There was recently a thread along these lines... search on it.

 

[obaa996]

I think the biggest concern you're going to have with putting a lot of miles on a Viper is the cost of gas, oil, and tires!

 

[joe117]

Brett,
I'm not the high miles king anymore @106k. I found that some other guy out west has about 130k.

I'd like to sell my R/T and my C4 and get a 96 GTS.

All that open car sunshine is for younger folks.

 

[Viperzilla]

Hey Joe, lower your price to $1,000 and I'll take her. Dam I need a Viper (plus some more money if you couldn't tell). At the rate I'm going with my current job, it'll take ~3 years to make the money needed just to buy a Viper. But then there's other life expenses (car, insurance, food, housing, etc, not to mention Viper insurance).

Your car is pretty much exactly what I'd be looking for, I think. Earlier, non-garage queen Viper I can semi-beat on (I know how to drive a Viper). Put miles on and learn the Viper basics of exterior/interior care. Although I'd rather have a GTS personally, I'd most likely be looking for a less-expensive price.

 

[99 R/T 10]

I have 47K on the car now(after a weekend road trip to Miami), and have had no problems running at all. Even got 20 MPG with the 3.73's in the rear. The only thing I had to fix twice is the A/C, but she is strong and very reliable.

 

[BYT U L8R]

45,000 miles. redline at every shift. no problems. I absolutely **** this car.

It has done very well for me. But I also take very good care of it, too.

The only problems I've had have been with the AC last year. had a traveling leak.

This is with 600HP pounding away at it all, too. Strong car!!

 

[joe117]

"45,000 miles. redline at every shift. no problems. I absolutely **** this car."

Can you see this line in the ad when he goes to sell it someday?

 

[V10 MOJO]

33K, drag and roadcourse, cross country trips, and a dilay driver. these cars will last as long as you need it to, just do maint like youre supposed to and take care of it.

 

[BYT U L8R]

"45,000 miles. redline at every shift. no problems. I absolutely **** this car."

Can you see this line in the ad when he goes to sell it someday?

********
I'll probably substitue the usual lines instead...No rain...only on weekends...Zianoed 6 times a day...original tires after 15 years...put it on flatbed truck until the highway was reached...the usual.

But seriously, I drive it hard. The way it was desiged to be driven...that's all

 

[RCKTMN]

Hey,

I have a 1994 with 55,000 miles. I bought her 5 years ago with 30,000 miles. I figured that for the effort it would take to pay for it, I was surely going to drive it a bunch. The only major problem I had was that the thermostat let go on me 3 years ago. But, other than that, it's simply been tires and mods. She seems to be getting better with age.
Usually, the only detriment with "high mileage" vehicles is if you stop using them regularly. I had a 1970 Satellite with 264,000 miles on it. She only started developing leaks and other problems when I stopped using her daily. Find a Viper that has been properly maintained mechanically and enjoy it (doing the same).
Good Luck in your search!

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Have a '94 that I bought with 20K, now have 60K miles.

Steering rack boot hardened, cracked, water in inner tie rod, normal Dodge Viper repair calls for complete new steering rack. Found out a shortened Dakota inner tie rod works; $30 instead of $500.

Replaced thermostat housing feet gaskets.

Front tires every 14,000 miles, rears every 8,000 miles.

Broke second gear synchro teeth, repaired for a few hundred bucks. Previous owner was a drag racer, I'm a road race/AX type, so it's not surprising, and given that parts are around, it's not nasty expensive.

It's a robust car, it's even almost cheap if you can find where Dodge took the parts from (front suspension from a Dakota, rear brakes from a Dodge Monaco, steering column from a Jeep, etc, etc.)

 

[viper spray]

41,000 on my 95 and 39,000 on my 97 , I consider that low miles. The more miles I put on them , the better they seem to run. Do the basic stuff to maintain these cars and you will only have minor little things to deal with. The cars that are not driven , break the most.

 

[96-RT10 Supercharged]

194k miles on mine, original owner. I think someone said it correcly earlier. The ones that seem to have more problems with the cars are the ones that sit them in the garage all the time. I track my car all the time, as well as daily driver. I truely think that the lack of oil movement causes issues with the Vipers.I replaced my engine at 95k, but honestly not sure it needed it, but it was done under my 100k mile warrenty so I didn't complain

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