From Stealth TT to Viper... Can it compare?

[santo]

Hi All,

First real post here. This is a great site for Viper aficionados and am gaining lots of great research info.

I currently own a 92 Stealth RT TT and this is the car I'm familiar with. I never really bought if for speed but my foot has gotten heavier as time has gone on (only in the safest situations). I've had it for a long time, went to several Stealth/3000GT events and maintained a website a long time ago (some of you may remember http://stealth.senecac.on.ca if you've ever had a Stealth). I've avoided this for a long time (purposely declining a ride in a Viper Venom once at one of our events because I knew I would be "charmed") but I think it's time to graduate to the next level.

In doing my research, I came upon a thread that asked for a history your DC car buying habits and noticed that there are quite a few of you who owned a Stealth TT/3000GT VR4 before. I am not trying to compare the two but the Stealth is my frame of reference. What's the difference? The Viper will be my daily driver as the Stealth has been and I'm still on the edge of if I should go for it or not. The Stealth is a great car all around but it's not a Viper and circumstances have made me think it's time to "go for it". I do have some concerns though as a daily driver:

1. Can a Gen I be a daily driver to work and back? I work at a college and here will be a lot of people around which worries me. I'm pretty sure I need a Gen II with a hard top.

2. The Stealth is AWD and with the new Goodyear F1 GS-D3's I just put on it, I can part the Red Sea when it rains. I could never get the Stealth the squeal the tires. Do I have to worry about "losing it" if it rains or if I "punch" it? For those Stealth owners, how much different is it?

3. I'm not sure I like the attention that everyone experiences; I just love the look of the car. I get some attention from the Stealth but it has died down. When you had the Stealth, how did the attention compare?

4. How does general driving and acceleration compare? Other then the Stealth, I've not had any other performance cars.

Thanks for your help, if you can provide it. I appreciate everyone's participation in these forums as there's tons of great information here.

Santo

 

[YouWish]

Stealth=Invisible
Viper=U.F.O. for a attention view point. I hate the fact we share the same mirrors...Anyway you should never drive a Viper in bad weather. It's too special of a car for that. Buy a junker for a 1000.00 to use as a daily driver. Bottom line you will never regret buying the Viper!!!

 

[Joseph Houss]

Both JonB and myself started with TT's. They were great cars, in their day, but surely are grand tourers (in weight) and not "roadcourse purebread" like the Viper.

As far as a daily driver, the Viper can be, in the sunbelt, but surely doesn't have the groud clearance, or the tire width and aspects, to make it a snow worthy vehicle.

May I suggest considering the following:

Purchase a inexpensive economy "daily commuter", which in fact, would then make your Viper a "second vehicle" to most insurance companies, lowering your insurance expense considerably, possibly completely offsetting the added expense and of course, limiting depreciation on your Viper, as you won't be adding "commuter miles" to the odometer.

 

[santo]

Thanks for the replies so far. I actually have a "winter ******" already as I have never driven the Stealth in the snow even though it was capable. I also have a Land Rover Discovery and it get's around in the snow pretty good I just take the collision off of one and put it on the other and store which ever vehivle doesn't have full insurance coverage. I would prefer not to run both at the same time. The Discovery also gives me a taste of what gas mileage is going to be like

Thanks for the concern.
Santo

 

[Nuck]

Going from a 320hp 3800lb car to a 450hp 3500lb car is huge. The difference in acceleration will blow you away and losing that weight and the AWD/AWS the handling is is totally different. The Stealth/VR4 have a predictable stability about them. The Viper is a much better handling car at the extremes but feels much more squirelly doing it. I was a former Stealth owner in the same situation as you and was shopping for a GTS or Lotus Esprit V8. I opted for the Z06 Vette. It definitely doesn't have the Viper cache but I have few regrets as it has none of the daily driver complaints of the Viper. Has cruise, won't roast you, lockable doors, doesn't seek out and pull on every rut in the road, cheaper on fuel, cheaper to maintain, and cheaper to insure. It is 600lbs less than your Stealth and has 85 more hp so again a major difference in performance and handling.
Of course it is a year and a half later and the Vette is for sale and I am looking at a Viper again so that tells you something too. Few regrets in my Z06 choice but our roads are so ****** here that I don't want to put the Vette through the 7 day a week abuse any more. Once I accepted that I won't be driving the fun car more than a couple of days a week there was no point in sticking with the more user friendly car. The only exotic that I know of that people can use every day is the 911 Turbo but for the price of a 1996-97 Turbo you can get an 04 SRT 10 so I can't really recommend that choice either. You need to get some seat time in a Viper to make the call. There are a few guys on the board that put a ton of miles on their cars but there is a reason too why you see so many 10 year old Vipers with less than 30k miles on them. I know even with the Vette it is a relief sometimes to get into another car with less road and exhaust noise, and where the driving experience doesn't require your constant concentration. I think if you get the Viper you might start off driving it all the time and then find a balance between the commuter car and the cool car. BTW the Z06 is also much noisier and less user friendly than the Stealth. Spins the tires lots and has a peakier power band. There is sort of a threshold you go over when you get into sub 13 second street cars where there are compromises made for that special level of performance.

 

[Ron Hickey]

Add me to the list of Stealth TT veterans. I had a metallic turquoise 91 that attracted a lot of attention when new. This car was the best road car (grand tourer) I've owned -- comfortable, fast (for its time), and very stable. Moving from a Stealth to a Gen I Viper is going to be a real shock. The Stealth is comfortable, somewhat plush and semi-luxurious, the Viper is spartan. You may not be happy with the transition. Take your time and drive and ride in a few Vipers before you make your decision. Joe's advice on a ****** is spot-on. If you're going to daily drive a Viper, the Gen III SRT-10 is best suited. Of course, those cars carry a significantly higher price tag than a 10-year old Gen I Viper.

 

[Viper Specialty]

I as well am a 3S convert. I have owned a 1991 3KGT SL, 91 VR-4, 92 VR-4, 94 VR-4 and 95 VR-4. While I do not regret the change at all, the two cars are indeed totally different, in every way. They do not drive the same, nor do they attract the same types and amounts of "crowds." I would highly advise agaist using ANY Viper as a daily driver if it is to be parked anywhere where there are large amounts of people, ESPECIALLY middle/high school students and college students- I am right in their age range, I know too much about how they think to ever put a Viper around them. That said, a Viper can make an excellent daily driver, in the right conditions and weather. I am not far from you, and use a Viper as a daily driver over the summer, as long as it isnt going to a grocery store, etc.

The transition of car type will be abrupt. You WILL get used to it, quickly. You will have to change your driving style and habbits, and you will become a different type of driver, I assure you. It only takes a little bite from the snake once to make you damn near crap your pants, and learn a whole new respect for the car. Your mind will put an invisible brick under the pedal at that point, and you will learn a whole new type of control.

Other than that, it isnt too far off the ownership experience, not including the attention aspect. 3S cars are not cheap to maintain by any means, neither are Vipers. Modifying the Viper is more expensive however, as are some of the larger components such as body panels. The Viper is all about speed, you can beat the car and it will beg you for more, unlike the 3S. On the other hand, the 3S cars have more comfort built into them, and gadgets, which cause problems. The Viper is bare bones, without anything you dont really need. This helps keep maintanence reasonable nd in the same ballpark as 3S, and keeps the car rock solid reliable.

Thats all I can really think of off the top of my head...


Just DO IT. You wont regret it. Buy now, ask questions later.

 

[santo]

These are great replies and give me more food for thought.

I have made some previous assumptions and I'm pretty much hooked on a Viper already. I liked the gadgets in the Stealth but I don't really use them. The only thing I've used lately is ECS and switch it to "hard" mode so I can drive those roads that I normally drive while rattling my teeth and ensuring that I won't need Gravol while driving the Viper. I know the ride will be rougher and louder. That's one of the reasons why I like the Viper.

As I have purposely avoided Vipers (I tried not to pay attention to the Viper Venom or I would have been hooked), I haven't quite gathered how secure a Gen II is (I can lock my doors and roll-up the windows, right?) Is the alarm any different then the Stealth alarm? Contrary to popular technique, I don't park in the far end of a parking lot so that no one will park close to my car. I actually take the closest spot possible and even contemplated breaking a leg so I could get a handicapped pass and park even closer I figure parking in a higher traffic, more visible area is better then hiding it in a dark corner of the parking lot far away from people traffic.

As for riding the ruts in the road, I'm used to it in the Stealth. Sure, the tires aren't as wide on a Stealth as a Viper but I still have to be careful to not get the steering wheel ****** out of my hand when changing lanes on such a street.

I really appreciate the replies so far. I'm pretty sure I can handle it. I'm just a little worried about parking it at work. I don't particularly want a plush car or I'd get a BMW or something but I don't generally like to buy what the "mainstream" is buying and that includes the Vette. Sorry to Vette owners but I just never really ever liked them. There are too many and that's why I bought a Stealth way back then.

I think the point about using the Viper as a daily driver in the beginning and then moving to driving it more occasionally is probably how it will play out. I am pretty psyched about this and I'm sure that if I even attempt to go to take a look at a Viper, I will take it home. I'm just not quite ready to do that yet (I'm a few months off and will probably try to buy off-season to try to get a deal, if it's possible in the Toronto area).

Thanks again,
Santo

 

[forensicsteve]

Can only comment on driving a GenII Viper every day. It's my only vehicle and a joy even in traffic. Drive sensibly and it's very well behaved even in hard rain and T-storms. Haven't ever driven a GenIII but it is a more sophisticated vehicle, so may actually be even better as a daily ride.

Highly recommend Viper as a daily ride. It's our hottest time of year right now and the beast refuses to overheat and the AC works just fine.

 

[dansauto]

I just sold a 95 Stealth TT, and had a 92 Stealth TT that my dad bought brand new, drove it two years and stored it. I drove both in the Winter as daily drivers. The AWD worked great. I would have kept my 95 it I did not need a 4 door (for a car seat) But neather acclerated even close to my Viper (even before the turbos) But I think the Stealth handled better than a GEN 1 Viper Certanly more predictable that a torque monster V10

 

[Randy]

Can only comment on driving a GenII Viper every day. It's my only vehicle and a joy even in traffic. Drive sensibly and it's very well behaved even in hard rain and T-storms. Haven't ever driven a GenIII but it is a more sophisticated vehicle, so may actually be even better as a daily ride.

Highly recommend Viper as a daily ride. It's our hottest time of year right now and the beast refuses to overheat and the AC works just fine.

I also use my Gen II as a daily driver, and I used my Gen I before that also as a daily driver.

For the longest time (7 years?), my other car was a convertable RX-7, so the choice between them was more where it was going to be parked unattended (i.e., I'd rather leave the RX in a bad area of town while I was away ). After using the Viper to get a lawn mower home, then using the RX-7 convertable to get a 25-gallon air compresser home, and driving a couple hours away to a buddy that lives on Lake Tahoe to ski (yeah, I took the RX), I finally figured out I needed a different second vehicle and got a 4wd Durango.

Still, though, unless I'm carrying more than one passenger (OK, sometimes it requires more than 2 passengers ), something physically too big for the Viper, or going to leave it unattended in a questionably area, I'll take the Viper. Oh yeah, I'll normally skip rain, also, but only because driving a dirty Viper is, well, unseemingly. (And, it doesn't rain that much here, so it doesn't limit me much).

 

[MADDMAXS57]

Santo,

Come on in the waters fine . . .

Vipers and Stealths can coexist peacefully . . .

 

[JonB]

Both JonB and myself started with TT's. They were great cars, in their day, but surely are grand tourers (in weight) and not "roadcourse purebread" like the Viper....

My 1st was featured in MoPar Performance news in 9/2001, published by JRThompson (who does Viper Magazine.) My 2nd is in Blue/White stripes almost matching my 96 GTS ! I have 82000 miles on it and 360 HP. This is my wet-weather pace car.

I drove it from Portland OR to Anchorage Alaska in WINTER in 36 hours and 45 minutes drive time....2700 miles.....in a test run for Car & Driver, for an Iditarod Sled Dog Race story......... Try THAT in a Viper!