Got my new Viper yesterday!!!

[Vic]

Long time Viper admirer and dreamer finally gets his wish- A brand new 2001 GTS, saphire w/stripes, 13 miles on the odo. Just a little under sticker!

Such a rush! Makes me feel like the Pope!

This car is much badder (or gooder) than the 60s muscle cars I adored as a kid. And much more bad-*** than the convertible Vette I had.

Oddly enough, as I was driving it home from the dealer, being careful not to go over 2500 rpm, I noticed how easy it is to drive SLOW!!!

Why do I say that? Well, consider my sons' 99 Mustang Cobra. If you dont give it some gas when the light turns green, the 4.6 litre V8 will stall, unless you gas it a bit. Well, my billy-bad *** Viper will move forward without any gas at all. Such torque! What a car! I can only dream of how its gonna be after break in, and I get to romp on it a little.

Its gonna take me eons to break it in! I dont even have time to ride my motorcycle, and now I have another toy! Thanks to the Lord God for His graciousness. And thanks to my lovely wife for being cooperative.

After I'm broke in, I'll look up you other So Cal Vipers. Does anyone like to go up Ortega Hgwy?

 

[slaughterj]

Congrats Vic! Watch out for those other Cali guys though...

 

[Vic]

Is there something I should know? Heh-heh!

Thanks!

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Welcome to the SoCal club, congrats on your new snake, watch the torque it's REAL easy to go sideways until you get used to it. If you're broken in by 7/29 the Santa Monica Sportscar Club is having an event through the canyons. 150 primo cars includng about a dozen Vipers.

 

[2charmed]

?????????????????

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Reading your comments reminds me of the way I felt when I got my first Viper. In two years it hasn't worn off. Enjoy.

 

[garolittle]

Congratulations and welcome to the Viper Nation! Get ready for all the attention from the Viper fans in your neighborhood, but most of all, enjoy the ride. It doesn't get any better than this!

 

[JonB]

Hey, VIC Congrats!
[ but its about TIME don't ya think? ]


JonBuy~~~~~~~~~:<~~

 

[Vic]

Thanks to slaughterj, So Cal Rebel, 2 charmed, Chuck 98 RT/10, ffoote, garolittle, Rollo, JMcGuire, and JonB for your replies.
I'm honored by your responses and glad to be a pert of this select group of criminals, oops, I mean individuals!

My ISP was down for quite a while yesterday, so I couldn't post back.

SoCal Rebel, thanks for the heads up on the canyon trip. Sounds like fun, I'll be trying to rack up the break in miles!

ffoote, I live in the Ranch development, near Jeffrey and Irvine Center Drive. When I was a single Marine, I used to sleep on the beach all morning at Laguna, after I got off the graveyard shift fixing F4 jets at El Toro. Of course now I live in a house! Funny you should mention the Irvine P.D. One of them slammed on his brakes and pulled over, so as to force me to go around him. I'm sure he just wanted to look at the new Viper in town. Kind of concerned me though, the way he did it!

Rollo- Thats Cook's Corner, you are thinking about, the biker hangout. Dont ride your rice machine there! If it aint a Harley, it might as well not even exist. There tunnel vision attitude kind of makes you wanna get a Hyabusa, and run circles around 'em! Naww, just kidding! They are a pretty cool bunch down there. I am definitely going to follow your tip, and go explore Plano, as you mentioned. I love an adventure. Thanks for the tip.

JMcGuire- I think your Ram has the same block and other many other components as the Viper motor. I'll bet its a great feeling to drive something that will pull stumps!

JonB, last and not least, its well past time, and its been a long time comming, but I finally got one, and I'm glad I waited till now, cause I got the ABS.
I think the car has grown to higher level of sophistication and refinement, than when my tongue first dropped out of my mouth after seeing the first RT/10 around 1989. I feel like its more betterer, (!) all around better machine now, that I am very proud to own, with no reservations.

 

[gozer]

Hey Vic,

Welcome to the SoCal Club!

I live in Ladera Ranch and my office is in Irvine (near Alton & Ada).

I got my 2001 GTS (Sapphire no stripes) about 2 months ago and havent been able to wipe the smile off my face. Your going to get a lot of attention (mine has all been good so far).

I've driven Ortega three times and if I wasnt slowing for traffic, I was slowing for cops. If you can avoid both, you'll get a decent run but you will eventually run into one or the other. I havent tried 'Plano Trabuco' as recommended by Rollo, but I will soon! I havent driven the toll road yet, too many bugs this time of year.

You definately want to give Dave Jenkins (Tuttle Click Viper Tech) a call and introduce yourself. He is a great guy and will take excellent care of you.

Since you bought a new Viper, DC picks up your first year as a VCA member (national and local). As a So Cal Chapter member, Tuttle Click is giving us some discounts, Oil Change $69 and free smog check. If you havent done your 200 mi change call Dave and talk to him about it.

Send me an email if you have any questions or just want to get together for lunch (Same goes for you ffoote).

Ken

PS Get Zaino, the sapphire is tougher than black to keep clean.

 

[JonB]

Vic P.S.......

It appears that you have followed Mark, 16:18

~~~~~~~~~~~:<~

JonB

 

[Vic]

gozer, thanks for your post.

We installed two glass cab elevators at the Irvine train station, at Barranca and ADA. If you like, you can see our work.
The elevators are at each end of the bridge that spans the tracks. I met Mayor Larry Agran there, at the grand opening.
We also do higher stuff, with more elevators, like the new 13 story Embassy Suites Hotel in Garden Grove.

What kind of business are you in? That office space aint cheap in Irvine.

I love the solid colors too, with no stripes. They have a drama to them all their own. Stripes are definitely extroverted to the max. When I finally got the time, money, and wifey, on board all at the same time, I figured I better buy the striped GTS, before the planets changed their alignment! I would have bought a solid color that day just as well, cause they are cool. Stripes are cool too, they really wrench peoples heads around. Its all good.

Lunch sounds great! Maybe I could drive over to your office one day soon, I'll bring my snake.

 

[Vic]

JonB-

Mark 16:18? Hmmm, I'll have to go look that one up! Let it remain a mystery for now, it will become my task to search it out.

 

[Viper99]

Vic,
Welcome from the "Other Coast" and best of luck with your new Viper!
Drive safe and many years of Happiness with your new baby.
Tony

 

[Viper99]

Long Island on the North Shore about midway between NYC and the easter-most tip of Long Island.

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

Vic, good luck buddy..I have to say you sound like a very humble guy..not to many peopel what say what you said on post..You deserve it buddy, take care..


Tony

 

[ACR Larry]

Vic,

Welcome aboard!! My office is on Von Karman and Michelson. Let's get together for lunch or a drink after work at Pregos or El Fornio.

Larry

 

[Vic]

BLKVENOM- Thanks for your kind comments!

acr autopia- Thanks for your post! Yes, lunch or drink sounds great. My office is in Santa Ana, just 12 minutes from Irvine.
You can e-mail me when available. What do you do?

 

[ACR Larry]

Chief Information Officer... I'm out of the office next week. Let's get together the week after.

Larry

 

[scottgf]

Congrats and welcome to the Viper Nation.
Ortega is a fun run if you catch a clear spot.
You must pass my work everyday (Parts Manager,Tustin Nissan)
We should get all the O.C. area snakes together sometime (work there, live Inland :-(, and do something.
Anyhow, enjoy the new snake and take it easy til you get the hang of it.
Cheers,
Scott

 

[Vic]

Viper99, thanks for your post.

I grew up in Poughquag, New York, about 80 miles North of NYC. But you would think you stepped into Montana, it was so rural.
Couldn't stand the long winters. After coming to So Cal in 79, I decided to stay.

Where is Setauket?

 

[Vic]

scottgf-

Thanks for your post.

I have been in and around Tustin Nissan lots of times. Latest was when we were looking for a car for my wife's cousin. (Didn't buy one there, though)

Thanks for the advice. E-mail me if you wanna run Ortega or Plano. Hope I'm broke in by then. 250 miles and counting.

 

[gozer]

Vic,

I have an electrical/mechanical engineering firm.

I agonized over the strips/no strips decision for a week. In the end, no strips was the right call for me.

Scottgf had a great idea, maybe we can get all the OC area Viper owners together for a lunch. The Yard House at the Irvine Spectrum is a great place. Anyone interested?

Ken

 

[David Jenkins]

Hey guys. Whole hearted welcome to the newbie! In the past, we've done coordinated lunches around OC. We've also done lunch in LBC. I was thinking maybe breakfast on Saturday morning. It always seems that it tends to kill the whole day when we do lunch. Would you rather do breakfast or lunch? Let's get together this Saturday. We may also want to consider cruising to In-n-out on Friday night. HUGE car scene.(100 cars) Mostly ricers but it's all good. The kids are pretty respectful. We could meet at my shop and head up in a pack. Mumdog, Kid and Psmurf say it's cool. Let's roll. Friday around 9:00. I know that's a bit late for you Footey!!dj

 

[scottgf]

I love it when a plan comes together!!
Just let me know where and when and I'm there.
Hey Dave, Which In and Out???
Cheers,
Scott

 

[WESTCOAST JASON]

what break-in period?

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Vic:

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new Snake.

If you get up to LA on Friday nights, we hang out at Ruby's in Redondo Beach. There are usually between 100 to 150 cars that turn out from 5 to around 8.

If you get your car broken in, you might consider getting into the Tracquest driving school at Buttonwillow Raceway. Buttonwillow is a great track to learn on, with very few walls (to ruin your fun). They are doing a school on August 18th & 19th. Check out http://www.tracquest.net for the details.

They run a very professional school with very good instructors. You won't see any ricers out at this school. They usually attract the Porsche, Ferrari, Corvette and Audi crowds who don't come out to bang fenders or do any dragon slaying. You also need to get into Skip's Viper Days events when they come out west next year.

Give me a shout if you venture into LA.

Be safe.

Brad

 

[David Jenkins]

Hey Jason, how's biz.? There's an In-n-Out out in Foothill Ranch. Take Bake to Portola and hang a left. Yard house is good, but I'd like to be able to keep the hot rods in sight. Do they have a patio area? We've met at Gordon Bersch (?) before at Laguna Hills mall. Every Saturday there are a hundred or so cars that meet in HB at Adams Doughnuts. Heard it's a good turn out. Ya' gotta' get there by 6am to park on the lot! We'll get it together I'm sure.dj

 

[scottgf]

Done the H.B. "Donut Derelics" thing a couple times with my Road Runner...Its too early for me....like Dave said, you have to get there by around 6 am to park...its all over by 9:30am.
Agree with Dave regarding keeping an eye on the parked snakes, but I am flexible....In and Out Friday Nite sounds cool.....Any takers????