I don't fit in a Viper...

[BLS]

I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Hello All,

I have been reading this forum for a couple of months now and trying to learn everything I can about the car. Today, my wife and I went to a local dealer that had (2) 2001 Vipers in stock (GTS and RT) and I got my first chance to sit in one and I was a little shocked at how little room there is in a Viper. I am 6'3" tall, weight 230 lbs and have a long torso. With the seat all the way tilted back it seemed like the roof was so low, my eyes were looking right into the sun visor. I felt like I needed to lean my head over to the side in order to look out the front window without obstruction.

I sold my Porsche this week and was pretty fired up about driving one of those snakes home. But, I ended up leaving the dealership thinking the Viper is not for me. Please don't get me wrong... I love eveything about the car. I just never realized how tight things are behind the wheel.

Are there any modifications I could make to the Viper's seats? If they were an inch or two lower, that would pretty much solve the problem. What about an aftermarket seat that would sit a little lower?

I have my heart set on a 2001 GTS. Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Byron

 

[2tall]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Yep. 1" lower with the back/forward intact, 2" lower with no forward/backward movement. Ask around for who sells them.

I'm 6'6" 230 and pretty confident that I'll be able to fit just fine with that installed.

Also, if the dealer won't go lower than MSRP (75750 for an RT), tell him you'll take your business elsewhere. The dealers that frequent this board sell about $4K less than that.

 

[Brad Manhattan Beach]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Byron:

I'm verymuch in the same boat as you with a long torso. I installed a Northwind Engineering 1 inch seat lowering kit in order to accomodate a helmet. The 2 inch was not an option for me because not all of my friends are the same height as me.

You can also get an additional inch of lowering by removing the webbing under the seat cushion. I am sure that you will be able to make this work for you.

Email me if I can be of further assistance. Good luck.

Brad

 

[Mike Brunton]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Byron,

As the other guys said, go with the Northwind kit.

I'm not sure if they have a revised kit, but the last guy I talked to that installed one said the 1" kit drops the seat 1.75" and the 2" kit drops it 2.75". With the 2" kit, you cannot move the seat forward back - so if you are the only driver, that's ok. The 1" kit allows full front/back movement though.

I am 6'3"/235lbs and I fit no problem. There *are* some tricks though...

1) There is one last "notch" on the seat that is hard to get to... you have to sit in the car, tilt the seatback forward a little (lean forward to do this), then push with your legs and slam the seat back as far as it will go - if you push a little hard, you will get it into the last notch. This gives me PLENTY of room for my legs. Then you just tilt the seatback backwards again. I find that in this position, I actually need to put the pedals almost all the way up to get comfortable.

2) Try removing your sun visors. They don't look like they block your view much, but if you take them out, you will be amazed at the difference

3) Some have remounted the rear-view mirror. It is in the worst possible spot... most mount it higher, or they stick it to the dash (upside down). I bet this would help a LOT

4) Go with the seat lowering kit!

5) You can get thinner seats, or you can have some padding removed from the stock seats

6) If you decide to go with the 2" kit, you can actually fab some brackets yourself and get the seat down about 3" or so. Or have a shop do it for you. If you don't need max clearance, or don't have time, go with the northwind kit.

There are a lot of us big guys driving Vipers. The thing about the Viper is that the interior dimensions are pretty large, but the dash is a lot closer to you than most cars... so it "feels" small inside, even though it's actually relatively roomy.

 

[BLS]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Thank you... that info made my day. I found the Northwind Engineering website:
http://www.viperclub.org/Northwind/

Looks like I will be giving them a call on Monday. Since I will be the only one driving the car... I am going to go for the 2" kit.

Now, let's talk about price. I live in Central, Florida and the dealer that I mentioned above said they would not discount the price... it was MSRP or no deal. Needless to say that didn't go over to well with me.

What would you guys consider a good deal on a new 2001 GTS? I would be very interested to hear how much off MSRP I could get.

What about service? Could anyone recommend a dealer in the Central Florida area that has a good Viper tech?

Thank you,

Byron



<FONT COLOR="#ff0000" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by BLS on April 15, 2001 at 03:12</font>

 

[Ulysses]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

You can do much better than MSRP. Price is a factor, but you also have to consider allocation. The more allocation a dealer has, the faster you will get your car. Most reputable dealerships will also have the car drop shipped to a dealer near you or to your door if they are located far away from you.

 

[C O D Y]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Call Bill Pemberton at Woodhouse Dodge 800-889-1893.

By far one of the best viper dealers in the nation!

 

[Mike Brunton]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Agreed - call Woodhouse Dodge... the best dealer for Vipers there is!

 

[TOOOFST]

Re: I don\'t fit in a Viper...

Get a "porshe's for breakfast and Ferrari's for lunch"plate frame,Good luck with the snake.

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