I need an advice

[Marshall Barnes]

Hi guys, I'm a new member. I want to buy a car via https://incacar.com/used/cars/dodge/viper/2000-Dodge-Viper-RT-10-530376/ but I´m a bit worried about that, just if they are reliable. Is there someone who knows them, or bought a car from them?
What do you think about that? Thanks for answers.

 

[lane_viper]

No experience with that dealer, but car looks nice, and not a bad price.

Any used car buy has a little risk. Only thing to do is to drive it, and go from there. Be prepared to walk away if it's miss-represented though.

 

[MoparMap]

Can't say anything about the dealer, but if you are asking about car reliability I'd say the Vipers are pretty good. You always get some lemons and how they were taken care of makes a difference, but they are built pretty stout and fairly simply, so there isn't a whole lot to go wrong.

 

[lane_viper]

Can't say anything about the dealer, but if you are asking about car reliability I'd say the Vipers are pretty good. You always get some lemons and how they were taken care of makes a difference, but they are built pretty stout and fairly simply, so there isn't a whole lot to go wrong.

I'm finding out how simple of a car they are. When I bought mine, I got a great deal because it needed some work. Radiator, and Transmission rebuild later, it is really reliable. Car is really simple. Really a throwback to classic muscle cars. Very analog car.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Marshall, first off, welcome to the Viper world !! As has been posted above, these are fairly straightforward cars...IF you do your homework prior to "falling in love" with an ad, a color of Viper, or worse yet...an "attractive" price.
ln my experience and opinion, one needs to obtain a Carfax, an Autocheck, AND ask a friendly Chrysler dealer to check the vehicle's history. Then, compare those sources and look for problems or things that "don't add up".
The next step is to consult with the local Viper owners to obtain information on the dealer, the Viper, and to see if there is an experienced, honest Viper Tech in the area to do a full inspection of said Viper...for a predetermined amount of money...which should include a formal report .

Once all of this info is reviewed, one can begin to weigh the value of the potential purchase. Keep in mind that a very high percentage of these cars have suffered accidents
Many have been tracked and/or abused. Also, many owners change oil regularly...while neglecting all other fluids required for good maintenance. Much of this latter problem is self excused because they "hardly ever drive it".

Any car this age will have needs...tires, fluids are just the beginning. I always recommend budgeting an extra $6,000.00 or more over the purchase price to get any Gen I or II up to safe, reliable, roadworthy specs.

These are fantastic cars...but, buying a good one is much better than trying to rehab a ******...unless you have a lot of experience, and a well equipped shop.

 

[Big Bad Dodge]

Steve Indy and everyone else is pretty much on point. Note, for a car like this with low miles, I would say before you ever take it to speed, verify the age of the tires. Trust me, you don't want to be doing 110 at 5:00 a.m. on a summer morning only to find out you have old cruddy tires that have decided to let go at speed.

I would also have whomever does the inspection make sure to remove the underplate and check the transmission tail shaft for leaks, in case it's been sitting a while and the seals are cracked. That's the problem with cars that sit. Seals dry up.

 

[DJ'sviper]

Yes especially the tires. I bought a set off eBay for the rims. The guys took photos of the rims in bright sunlight so it didn't show all the curb rash, etc. He told me he just bought the tires and they were new. I was with a friend and we took the car up to 175. and to a track. when i came back I checked the tire dates on the car since the rims were not what he said and bought new tires. One of the tires had a plug in it. I don't know how the tire didn't blow. We cold have both been killed. Don't take anything for granted. You can have brand new looking tires with lots of thread and they will wreck your car Change tires every four years. Have another incident while at the drags when I first got the car. They put the original tires on. Lost control in second gear because they had no traction.

Nice looking car. The mileage looks about right. Most people don't drive them a whole lot. OR, maybe it is a car that was in an accident? You never know. This looks like a solid car. Even if the car was tracked it down's mean it was abused. It's a race car. Saying you never stepped in the gas is like saying "you have a super model for a wife and never went to bed with her" These cars can run away on you so get used to it before you punch it. I went to a race track and paid skip Barber and other meets with vipers on tracks and learned from race track drivers. It's a blast and no harm ever came to the car. You don't have to win the race there, you are there to learn how to handle it. Legally.

 

[MoparMap]

Yep, I think the tracking comment can certainly go both ways. I pretty much take mine to the track once a year now since it's just so fun, but with basic maintenance and upkeep I don't think you're really doing the car any harm. It was built to withstand that kind of performance, so it's not like it's going to hurt it unless you hit something or ignore components when they start wearing out. Will they wear out faster if you race them? Probably, but it's not like they won't wear out with regular driving either. And a weekend of fun isn't going to drastically cut the life of parts. If you raced it every weekend then it would probably start showing issues a lot sooner, but the ******** racers out there typically have cars dedicated to just that.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Listen to Steve-Indy as many folks who recently purchased Vipers are finding out later how many things need to be checked or replaced -- and parts are getting expensive. Tires are a major concern, but so are fluids ( folks go by the excuse that they are not driven much , hence it is not surprising at times to find a vehicle with 10 year fluids in it). Do get it checked and one of the keys is make sure it gets up on a lift. Pretty common to find leaks , gaskets that may need replaced, bushings, etc. Is the car a problem , no, but like any make the cars are getting old, and for some reason a pretty buffed paint job causes folks to lose common sense and check age related concerns?

 

[Skolnick89]

I think price high for convertible

 

[DJ'sviper]

MY car is in perfect shape and I replace the Mobil 1 synthetic oil every Spring. Probably drive it less than 500 miles a year. So a lot depends on the owner and how they take care of it. If they tracked it I don't think that is a big deal as these cars were made for the track and you want a car in good shape when you are at the track. It's kind of like saying " I married this supermodel for my wife but we never had sex". If you didn't buy it for fun then why did you get it.? I don't track my Gen 1 anymore but still have fun with it. If it had air conditioning I probably would drive it more. If you step on it be careful. Have experience with it. With mine you can lose control of the car from first to second. Tire Spin. Lots of torque. Had race car drivers loose control of it as well as me but I know how the car handles now and where to push it.