I want the viper but it says 'you no fit'

[niceguySLIM]

Admittedly, i am pretty handsome (my wife says). However, just not thin or small.

The other day I went and checked out a convertible Dodge Viper. It was a 2005 at a local dealer priced at $45,000 less tax. It was black, it was **** as hell!

I fit in a z06 (they also had one there). I couldn't seem to make fitment happen in the viper which appeared stock (no seat kit)

I am 6'2, 320lbs.

I am wanting a viper today, not tomorrow so jenny craig may not cut it for me in a quick enough time.

So, what are the Viper mods available to make me fit? Please dont say just get a z06 and paint it an ugly color so I can recognize it in the parking lot.

I am near Toronto, Ontario. If I can sit in your modded viper you can sit in my '12 Cherokee SRT8 ....(i do fit in that)

 

[cweaver22]

I'm 6'3" and leg room is not an issue (seat all the way back and pedals all the way forward), however at first i thought that i should get a seat lowering kit. now that i've driven it around for a few weeks i'm leaning towards not needing it. but here is a link to the seat lowering kits available from theviperstore.com

http://www.theviperstore.com/Viper3_Products_Parts&Upgrades_Seat_Lowering_Kit.htm

 

[niceguySLIM]

I'm 6'3" and leg room is not an issue (seat all the way back and pedals all the way forward), however at first i thought that i should get a seat lowering kit. now that i've driven it around for a few weeks i'm leaning towards not needing it. but here is a link to the seat lowering kits available from theviperstore.com

http://www.theviperstore.com/Viper3_Products_Parts&Upgrades_Seat_Lowering_Kit.htm

Thanks for the link. I had read up on these and seen that the 2" kit kills the ability to move seat. The one you linked the 1" allows for the justifiability. I can't say I am concerned yet with the view since I couldn't get my butt into the viper.

Perhaps I approached the task wrong. I tried to sit into the seat and was going to swing / turn to the right and put my right leg under the wheel. It just felt too tight for my butt -> steering wheel entry. lol


I feel like the years of ribs and beer, watching sports chilling is the real reason i wont fit, my waist isnt a 36. :/

**side note.. dealer was trying to push the z06 and while i think its a nice machine, its just not a viper imo. So I didnt get much 'me installation into viper' advice.

 

[Silver04]

I came from a Vette and there is definitely more room in them when compared to the Viper. I'm 6'4" - my car has the 2" kit. Issue with the kit is once the seat is moved back it's pretty permanent...I could see how this might help the length but not too sure about the width as you've got me by a few pounds...good luck!

 

[niceguySLIM]

I came from a Vette and there is definitely more room in them when compared to the Viper. I'm 6'4" - my car has the 2" kit. Issue with the kit is once the seat is moved back it's pretty permanent...I could see how this might help the length but not too sure about the width as you've got me by a few pounds...good luck!

Yea, thanks. I just figured i fit good in my '06 charger srt8 and my '12 srt8 cherokee, heck, the bro in laws SRT4 gives me a chance.

Viper is not showing me love.

 

[rw99]

I'm 6'4, with 36" waist x 36" inseam, and the 2" (non-adjustable) seat drop kit affords me plenty of headroom and adequate legroom. If you're running out of butt room, then you'll need to consider an aftermarket seat. Not sure how much that'll help; it's a tight cockpit for big guys.

'12 GCSRT8! Sweet!

 

[BigDawg]

I just hope SRT creates a little more room in the Gen V. The GenIII is definitely smaller than the GenII, as far as the coupes are concerned.

 

[Steve M]

6'4" and 240lbs here...I've never had a problem fitting in C5 and C6 Vettes, but the Viper is tight. If I sit up straight, the headliner blocks my view of the horizon, so I kinda have to hunch over a little to make forward visibility possible (stock seat height). While I'm sure it's not ideal, I don't mind installing myself in the car every time I drive just because it is so much fun to do so.

It would definitely be tight if I was any bigger, and you clearly are. About the only way forward I could see for you would be to fit another seat in there with revised lateral supports, but that would likely be costly and a huge PITA.

The Viper was definitely designed with smaller guys in mind...the Vette, not so much (evidenced by just as many complaints about the lack of support the Vette seats provide).

 

[//M5Guy]

Wanting a Viper may have saved my life! I was 6 ft 5 and 278 pounds and had a hard time fitting into the Viper I wanted in November. I went on a diet, had a physical with my doctor and have lost 33 pounds in 4 months and am exercising and off blood pressure meds and looking forward to getting my first Viper this Spring. I have owned several Corvettes and my daily driver is an M5. I thought the M5 board was a great auto forum, but you guys have them beat.

 

[georgethedog]

I had my seat in my Gen 3 customized to fit my back because it hurt.

Here is my advice. Get yourself in it best you can and take the car on a test drive and drive it to a local auto uphostery shop. Have a person at the shop look at you and the seat and see if they could make changes to the sides, etc. I bet they can! If not, maybe you could get an aftermarket seat. Don't give up!

If you cannot get in the car, call a shop and pick up the person and take them to the dealer for a fitting!

 

[Nine Ball]

Buy the Viper you want. Stare at it in your garage, use it for motivation to lose weight. Reward yourself by driving it, when that time comes.

 

[ViperGTS]

lol - fat guys should only drive a Viper if a fat passenger is in there also. Balance! Of the car. But then, you are over the load limit anyway ))

Bye-bye Viper or reduce weight be some hundred pounds!

 

[SlayerLS1]

Wanting a Viper may have saved my life! I was 6 ft 5 and 278 pounds and had a hard time fitting into the Viper I wanted in November. I went on a diet, had a physical with my doctor and have lost 33 pounds in 4 months and am exercising and off blood pressure meds and looking forward to getting my first Viper this Spring. I have owned several Corvettes and my daily driver is an M5. I thought the M5 board was a great auto forum, but you guys have them beat.

Good for you! Great reason to get in shape. Congrats on the results from the hard work.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

I AM 6'2' AND ABOUT 260 LBS. i NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH MY 2000 VIPER, NO SEAT LOWERING KIT AND A LOT OF ROAD RACING EXPERIENCE. NO PROBLEM WITH HELMET CLEARANCE, I FIT JUST FINE.

.

 

[FrgMstr]

I think the only thing going to help him fit between the bolsters is some exercise and dieting. I am 6' at 230lbs. and the bolsters are tight across my thighs.

 

[georgethedog]

I think the only thing going to help him fit between the bolsters is some exercise and dieting. I am 6' at 230lbs. and the bolsters are tight across my thighs.

Heck, at 5'10" and 185 pounds and 34" waist, the bolsters are a tight fit on the bottom and sides. Sorry Viper brothers, but I was more comfortable in my C6 Vette seats...

 

[ssjcreeper]

6'9", 275lbs. I feel like a contortionist getting in and out. I tell everyone its a matter of how much you want it. Thank God for seat lowering kits. Nonetheless, two hours is my max drive time before I feel like a caged ape. Still, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

 

[Viper X]

There are a few things you can do to "fit" in the OE seat better.

First, getting into the car I drop my butt into the seat, then swing the legs in. This helps a bunch with ingress / egress and helps avoid scuffing the side sills.

You can also bend the OE seat bolster supports, which are metal, out a bit at both the lower and upper areas. This really helps with thigh comfort. There is a thread on this somewhere in this forum where an SRT engineer tells us it's OK to bend these metal supports a bit.

I lowered my seat using the 2-inch drop and with the above adjustments, I fit pretty well at 6' 4" and 250, even with a helmet on.

You've probably figured out that the pedals and the steering colum adjust and that the visors are pretty useless - I removed mine in my ACR but left them in the vert for ventilation on warm days.

You can always remove a bit of the foam padding from the seat or have a seat custom made.

Good luck,

Dan

 

[georgethedog]

Hey Viper X, do you know how to bend those metal supports? I tried once, but they seemed like they were not interested in moving...

 

[SRT8&10]

I knew being short would pay off eventually!! (but I still could stand to lose a few pounds)

 

[Mopar Boy]

First off, from another member in the Toronto area, welcome!

Secondly, don't give up on your Viper dream. If you want a Viper, focus on that and stop considering other things.

Thirdly, have you maybe considered a different year or does it need to be the one you saw at the dealer? When it comes to Vipers, don't shop by what the local dealer has. Yes, it does make it easier to test fit yourself into them, but not always the right place to buy. Especially in Ontario where dealer selection will be limited when it comes to Vipers. They will likely try to get you into something one way or another as they know you want to buy something and will therefore try to sell you something even if it is not what you want.

Lastly, as a 7' Viper owner once told me when asking him how he fits into a Viper, his response was how bad do you want to drive it? That is really the answer here. Yes, everyone can say lose weight etc but they are not in your shoes. Not always that easy to just say go on a diet. Lets work with where you currently are and if you at some point fit into it better, I am even happier for you.

So in your case, don't feel frustrated about getting into the car. I have to walk every passenger that gets into my car how to get in as they are NOT easy cars to get in. Heck I am still a younger person and I can have difficulty! But thats half the fun!

Try tilting wheel up, try one leg slide in, and also do consider a seat drop. You are tall enough that the lowering kit won't bother you. Also do consider a different seat. I will say the 2003 and newer seats are more bolstered than a 2002 prior. Maybe you need to consider one of the older seats. And if you are hell bent on a newer body, try an older seat into the newer car. Or an aftermarket seat if it needs to be. Yes a custom interior shop can do it for you to! At some point if things do change or you want to sell it, it can always be returned to stock. (Need a recommendation for custom seat? Speak with Gary at Diamond Trim in Aurora, Ontario.....he can do magic and even build you a seat from scratch if need be! Super nice guy too and also a diehard Mopar nut! Also does fantastic work.)(Here, to make it even easier I pulled the website for you: http://www.diamondtrim.com/about.html)

What I am saying is you may need to be creative, but there is always a way if you really want it. Just set your mind to it. Don't settle for less.)

 

[cfiiman]

Wanting a Viper may have saved my life! I was 6 ft 5 and 278 pounds and had a hard time fitting into the Viper I wanted in November. I went on a diet, had a physical with my doctor and have lost 33 pounds in 4 months and am exercising and off blood pressure meds and looking forward to getting my first Viper this Spring. I have owned several Corvettes and my daily driver is an M5. I thought the M5 board was a great auto forum, but you guys have them beat.

Now this guy REALLY wants one

 

[Viper X]

Hey Viper X, do you know how to bend those metal supports? I tried once, but they seemed like they were not interested in moving...

Yes.

I removed the driver's seat from the car, only four bolts, placed the seat on a carpeted floor in my garage and stood on the lower sides of the seat until I had it where I wanted it. It won't take much, so do just a bit at a time, then sit in the seat for a "test fit". Good news is if you bend them too much, you can bend them back!

For the upper side supports, which weren't a big an issue for me, I just grabbed them and pushed them apart, tested the fit until it felt comfortable and re-installed the seat.

Made a huge difference in my comfort. My 04 is now approaching 50K miles!

Good luck,

Dan

 

[georgethedog]

Yes.

I removed the driver's seat from the car, only four bolts, placed the seat on a carpeted floor in my garage and stood on the lower sides of the seat until I had it where I wanted it. It won't take much, so do just a bit at a time, then sit in the seat for a "test fit". Good news is if you bend them too much, you can bend them back!

For the upper side supports, which weren't a big an issue for me, I just grabbed them and pushed them apart, tested the fit until it felt comfortable and re-installed the seat.

Made a huge difference in my comfort. My 04 is now approaching 50K miles!

Good luck,

Dan

I wonder if I can do that with SRT-8 Challenger seats as they are really tight side to side???

 

[Richard Koch]

I recently had experience with someone wanting to find out whether they would fit in my 1999 RT-10. He called himself Moose, so I assumed he was pretty big. I invited him to come to my home and see if he could fit comfortably. We checked him out with the top off and based on these photos I am thinking Moose will need a much larger vehicle. I doubt he could get in with the top on and there doesn't seem to be any way he could fit a helmet on for track days.

Check the photos and see if you agree.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Silver04]

Check the photos and see if you agree.

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Very funny!!!! Thanks.

 

[09 Venom]

niceguy, anyone 6'2" and over the seat lowering kits are a MUST. 2 inch lowering kit in both my Vipers. Tried the 1 inch in the 09 coupe thinking the doublebubble hood would be ok. It was for headroom but line of vision was at the visor. Switched to th 2 inch and it is much better.

 

[SkyBob]

I recently had experience with someone wanting to find out whether they would fit in my 1999 RT-10. He called himself Moose, so I assumed he was pretty big. I invited him to come to my home and see if he could fit comfortably. We checked him out with the top off and based on these photos I am thinking Moose will need a much larger vehicle. I doubt he could get in with the top on and there doesn't seem to be any way he could fit a helmet on for track days.

Considering where the steering wheel is that might be a pretty stimulating ride.

 

[Longdaddy]

if you can find reputable upholstery shop and racing preparation shop in your area, talk to them about building you a modified seat. the reason i'd go to a racing shop is that I would not trust just anyone to cut/weld/bend stuff in the seat since it is is a critical crash safety component in your car.

i have seen this done, and with enough motivation (and money) you can make anything fit into anything (when it comes to cars, at least)

your car would also have unique "big boy (or girl) viper" value on the market down the road too