Looking for different car... May sell/trade my 03...

[georgethedog]

Lots of great ideas. Things I have not thought of. You guys are great. Keep them coming...

 

[georgethedog]

Not much compares to the Viper, but the Ford Shelby GT500 with 662 horsepower would be a good option.

MSRP
$54,200 - $59,200
Invoice
$49,458 - $54,020

Geez, I just looked on FleeBay and the remaining 2012's, which are not the high hp ones, are going for mid $50's.

 

[tcsracing1]

Geez, I just looked on FleeBay and the remaining 2012's, which are not the high hp ones, are going for mid $50's.

yup, 2011 and 2012 models are the same and going for good deals becuase the 2013 is around the corner with the be all end all 5.8L as opposed to the 5.4L.....

the shelby is great daily driver. like a 2 door grand marquis....

I still have a 2007 as my ****** and it makes commuting an easy affair whereas the viper is hard to get in and out of, hot as a bastard and not much cabin room....

still, the viper is the coolest of the two when it comes to drving experience and curb appeal....

 

[Slithr]

OK, how about this. Sell the Viper and your house, move into the dorm where you teach (to limit comute) .... then buy you a Falcon Mach 7 or TT Ford GT, problem solved

 

[georgethedog]

OK, how about this. Sell the Viper and your house, move into the dorm where you teach (to limit comute) .... then buy you a Falcon Mach 7 or TT Ford GT, problem solved

That would be my plan if I were single and did not have kids.

 

[georgethedog]

yup, 2011 and 2012 models are the same and going for good deals becuase the 2013 is around the corner with the be all end all 5.8L as opposed to the 5.4L.....

the shelby is great daily driver. like a 2 door grand marquis....

I still have a 2007 as my ****** and it makes commuting an easy affair whereas the viper is hard to get in and out of, hot as a bastard and not much cabin room....

still, the viper is the coolest of the two when it comes to drving experience and curb appeal....

You think mid $50's is a good deal??? Didn't they sticker for about that??? I would have thought a 2011 or 2012 could be had for a lot less now??? Anybody???

 

[tcsracing1]

You think mid $50's is a good deal??? Didn't they sticker for about that??? I would have thought a 2011 or 2012 could be had for a lot less now??? Anybody???

they stickered new for mid 50's.... but they are now trading in the 40's.....

 

[SRT8&10]

I looked at the Shelby in 2009 when I got my challenger, but they were about 5k more, and had less room. Plus, the new model wasn't coming out for 6 months with some extra power, and I didn't want to wait.

 

[malcoll]

I am an avid Mustang fan (still have my 1969 Mach 1) and I bought a 2008 GT500 convertible for a daily driver... great car, good HP... I modded slightly and had about 500 to 525 at the rear wheels.... very comfortable, nice ride.......but could not get over the fact that for $54K (I bought brand new....no Market Value Adjustment just sticker) there was little "insipring" about it. The new one is cutting edge at 650 HP (flywheel).... but the 2008 was cutting edge at 500 HP (flywheel) in 2007 when I bought it.

I ended up trading in the GT500 towards my 2006 GTS Blue Viper roadster..... I drive it EVERY DAY... I am 6'4" and 240lbs.... at 45 years old it is painful to exit at times.....but I drive it EVERY DAY anyway.......

The new GT500 is intriguing, but they will be 50,000 of them and they will depreciate like a rock..........and they are still a Mustang....... or a Challenger...or a Camaro.....regardless they are not a Viper and are not unique.....any of them..... they can be fun....but if you don't want to see yourself "coming and going"..............

But you can only make yourself happy.... when I bought the GT500 to replace my Gen 1 as a daily driver my wife told me I would not be "satisfied" with the GT500...it took me 3.5 years to admit, but she was right.... only you know you.....or maybe you should ask your wife and listen?

 

[flotter390]

How about a Roush Stage 3 Mustang. They are rare and head turners.

I just picked up a 2010 left over with 30 miles for a great price.

To keep my 08 srt/10 company.

 

[georgethedog]

I am an avid Mustang fan (still have my 1969 Mach 1) and I bought a 2008 GT500 convertible for a daily driver... great car, good HP... I modded slightly and had about 500 to 525 at the rear wheels.... very comfortable, nice ride.......but could not get over the fact that for $54K (I bought brand new....no Market Value Adjustment just sticker) there was little "insipring" about it. The new one is cutting edge at 650 HP (flywheel).... but the 2008 was cutting edge at 500 HP (flywheel) in 2007 when I bought it.

I ended up trading in the GT500 towards my 2006 GTS Blue Viper roadster..... I drive it EVERY DAY... I am 6'4" and 240lbs.... at 45 years old it is painful to exit at times.....but I drive it EVERY DAY anyway.......

The new GT500 is intriguing, but they will be 50,000 of them and they will depreciate like a rock..........and they are still a Mustang....... or a Challenger...or a Camaro.....regardless they are not a Viper and are not unique.....any of them..... they can be fun....but if you don't want to see yourself "coming and going"..............

But you can only make yourself happy.... when I bought the GT500 to replace my Gen 1 as a daily driver my wife told me I would not be "satisfied" with the GT500...it took me 3.5 years to admit, but she was right.... only you know you.....or maybe you should ask your wife and listen?

Thanks for your comments. I can't remember if I said this or not earlier, but I have always liked the Viper, but I have never loved the Viper. Maybe that is why I have had 4 different ones in 5 years-never really satisfied with it??? The only car I ever really loved was my 1974 Charger (maybe because it had a big backseat that was very useful...) The other three cars I really loved from that era were the 1970 Dart ******* 340, the AAR 'Cuda, and the 1970 Cutlass Ralleye 350. All were unique cars.

With that said, I don't want to go back to an old muscle car for a lot of reasons, but the Viper just seems to be wasting away in my garage. I am leaning toward selling/trading for a 2009/10 Challenger SRT-8 and modding it with a supercharger, shaker hood, 'cuda grill, maybe some special stripes like the old AAR 'Cuda. Making it "mine" by customizing it. I look at my wife's Challenger and just love the looks more than my Viper's. I guess I always loved the muscle car look better than the sports car look.

 

[georgethedog]

How about a Roush Stage 3 Mustang. They are rare and head turners.

I just picked up a 2010 left over with 30 miles for a great price.

To keep my 08 srt/10 company.

So, if I may ask since you brought it up, what's a great price because I have considered that car???

 

[tcsracing1]

I am an avid Mustang fan (still have my 1969 Mach 1) and I bought a 2008 GT500 convertible for a daily driver... great car, good HP... I modded slightly and had about 500 to 525 at the rear wheels.... very comfortable, nice ride.......but could not get over the fact that for $54K (I bought brand new....no Market Value Adjustment just sticker) there was little "insipring" about it. The new one is cutting edge at 650 HP (flywheel).... but the 2008 was cutting edge at 500 HP (flywheel) in 2007 when I bought it.

I ended up trading in the GT500 towards my 2006 GTS Blue Viper roadster..... I drive it EVERY DAY... I am 6'4" and 240lbs.... at 45 years old it is painful to exit at times.....but I drive it EVERY DAY anyway.......

The new GT500 is intriguing, but they will be 50,000 of them and they will depreciate like a rock..........and they are still a Mustang....... or a Challenger...or a Camaro.....regardless they are not a Viper and are not unique.....any of them..... they can be fun....but if you don't want to see yourself "coming and going"..............

But you can only make yourself happy.... when I bought the GT500 to replace my Gen 1 as a daily driver my wife told me I would not be "satisfied" with the GT500...it took me 3.5 years to admit, but she was right.... only you know you.....or maybe you should ask your wife and listen?

the 2007-2009 Shelby iron block cars were great daily drivers but nothing special, although they are rare in terms of production numbers.. (not viper rare of course)
My old lady hated mine too and always grabbed the keys to the viper...

the 2011-2012 shelbys got the aluminum block and were a little nicer...

the 2013 shelby gets bumped from 5.4L to 5.8L and will be a monster of a car.... production numbers will not be massive and is the last year for the retro body.

One thing to remember, all the saleen mustangs, roushes etc are just modded mustang GTs...... The shelbys have the 4 cam, aluminum 32 valve hand built motors....

The Shelbys depreciate slower than all other mustangs...

it is the motor that seperates from all the other mustangs.

 

[flotter390]

So, if I may ask since you brought it up, what's a great price because I have considered that car???

I paid $42,000 and got over retail for a car that I traded in.

Fred

 

[PatentLaw]

George,

If the back pain is an issue as well as entry and exit, consider spending a small (very small) amount of money on a Lincoln Mark VIII and slap a supercharger on it. You have luxury, ease of getting in and out and can be out for under 10k. It has the Ford Cobra engine, is very reliable and gets good gas mileage.

If you want something that looks more sporty, I would suggest a 2000-2004 Jaguar XKR Convert. They look better than the "newer" models (people actually think the older model is the newer model), they have 400 hp and have a very comfortable cabin. Out for under 20k.

Hope that helps.

Plaw

 

[georgethedog]

George,

If the back pain is an issue as well as entry and exit, consider spending a small (very small) amount of money on a Lincoln Mark VIII and slap a supercharger on it. You have luxury, ease of getting in and out and can be out for under 10k. It has the Ford Cobra engine, is very reliable and gets good gas mileage.

If you want something that looks more sporty, I would suggest a 2000-2004 Jaguar XKR Convert. They look better than the "newer" models (people actually think the older model is the newer model), they have 400 hp and have a very comfortable cabin. Out for under 20k.

Hope that helps.

Plaw

Thanks, what year Lincoln?

 

[Cobraken]

the 2013 shelby gets bumped from 5.4L to 5.8L and will be a monster of a car.... production numbers will not be massive and is the last year for the retro body.

One thing to remember, all the saleen mustangs, roushes etc are just modded mustang GTs...... The shelbys have the 4 cam, aluminum 32 valve hand built motors....

The Shelbys depreciate slower than all other mustangs...

it is the motor that seperates from all the other mustangs.

Not entirely true. I bought a Saleen Cobra S-281 Mystichrome speedster new in '04. It had the 4 cam 32 valve engine (hand built) turning 428 rwhp, 6 spd and with rear independent suspension. Sold it last spring for more than I paid for it new. It got much more attention in public than any of the Vipers I've owned. My family is still down on me for selling it and not the Viper.

Incidently, the newer Viper 6 spd has the same 5th and 6th spd gearing as that Cobra did 8 yrs ago.

 

[malcoll]

the 2007-2009 Shelby iron block cars were great daily drivers but nothing special, although they are rare in terms of production numbers.. (not viper rare of course)
My old lady hated mine too and always grabbed the keys to the viper...

the 2011-2012 shelbys got the aluminum block and were a little nicer...

the 2013 shelby gets bumped from 5.4L to 5.8L and will be a monster of a car.... production numbers will not be massive and is the last year for the retro body.

One thing to remember, all the saleen mustangs, roushes etc are just modded mustang GTs...... The shelbys have the 4 cam, aluminum 32 valve hand built motors....

The Shelbys depreciate slower than all other mustangs...

it is the motor that seperates from all the other mustangs.

Believe what you will.....when I bought my 2008 in 2007 Ford was still hinting that 2008 would be the last production year for the Shelby GT500....(heck some people were still paying a $5K to $10K markup when I bought mine for sticker in November 2007)....... so if you want to believe the 2013 will be low production.....good luck with that, I hope it works out for you. Yes it depreciated less than most cars...... but at the end of the day any number of Shelby wannabes just buy the body parts and turn their Mustang GT into a Shelby... As Cubican what his car was before his current Viper....... Yes the motor separates a GT500....but you don't see the motor running down the street and the body parts are easily acquired and modded to ANY Mustang. It is NOTHING special even the 2013 will be "eh ok" when the 2014's come out.

And the 2007's through 2009's are not all that rare...you get over 5000 to 7500 per year and that train has left the building.......

 

[georgethedog]

Update... My wife wants to give me her 2010 Black SRT-8 Challenger 6-speed to do whatever I want to it if I trade my Viper for a C6 Vette convertible for her.

 

[tcsracing1]

Believe what you will.....when I bought my 2008 in 2007 Ford was still hinting that 2008 would be the last production year for the Shelby GT500....(heck some people were still paying a $5K to $10K markup when I bought mine for sticker in November 2007)....... so if you want to believe the 2013 will be low production.....good luck with that, I hope it works out for you. Yes it depreciated less than most cars...... but at the end of the day any number of Shelby wannabes just buy the body parts and turn their Mustang GT into a Shelby... As Cubican what his car was before his current Viper....... Yes the motor separates a GT500....but you don't see the motor running down the street and the body parts are easily acquired and modded to ANY Mustang. It is NOTHING special even the 2013 will be "eh ok" when the 2014's come out.

And the 2007's through 2009's are not all that rare...you get over 5000 to 7500 per year and that train has left the building.......

It all comes down to if you are a "motor" guy or "image" guy.... if you appreciate the 4 cam supercharged motor stuffed into a mustang body, then it is something of interest and one would not care if wannabe mustangs are running around because they simply are not the same car. Not sure why one would be detered by body kit replicas on the road?
The body is secondary with these cars. It is only now that they are installing 4 cam motors in the regular GT mustangs but are still not the hand built cobra motors found in the shelbys.... same idea as in the 60's.... Mustangs and shelbys were different based mainly on engines and that is why people enjoyed them.
All shelbys are indeed lower production cars then usual, but not compared to the Viper of course. Lower than camaros or challengers in terms of low production for a passenger vehicle.

 

[tcsracing1]

Not entirely true. I bought a Saleen Cobra S-281 Mystichrome speedster new in '04. It had the 4 cam 32 valve engine (hand built) turning 428 rwhp, 6 spd and with rear independent suspension. Sold it last spring for more than I paid for it new. It got much more attention in public than any of the Vipers I've owned. My family is still down on me for selling it and not the Viper.

Incidently, the newer Viper 6 spd has the same 5th and 6th spd gearing as that Cobra did 8 yrs ago.

Excelent point. The 4.6L 4 cammers were available and special in the Saleens, thus commanded decent resale... rare car and a lot of fun, especially the supercharged versions.

 

[tcsracing1]

Update... My wife wants to give me her 2010 Black SRT-8 Challenger 6-speed to do whatever I want to it if I trade my Viper for a C6 Vette convertible for her.

That is a cool move....challenger is easier for you and the vette for her is a more practical car than a viper....

still, you will miss the viper.....

viper makes the challenger and vette feel boring in comparo....

 

[klamathpro]

I've driven or sat in nearly all the suggested cars posted. Anyone suggesting an EVO or Nissian didn't read your initial post with the reason why you are getting out of a Viper. The best one to fit your requirements is definitely the Challenger. All the comforts and room you'll ever need. Get a 392 with 470HP if you want an almost similar experience to a GEN1 in terms of raw power. Or wait for the rumored 426 Hemi.

 

[tcsracing1]

I've driven or sat in nearly all the suggested cars posted. Anyone suggesting an EVO or Nissian didn't read your initial post with the reason why you are getting out of a Viper. The best one to fit your requirements is definitely the Challenger. All the comforts and room you'll ever need. Get a 392 with 470HP if you want an almost similar experience to a GEN1 in terms of raw power. Or wait for the rumored 426 Hemi.

excellent plan

 

[swexlin]

I've driven or sat in nearly all the suggested cars posted. Anyone suggesting an EVO or Nissian didn't read your initial post with the reason why you are getting out of a Viper. The best one to fit your requirements is definitely the Challenger. All the comforts and room you'll ever need. Get a 392 with 470HP if you want an almost similar experience to a GEN1 in terms of raw power. Or wait for the rumored 426 Hemi.

This EXACTLY!

 

[malcoll]

It all comes down to if you are a "motor" guy or "image" guy.... if you appreciate the 4 cam supercharged motor stuffed into a mustang body, then it is something of interest and one would not care if wannabe mustangs are running around because they simply are not the same car. Not sure why one would be detered by body kit replicas on the road?
The body is secondary with these cars. It is only now that they are installing 4 cam motors in the regular GT mustangs but are still not the hand built cobra motors found in the shelbys.... same idea as in the 60's.... Mustangs and shelbys were different based mainly on engines and that is why people enjoyed them.
All shelbys are indeed lower production cars then usual, but not compared to the Viper of course. Lower than camaros or challengers in terms of low production for a passenger vehicle.

I agree it's about the motor.... I've had just about every Mustang variant they have made....but George said he wanted unique........ I equate "unique" to something truly special...the Viper, Saleen S7, Ford GT....those are unique..... any variant Mustang, Challenger or Camaro may be differentiated by stripes, paint, engine, etc.... but it's not "unique". Probably one of the most "differentiated" Mustangs I have ever owned was a 1996 Cobra (first year of the 4 cam motor in a Mustang) that had the factory Mystic paint.... at the time Ford would not sell the paint or the code to any one, you could only get the paint or a replacement engine if you were the titled owner of a 1996 Cobra.. .they made about 2,500 of them.........that was somewhat unique at the time, but now they are not......

And I am probably still bitter about the Shelby GT500 (only the second brand new car I have ever purchased ...come to think of it the first was also a Mustang)..... Ford had an opportunity to make the GT500 a fairly "unique" and "rare" car, but they chose (as any corporation usually will) to take all the profit they could and kept building more and more....and then selling the body parts to others to "make" a GT500 look-alike. Regardless of what we all may believe... if there are 10,000 cars out there that "look like" your car.....then your car loses "unique" status and brings lower resale....still the motor is awesome......

The Viper has it all, low production, hand assembled, awesome motor.......and since 1997......ROLL UP WINDOWS (I drove a Gen 1.5 1996 Viper RT/10 for my daily driver for a number of years...no windows....)...

So George.... after all this..... it's really up to you...... if you like the Challenger, then you should take your wife up on the trade!!

 

[eucharistos]

Update... My wife wants to give me her 2010 Black SRT-8 Challenger 6-speed to do whatever I want to it if I trade my Viper for a C6 Vette convertible for her.

that is clearance my friend

 

[swexlin]

Update... My wife wants to give me her 2010 Black SRT-8 Challenger 6-speed to do whatever I want to it if I trade my Viper for a C6 Vette convertible for her.

This sounds like a pretty good plan.

 

[tcsracing1]

I agree it's about the motor.... I've had just about every Mustang variant they have made....but George said he wanted unique........ I equate "unique" to something truly special...the Viper, Saleen S7, Ford GT....those are unique..... any variant Mustang, Challenger or Camaro may be differentiated by stripes, paint, engine, etc.... but it's not "unique". Probably one of the most "differentiated" Mustangs I have ever owned was a 1996 Cobra (first year of the 4 cam motor in a Mustang) that had the factory Mystic paint.... at the time Ford would not sell the paint or the code to any one, you could only get the paint or a replacement engine if you were the titled owner of a 1996 Cobra.. .they made about 2,500 of them.........that was somewhat unique at the time, but now they are not......

And I am probably still bitter about the Shelby GT500 (only the second brand new car I have ever purchased ...come to think of it the first was also a Mustang)..... Ford had an opportunity to make the GT500 a fairly "unique" and "rare" car, but they chose (as any corporation usually will) to take all the profit they could and kept building more and more....and then selling the body parts to others to "make" a GT500 look-alike. Regardless of what we all may believe... if there are 10,000 cars out there that "look like" your car.....then your car loses "unique" status and brings lower resale....still the motor is awesome......

The Viper has it all, low production, hand assembled, awesome motor.......and since 1997......ROLL UP WINDOWS (I drove a Gen 1.5 1996 Viper RT/10 for my daily driver for a number of years...no windows....)...

So George.... after all this..... it's really up to you...... if you like the Challenger, then you should take your wife up on the trade!!

I think im in the same boat as you..... my 2007 GT500 was one of the first in Canada, special order. Now it looks like any other black convertable mustang rental car which *****. Agree 100% with you there.

I love using it for daily driving however, it is like a work truck and only gets washed once a year. I would sell it and buy the 2013 as my next daily ******.

My Viper will never be sold however. Unique and will always be a classic.

 

[tcsracing1]

actually, a Viper truck would be just the ticket for what you are looking for. You keep the goodness of the viper engine and settle for a roomy interior that is easy to slide in and out of......

friend of mine has viper truck and would not give it up for a new challenger 392...... he loves the multiple use of the truck and the v10 snarl is addictive.