Looking to join the ranks

[TurboDrummer]

Hello all, I am looking to join the ranks of viper ownership but have some questions that I have been looking around for answers. Currently my desire is to end up with gen 2 ACR GTS, but I wouldn't turn down a good deal on a gen 2 RT/10 . I'd prefer a 96-99 for the forged motor aspect, as I'd like to supercharge the car down the road once I am used to the untamed beast. I'm actually looking at a 99 RT/10 with 50k miles for the mid 20s. So below are some questions that I've read here and there about but haven't really seen any definitive answers to.

• I have read and seen around that there are parts availability issues with these cars. What type of parts are the biggest issues to find?
• Speaking to some people I know who are car people but not Viper owners, I have heard build quality is somewhat crappy with gen 2 cars, is this so?
• With that said, what are the biggest problems to look for in these cars? Is there a common issue that tends to pop up when mileage X is reached? I have read about front and rear frame frame cracking is an issue in these cars. Is that something that an aftermarket piece fixes or is it a crapshoot?

I'm sure you have answered all these questions 1000 times. Unfortunately I don't have time on my side as a couple of these deals are time sensitive. I've looked around here for stickies or tried searching but usually come up empty and to be honest, I am the worlds worst forum searcher. I appreciate any and all help from you all. I'm actually quite excited and nervous at the same time at the prospect of owning what was my dream car as a kid. Thanks!

 

[TurboDrummer]

Probably should have waited before posting, starting to find SOME answers. Any advice is still welcome

 

[Roy]

the gen 1 has bad head gaskets, but you're not looking in that model, so no problem here.
Build quality is fine by me, sure you can see it is a low volume build, but it's not a kitcar either. I owned a gen 1 and have a gen 3, 3 is far better build quality, the gen'2 sit's a bit in the middle as far as I inspected them. I never had issue's finding parts for my gen 1, but difficult parts are interior parts like inside door handles and stuff. (I bought the last available rear inlay window for my Gen 1). Pieces like a new roof or such are very difficult to get, but just make sure to buy a nice complete car, you'll be fine. As far as I know, engine and drivetrain parts are widely available and there is a lot of aftermarket stuff too.
Frame cracking is new to me, but that probably is because I didn't have the issue, but it's not like I see postings like that fly by every week and I am writing and lurking for years by now.

Best part of the Viper to me is that it has true supercar potential and looks, but is far cheaper to maintain compared to the ferrari's, faster Porsches and Lambo's. The engine is foolproof as long as you use common sense and working on the car is easy and basic, so you can do lot's of things yourself. Parts are very cheap compared to other supercars, but off course with Viper tax, they are very expensive compared to regular daily cars. If you check the Viper's maintainance schedule, you'll see that it is all about changing oil, spark plugs, some fluids, filters, but nothing about special supercarlike difficult operations. Basic maintainance is dead easy and the engine will live forever if you take normal care. in the end it has very low HP per cubic inch/liter and is very low tech

good luck finding your car, you won't regret...all in all it is a great car through all gen's

 

[TurboDrummer]

the gen 1 has bad head gaskets, but you're not looking in that model, so no problem here.
Build quality is fine by me, sure you can see it is a low volume build, but it's not a kitcar either. I owned a gen 1 and have a gen 3, 3 is far better build quality, the gen'2 sit's a bit in the middle as far as I inspected them. I never had issue's finding parts for my gen 1, but difficult parts are interior parts like inside door handles and stuff. (I bought the last available rear inlay window for my Gen 1). Pieces like a new roof or such are very difficult to get, but just make sure to buy a nice complete car, you'll be fine. As far as I know, engine and drivetrain parts are widely available and there is a lot of aftermarket stuff too.
Frame cracking is new to me, but that probably is because I didn't have the issue, but it's not like I see postings like that fly by every week and I am writing and lurking for years by now.

Best part of the Viper to me is that it has true supercar potential and looks, but is far cheaper to maintain compared to the ferrari's, faster Porsches and Lambo's. The engine is foolproof as long as you use common sense and working on the car is easy and basic, so you can do lot's of things yourself. Parts are very cheap compared to other supercars, but off course with Viper tax, they are very expensive compared to regular daily cars. If you check the Viper's maintainance schedule, you'll see that it is all about changing oil, spark plugs, some fluids, filters, but nothing about special supercarlike difficult operations. Basic maintainance is dead easy and the engine will live forever if you take normal care. in the end it has very low HP per cubic inch/liter and is very low tech

good luck finding your car, you won't regret...all in all it is a great car through all gen's

Thanks for the input!

one of my main questions I guess is regarding mileage. How important is it to find a low mileage car? Are higher mileage, 30-60k miles, more problematic- even if maintained? I guess what I'm getting at are these similar to a ferrari? Where you would not want to get tangled in a ferrari with 35k miles due to all the ungodly maintenance you would have to do to it or do you only need normal stuff. I'm really excited about the prospect of finally owning a car that I have dreamed about since I was a little kid!

 

[ViperJohn]

Vipers are one of the cheapest cars to maintain and enjoy. if well maintained, don't let higher mileage worry you.

 

[Camfab]

Viper's are nothing like Ferrari's in terms of maintenance. It's not the mileage that's the issue, it's age. At 15 to twenty years your going to have issues like weather stripping going bad and wires in the door harness failing due to poor quality. Your window regulator may fail, door hinges all sag, etc. Just because a 1996 car has 10K on it doesn't mean the doors weren't cycled as many times a car with average driving and 100K. If you look at enough cars you'll be able to tell the beat up cars from the well kept.

 

[charlesj]

Ditto on what Camfab said. If you can find a deal on a higher mileage car, don't let that deter you. I just turned over 71,000 miles and the car still purrs. Age and how long the car has been sitting will be more of your issue. I recently let mine sit for a couple years since I shredded a pulley and with family and work it's funny how fast time goes by (plus I had this problem with the tires disintegrating, only the backs, not the fronts). Recently got new tires and fixed the pulley and now I just blew out a radiator hose. I attribute this to age and sitting. I purchased the car when it had approx 50,000 miles and from 50 to 70k, never any mechanical issues other than the pulley shredding which is a known issue. Best of luck.

 

[Sybil TF]

Don't get a clunker, spend more for a nicer well maintained one.

 

[Nsane1]

Everyone here is spot on. These cars are pretty much bulletproof, gen 2 and up is recommended. There are little piddly things that can be nightmares if you get one that was not loved as Sybil says. I'd stay away from a track car as well.

Some parts are hard to get some not so hard (as they sourced some from broader stock on other cars). Obviously, a newer gen will be easier to get parts for (however this is not a 100% certainty).

Just surf around and see what you like, each gen has it's own pros/cons... Good luck to you!