jwwiii
Viper Owner
A chilly 10 degree hello;
I will TRY to keep this brief but give details important to those unfortunate brethren/sisteren (sp?) anxiously waiting for their's to arrive.
Nothing about ordering a new Viper has ever been easy for me; maybe you too? It takes a lot of patience to wait for these things we dream of for 6 months or longer. This time, it was REALLY WORTH THE WAIT!
My Silver SRT arrived late on Tuesday the 14th at 7 pm. My salesman expected a call from Reliable for directions when they got close (allowing me, my drool-cup, fresh "Depends" on to get there for the unloading) but they just showed up and got her in the service area.
When I first saw the beast, I was immediately impressed with it's fantastic "sparkly" Silver paint and STRONG front fender creases. I slowly inspected every part hardly believing it was here at last. This baby has Porsche/Mercedes build quality in the fit and finish department. I opened the door, and heard the quick servo motor "zzz" for a split-second as the "smart-glass" thing lowered the window in a flash. The door handle operates so smoothly! I took off the set plastic and saw the fantastic new seats! I got in, and they fit me like a glove (I'm 6'2" 200 lbs).
Looking ahead, the new view of the hood is like driving the Batmobile! I was thrilled at the lower hood looking ahead, and the front fenders are super-creased and exotic looking. The louvers on the hood are BIG and bold. The whole view came to my attention as looking like a modified "W" shape with the middle part of the "W" rounded (the plenum dome). Now, the fenders had a 911 Porsche visual effect on me, (no they don't look anything like a Porsche), and I could see that I was going to feel connected with the road. The front fenders made me feel like I was in something VERY fast and almost a top-secret Stealth fighter Jet feel. This is the truth, I am not trying to be dramatic at all!
I was handed the keys. I put them in the ignition and felt something new; there is one of those "key release" that you have to push to get them out. I pushed in the clutch and turned the key; I forgot about the "Starter" button. I fired it up (very fun to push that button) and it sounded much better than my Gen II with Mopar Cat-backs; not quite as loud, but a BETTER sound to me (more later).I ran the shifter through the gears in idle, and shifting feels MUCH shorter and more precise than my Gen II's. I decided to turn on the lights. WOW, they are great. THEN, I noticed how incredibly bright the instrument lights were; WOW again, and they weren't even turned up all the way. And oh, the clutch pedal effort was very light and easy to me. The magazine writers DEFINITELY were smoking crack when they criticized that!
I got out of the SRT and was excited to try the new top mechanism. My salesman suggested checking the manual, and that is a MUST (imho). It said "open the trunk, lower windows half-way", or something close to that. My top was on the car when I first saw it btw. I pulled the inside latch (that sucker is serious) and the hook released. Got out, and folded it back as directed till it was flat; then, you give a little downward push on the front drivers-side corner and it clicks (barely heard a sound btw) into place securely. I don't THINK there is any way the top could deploy and lift by wind-force if you forgot to latch it; BUT, I don't wanna be the guy to find out. The top IS VERY, VERY WELL MADE. Nice rear GLASS window with DEFROSTER. Holy crap, this feels like a luxury car product, not a Viper! Before I closed the trunk (lid is big and tall open) I noticed our tiny molded trunk space. YOU ARE GONNA WANT THE MOLDED THREE-PIECE CARPET KIT (more on that later). You COULD in fact fit a conservative golf bag in there (NOT the Rodney D. CADDYSHACK type).
The shiney wheels are great looking in person; MUCH more so than you think from pic's. HEY, I haven't popped the hood open yet! There is an honest to God "moulded) plastic "T-handle" in the front grill! I pulled it, and the hood popped up about an inch or less. I looked and found a Yellow colored 2nd release and voila', the heart of the beast is BEAUTIFUL! Now folks, I have been fortunate to have owned many new cars (most foreign) and this engine and bay is literally PACKED and neatly so. No kidding, this bay looks like it rolled of the assembly line of a fine German brand or two. Everything has a place, and is finished very professionally. NOTE TO ALL: I think some polished or Red Anodized valve covers would be SHARP as an aftermarket further dress-up! The factory Red covers are very nice, don't get me wrong here please.
Closed the hood to take the first drive.. it is big, and you need to drop it from a foot or so to get it to latch (if that's how you want to do it). If you don't drop it, you would have to give a strong downward push; I didn't feel like forcing it that way. Time to put the top back up: open trunk, lower windows and pull top up half-way. Get in Viper, look for BIG recessed hand pulls on top. Pull towards windshield and STOP; CHECK THE MANUAL NOW. I did not, and I had somehow gotten the latch hook in the forward "latched" position. As I tried to pull the top down to latch it, it was stopped by the latch which was sticking out. NO HARM DONE. Just read, and be aware that you simply need to line-up the two pins on the top with their holes, and have the latch in the retracted position. Then, you will need to PULL DOWN FIRMLY with both hands to get ready to push the latch. When you push the latch firmly, that top snugs down TIGHT. I did it all over again properly in less than a minute. Look at the manual, and practice learning the latch mechanism; it is very simple to use, strong, and well made!
You can take a 10 minute break now.....sorry about the novel here folks!
The drive: Steering wheel feels great, brakes didn't utter a single squeak (yeah!) and feel great as I pull out of the dealership. OH, I forgot my seat belt. I pull over and look for it... it is on the drivers left side.. much easier to snap in. Off we GO! Stayed under 4,000 rpm (only touched four once for a second) this engine is great, shifting short and crisp (reverse still takes strength). Heater works like a charm (it was 17 degrees outside) Steering feels like a whole new confident world so far. Lights are very bright and almost "projector" focused in the right place. Fog lights really do something now. Dash looks COOL, and the guages are so easy to read. There is a rattle over a bump from the rear trunk area, what the... I stopped and checked; it was my license plate bracket and screw pack bouncing up and down. This is why I bought the "Moulded 3-piece carpet".
If there is any negative to report from my first drive, it is that pesky drive train "bucking" and clunking when driving at slow speeds and low rpm's. This is not really just like the throttle bucking that happens when you have 500 hp and go over bumps forcing your foot to press the pedal (you folks know this feeling). It is the noise that you hear when you let the clutch out in first, accellerate slowly, back off the gas, and then re-apply throttle and you get that clunk. After a few miles behind the wheel I learned how to eliminate it by shifting smoother and quicker (I was being way cautious and was distracted by all the cool dash lights).
I was told to NOT take it HOME that night so the dealer could check it over, or "service" it. I balked, but it was for my own good. Next day, I drove the 40 BEST Viper miles I have experienced to date. It was less than 20 degrees outside and let me tell you, this is the BEST Viper yet! Even with COLD tires and street, it handles like a dream and I noticed that the SRT seemed to have a much tighter turning radius (very convenient). TAKE YOUR FIRST DRIVE ON A NEW SMOOTH BLACK-TOP AND YOU WILL FEEL NIRVANA. On a stretch of old highway I thought my steering wheel came loose or something was wrong!? I CHANGED LANES IMMEDIATELY and it WENT AWAY. These big wheels and tires DO track the road like a Bloodhound, for better or worse. WE WANTED A RACE CAR AND WE LOVE IT THAT WAY!
The ride is firmer for sure and you feel the bumps; it is not a BAD feeling, just immediately responsive. Gawd, these brakes stop like your tied to a tree. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY EXCESSIVE HEAT AT ALL, but it was cold out and the heater was at about half-way with blower low. NO LONGER DID I FEEL LIKE I WAS RIDING BARE-BACK ON A WHALE AS I LOODE AT THE ROAD OVER THE NEW BATMAN HOOD! Tight, precise, space age.
One last thing you gotta check out! Look at the rear tail lights; the ruby colored lenses are so CLEAR and polished. Look deeper at the CHROMED LIGHT CULB FIXTURES! I swear, they look "Art Deco" or "Buck Rogers", almost a 50's space-age car thing. This was really icing on the cake when I really looked. Someone else here has got to comment on these and how COOL LOOKING they are! I got back to my garage and pulled in to start the "ZAINO RITUAL". It is a might shiney Viper now.
Then, it started to... SNOW... aaarrrgg! Garage bound now.
I hope you got some answers from this post folks. I just tried to write the details on how the beast works when using these new things- like the new top. If you have questions, please just post em' as responses and I'll be happy to share whatever I can for you.
Jim Wallace
I will TRY to keep this brief but give details important to those unfortunate brethren/sisteren (sp?) anxiously waiting for their's to arrive.
Nothing about ordering a new Viper has ever been easy for me; maybe you too? It takes a lot of patience to wait for these things we dream of for 6 months or longer. This time, it was REALLY WORTH THE WAIT!
My Silver SRT arrived late on Tuesday the 14th at 7 pm. My salesman expected a call from Reliable for directions when they got close (allowing me, my drool-cup, fresh "Depends" on to get there for the unloading) but they just showed up and got her in the service area.
When I first saw the beast, I was immediately impressed with it's fantastic "sparkly" Silver paint and STRONG front fender creases. I slowly inspected every part hardly believing it was here at last. This baby has Porsche/Mercedes build quality in the fit and finish department. I opened the door, and heard the quick servo motor "zzz" for a split-second as the "smart-glass" thing lowered the window in a flash. The door handle operates so smoothly! I took off the set plastic and saw the fantastic new seats! I got in, and they fit me like a glove (I'm 6'2" 200 lbs).
Looking ahead, the new view of the hood is like driving the Batmobile! I was thrilled at the lower hood looking ahead, and the front fenders are super-creased and exotic looking. The louvers on the hood are BIG and bold. The whole view came to my attention as looking like a modified "W" shape with the middle part of the "W" rounded (the plenum dome). Now, the fenders had a 911 Porsche visual effect on me, (no they don't look anything like a Porsche), and I could see that I was going to feel connected with the road. The front fenders made me feel like I was in something VERY fast and almost a top-secret Stealth fighter Jet feel. This is the truth, I am not trying to be dramatic at all!
I was handed the keys. I put them in the ignition and felt something new; there is one of those "key release" that you have to push to get them out. I pushed in the clutch and turned the key; I forgot about the "Starter" button. I fired it up (very fun to push that button) and it sounded much better than my Gen II with Mopar Cat-backs; not quite as loud, but a BETTER sound to me (more later).I ran the shifter through the gears in idle, and shifting feels MUCH shorter and more precise than my Gen II's. I decided to turn on the lights. WOW, they are great. THEN, I noticed how incredibly bright the instrument lights were; WOW again, and they weren't even turned up all the way. And oh, the clutch pedal effort was very light and easy to me. The magazine writers DEFINITELY were smoking crack when they criticized that!
I got out of the SRT and was excited to try the new top mechanism. My salesman suggested checking the manual, and that is a MUST (imho). It said "open the trunk, lower windows half-way", or something close to that. My top was on the car when I first saw it btw. I pulled the inside latch (that sucker is serious) and the hook released. Got out, and folded it back as directed till it was flat; then, you give a little downward push on the front drivers-side corner and it clicks (barely heard a sound btw) into place securely. I don't THINK there is any way the top could deploy and lift by wind-force if you forgot to latch it; BUT, I don't wanna be the guy to find out. The top IS VERY, VERY WELL MADE. Nice rear GLASS window with DEFROSTER. Holy crap, this feels like a luxury car product, not a Viper! Before I closed the trunk (lid is big and tall open) I noticed our tiny molded trunk space. YOU ARE GONNA WANT THE MOLDED THREE-PIECE CARPET KIT (more on that later). You COULD in fact fit a conservative golf bag in there (NOT the Rodney D. CADDYSHACK type).
The shiney wheels are great looking in person; MUCH more so than you think from pic's. HEY, I haven't popped the hood open yet! There is an honest to God "moulded) plastic "T-handle" in the front grill! I pulled it, and the hood popped up about an inch or less. I looked and found a Yellow colored 2nd release and voila', the heart of the beast is BEAUTIFUL! Now folks, I have been fortunate to have owned many new cars (most foreign) and this engine and bay is literally PACKED and neatly so. No kidding, this bay looks like it rolled of the assembly line of a fine German brand or two. Everything has a place, and is finished very professionally. NOTE TO ALL: I think some polished or Red Anodized valve covers would be SHARP as an aftermarket further dress-up! The factory Red covers are very nice, don't get me wrong here please.
Closed the hood to take the first drive.. it is big, and you need to drop it from a foot or so to get it to latch (if that's how you want to do it). If you don't drop it, you would have to give a strong downward push; I didn't feel like forcing it that way. Time to put the top back up: open trunk, lower windows and pull top up half-way. Get in Viper, look for BIG recessed hand pulls on top. Pull towards windshield and STOP; CHECK THE MANUAL NOW. I did not, and I had somehow gotten the latch hook in the forward "latched" position. As I tried to pull the top down to latch it, it was stopped by the latch which was sticking out. NO HARM DONE. Just read, and be aware that you simply need to line-up the two pins on the top with their holes, and have the latch in the retracted position. Then, you will need to PULL DOWN FIRMLY with both hands to get ready to push the latch. When you push the latch firmly, that top snugs down TIGHT. I did it all over again properly in less than a minute. Look at the manual, and practice learning the latch mechanism; it is very simple to use, strong, and well made!
You can take a 10 minute break now.....sorry about the novel here folks!
The drive: Steering wheel feels great, brakes didn't utter a single squeak (yeah!) and feel great as I pull out of the dealership. OH, I forgot my seat belt. I pull over and look for it... it is on the drivers left side.. much easier to snap in. Off we GO! Stayed under 4,000 rpm (only touched four once for a second) this engine is great, shifting short and crisp (reverse still takes strength). Heater works like a charm (it was 17 degrees outside) Steering feels like a whole new confident world so far. Lights are very bright and almost "projector" focused in the right place. Fog lights really do something now. Dash looks COOL, and the guages are so easy to read. There is a rattle over a bump from the rear trunk area, what the... I stopped and checked; it was my license plate bracket and screw pack bouncing up and down. This is why I bought the "Moulded 3-piece carpet".
If there is any negative to report from my first drive, it is that pesky drive train "bucking" and clunking when driving at slow speeds and low rpm's. This is not really just like the throttle bucking that happens when you have 500 hp and go over bumps forcing your foot to press the pedal (you folks know this feeling). It is the noise that you hear when you let the clutch out in first, accellerate slowly, back off the gas, and then re-apply throttle and you get that clunk. After a few miles behind the wheel I learned how to eliminate it by shifting smoother and quicker (I was being way cautious and was distracted by all the cool dash lights).
I was told to NOT take it HOME that night so the dealer could check it over, or "service" it. I balked, but it was for my own good. Next day, I drove the 40 BEST Viper miles I have experienced to date. It was less than 20 degrees outside and let me tell you, this is the BEST Viper yet! Even with COLD tires and street, it handles like a dream and I noticed that the SRT seemed to have a much tighter turning radius (very convenient). TAKE YOUR FIRST DRIVE ON A NEW SMOOTH BLACK-TOP AND YOU WILL FEEL NIRVANA. On a stretch of old highway I thought my steering wheel came loose or something was wrong!? I CHANGED LANES IMMEDIATELY and it WENT AWAY. These big wheels and tires DO track the road like a Bloodhound, for better or worse. WE WANTED A RACE CAR AND WE LOVE IT THAT WAY!
The ride is firmer for sure and you feel the bumps; it is not a BAD feeling, just immediately responsive. Gawd, these brakes stop like your tied to a tree. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY EXCESSIVE HEAT AT ALL, but it was cold out and the heater was at about half-way with blower low. NO LONGER DID I FEEL LIKE I WAS RIDING BARE-BACK ON A WHALE AS I LOODE AT THE ROAD OVER THE NEW BATMAN HOOD! Tight, precise, space age.
One last thing you gotta check out! Look at the rear tail lights; the ruby colored lenses are so CLEAR and polished. Look deeper at the CHROMED LIGHT CULB FIXTURES! I swear, they look "Art Deco" or "Buck Rogers", almost a 50's space-age car thing. This was really icing on the cake when I really looked. Someone else here has got to comment on these and how COOL LOOKING they are! I got back to my garage and pulled in to start the "ZAINO RITUAL". It is a might shiney Viper now.
Then, it started to... SNOW... aaarrrgg! Garage bound now.
I hope you got some answers from this post folks. I just tried to write the details on how the beast works when using these new things- like the new top. If you have questions, please just post em' as responses and I'll be happy to share whatever I can for you.
Jim Wallace
