My Time has come for a Viper

[C-Rock]

I have been into Porsches for the last ten years. I have had a 944 Turbo that I really cranked up the power on got bored with it and sold it. I now have a 928 S 4 with a Super Charger and really like it but am starting to get bored. Now it might be time to get what I have wanted for a very long time the Viper. Can someone give me a heads up on cost of owning a viper. I have had some stagering bill's on fixing my 928.

Thanks C-Rock

 

[Venomiss]

I have been into Porsches for the last ten years. I have had a 944 Turbo that I really cranked up the power on got bored with it and sold it. I now have a 928 S 4 with a Super Charger and really like it but am starting to get bored. Now it might be time to get what I have wanted for a very long time the Viper. Can someone give me a heads up on cost of owning a viper. I have had some stagering bill's on fixing my 928.

Thanks C-Rock

What year Viper are you interested in?
Do you work on your own cars?
Are you near a bigger city?
These might be helpful to start. Do a search and put in cost of owning a viper. Came up with a bunch of threads like this one:
http://forums.viperclub.org/new-owner-questions/619097-potential-repair-costs-owning-96-97-gts.html

or this one from 2000:
http://forums.viperclub.org/new-owner-questions/521555-total-cost-owning-car.html

 

[Paul Hawker]

Believe Vipers are perhaps the least expensive to maintain of all the super cars.

Might want to get a copy of Maurice Liang's book on Viper models. Available from the N. Calif. ViperClub.

 

[VIPER GTSR 91]

For the most part they are very reliable and bullitt proof. Repairs may not be cheap but a lot less than the Porsche.

 

[C-Rock]

I am able to wrench opn my car and have done some on my 928. Biggest problem with the 928 and wrenching is nothing looks like it should for a Dodge,Ford or Chevy. Biggest problem with working on my Porsche is if I get in a jam on somehthing there is nobody with in a 100 miles that can help me. I did have a local shop do the timing belt and water pump but it was the 1st Porsche they had done. But they did say it was not much different than any other car. My biggest gripe about Porsche's is the cost to fix them and it get's real old after a while.

I am not sure which Viper I am wanting yet there is a 92 for sale that is local and I am going to take a look at it, but think I am pretty much sold on the GTS. I just don't want to get into the same cost involved with a Viper like I have with the Porsches. I don't mind doing the clutch or water pump and have a pretty good set up with with my garage and tools. On the 928 the whole front of the engine had to come off to get to the water pump a real big job.

C-Rock

 

[hemihead]

C- Rock,
I think you are generally going to be pleased at the costs to maintain a Viper versus a Porsche. They are also straight forward and fairly easy to work on. Where do you live? Maybe you can locate a member close by who has a lift and you can give one a good looking over and see what I'm talking about.

Welcome, have fun, and use this board as a resource.

Jerry

 

[C.Thomson]

I had a 944 turbo as well. What a nighmare to work on. You have to remove at leat 10 items to get to the one bolt you are interested in.
The Viper is nothing like that. Also, very few mods are required to kick the crap out of just about anything. You actually get to drive it rather than wrench it!

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

The Viper is as bulletproof as any car ever built. But like any car if you don't know how to drive it or if you put a ton of mods on it the life will suffer.

The Viper is also as easy of car I have ever worked on and I come from the cars of the 60s and 70s.

Some parts have a Viper tax but some parts are from the bin. Find out which are which and the Viper is very affordable.

Please remember though, the Viper is NOT a luxury car and IMO it is not an exotic. It is a great-looking, great-running, blue-collar, rough-around-the-edges car that is the most fun of any car ever built.

 

[mike & juli]

[quotechuck98R/T10]Please remember though, the Viper is NOT a luxury car and IMO it is not an exotic. It is a great-looking, great-running, blue-collar, rough-around-the-edges car that is the most fun of any car ever built.

I totally echo Chuck here...that's what makes the Viper THE BEAST that it is...it's a DRIVERS' car...YOU are totally in control of your BEAST. By far, the GTS is the best body-style Viper out there. There seems to be very little in reporting of repairs. You have so many people here that can help you out, just a phone call, pm or post away. Good Luck in your decision! ~juli

 

[FastZilla]

I'm very familiar with the Porshces you have owned, mechanically. Worked on many, any of them paying for school. I'm pretty new to the Viper as well but I can assure you the Viper does not have creative "German" engineering parts like oil temp controlled/activated timing belt tensioners. The 944/951 constantly failing expansion valves and 40k mile clutches. Note - on the Porsches you DO NOT have to disassemble the majority of what you think you do to get a part/bolt off. There IS that one way that may involve access thru the wheel well with 14 extensions and 3 u-joints but you can quickly and easily get at the bolts (reason why most 944/951s are missing 1-3 upper bell housing bolts after a clutch change).

To me the Viper looks like working on a truck - plenty of room all the way around.

PS: That 928 S4 is kind of a cult car now. All Al body - really advanced for the day.

I think you'll find that all the new found torque will be you biggest cost of ownership in the form of tires and possible body work. The Viper has tire smoking power at RPMs the Porsche is barily producing pwr enough to turn the alternator.

Your're migrating from "red headed step-child/it's still a Porsche" (amongst the Porschephiles) to the ultimate in American awesome!

Good luck - the GTS is the icon, hands down.

 

[C-Rock]

FastZilla,

Thanks for the reply on the Porsches. I have enjoyed owning both but have not enjoyed the cost of owning them. Were going to take a look at a car tomorrow and see how well it fits for us.

Thanks C-Rock

 

[Venomiss]

Let us know what happens.

Keep in mind that older Viper may not have the extra's you might be used to.
Different years offered more in the way of windows, AC,..........

 

[RavenFan_94]

I'll echo everyone's statement here. I've owned a half dozen Porsche's (still own two of them), nearly as many Vipers, Ferrari, Jag and the like. Viper is by a country mile the least expensive to maintain.

 

[Rizzo]

3 summers of fun in my 98 GTS. Replaced 2 u joints last summer. Thats it. One snapped and the other was right there and it was an extra 5 mins to replace it so I did. Cheapest car I have ever had to maintain. Even great on gas on the highway. Now if you decide to step on it a lot it will **** fuel like its going out of style. Get the GTS. My feeling is it will bring you the most joy to look at and drive.

 

[C-Rock]

I went and looked at a 92 with the soft top and soft windows. Car only had 10K on the clock. Having the soft windows and top might have been the reason for the low miles. I think the GTS is going to be the way to go.

C-Rock

 

[Dr V]

I went and looked at a 92 with the soft top and soft windows. Car only had 10K on the clock. Having the soft windows and top might have been the reason for the low miles. I think the GTS is going to be the way to go.

C-Rock

The soft tops are not the best fitting on the Gen I's. Nothing beats the look of GTS in the early years.

 

[Sittingbull101]

I'd say bone stock GTS 2001- 2002(because of ABS). A modded car is not a good proposition as far as maintenance goes, if you're not, like me, a born tinkerer.

 

[gen2lover]

You'd Be Surprised How Nice And Classic The 00-02 Gen 2's Are,even The Rt-10's. Hardtop Or Soft Top Or No Top!

The biggest thing about the Viper is the IMMEDIATE throttle response! By 3rd gear you are going well over the legal speed limit on the freeway,with 3 gears left.Keep the car pointed straight with warm tires BEFORE you put the foot down.

The pedals on the gen 1 and 2's are way offset to the left and VERY CLOSE together so be careful.

No dead pedal either.The seats are some of the best.Very very supportive.

The heat from those side sills are HOT! High flow cats and a catback or full after market exhaust are the way to go.

MOST IMPORTANTLY? Support the VCA Vendors on this site VCA discount too.

Watch also for the curb rash on rims if parking.The car is much wider than you think,longer too.

Battery is behind the rear drivers side wheel.

lots more You will see and experience! People LOVE to stay off to your rear in your blind spots to drool over the car so please get some small convex mirrors to stick onto the rear mirrors.