NKOTB

[charmer006]

Hello all...new kid here looking forward to participating in this board for many years....here is the lowdown on my problem...I have been in the market for an new toy for the last six months....I thought I was sold on the acura nsx..after test driving a couple of them..I just couldnt get past the ***** hp and torque of the acura. Loved the way the looked but just didnt have enough balls...So now in comes the viper...I want a 96-99, but the age old question comes up...the gts or rt? I heard that the gen 1 rts leaked like a SOB but the gen 2s wre better? I was also told that even the gts leaks to a minimal degee. Are the rt hard tops hard to take on and off? This car is not my daily driver and i live in Jax fl where it storms everyday for like 8 months. Please help me find an advantage of one or the other to push me over the top..im dying for a new snake! BTW..If i decide on a pre 99, is there anyone or anywhere i can get 99 oe wheels..I think the looks of the wider 5 spoke are far superior to the older 5 spokes..? Salvage yard? dealership? Thanx in advance.

 

[LETHAL GTS]

I can't comment on the leaking, cause my cars have never seen rain.

As far as the wheels go, watch the classifieds here on this site.

 

[Birvini]

My '94 does not leak. I have not had the GTS in the rain, so I don't know if that leaks. The top that came with the RT/10 is a bit of a pain to put on and take off. However, I mostly leave it off so I'd probably be better at it with more practice. Get what you like, they both rock!

 

[Ron]

Some early GTS's leak slightly at the top center of the windshield, but it is easily fixed.

All Vipers will leak in hurricane type downpours as the fresh air intake drain hole can be overwhelmed resulting in water on the passenger floor. Beyond that GTS's are dry.

No knowledge of RT/10's.

 

[BigCarrot]

Jon B at The Parts Rack probably has a dozen sets of the 18"wheels. His ad is always at the top, just click on it and call. He's a good guy to deal with. You might check Ebay too. I see those on there pretty often.

 

[MichaelP]

My 2000 doesn't leak when driven in the rain.

But then again we don't get a storm every day for 8 months.


Maybe cause I live so far away from you.

I live north of Orlando.

 

[Vic]

My 2001 GTS has been rained on only once, and it didn't leak. Doesn't leak when I wash it with the hose, either.

I think model years 2001+2002 represent a lot of little improvements by Dodge.

GTS or RT is a matter of taste. Some people like the showy open air cockpit, like a young man cruising downtown amongst the weekend party crowd. You are more in touch with the humanity around you. You interact more with your environment, it interacts with you. Its a very social thing.

The GTS seals you in, with poorer rearward visibility, but better water resistance, and quieter ride. Your life can just pass you by, and you need not interact with others, as you are safely sealed in to your Grand Touring Sport coupe.

The only thing I like more about the RT, thats better looking than the GTS, is that the RT has this extremly low and wide rear end.

This rear end gets broken up and disguised by the GTS's duckbill spoiler.

Other than that, I think the GTS looks better.

Its all a matter of taste and personal style.

 

[charmer006]

thanx for the advice...i have found a 98 gts that i am interested in...the only prlblem is that it is a canadian car? Which means that the speedo is in km/h and it has daytime driving lights...I believe you can convert the speedo over to standard for like a couple hundred bucks...is this true? Can you disable the daytime driving lights?

 

[SylvanSRT]

most cars have a way to turn of DRL so car can be on in service areas.

 

[genXgts]

Avoid a Canadian car like the plague unless you get it for a steal. As soon as you pull that instrument cluster out your resale value is toast.

Who changed it, when, how, and proof of mileage at the time of swap, etc. is all muddy, take all the pics you want. People are still scared off....

If resale is not an issue go for it but look for a $10K reduction, call Bill Pemberton and ask for his opinion, I did before I bought. (I was close on a US car to import here, ended up finding my 97 in Cdn spec).

Good luck whatever ya do........

 

[charmer006]

I would leave the inst. panel the same and just get used to the km/h...bu i dont want drl unless i know for a fact that they can be disabled or turned off

 

[MichaelP]

Why do you care if the drl is on or not?

I usually drive with my lights on even during the day.

 

[charmer006]

I guess its not that big of a deal..just seems different..on another note...My family owns a good paint and body shop near where i live...would it be foolish to get a 96-97 gts and change the color to the 2000 viper steel grey? I love that color but a 2000 is a tad out of my price range...ive seen a couple of 2000s on ebay for a good price but ive heard horror stories about ebay cars...any thoughts?

 

[GTSPOWERED]

I bought my blue/ white off ebay and had a great sale. everything was as stated. would do it again.

 

[malcoll]

I guess its not that big of a deal..just seems different..on another note...My family owns a good paint and body shop near where i live...would it be foolish to get a 96-97 gts and change the color to the 2000 viper steel grey? I love that color but a 2000 is a tad out of my price range...ive seen a couple of 2000s on ebay for a good price but ive heard horror stories about ebay cars...any thoughts?

I live here in Jax Fl.... drive my 1996 RT every day.... (when I'm not driving my 1969 Mach I).
It does leak... more than any other car I've ever owned... including a 1969 Triumph TR6 and a 1989 Jaguar... but the leaking is not unbearable.

I picked the Gen I because I wanted black with silver stripes.... the RT... and I did not want ABS or Airbags.

What body shop does your family own?

 

[charmer006]

Its actually in St. Mary's Ga...just on the other side of the fl/ga border...called J.R.'s classy chassis..Is it true they switched to hypertectic pistons after 99? I might want to spray my car in the future...And i ws told there wsa some kind of cam difference difference after 99 also?

 

[Daffy Duck Viper]

...would it be foolish to get a 96-97 gts and change the color to the 2000 viper steel grey?

Foolish...to change the color? Only if you care about authenticity and resale value.

You must be registered for see images

 

[BlueGTS]

I looked for around 6 months and to me the price of a low mileage blue 96/97 is almost the same as a 00. We are talking the difference of 2-5k maybe, depending on the car. I am not talking about a 96 with 60k miles that someone is trying to dump. When comparing two cars with the same mileage I found that the price difference was not that big. Now if you want a red 97... You might be able to get a better deal.

These are just my observations from watching GTS pricing over the past 6 months.

 

[charmer006]

Its probablybecause they are so common...I know what i want a 99 gts with the viper steel grey of 2000!!!too bad one does not exist.When did they change to hypertectic pistons 2000?Are the 2000+ considered cream puff cars? Maybe ill just get a 96-97 and paint the darn thing...i just hate to destroy its authenticity. I would think that a 96-97 with a different color would be highly desirable?

 

[slaughterj]

Why do you want a '99 instead of an '00?

Forged pistons, since he wants to spray.

 

[charmer006]

anyone know what year (of gen 2) they changed cams?I heard something like that....