Taking off...

[phantred]

I'm new to vipers, got mine thanksgiving weekend(and learned to drive stick while bringing it home ) I'm smooth and convertable with it, but don't have any idea how to drive it hard, I'm not sure when I should be shifting to get the most power.

Should you almost red line it before shifting to each gear? Is every gear different? Any advice whatsoever would be great, my brain is a clean slate

 

[FE 065]

If you're in a climate with temps below 60 degrees or so, don't be driving it hard at all until warm weather returns. What year is your car?

 

[phantred]

02, I'm in dallas tx. How come, just out of curiosity.

 

[NHL2133]

02, I'm in dallas tx. How come, just out of curiosity.

The car will love the cooler air to breathe, but the tires will hate the colder pavement. Waiting for warmer weather is for your safety, especially when your learning to do any kind of performance driving. Too many people get "snake bit" learning to drive those cars!

At least, I think that's what he was saying...lol

 

[phantred]

auh well, keep in mind, I'm not talking about street racing, I'm talking about 'taking off really fast in very open, deserted areas' I'm not looking to die or kill the car, many people here would not consider what I do 'hard driving' but it's hard for me, and I want to make sure I'm getting the best performance without hurting the car.

 

[propsail]

I'm sure alot more people better educated than me will chime in, but the best advise I got was to pretend there was an egg between my right foot and the "go" pedal, plus, never stomp on it unless the wheels are straight. Get yourself to a driving school ASAP! You'll be amazed how little you (we) know. Good luck. Don't die.

~Craig

 

[dyeguy]

To second what Craig said, when I went in to visit the body shop where my car was being looked at, the owner said that 90% of all Viper accidents he has seen are from going around a corner and giving it too much gas. These cars have so much torque and torque has to go somewhere so when you are going around a corner it's going to take you sideways. You can actually corner very well in a Viper but you don't want to be heavy on the gas while in the turn. The other thing is accidentally hitting the accelerator instead of the brake because the pedals are so close together. Practice so you can find the brake in a hurry when you need to.

 

[viper spray]

You just learned how to shift and you do it at redline? Do you have a will?


http://www.legalzoom.com/wills/index2_wm...:20070122060048

 

[peakcompletions]

Park the car, buy a toyota and learn how to drive... go to a driving school or two and then try out the viper...

Don't hit the gas unless you are straight.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Honestly, buy a $1000 ****** car and learn to drive a stick on it. I'd hate to see you stopped on a steep slope in the Viper and roll back into the car behind you when the light changes. I learned to drive a stick when I was 16 on my dad's Plymouth Arrow. Vipers arent forgiving and are not the car to learn to drive a stick on.

 

[ViperJohn]

There have been many stories posted on this board from new owners destroying their freshly purchased Vipers.

Take your time and learn how to drive stick, preferably on another car, then take your time to learn how to drive your car before being concerned about getting the maximum performance out of it. Going to driving school, which has been recommended at least twice in this thread, is also an excellent idea.

Depending on the year of your car and the last time tires were put on, you may be riding around on hockey pucks. Check the date code on your tires, if they are 5 to 7 years old, get new tires right away.

Be safe, don't get bit by the snake!

 

[ViperJohn]

I read on another post you have bought an 02, you are most likely on your last year if you have original tires. I have an 02 as well and have noticed traction is not has good, especially in the cold.

 

[bth1]

The driving school advice is the best. However, if I were you I would also try to find another Viper driver to go for a ride with just to get an idea of the shift points. You could drive with the other person, taking note of what gear they are in, what it feels like when they shift, ect. Then I would have the other person drive with you and have you wait for them to tell you when to up/downlift so you can get a feel for what you are looking for.

While I am no expert, for light spirited driving you will probably need to start shifting by feel rather than always keeping an eye on the tach. The Viper is so powerful, a lot of times you will sort of run out of road before you run out of power so you need to just get the feel of the car.

 

[phantred]

Thanks for the advice guys, shifting never really was a problem, maybe I had no bad habbits, but I never had a problem on hills or anything, just took it slow and everything was fine.

What I don't know is if I am doing everything the way it is supposed to be done. I don't know when to come out of first for the most power\speed. That sorta thing.

When you guys say driving shool, do you mean viper days? Won't be around here till mid summer, would I be able to find a driving school for this sort of thing anytime around dallas, tx?

 

[Warfang]

Thanks for the advice guys, shifting never really was a problem, maybe I had no bad habbits, but I never had a problem on hills or anything, just took it slow and everything was fine.

What I don't know is if I am doing everything the way it is supposed to be done. I don't know when to come out of first for the most power\speed. That sorta thing.

When you guys say driving shool, do you mean viper days? Won't be around here till mid summer, would I be able to find a driving school for this sort of thing anytime around dallas, tx?

Viper Days is good, as is Skip Barber, Bondurant, etc. If you're new to driving a stick and you're already talking about getting the most power and such, I can tell you that everyone reading your original post winced and have visions of you wrapping your new snake around a tree.

Yes, it happens often... even to the most experienced drivers. Like everyone says, don't even think about power ANYTHING unless your wheels are pointed straight. Wait until spring when the weather warms up before you do any real spirited driving.

I know nobody wants to be talked to like a 15 yr old with a driver's permit, but most of us here have seen and experienced what this car can do, and have your best interest in mind.

 

[2002_Viper_GTS_ACR]

With my 02, I would take it to 5500 and shift into second. I have had many a powerful cars, so stick shift and HIGH hp were never an issue. I had/have one of the best times for a stock ACR (harder to launch then regular GTSs due to the ACRs much harder springs). Anyways, I run it hard up to 5500, and very quickly shift into 2nd gear and release the clutch while rolling hard into the go peddal, often times it will snap the tires lose for a second (very dangerous if you dont know what you are doing)and step the rear of the car out. By the time you get to 3rd, this same technique works, but you wont be breaking the tires lose stock. Once I modified my ACR, then 3rd gear was a similar experience as 2nd

Be safe, you have the information now, if you kill yourself with it, its your fault. Eveyone here is giving great advice, go to a driving school. I had no such benefit before I got my beast(s) and I have had a few porsche and snake bites to prove it. A good driving school goes a long way to teaching you how to manage one of these monsters.

Jon

 

[RichieSRT10]

If you can drive as good as you spell sell the Viper fast. LOL

 

[chimay52]

I'm smooth and convertable with it, but don't have any idea how to drive it hard, I'm not sure when I should be shifting to get the most power.

Sweet, you got a convertible!

They have the most power, so it shouldn't matter what rpm's you shift at. The torque curve wasn't a curve at all on the convertibles, it was a flat line. I'm not sure why they don't call it a torque flat line then? They still call it a 'curve'?
Perhaps 'torque flat line' doesn't sound very fluid. I think that is it, I think it was a marketing thing.

Any-who, just throw the top down, rev her up, and you should have plenty of power.

Happy motoring!

 

[Vreracing]

I usually use this monitoring system.

You must be registered for see images attach

You should be able to feel the torque coming on pretty strong about 3000rpm and start to drop off about 5000rpm. When I shift I lose about 1000rpm so any shift done between 4000 and 5000 should give you plenty of power.

The torque curve is so flat it doesn't really matter than much unless you're drag racing.

 

[Warfang]

I usually use this monitoring system.

You must be registered for see images attach

You should be able to feel the torque coming on pretty strong about 3000rpm and start to drop off about 5000rpm. When I shift I lose about 1000rpm so any shift done between 4000 and 5000 should give you plenty of power.

The torque curve is so flat it doesn't really matter than much unless you're drag racing.

That's some ugly veins you got on your @$$.

 

[dano]

This is the silliest thread ever. I can't believe the questions being asked by the thread starter.

Cut the wheels hard to the left and nail it....goof!


It's the same as...I have never shot a gun....so I bought a 357 mag...

Which way do I point the gun?

If I shoot someone will it hurt?

Do I need bullets?

 

[phantred]

It's the same as...I have never shot a gun....so I bought a 357 mag...

Which way do I point the gun?

If I shoot someone will it hurt?

Do I need bullets?

Your analogy might be accurate... or...

I worked hard for my money, much like everyone else here I assume, and I bought my dream car with some of it. Then I asked some very nice people that are familiar with my car about driving it, and got some great advice, except for this one guy, who must not have had any good advice.

The car is perfectly capable of driving at normal speeds, and turning left for that matter. I'm interested in driving it faster, so I asked for advice, sorry that offended you.

 

[Warfang]

It's the same as...I have never shot a gun....so I bought a 357 mag...

Which way do I point the gun?

If I shoot someone will it hurt?

Do I need bullets?

Your analogy might be accurate... or...

I worked hard for my money, much like everyone else here I assume, and I bought my dream car with some of it. Then I asked some very nice people that are familiar with my car about driving it, and got some great advice, except for this one guy, who must not have had any good advice.

The car is perfectly capable of driving at normal speeds, and turning left for that matter. I'm interested in driving it faster, so I asked for advice, sorry that offended you.

Welcome to the party pal.

It's like family here... your brothers hug you as much as they beat the crap outta you. Don't take anything too personally and be prepared to buy a lot of beer when you finally get to meet some in person.

 

[dano]

It's the same as...I have never shot a gun....so I bought a 357 mag...

Which way do I point the gun?

If I shoot someone will it hurt?

Do I need bullets?

Your analogy might be accurate... or...

I worked hard for my money, much like everyone else here I assume, and I bought my dream car with some of it. Then I asked some very nice people that are familiar with my car about driving it, and got some great advice, except for this one guy, who must not have had any good advice.

The car is perfectly capable of driving at normal speeds, and turning left for that matter. I'm interested in driving it faster, so I asked for advice, sorry that offended you.

My apologies for my lapse in responding in a constructive manner. I must be spending too much time on the "other" forum where your thread is getting blasted.

I guess my irritation (obviously in poor taste) is that you are learning to drive a stick in a Viper AND asking about redline shifts in the same post.

My experience is with numerous big block/stick camaros, vettes and GTX's. A few years ago I moved to a Z06 and most recently a Viper GTS. Even though I feel I am a decent driver with lot's of stick experience, I was very cautious when I started driving the Viper.

I am glad you found your dream car. I would, seriously, consider getting a ****** car with a stiff clutch and a crummy shifter and become an expert on how to drive a manaul shift (stop on a steep incline and learn to start forward without rolling backwards).

You car is not worth risking a concrete kiss....or worse.

 

[phantred]

Other forum? I only post on 1 other forum and it is not vehicle or viper related, could you link me, I'm curious.

 

[dano]

Other forum? I only post on 1 other forum and it is not vehicle or viper related, could you link me, I'm curious.

You didn't post there but they got hold of it....here is the link.

/forum/anything-goes/51429-check-out-post-morg.html]http://www.[*****]/forum/anything-goes/51429-check-out-post-morg.html

Oops...I guess I can't link you to the "other" forum...oh well.

 

[phantred]

wow, I read that forum for a while, joined this one to avoid 'lol my car will kick your cars ass ur ded man' every other post.

At least one of those guys is from north texas(same as me) hopefully I'll meet him at one of the meetings and he'll have the chance to prove he's only a dick on the internet.

 

[Adam]

When I bought my viper it was not my first time driving a stick but was my first time driving a viper. These cars are very powerful but to me because of my experience with driving other fast cars, are not at all hard to drive. You just have to have respect for them and just realize that the moment you lose that respect it will get loose and may even hurt you. I am assuming that you are not a child and do not wish to treat you like it, like some others may. How ever about the shifting and learning how, I found a long dark road and carried a cell phone. I started by revving the car to about 2200 and came off the clutch pretty hard held on and let her rip, just make sure there is no big bumps in the road, curves or sand I had no problems so I don’t think you will either. However I will NEVER red line my cars I value my cars way to much to destroy them. You will just have to learn the car to know how to launch etc. every car is different my friend.

Adam

 

[phantred]

Thanks adam, god I hope the club is full of people like here, and not viper alley.

 

[So. Florida Blue Devil]

Having driven everything from the long gone Yugo to the newly minted Murcielago coupe, all I can say is BE CAREFUL. Each car is different, each has it's quirks. YOU alone have to decide what your skills are vs. the abilities of your Snake. We like having owners stick around a long time. As my dad has always told me...be sure your brain doesn't write a check your butt can't cash!

Be safe, have fun and take in all the club members can offer. I've benefited from the posts greatly. The guys here all have your best interest in mind, even when they bust your chops!