These cars attract more than women or looks

[Ulysses]

They attract pebbles just as well! Seems like every time I get on the freeway I get a ding in the windsheild. Is it the aero dynamics or just the height of the car? My 1 year old Viper has more dings in the windsheild than my 3 year old 4x4.

They are not huge or deep (which surprises me given how loud the sound of impact was every time) and they haven't spidered out, but I've been tempted to try and fill them in with the windsheild repair kits you get at the local parts store. Doesn't seem like a good idea to replace the windsheild just because of a few dings here and there. Plus, it's bound to happen again.

What do you think? Bad idea to fill them in? Pete the ex-glass guy, your opinion?

 

[JimDavis MT 97GTS 650R]

When you think about it, most of the vehicles on the road today are probably as "tall" as your 3 yr old 4X4. Most have a bumper height that is almost level with or higher than your wiper blades. Nasty thing is that a lot of these vehicles don't have mud flaps and hurl crap at us like a shot gun, especially at freeway speeds. The only defense is to keep your distance. Chip repair is a viable alternative to a $600 replacement. If you have glass replacement insurance, they will usually waive the deductible and pay for the repair. I have had two done thus far. The paint chips are the hard ones to live with!

 

[dmora]

Yet another reason to ban SUVs from the roads. Yea, the only way to aviod this is to stay away from other vehicles on the highway.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

yeah, I think SUV's are a waste of money and energy if not used for the right reasons. I may get hammered on this, but When I see a person driving a SUV for a dailey driver and they are the only person in the car...I think to myself..what a waste. Now the Viper on the other hand is a pleasure car and they are rare compared to the SUV's. I just don't fall for that yuppie crap.

 

[Ulysses]

**** ! You guys must be psychics! It was an SUV in front of me the last time it happened. I was pretty far back too! All of a sudden from under that SUV came a bouncing pebble. No place to go left, no place to go right, just straight into that slow motion time warp zone ahead of me as I watched the thing come bouncing at me at hyperspeed. I just sat there praying that the thing didn't hit the paint. It was a pretty good sized pebble too. The kind that will mar the paint all the way up the hood while it bounces and skitters across the finish. As soon as it hit the glass, I was waiting for the cracks to start appearing and slowly spider out. Luck was with me because nothing appeared.

I remember when I first started driving lifted trucks back in high school, if you didn't have mud flaps big enough to cover the tires, the cops would bust your chops. God forbid if you didn't have any. Now all these SUVs and trucks come stock with very tiny mud flaps, if any.

 

[viperdoctor]

Definitely get cracks repaired by a professional. The kits in the parts store don't do nearly as good a job.

If a chunk is taken out of the windshield, they won't be able to fill that. But they will be able to fill the cracks and they will disappear.

 

[RoyV101621]

I prefer to follow SUV's or minivans in my Viper. Those women drivers are usually hauling a$$ and clearing traffic with there incredible knowledge of traction-at-the-limit. The S in SUV means sports car right?

 

[John N]

I'm with you Mark O!! My wife loves her Expedition, and I'm no bettter with a pickup. I do have a Toyota that I drive to work and one thing I notice in it, that hasn't been mentioned yet, is the way our sh***y roads destroy the suspension on a car. One of the big reasons the wife likes the Expedition is that she doesn't have to live in fear of the roads like she did with her car (and I don't have to worry about getting any more of her expensive alloy wheels straightened after hitting potholes).

BTW, much worse than SUV's are the average BMW or Volvo driver!!!

 

[GTS Bruce]

Daily drive.Mine:98 RAM q cab 4x4.Wife's:01 Durango 4x4.Both with BFG All-terrain KO's.Sunny day car:01 saphire gts.Boy those 4x4's sure come in handy when the snow gets 2-3 feet deep in the driveway.Also useful in carring dirt,mulch,stone,stuff etc.And of course driving down or up embankements avoiding thruway tie ups,hopping over curbs and crushing those pesky rice burners. Bruce

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mark O:
the SUV of today is taking the place of the station wagon

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

LOL I've been calling SUVs station wagons for years. It really ****** off the owners.

 

[Paul Hawker]

SUV's are popular because cars are now rather wimpy. You cannot tow a boat, bike trailer, or for that matter your Viper to Viperdays with any of the cars currently produced. When they took the frame out from under the cars, people switched to trucks, and better still a SUV. Towing capacity, safety, visibilty, passenger, and room for stuff made the SUV desirable. It came at the same time as Minivans became known for burning out transmissions, and the mileage is about the same. Throw in 4WD and their popularity became assured.
However, just as Vipers are most of the time driven well within their ultimate limits, SUV's mostly end up ferrying the kids to soccer practice. BTW even the kids now hate to arrive in a MiniVan.
If only one kid take him in the Viper. He will be a STAR!