Viper a piece of junk?

[SteveBCloud9]

Goodness. We all must own the worst possible vehicle on the road today. Think about it, what other car is so poorly made that:

1) You have to replace spark plugs every 5000 miles.
2) Can't go more than 9,000 miles without a new set of wires.
3) Don't take turns too quickly because you'll starve your 9+ quart engine of it's lifesource. Arrow, here I come!
4) Forget about original equipment, HAZARDOUS!, your original fan assembly will burn your car down to the ground!
5) Your cooling system wasn't meant to cool your snake without water wetter.
6) The battery you own, worthless after just one year!
7) Two different tire tread patterns = DEATH!
8) Gary is right it IS plastic.

Don't get me wrong here. I love my snake and the ride, just questioning the NEED for said items/intervals. I'm not that naive to think you DON'T need to do this if you track the car, yes, intervals are needed. Most of us here, however, drive our snakes for pleasure out on the street.

So, are we led to believe we need all of these things or is the viper truely a piece of junk? I was challenged to post this so here it is. I'd like to see "evidence" that 9,000 mile wires perform x% less than new ones. Please PROVE to me that different tread patterns are hazardous.

I would think I for one would have one of the most, IF not the most abused vipers here (short of an all track viper). Let the flame begin!

 

[MES]

I think most of stuff is not needed its just the owners are picky. After paying $70K for a car, a set of plugs or wires don't seem that much.

>>1) You have to replace spark plugs every 5000 miles.
-You could probably go 25,000+ but they are only $.99 so why not? Also most Vipers are driven on short infrequent trips which can cause the plugs to fowl quickly.

>>2) Can't go more than 9,000 miles without a new set of wires.
-Wires go bad from age and heating/cooling more than mileage so 9,000 miles may be 5 years on a Viper

>>3) Don't take turns too quickly because you'll starve your 9+ quart engine of it's lifesource. Arrow, here I come!
-Mostly just tracked Vipers, if you drive on the street how many 1G 5,000RPM turns are you going to take each week?

4) Forget about original equipment, HAZARDOUS!, your original fan assembly will burn your car down to the ground!
-Mine is original no problems yet. I do have the new upgraded fan but haven't got around to installing it yet. If they were truly hazardous DC would be in many lawsuits and/or been forced to recall the cars to fix them.

5) Your cooling system wasn't meant to cool your snake without water wetter.
-Yea you got me there, the cooling system is not that great.

6) The battery you own, worthless after just one year!
-Why is that? there is nothing special about the Viper battery it will last just as long as any other car.

7) Two different tire tread patterns = DEATH!
-True for any car, but most cars don't have 500 ft/lb of torque

8) Gary is right it IS plastic.
-Yep

and you forgot #9 It gets very hot inside and the stock A/C don't work too great.

last but not least #10 I would not trade it for any other car in the world (of equal cost anyways)

 

[viper GTS-R]

me I wouldn't worry.There probably talking about the corvette

not the viper.

 

[Qualitywires.com]

The ferraris are alot more of a maintence machine..plus there isn't always a Ferrari mechanic around too. I think working on the Viper is half the fun.

 

[viperdrummer]

After 6 yrs and about 50,000 miles on 2 Vipers, I have no idea where you get these numbers. Maybe I have been lucky.

 

[Vip-RT10]

You're right Adam........

 

[SteveBCloud9]

Mark O, BINGO! The whole point of this post is that I feel that all this is worthless overkill. You don't need all of this stuff. Just my opinion.

MES..Please post a link to the proof of your tread differences.

Viperdrummer, You just need to do a search to realize that these intervals have been posted and re-posted on this forum for countless months.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by steveb:
Mark O, BINGO! The whole point of this post is that I feel that all this is worthless overkill. You don't need all of this stuff. Just my opinion.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Good lead Steveb. I was gonna post ditto to what Viperdrummer wrote until I read your previous post.

I'd say 30K is a good time to go through everything.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

15,500 miles--haven't changed anything but oil. Will do tranny and differential next year around 20K.

Steve

 

[Tom Welch]

11,800 miles on the original battery and wires in my 1997 GTS.

The "Gauk Factor" alone is worth the $ 12.00 for spark plugs every 10,000 miles.

Tom
Http://btrviper.com

 

[paul]

I have never had a problem with any of these and I have 24,000 on mine. I Can't complain!

 

[Gavin]

Steve - there is nothing like a FINE WOMAN and there is nothing like the VIPER. There is pleasure, in taking extra-ordinary care of either of them.

 

[SteveBCloud9]

Don't get me wrong, I love the car and it's performance, just don't agree with the "change your plugs", "Better buy new wires" thought process on the board. I know regular maintenence is needed, (Look at your owners manual). I'd just like to know where these #'s came from and the proof of these intervals. SHOW ME why I need to do this.

 

[Jay Herbert]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by steveb:

2) Can't go more than 9,000 miles without a new set of wires.
3) Don't take turns too quickly because you'll starve your 9+ quart engine of it's lifesource. Arrow, here I come!
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Buy a lifetime guaranty set of Jacobs Plug Wires .... if you really want to go all out, order the ceramic boot option

You must pull some great cornering G's! The Viper starves it's oil pump at 1.1 G's.... which the stock Viper should not be able to produce....... It took 1.2 G's on a skid pad to starve Ed Combs Double Venom of oil.

 

[SteveBCloud9]

RX7, You are missing the point here.... SPEND the dime, just at normal maintenence intervals. Changing your plugs at 5000 miles is overkill...... until someone, anyone, shows me otherwise.

 

[YellowSnake]

what about the:

smoke screen 30,000 mi replacement
upgraded talking supercomputer at 20,000 mi
rocket launcher adjustment at 50,000 mi
parachute replacement after 50 uses

Unless you guys didnt get those features like me.?.

 

[K Adelberg]

Yep, these cars were designed for the guy who wants to get chicks and do the occasional acceleration spurts. (OH I know the smack will come)

The cooling system is not the problem. I heard, no proof, that Chrysler did not do any aerodynamic testing on the Viper until about a year ago. What about the stock brakes? Did these come from a Ram Truck? How about when your left knee dents the speaker grill during right turns. How about the oil overflow into the air filters, that was brilliant! My list goes on...

Nontheless, the Viper is awesome, but for the money I expect more. Power windows, electric mirrors and ABS brakes are a start.

 

[Jay Herbert]

I can speak to the spark plugs a little, but I'm betting a more complete answer would come from someone like Rich Carlson and Doug Levin. The viper uses "extended tip" type spark plugs. They extend very far out into the chamber to facilitate better flame front propagation and lots of other things that others will likely ad. The downside is the plug is very vulnerable to damage hanging way out there.

There is a very good explanation of the V-10's "sound/firing order" by Rich in the trhead listed below.

double piston firing order thread

It goes into the details of the V-10's firing order, frequency, and spark control box technology that also ads to the reason as to why Viper plugs and wires have a much more frequent change interval specified. The V-10 Viper engine is very unique in it's design. Look at Ford's truck gas V-10, and you will see a more traditional architecture, but not the HP or Torque of the Viper V-10.... I'll gladly take the torque and HP in trade for the shortened service intervals the Viper carries on some relatively inexpensive components.

 

[Chuck 97 GTS]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Chuck 98 RT/10:


I'd say 30K is a good time to go through everything.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hey OC, does that mean that my car is really maintenance free?

 

[PRVT JET]

Stev B, you don't spend enough time with your car to make it worth working on all those complaints you have. I wouldn't like changing my oil, plugs, filters and having someone else take it for the whole weekend. Maybe it's time to get one for yourself and keep renting the other one.

 

[SteveBCloud9]

This is not a complaint about the car! HELLO!, Issac, you are missing the point as well, read the entire post. The post is about the salemanship on this board and what we are led to believe we need for our snakes every 5000 miles, etc.

The whole post is about challenging posted maintenence intervals vs. the owners manual intervals. I would like to see PROOF, ACTUAL TESTS!!! that confirm we need plugs every 5000 miles, wires at 9,000. etc.

I don't think we're going to see it...... THAT'S my point.

Is it just me?