Whew - it finally happened - now I can really enjoy my snake!!

[Vipersrule]

OK - it finally happened. I got caught in the rain Saturday night. Not just a little sprinkle - but a down pour. I have been very careful to never take my snake out with more than a 0% chance of rain.

It's a car which commands such respect. However, the pressures off. Finally I can now decide to take the RT/10 whenever I want without undo pressure to maintain the "never seen rain" position.

By the way - the car handled GREAT. After all the comments I've heard about the Viper's poor performance in the rain, I was a little concerned. It was unfounded and wrong.

Obviously, you have to be concerned with the power, but being someone who has lost control of my viper out of turn 4 on TMS and done a side-ways slide looking at the wall into a 360 spin at around 100mph; I understand the concept of torque, power, and slippery situations.

The RT/10 top did great - not a leak, dribble, or drop of water inside. And since it was the first time I have ever used the wipers - I've got to admit, the Viper has got have the best, coolest, and most awesomes wipers in the world. Just plain cool!!!!!!!!

Don't worry about the rain - it's a car (yes - a car that demands respect) but it's still a car and a little rain won't hurt a thing.

My snake will definitely start getting more miles (of course, in Dallas the rain will stop soon and I won't have to worry about till the fall).

"Dance'in in the rain"

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Don't worry about the rain - it's a car (yes - a car that demands respect) but it's still a car and a little rain won't hurt a thing.

Exactly right. It won't melt. We left at 7AM in the rain yesterday for an autocross 80 miles away. Radar showed the weather clearing by mid afternoon. 3 of the 5 runs were in the rain, then it cleared and was fairly dry for the last run. We don't intentionally drive in the rain unless there's an event somewhere.....if there is...rain won't stop us. Autocrossing in the rain can teach you lots about how the car handles in a controlled environment. Several times, while returning from trips, we've been caught in rain heavy enough to stop traffic on the interstate. You just need to be extremely careful. With good tire tread it's not bad at all if you favor the center line, or shoulder, to stay out of the grooves in the middle.

Steve

 

[DodgeViper01]

I have gotten caught in the rain with my car as well. It was interesting but once you are going over around 50 or 60 MPH, VERY LITTLE rain gets in the car.

 

[Don Hiltz]

Ya'll have it too easy. My son and I recently got caught in a rainstorm in our '94 RT/10. Of course it was built as a roadster and that means no top and no windows. While I have aftermarket windows and a hardtop, the water began to flow in. The faster I drove, the more water came in. People on motorcycles were dryer than we were! They, at least, had rain gear.


Don't get me wrong; it was an adventure which we later laughed about, i.e., after we dried out.

But, don't ever forget that the early RT/10's were roadsters in the classical sense of the term.

Don

 

[Wild Bill]

I have been caught in the rain several times. Once I replaced the original tires it was no problem; I was floored what a difference the new tires made!! Once I was out for a cruise with the wife and got caught in a summer thunderstorm without the soft top. We just laughed as we saw other drivers expressions

Bill

 

[Magicboy2]

I have a 94 with VMania windows. The only leak is from a spot where there's obviously weatherstripping missing, at the very top of the sides of the windshield. And even that's not too bad.

I bought some weatherstripping and will apply when I have time- that should make it completely watertight.

I still don't drive the car in the rain if I can help it; just nice to know i'll be dry if I ever get caught.

 

[Don Hiltz]

Does anyone, except me, remember VOI 7 (in Nashville) when the skies opened up for what seemed to be an eternity? Those with early RT/10's found inches of water on their floors. The problem was so bad that Biff Brown came up with special weather stripping to eliminate the situation.

Are you there Biff???????

Don

 

[HARDVIPER]

These cars or any beautiful car should never if possible see the rain. It takes 2 - 5 hours to get her back to normal, To me it's not worth it. Some will disagree but my cars are A PIECE OF ART, NOT TO BE IN THE RAIN........it just kills me to see her like that.

 

[rcdice]

I kind of wish I could be liberated like that. My car has never seen rain and I do stress about it. Have the soft top (never been on the car) and the rear window secured in the trunk just in case. I do think along the lines of HardViper here. It takes me long enough to clean the car up from a drive on a DRY day. I shudder to think about the time involved in getting it back in shape if the pavement were wet!

 

[98MODMTR]

LOL....this is great stuff. I am sure if I owned one I would be the same way. My fathers bone stock 97 Vette has never seen rain either. 44K on the ticker and you can still eat off the motor (if thats your gig). But I can respect those wishing that their cars never see rain.

 

[Hisserman]

To each their own. Personally one of the reasons I got my Viper was to relieve stress. I don't need to add any more stress by worrying about rain. I try to avoid it wherever possible, but if I get caught I don't worry. The car handles fine with a little care and water won't hurt it -- I clean it every few days anyway. I'm sure Vipersrule is truly liberated and a happier man because of it. Drive it and enjoy it, your Viper's not made of sugar!

 

[slaughterj]

Once I was out for a cruise with the wife and got caught in a summer thunderstorm without the soft top. We just laughed as we saw other drivers expressions

Bill

I have driven in numerous occasions in the rain with the top off, getting thoroughly soaked, the door handles filling up with water until they spill over, etc. - that's why I carry a nice towel with me everywhere I go. Helll, it's been heavily overcast here for days and I've been driving to work everyday and I don't even have a top in my trunk!

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Does anyone, except me, remember VOI 7 (in Nashville) when the skies opened up for what seemed to be an eternity? Those with early RT/10's found inches of water on their floors. The problem was so bad that Biff Brown came up with special weather stripping to eliminate the situation

I remember well. It started the night before driving down from the drags in Bowling Green. Next was the parade--a real adventure, especially being tossed to the wolves as we exited the city. We had no idea where we were in a blinding rain storm. Dumped onto the freeway right next to a semi. A little intimidating at the time. Our car did not collect any water in the hotel parking lot overnight, but we keep a rag in the car for the leaks that eventually happen when driving.

We have been caught once in a downpour, 4 years ago, with no top on or in the car. The inside got so wet that I thought water was going to get into the dashboard electrical. The visors actually had water running out the bottom of them. As this was a cloudburst, we also got the opportunity to drive through some fresh hot tar which had just been put down(2 hours under the car cleaning the next day). Once we got through the lights and on the road it wasn't so bad. Since then, we never travel any distance without the top in the trunk. Friends at VOI 7 with gen 1 cars had the inches of water mentioned above just from sitting in the parking lot. Car covers there were virtually useless.

Bottom line is the car didn't break or melt, we have added a few more road stories to talk about, and the car is almost always clean and shiny by anyone's standards. I'm guessing the drive to Dallas this fall will have some rain stories before it's over.........that's if we get out of here before the snow falls. We've been caught in snow before too, but that's another thread.

Steve

 

[garolittle]

Anyone here ever get caught in a hail storm? Ouch!

 

[Achilles99]

ChrisGTS can attest to a hail storm... I believe he was in the Viper and his wife in the 911 when it happened. Insurance covered it, though, and it now looks like nothing had even happened