Why don't you drive more???

[Wild Bill]

Why don\'t you drive more???

Looking at bonkers Viper information makes me wonder why people don't dive their cars more. The average mileage for a 1998 R/T 10 is only 12,500 miles. I bought mine in late March with 8,200 miles on it-I now have 13,400 miles on her and have LOVED every single one . At this rate in just a few years I will have a very high mileage snake.

Everybody seems to love their car and brag about how dependable they are so why don't you drive it more? Gas to expensive? Only put miles on 1/4 mile at a time ? Sunday driver only ? Insurance?

Why???

Bill
(wishing I hadn't let the wife take my car today )

 

[Magicboy2]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Well first off, I only drive mine on nice days, I have a ****** for rainy ones.

I know people on the board will jump down my throat for this one but...

I'm young, and part of what makes the car "practical" for me to own is knowing that if the need arose, I could probably sell the car for reasonably close to what I paid for it. The reason I'm not driving it "everywhere, all the time" is becuase I dont' want to absolutely slaughter my resale value.

Although, we've put 3k miles on it in the four months we've owned it, so it's not like the thing's sitting unused.

I've heard people on the board say "wait till you can afford the car without worrying about it... you'll enjoy it more." Yeah well, maybe. So for me, the option was:
1. driving a viper now and having to work a little harder to make ends meet
or
2. putting it off and not getting one till god-knows-when

I'll take the former over the latter any day.

 

[Detlef]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I drive mine every sunny day and we have over 300 sunny days here

 

[Martin D]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

98 RT - 52,244 And ----900 hp!

I drive it all the time.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Drive em. I drive my car rain or shine as much as I can. 2000 GTS Steel grey no-strips
1. I'm not preserving it for a future owner.
2. I bought my car with 17,000 miles and put 3,000 more on it before I got it home.
3. I'd rather save or make money somewhere else than on resale. I paid a lot of clams for this car and want to get as much enjoyment out of it I can.
4. lastly, I can't think of a reason I would ever want to sell this car, or a car I'd want to sell it for. for the money, what is out there to compare?

 

[Janni]

Confessions of a former Garage Queen Owner???

Well, with both our 1996's, they started as garage queens, then ended up spending a decent amount of time at ViperDays. SO, when they got back from an event, they went into the shop to be completely cleaned and gone over - a process that always took almost until the next event (law of expanding time) so the miles didn't add up quickly. We would still take them to club events and stuff, but since they were in the shop area it was more difficult to get them out as the shop is alarmed / heated / cooled and I don't activate the garage door opener.

And we had other daily drivers.

But then, when I sold my daily driver and moved my red, white and blue car upstairs, it was accessible and THERE, and I drove it as much as I could (esp. when you work from home....) And I really got hooked driving the Viper as a daily driver - it's too much fun to not drive ALL THE TIME - and no, it doesn't get old or boring.

Now, since it's for sale, I cleaned it up and put it back in the shop so it'll be in great condition for the new owner.

But fear not - I moved the SRT-10 upstairs and plan on going for a drive today at lunch!!!! Someone has been "borrowing" that car this week to take to work and leaving me with the truck. Well, weather is finally decent and I have some stuff to do, so needless to say, it's home for me today.... and it's my only daily driver.

Now granted we don't get much snow, so year round usage is feasible, but speaking as a person who started out having a garage queen, I could NEVER do that again. Cars are meant to be driven. the Vipers are a blast to drive and you really need to get that driving enjoyment out of the car for your money. While it is a special car - it's still only a car. If it gets scratched or hit or dirty, all can be fixed. The possible "trauma" of having it get hurt is far outweighed by the enjoyment you have driving it around.

Now get out there and drive.

(Proud of me, slaughterj?)

 

[prevnine11ownr]

Re: Confessions of a former Garage Queen Owner???

30,000 + on mine...seems to run stronger !! No POSER here...... Just sold my 89 911 (supercharged) with 92,000....I drive !

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

We bought ours new, in the spring of 2000. We have about a 5-6 month season in which we try hard to get about 8,000 miles. We have tracked it a few times, dragged a few times, autocrossed several times a season, and think nothing of taking trips which could be a couple thousand miles(our 'local' club-MCVO-is 500 miles south of here). Our car will turn 30,000 miles this week or next. I have no concern about resale. We bought it to enjoy. I have logged many thousand more miles than many who have owned Vipers far longer than I. We have other cars as well. In fact, I drive over 35,000 miles getting back and forth to work every year(not the Viper). If we could drive year round, I know there would be over 50K miles on the car. Maybe more--my wife is retired.

Steve

 

[ViperGTS]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

3 summers - 20000 miles - and our summers are rainy and short, except for the present one...enough?

 

[prevnine11ownr]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Gerald (snake Bitten)...and I know who the POSERS are !

 

[Wayne Finch]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Trying to keep mileage on my one-off GTS somewhat reasonable while still enjoying the car. The SRT on the other hand has virtually turned into my daily driver - no concerns about mileage and a much more comfortable refined ride

 

[Sam 01 RT10]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I've had mine for a month and one day, and have managed to put 1,040 miles on her.

I have a ****** and a demo from work, but I just love to drive this thing.

 

[GR8_ASP]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

2500 on the SRT and 32,000 on the RT/10. Only thing lacking is time to drive them. The RT/10 has taken a back seat this year so far and not collected many miles. I log more miles on the Vipers than my everyday car during the spring/summer/fall months. And that is with a newborn that limits "family" travel in the Viper.

 

[Newport Viper]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I ride my mountain bike to work. 5 min. Viper goes to the golf course on the weekends......... see miles below

 

[jamie]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I've had mine for a year and a half, bought it with 6000 miles on it. It now has 18500, not bad considering I can only drive it in the summer..

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

73K on the 98 RT/10
30K on the 97 GTS (track only)

 

[2001 Sapphire Blue]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I ride my mountain bike to work. 5 min. Viper goes to the golf course on the weekends......... see miles below

Are you trying to rub in the fact that you live in paradise? We're all green with envy!!!!

 

[MHQC]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

4 months and 4000 miles. I drive that thing every night after work, that is the second best way to release stress...

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

2 years 30,000 miles. Best therapy I know is a ride in the Snake. Its not a trophy, its a car. It's a beauty and it's a keeper.

 

[Catwood]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I've had mine for about 3 1/2 weeks. One week I did not drive it as we had a baby and things were just to crazy. I've put over 600 miles on it so far. That's 7.5% of the total milage in 2.7% of the time it's been owned.

Maybe it's just 'cause it's new to me

 

[slaughterj]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Over 46k here, 20k/year, daily driver!

Oh, and I don't believe a d@mned thing said about reliability from those with low mileage untracked vipers.

 

[Anthony - 98 GTS]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

Two years this month and 250 miles.

Might help if the motor was in more than a month.

 

[slaughterj]

Re: Confessions of a former Garage Queen Owner???

(Proud of me, slaughterj?)

LOL! I was thinking I needed to reply to this, and saw your last line! Glad to see you've converted!

 

[slaughterj]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

73K on the 98 RT/10
30K on the 97 GTS (track only)

Dammit Chuck, how am I supposed to catch up?!

 

[Steve Miehe]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

I agree with Matt - have a ****** plus a company car so only drive mine on weekends that are sunny, and when I am not at the office. Sometimes it's tough to stay out of the office on weekends too.

 

[V10 MOJO]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

99 RT10; 34K two trips cross country rain or shine daily driver and race frequently also

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

73K on the 98 RT/10
30K on the 97 GTS (track only)

Dammit Chuck, how am I supposed to catch up?!

Come down for a few track weekends a couple times each year.

 

[Walt McFarland]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

9800 miles on an 02 and more coming. In fact, when I don't drive it, I miss the experience immensely (tell me when you're doing something as mundane as cruising at 3000 RPM you don't feel like you could pull the world if you could get traction!).

I live in the Washington DC area and sometimes work takes me into the "******" of underground parking garages--where I may have to leave the key with an attendant. On those days I leave the Viper home. Otherwise, rain or shine, I'm spreading the gospel.

 

[doctorbob]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

New SRT. Five months. Five thousand miles. Best stress reducer I know. As one of my friends mentioned to me after a drive....the car makes you smile

 

[Bernard]

Re: Why don\'t you drive more???

52,000 since December 2000. It's like a good woman, I use it as often as possible.