Long time listener, first time caller

[bgoose99]

I've got a couple questions for the gurus on this forum. My wife and I have dreamed of owning a Viper for the last 13 years, and it looks like that dream might come true next year.

I'll be looking for a Gen II GTS. My first question is about reliability. I know the daily driver thing has been discussed in detail, but I'm not really interested in personal opinion. I'm thankful there are people out there who have garage/trailer queens...they are the type I want to buy a car from. My plans, on the other hand, are to drive it 'till the wheels fall off. So, are Vipers, on average, pretty reliable? (Just FYI, I drive about 10k miles per year, including work and some spirited driving on weekends. I live in Alabama, so no big worries about snow or ice.)

My second question is about maintenance. I like to do the regular maintenance on all my vehicles. I really don't like the idea of taking my car to a stealership. When I do it myself, I know it's done right (or at all, in some cases), I know a 19 year old making minimum wage isn't driving it around the back parking lot, and I get to spend some time working on the car myself. So, can a shadetree mechanic take care of all the routine maintenance on these cars?

Thanks in advance for helping out a prospective club member!

 

[Warfang]

I've got a couple questions for the gurus on this forum. My wife and I have dreamed of owning a Viper for the last 13 years, and it looks like that dream might come true next year.

I'll be looking for a Gen II GTS. My first question is about reliability. I know the daily driver thing has been discussed in detail, but I'm not really interested in personal opinion. I'm thankful there are people out there who have garage/trailer queens...they are the type I want to buy a car from. My plans, on the other hand, are to drive it 'till the wheels fall off. So, are Vipers, on average, pretty reliable? (Just FYI, I drive about 10k miles per year, including work and some spirited driving on weekends. I live in Alabama, so no big worries about snow or ice.)

My second question is about maintenance. I like to do the regular maintenance on all my vehicles. I really don't like the idea of taking my car to a stealership. When I do it myself, I know it's done right (or at all, in some cases), I know a 19 year old making minimum wage isn't driving it around the back parking lot, and I get to spend some time working on the car myself. So, can a shadetree mechanic take care of all the routine maintenance on these cars?

Thanks in advance for helping out a prospective club member!

Other than styling and power... the two biggest positives about the Gen2 Viper is it's race proven (and winning) reliability and it's ease of self-maintenance. Because of its massive size, the engine can do more working a lot less, reducing stress. Also, the Viper was designed as a back-to-basics car. While there are some basic computers on board, the car itself is very low tech, and probably one of the easier cars to work on.

Fit and finish... maybe not so much to be honest, but the engine will run longer than the seats will stay firm and hold its shape.

$75 for a repair manual and you'll be all set. You will absolutely LOVE it!

 

[CitySnake]

I've got a couple questions for the gurus on this forum. My wife and I have dreamed of owning a Viper for the last 13 years, and it looks like that dream might come true next year.

I'll be looking for a Gen II GTS. My first question is about reliability. I know the daily driver thing has been discussed in detail, but I'm not really interested in personal opinion. I'm thankful there are people out there who have garage/trailer queens...they are the type I want to buy a car from. My plans, on the other hand, are to drive it 'till the wheels fall off. So, are Vipers, on average, pretty reliable? (Just FYI, I drive about 10k miles per year, including work and some spirited driving on weekends. I live in Alabama, so no big worries about snow or ice.)

My second question is about maintenance. I like to do the regular maintenance on all my vehicles. I really don't like the idea of taking my car to a stealership. When I do it myself, I know it's done right (or at all, in some cases), I know a 19 year old making minimum wage isn't driving it around the back parking lot, and I get to spend some time working on the car myself. So, can a shadetree mechanic take care of all the routine maintenance on these cars?

Thanks in advance for helping out a prospective club member!

Those are easy questions.
Yes and....yes.

I drove my Gen 2 as much as my time would allow. Did over 46,000 miles in 8 years. Other than tunning issues that I caused (having put in a SC after about 12,000 miles) I had no significant issues. NONE. Drove in 10 degrees and 95 degrees (though not much in the rain) and often in heavy stop and go traffic. That's one of the reasons I chose to go "exotic" with a Viper and not Italian alternatives (required maintenance and the cost to maintain....not to mention the cost to purchase).

Must maintenance is as simple as any daily driver. I would, however, find a respected tech in your are with whom you can consult.

Go for it!

 

[uvbnbit]

I think you'll be very pleased with the overall versatility of the Viper. We've driven ours to Vegas and back. Detroit and back, FL and back twice. In 2 weeks we're going to FL again. Drive it to the track, and if all goes well, drive it to the grocery store on the way home.
What part of AL you from?

Chip

 

[bgoose99]

Thanks for the prompt replies! That is exactly what I was hoping to hear, as you might imagine.

Oh, and I live just outside of Huntsville.

 

[eucharistos]

as was mentioned, you just described viper ownership

great time to be a buyer

 

[uvbnbit]

Thanks for the prompt replies! That is exactly what I was hoping to hear, as you might imagine.

Oh, and I live just outside of Huntsville.

We've got a few members in the N. AL area. Good place to do events. check out some of the stuff we do at Viper Club Of America | Alabama-Tennessee Region