6th Jun 2001, 06:49
Hell, I think if you pay over 80K for a car it should be able to haul in extreme cold as well as heat.
6th Jun 2001, 23:18
I work at Lithia Dodge of Eugene, Oregon. We are a 5 star dealer and I know for a fact that we have the only technician who is "Viper Certified". I think that you would have found that if there is a certified tech at a 5-star dealer, then you would be a lot more happy with the vehicle.
I know that doesn't help the problems with the car, but you can buy the most expensive car in the world and there will be something wrong with it. I know that we treat our customers great and have a really good FFV (Fixed First Visit) rating. I am sorry to hear about your problems and I wish that you had the chance to bring it to our dealership.
By the way I am a technician there, but not lucky enough to be Viper Certified. I hope that you enjoy the car though!
3rd Oct 2002, 11:39
The Dodge Viper is called a 3 season car for a reason (At least in Britain). You don't drive it in winter. There have been a number of recorded accidents here in Britain due to the owner not having the ability to control the car in cold weather (Snow/Ice primarily). Most crashes tend to happen before owning the vehicle for a complete year.
At the Salvage yard that I work at 3 have come in and all were in the winter season. One was so badly damaged that it was condemed to the crusher after salvegeble parts were removed.
22nd Mar 2003, 11:02
" Might as well have purchased a neon as far as service is concerned." What is that about? I am a 6th year neon owner (98 sport coupe) and do not appreciate the comment! We neon owners might not have Vipers in our garages, and I am sure some of us do not aspire to such, but, We do have feelings and don't deserve your flack for buying inexpensive cars. If one buys a 13,000.00 car, then they deserve service of lesser quality? Get real, dude. I love my neon, seems much moreso than you and your Viper, says a lot about that little cheap car, does it not?
4th Dec 2003, 20:32
To the comment above, if you go to a restaraunt that costs you $1,000 just for you and your wife, wouldn't you expect to be treated a bit better than the same guy who takes his wife to McDonalds?
10th Jan 2004, 10:20
To the person referring to the $1,000.00 dinner and the service expected. I don't care how much money you have, if you spend a thousand dollars on dinner you need to have your head examined. Seriously, think before you make a comment like that. I myself have spent too much money on dinner before, but I thought the lobster was worth it..he-he. Listen, I expect the same service from McDonald's or any fast food place. Hot, fresh, and with a smile. I am no less important to their overall business welfare than I am at an expensive..."fancy" place! End of story.
19th Mar 2004, 10:49
In accordance with the policies of this site, I'll first mention that I am an employee of DaimlerChrysler/Chrysler group. I'd like to point out that DaimlerChrysler DOES restrict who can sell and service Vipers to a large degree. This is accomplished through the requirement that the Dodge dealership has a minimum of one certified Viper Tech who has completed the proper training courses. The exception to this would be if the Viper were sold as a used car by a Chrysler Group dealership and/or the service performed was outside of the factory warranty coverage. We have no direct control over sales or repairs in the case of used sales.
With all due respect to "Tara," most true Ferrari Scuderia would have listed the model as well - rather than just "2000 Ferrari." Then again, most Ferrari owners would also realize that pluralization of a noun isn't accomplished with an apostrophe either...
3rd Apr 2005, 06:18
Here in Florida it is called a 4 season car with the majority of the time with the top off. It's a real hardship.
28th Mar 2006, 15:34
The Viper is an anomaly for many reasons, including:
*It is the most expensive production vehicle Dodge makes.
*It is hand-made in small quantities.
*It is the only U.S. production sports car that actually looks good. Who can argue with that? Corvette is ho-hum, Mustang consistently botches retro-styling jobs, and the GT40 is too rare to be considered.
For these reasons (and some others), some people have crazy expectations.
People expect that, if they pay $80k for it, they should get world-class service and dealer expertise (which you would get if you paid $80k for a Mercedes). I don't know how good/bad most dealers are, but mine had no problem locating the part that my Viper needed. Considering the low quantities made and the fact that they are handmade, I would not take mine to a dealer for most repairs/maintenance. It's easy to work on anyway - it's long-nosed, NA, front-engine, RWD - what more do you want?
People that have such high expectations should opt for a Porsche/Mercedes AMG/BMW M.
Another misconception is that it should "do everything". If you want to haul things, get an SUV. If you want to drive in the rain/snow all the time, get a Subaru. If you want reliability, get a Civic. If you want fuel economy, get a hybrid. If you dislike traffic, take public transit.
The third big misconception is that it is slow. A stock Viper will still beat a stock Corvette. The Z06 is a modified version so it's not a fair comparison. A lot of people will also point out that the Lingenfelter Corvette will easily beat a Viper. The problem there is that the Lingenfelters are turbocharged. If they were as reliable as they are powerful, you'd see more of those on the street. Turbochargers are like NOS - anyone can slap one on their car and make it fast, but it kills the engine.
Lastly, fuel economy. For the size of the engine, it's awesome. Any other engine that gets that much power will get single-digit gas mileage, guaranteed.
3rd Dec 2006, 06:27
Well I can only say a few things here... and I hope I get some support from the other viper owners... hands down I have felt the viper GTs is the best looking sports car made since 1996. I have owned now to date 13 Porsche's and just 2 days ago decided to buy a GTS now that the prices have become far more attractive. in my eyes you could not buy a 450 HP 911 for 40K. never. I bought a 1997 GTS...does anyone have any feedback on this car for me? e mail me at slantnose1@hotmail.com
26th Mar 2008, 22:50
1. Corvettes are not ugly
2. Z06's are not modified Corvettes, they are a completely different model with a different body and a different engine.
3. Vipers are cool and we all know it, so get over your arguments and enjoy :)
26th Apr 2009, 16:15
Since when is the Z06 a completely different body? Since Chevy added a Z06 emblem to the fenders?? And these posts must be too old to comment on the ZR1s out there now.
One of the main reasons I bought a Viper instead of a Corvette was: at 20/20 (20 feet away and 20 MPH - unless you have excellent eyesight) you can't tell the difference between a "350" automatic 'Vette used by Mom to get groceries, vs. a ZR1. (and the '63 split window is still my #2 favorite car of all time)
A Viper is a Viper. No watered down excuses here. Park a 'regular' Corvette next to a 'regular' Viper and the crowd ALWAYS gathers at the Viper first. Well, unless it's a Chevy crowd...
I'm also collecting VINs from the 1997 production run, so if you have a '97, please email me at ViperBeckmann@aol.com. I'm not using it for any personal gain, just something to show off at car shows, etc. I'm only looking for VIN, city, state, mileage... NO personal info please. I currently have just over 70 recorded (out of 1671 - long way to go!). If you want a copy, ask. Thanks fellow Sneaky Pete's!!
27th Apr 2009, 23:21
Comment 22:50 hit it right on. Put your arguments aside. We all know that most any normal human being would love to drive a Viper. Corvettes aren't too shabby either:)
11th Jun 2010, 09:24
Question.
How many 1996 and 1997 Dodge Vipers B/W stripes were built? It appears this is the most collectible Viper, based on the market demands. Also the value goes up on the B/W stripes and down on all other colors of Viper. Someone please reply.
Graylin.
25th Apr 2001, 09:51
Why not?