Hey guys. So Im thinking of picking up a late 90s GTS. Ive always loved the lines of the car, and seeing the prices of them now it doesnt seem unreasonable at all. Unfortunately, Ive never personally driven one (rode in one, thats all) so I dont have much experience. My only concern is that it will feel huge and bloated compared to cars such as my FD Rx7 or the S2000. Im sure to some degree that will be true, but I remember driving a friends Trans-Am, and while torquey and fun, I couldnt stand the handing and feel of the car. Im concerned the viper will be the same, and Im not sure how easy it will be getting a good test drive with a car like that. So I know there are at least a few people on here that have owned them, so looking for some insight on the driving. Also, any good years, or things to look for? Any input would be appreciated.

 

i knew someone who owned one. he rarely drove it. not because he didn't like it but because he got about 8 miles to the gallon.

but i am with you kinda. i liked the way some of the vipers look, especially the newer ones.

just dont forget the small things: gas, insurance way high, and remember if its older it will have higher miles and high end cars dont have the best reputations to be long lasting.

 

The thing that sucks the most is tires. Being a 335/30r18 in the rear youre looking at at least $400 each for replacements. A $1200-1600 tire change would hurt.. but aside from that from the few people I know that have owned them they seem to be pretty reliable. Its not like the engine or trans is really all that special or stressed ,as long as theyve been taken care of.

 

I shopped 3rd Gen Vipers a few times. SRT/roadster models which got pretty affordable - since the Z06 isn't available as a convertible, it's a nice option for open air muscle.

As much as people talk about how much more "raw" the earlier cars are, I've never been much of a fan. The RT/10 is not much to look at, and while the GTS is the better looking car, I still think the styling is a little awkward. Of course, the aesthetics are all subjective - there are some folks that think the GTS is the best looking car ever designed. All Vipers are one of the few cars that look fantastic with stripes.

As far as driving dynamics - and this is from my experience with a handful of various generation cars on the street and track, none mine so I didn't drive them super hard - the Gen II cars are very capable, but aren't close to the sort of connected feel you get with say an M3, most Porsches or even the S2K. Those cars feel like a mix between an early model C4 Vette (like the really good handling '84) with slightly more polish like you would find in a C5Z06 (a C6Z06 is a much better vehicle). I could never get quite comfortable in the car either - the sight lines, seating position, etc., just felt very awkward. Maybe with time it would improve, but I felt instantly at home in my Z06, the S and other cars like a 996/TT or GT3 (I'm pretty normal, ~185/6-1").

Note that ABS wasn't introduced until '01, and while I know everyone on every car forum knows how to threshold brake way better than "any of them fancy abs computers", I for one require ABS in my street car. As you probably know, none of them include any kind of TC/AH/VSC type systems.

The 3rd Gen Vipers feel much more put together. There's less wiggle/creaks, the interior is still pretty minimal, but pretty well put together (the pre-03 cars like pre-97 Vettes have a very 80's vibe to the interior). It still feels a little less than immediate with regards to responsiveness - not sure how much is false perception because of the proportions. I did ride in a 3rd Gen with stickies, Motons, etc., very well setup and it was very fast on track but didn't feel like it would be an enjoyable street car (I guess maybe the shocks can be adjusted[?]).

I drove a GTS with a PD style supercharger (because, you know, the car really needs more low end TQ ) and it of course was silly fun. I mean, I personally owned a car with over 700HP, so the whole idea of ridiculous HP numbers isn't a big thing. It was an early model that had the stouter [forged] internals, lumpier cam (the later Gen II cars are referred to as "creampuffs") and with the low C/R out of the box, they're a great candidate for reliable FI.

OK, this isn't meant to be insulting to any owners, but my last comment is this: I found I wasn't really into the idea of Viper ownership, or the scene/community. There's something about the car that doesn't click with my personality. When I said I shopped them, I mean I had check in hand ready to go buy one weekend (I mentioned this in another thread), but decided to wait and when the purchase gestated a little longer, I found I wasn't really interested. I turned around and spend the same amount of money on my next ride so it wasn't a financial decision. It's a car that's permanently been crossed off my list to own.

 

Just a small piece of information, but a guy at a bodyshop once told me that if you crack the front clamshell (basically the body forward of the A-pillars), the replacement part alone is $8k.

 

I alway thought they were a bit too Ace & Gary for my tastes.

 

I don't know anything about them, but I know there's a guy here at work that DDs his. He is on his 2nd one, so I guess he likes them.

 

Expensive to drive hard/track/AutoX, but cheap to maintain, so Ive heard.


Brakes are pretty reasonable, but tires are a 2000-3000$ a year cost if you drive it hard, so factor that in.

 

We had one in the family for a few years. (2000 GTS)



They have great torque and are lots of fun to drive, for a short while. If you're into attention, they still draw lots of it just not from women. We found it to be very reliable, although it didn't get a lot of miles on it

That being said the driving joy wears off pretty quickly. The front end is very long and can be hard to park. The engine heats up the cabin to the point that the A/C can't keep up. The interior isn't that great, but you don't buy this car for the interior.

 

I loved my '97 GTS. Blue+white stripes...loved the way it drives, sounded and etc. I actually liked the interior. Had a cool claustrophobic, purpose built, interior (loved the hlemet bumps). Tracked it, was a blast (handful, but scary fun).

Sold it because I didn't drive it enough. . As people have mentioned, maintenance is easy and alot of it is DIY. Its one of those DIY cars. I could have easily driven it daily except for one thing-depreciation. It's no means an exotic, but sure depricates like one. Not so much the age, but with miles (hence the scarcity of driving it).

P.S., this is also coming from a prior NSX, Rx-7 ('93) and S2K owner.