Mahalo guys. The Viper is really nice, but give me some time and it'll definitely be a bit more noteworthy.

 

Car looks super clean, great find! By the pics it looks to still have the original tires? If so, get some fresh rubber ASAP!

 

Hehehe....Trust me my friend....I'm working on that. They are Pilot Sports but I believe the GTS came with MXX3's right? One way or another, I'm gonna be putting the stockers with tires in storage when I replace them with some new monoblocks wearing Invo's.

 

Congrats on the new ride Dave!! Very sharp! Have you had some seat time? What are your impressions after a little drive time?

Bill

 

Mahalo Bill. Matter of fact, I have been spending considerable time behind the wheel.

Took her out this weekend and did a nice smooth run from 20-140mph on a desolate stretch of highway at 7AM. First gear is rather "tame" believe it or not. With the propensity that Vipers have of biting an unsuspecting driver, I made it a point to roll into the throttle rather than stab at it. Off the line, I had no traction problems and actually felt a bit disappointed with first.

A quick shift into 2nd and back on the throttle and the V10 gave me a nice progressive, very strong pull to the 5500RPM mark before I reached for 3rd. 3rd gear came alive and the top end pull was very rewarding. 4th was a short blur before I shut it down anticipating traffic (or police) may be around the next bend.

Looks - One of the best looking cars I've gotten to gaze at in my garage. Outstanding from the 3/4 rear and menacing from the front. I do love the roofline and the bulging fenders. The stock 17's gotta go (into storage) and will be replaced with something a little more aggressive to really set off the look proper. The wheel arches are not quite as tall (proportionately) as with my Z06, so I hope I won't have to lower it as aggressively, but alas, I will be dropping at least an inch or so.

Sounds - The car came with a Snake Oyl rear section which eliminates the rear mufflers. It must sound better than stock, but still sounds really mundane to me. I am looking forward to throwing some M&M headers at this car, with HF cats, and a Corsa system in 3". The sound of this car does not do it justice IMO.

Interior - What can I say....It's spartan. No squeaks/rattles (maybe I got lucky), but it is very simple. Instrumentation is good, and easy to read at all times. The A/C blows nice and cold, though a little more control over the system would be nice. The stock stereo is actually not too bad, but maybe that's because I can't hear it much with my exhaust droning and buzzing most of the time. The stock dash and A-pillars are painted in flat black and there are a couple of scratches. I want to fix this, but fear I will need to pull the whole thing apart to do it right and that's gonna be a lot of work. I am compelled to go through the trouble though, as it seems scratching it is quite easy to do. I may look at alacantara wrap options or perhaps a more durable flat black. Getting in and out requires the door be as close to (if not) all the way open as possible.

It does get hot inside the car, but swapping out the stock cats for a HF replacement should address that. The shifter is as good as you'd expect from a stock performance car of the era. Throws are a little long, but it lacks any "notchy-ness" and the gears are easy to find albeit a little sloppy. Steering input is simple, but the stock steering wheel is ugly as hell IMO. No cruise control, no traction control, no yaw control, no ABS.....and I love it. Maybe only because I can get in my Z06 and have all this if I feel the need.

Brakes - As you'd expect, are less than astounding. Not terrible, but the overall feel is not confidence inspiring. The lack of ABS is a slight concern to me, but also forces me to respect my situation a bit more. Until I really get a chance to push this car's braking system, I can only say this....I am going to go with a BBK as soon as I can!

Headlights - Meh.....This has got to be a weakpoint for the car. the stockers don't put out much light and the light that it does put out is orange and renders very little details of the road ahead. This will be replaced with a TBD HID kit in the very near future. The factory fogs as well.

Overall Impressions - While not as beastly as many make it out to be, this car has a ton of potential to be obscenely quick and fast. The chassis and platform Dodge used provides an excellent base that I fully intend to make use of. The lack of drivers aid gadgetry is less a shortcoming and more of an incentive for me to improve my driving skill and I welcome the challenge. I absolutely love the looks and personality of the car and for the first time in a long time, find myself going outside just to stare her down, maybe detail here and there. That in and of itself is justification for me to have one in my garage as my life is about passion in all things.

I plan on doing extensive bolt-on mods for this car. Forced induction of some sort, and perhaps some top end fortification. The suspension is pretty well sorted IMO and a nice set of coil-overs should do the trick (maybe even just Eibachs). The brakes will be replaced but all the stock componentry retained in the event I ever take it back to stock. Fuel mileage ain't nothing to call home about, but I enjoy every mile in this car so the money is well spent.

I'm glad I bought the car, and I intend to retain it as a piece of the future collection. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat and I would but the same car.

 

Awsome report brotha im cought in between a GTS or a new Srt10 coupe..

R.

 

Thanks bro. The good news is, either way...You're going to love it!

 

Im really surprised that you can run first gear or even second at wot and not smoke those tires. I have an 01 rt10 and first gear is violent at wot. Even new pilots are not usually enough to get full grip. I highly suggest a set of Toyo ra1's. Great grip and feel! Congrats on the Viper! You will grow to love her. My viper is the only toy in my collection I would be truly heart broken if I had to sell. Congrats again she is a beauty and thanks for the write-up.

 

Thank you for your post. Truth is, with more aggressive throttle/clutch modulation, I am sure I could break her free. My interest is in learning how hard I can go without doing so. I've been practicing rolling into the throttle. My Z on the other hand feels light and nimble. I can roll into that one and with the FI torque and light weight, I cannot keep it from breaking loose once at WOT....That's with 20" PS2's. Perhaps the 345 Invo's will help out in that dept.

I do very much have an affair with this Viper already. Who knows....My first impressions are just the start of things to come.

 

I think your overview is dead on. My biggest concern with this car is the brakes, even with drilled/slotted rotors and RedStuff pads they still don't inspire much confidence and I had them lock up on me once when I hit a patch of gravel at stop sign. The car is very bare bones, purpose built animal.

For an 8.0 V10 it is a little weak by today's standards, but back in 97 what other car had 490TQ for the money? The car can still make 600RWHP N/A but it's almost cheaper to make 700RWHP boosted. I plan on a single turbo for mine, nobody really does it and everyones done twins. Unless you roadrace the crap out of it, I bet you're fine with the Eibach's, my car handles more than I'm willing to push it on the street. Half of me just wants to do bolt ons, be happy with 470RWHP (it's always got n2o) and be done, the other half wants 1000RWHP and nothing less.

 

Thanks Trust. Brutha, I feel you on your aspirations. I want to keep it practical, but am dying to feel what the car is capable of (within reason of course). We'll see what the future holds.....one way or another, it's a future I look forward to.