buying a higher mileage viper worth it to save some money?
im debating whether or not to get a low mileage viper gts (less than 10k miles) for around $55000. or save some serious cash by going with one with some miles on the ticker. higher miles being somewhere in the area of 40-50k miles. the price difference in the market right now seems to be about $15000 give or take.
I plan really enjoying the car and driving about 8000 miles a year so either way the car will eventually get some high miles which is why im reluctant to pay a premium on a low mileage one unless I can justify it.
my wife is just looking at the numbers and obviously she is twisting my arm to save some money and get a viper for around $35-$40 grand.
basically Im wondering if im better off paying a little more now and getting a low mileage one and not having to worry much about maintenance and reliabilty. are these cars money pits when it comes to basic repairs & maintenance?
im scared that if a get one with 50k miles and get up to 80k miles in a few years, will I end up just dumping it back into maintenance quickly on a higher mileage viper and making it a wash? There's not a ton of really high mileage 2nd gen vipers out there so its hard for me to get a feel for what to expect.
30-40k miles is not bad. I bought mine with 18k and sold it with 34k on it. It ran just as good as the day I bought it. You can find a great GTS for $40k if you look hard enough.
I wouldn't be scared away by 40K-50K miles. I know people who have bought low mileage GTS's and had problems from them sitting for long periods of time. The more documentation there is with the car the more comfortable I would be.
Glad to hear people talking about driving there Viper. I can not see buying a car and then worrying about the mileage and how it will affect resale. If the best deal for you is one with mileage then that is what you need to buy. At least your trying to buy a Viper compared to half the ones in here who just dream about it and then bash others.
Good Luck with your purchase and if you need any help you will find many alley owners in here who can point you in the right direction.
Been there; done that...... don't comprimise! My wife fought me hard for over a year on buying a viper. We almost got divorced over it. I ended up buying a 97 gts with 57k on it. It was a leased car, but a single owner (2 three year leases sucsessively; his bro in law owns Warnock dodge in East Hanover, NJ.) Since I've owned it, I've put more money into this car than I can ever get out of it. I could've bought a 5k mile b+w gts easily by now. It was bone stock (red) and had a few issues; never wrecked though. Here's some of the shit: rotors, and pads all the way around, curb rash on all 4 rims (needed repair,) half shafts, new clutch and pressure plate, new front bumper cover, blew the engine, etc. etc. This is all within 3k miles since I've owned it. I never over-revved the engine (past 5,500 rpm or missed a shift.) True I'd drive it hard sometimes (using the engine to slow me down in a gear from a higher rev (coming down, say 5k or so, in third) but I never thought it would drop a piston, especially with all forged internals. I realise I did do some stuff that really didn't need to be done (new seats, small body issues and stripes, b+b catback system, tranny rebuild, etc.) but if I initially bought a very low mile car, alot of this stuff wouldn't have had to be done in the first place. Save yourself the time, money and aggrevation and just wait a little longer to save the difference. You'll be much happier knowing you didn't "have to settle" too. You'll feel much better about it, and have peace of mind owning it. Fudge the numbers if you have to with the woman, but don't do what I did! I tell her to this day, that I shouldn't have compomised and should have gone with my gut instinct. She's ok with the car now (3 years later,) but with all the time and money I've put into the car, she knows I'm right, and even admits it! Wait and get the one you really want!
wow. thats exactly what im trying to avoid here. I hope your scenario is a fluke and not common. engine failure & tranny work already??? man.. I dont expect toyota reliability, but for a nearly stock car to fail like that has me concerned.
since we're on that topic, whats the average life expectancy of a stock or lightly upgraded viper motor?
When maintained most Viper motors will run great for a long time. There are many high mile cars with zero problems and many run stronger with higher mileage.
I think Chris got the exception. The rule for most is they will run forever with the proper maintanence. I've had my share of cars, and when they reached between 28K-38K miles(depending on driving habits) I've had to change the clutch out. I believe it to be very rare to have a problem with the engine like he did. I would not hesitate to buy a car with 50K + miles on it, especially a 96-99 year car. I have 42K miles on my 99, 10K of these are with the S/C. I have never gone into the engine.
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The key is to find one that was well taken care of. I would rather have a higher mileage one that had been owned by an enthusiast who took care of all the maintenance and went that extra step. Rather than the person who just bought one and let it sit and maybe it only has 4,000 miles on it..........but overall wasn't taken care of.
I would go with a higher mileage car. If you plan on driving it anyway why pay for a premium low mileage car and then run the miles up on it? If you go with the higher mileage car make sure things like the clutch, throw out bearings, rotors, pads, etc... have been recently changed. If you look hard enough you can find one with some nice mods already. Just my .02
buy based on CONDITION and MAINTAINENCE history(documented), id rather pay more for a car that has higher miles but has all service done on schedule and documentation to prove it. Cosmetic condition will also be a huge factor, in that even small trim and interior pieces of the Viper come with a huge premium over "normal" cars.
wow. thats exactly what im trying to avoid here. I hope your scenario is a fluke and not common. engine failure & tranny work already??? man.. I dont expect toyota reliability, but for a nearly stock car to fail like that has me concerned.
since we're on that topic, whats the average life expectancy of a stock or lightly upgraded viper motor?
Viper GTSR, you need to have a compression and leakdown test done by someone you trust.
I bought a high mileage Viper and put another 50,000+ miles on it hammering the living daylights out of it going 180+ every time there was a hole big enough.
I didn't have to have the tranny rebuilt, but with 60k miles and I had it out anyway (while I was waiting for the engine,) I figured why not! Your call! Good luck!
getting the higher mileage one really makes sense to us as long as I dont dump a ton of money into it right away.
I know all the basic stuff to look for when buying a used car (records, paintwork, etc). but should I be concerned with anything particular on a used 97-99 viper gts besides the typical used car issues? some cars have really quirky things like recalls & such that can be a major pain if not already addressed. so im really looking for some specifics. if there arent any, then great!
I've got my wife to deal with so it really helps to know exactly what I may be getting myself into because I dont need the drama chris went through. I've been a LONG time viper enthusiast, so my wife fully supports me getting the car. shes just giving me a hard time because we're had some bad luck in the past, so i've gotta play it smart & do my research.
Viper GTSR, you need to have a compression and leakdown test done by someone you trust.
I bought a high mileage Viper and put another 50,000+ miles on it hammering the living daylights out of it going 180+ every time there was a hole big enough.
Don't be afraid of the right one!
Good luck.
Good to see you are following the "drive it like you stole it" quote.
VIPER GTSR - I would have it checked out like Paolo said. If it was maintained well like JOSH M said you should be good to go. Some things are going to need to be replaced just because.(like half shafts) If it is going to get any race time I would replace those first.
can you elaborate on the halfshaft issue? are those just a weak link when going for big power or drag racing?
I dont plan on racing the viper. atleast not for a while. my wife would kill me if I went mod crazy on another car. but only time will tell.... obviously there is a reason why im going with a 97-99 with forged pistons.
