[Kiaser]

Just wanted to introduce myself! I've had my heart set on buying a Viper for quite some

time and have recently acquired enough money to do so. The car will eventually be used for track (not drag) but until then it will be driven as an "almost" daily driver. I've driven only '95 Vipers and love the feel but have yet to try a newer Viper. I'm completely set to have a car that handles and feels like a real car (I'm not saying the corvette is not a real car, but I get turned off on the feel of it and can't stand any car with "assists" no matter how advanced the technology is). I'm also very partial to RT's instead of GTS's, as every car I've ever owned has been convertible or T-Top. These are great forums, I've read many threads up to about page 50. You guys really don't understand how much help you actually give for noobs like me. I have a few random questions. These are all related to RT's.

1) Are all '92-'95's Gen I and all '96's-? Gen II's?

2) What are the engines differences from Gen I to Gen II (besides horsepower)? I've read somewhere that the compression is 9.6:1 compared to 9.1:1. I'm guessing that's not the only difference though.

3) Can warranties be obtained even after the original extended warranty is expired?

4) What year did RT's have hard tops available from the factory, and is it still a convertible underneath or built on?

5) Will head gasket recall work show up on Carfax or VIN lookups?

6) Someone mentioned 998/999 recall work, what is that?

7) I've recently test drove a 95 RT. The guy had XGT Z4 tires on... Somewhere I read that they should be Michelin Pilot Sports, and that if the tires are XGT I may have to have them replaced. What was wrong with the XGT tires?

8) What's the difference between Gen I & Gen II besides engine? Which of these are true for RT's only:
a. GTS suspension
b. rear exhaust instead of side exhaust
c. hood w/duct & rivets
d. real windows
e. airbags
f. steering wheel
g. outside door button
h. speedometer
i. differential housing

9) Do all Vipers with real windows have the door push button on the outside?

10) I've seen many '96 Vipers with the saber stripes. None of these seem to have the duct and rivets on the hood. If it's true that Gen II's have the duct and rivets, is the saber stripes an exception? Example:

http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/image...ord=1&#main

11) The previous Viper linked about also shows in one picture that is has real windows (the one pic when it has it's hard top installed). Looking at the other pictures you can see that no outside door button. How does he get in?

12) How is the handling feel of Gen I compared to Gen II? I've heard different opinions saying Gen I has a much more "race car" feel with the suspension and handling. I don't want an easy car to drive, I want a real race car.

13) I've looked at a few Vipers already but haven't found one in very good condition as of yet to purchase (lots of problems or damage not listed in the classifieds). I live in the Texas area but would go anywhere to pick up a great Viper. I've listed below some of my "wants" in a Viper, any suggestions or deletions?
a. Air conditioning
b. Warranty
c. Hood w/duct and rivets
d. Saber stripes (love 'em, but I'd rather have the duct and rivet hood over saber stripes)
e. I prefer side exhaust that looks like it's only available on '95 and older
f. A separate hard top would be nice to put on when seasons don't allow for convertible
g. GTS rims or better

14) Some mods I've planned to perform. Suggestions, deletions, order of importance? A year or two from now I want to put boost on this thing (6-9lbs? Something minimal that won't take away engine life dramatically).
a. High flow cat or no cat
b. Corsa muffler
c. 3.55 or 3.73 gears
d. Smooth tubes
e. K&N filters
f. Lightweight flywheel
g. Short throw shifter
h. Small spoiler (similar to GTS)
i. Upgraded cooling system (radiator, etc)
j. Rollers Rockers
k. Heads & Cam Upgrade

15) Does ANYBODY like Emerald Green? What's your favorite color?

16) What oil (tranny & diff) does everyone recommend? I've used Mobile One Synthetic in the past.

17) what gas (not octane, I'm refering to supplier) have you found to be good. I usually stick to one gas station supplier when I buy a car for it's lifetime. In some of my cars I've had noticeable differences in performance and mileage going from Shell to Exxon, or Chevron to Racetrack. Worst I've had is with Shell, noticeable power drop and almost 4 less miles per gallon on one of my cars than Chevron. I wonder if that Techron stuff is harmful in the long run?

Sorry for such a long post, any help would be appreciated. I just wish I had found a RT10 worth buying before sneaky pete's came around, guess I'll have to go stag.

 

[Viperjohn]

1. 92 through 85 Gen I/96-2002 GTS is Gen 2/96 RT/10 are Gen 1.5 (Gen I engine with rear exit exhaust/97-2002 RT/10's are Gen 2's

2. More to it than horsepower and compression

3. Extended warranties can be obtained, although it gets harder the older the car is, I doubt you would be able to get an extended warranty on anything older than a 1996 model.

4. 1996 was the first year for the hard top option from factory. The hard top is removable.

5. Will not show up

6. This recall has to do with reinforcing the steering rack frame (use the search function to get more detailed info)

7. the 95 you drove probably had the original tires on it, by now they are probably hard as rocks, plan on putting new tires if you purchase. As tires age they harden, when this happens they have less grip and are unsafe.

8. I believe the differential housing did not change, nor did the gear ratios from Gen 1 to Gen 2. The RT/10 suspension was revised, Gen 2's have some aluminum components versus steel for Gen 1.

9. Yes, how else would you be able to open doors?

10. As state earlier, 96 are Gen 1.5's, they have the smoothie hood (no ducts) and the "saber striping" was only available in 96. Three color choices: Black w/Silver stripes/ White with blue stripes/ Red with Yellow wheels(McViper)

11. That specific Viper you are looking at has pop in windows, in order to enter the car, you must slide glass open from outside, reach in and open door with interior handle.

12. Handling is subjective, however, if you want a race car, go with the GTS instead of RT/10, the ACR package on the GTS is as close to a race car as you can get (with the exception of the competition coupe)

13. I recommend spending more time doing research, you can always modify the car to meet your needs. I don't think a Gen 2 hood with the saber stripes would look good because of the NACA duct (opening in middle of hood) You could always add side exhaust to any Gen 2, quite a few people have done that

The rest of your questions are subjective, If I were you I would become best friends with the search button, a lot of your questions have been discussed extensively in the past, most people on this board frown from having to repeat the same shit over and over again.

Good luck, I hope you find the right one!

 

[McGuireV10]

No contradictions to ViperJohn's replies, just a few things to add:

3) You can get extended warranties, even on the older Vipers, it just costs more as the age and mileage goes up. On the older ones, it probably isn't worth the money.

4) There is no permanently installed top on a RT/10. The hard top is removable as ViperJohn stated above, and the soft top is also removable and can be stored in the trunk (barely).

5) Head gasket work should show up on the VIN check through a dealer. However, it isn't a cure-all. I know at least two people who've had to do it twice. (Both were very low-milage cars, maybe that's related.)

7) Also, the XGT tires are no longer made. Some owners of older cars prefer them (apparently they were good track tires), but these days most people run Pilots.

8) Given the way you've worded your question, I want to clarify that from 1997 on, the RT/10s differ from the GTS only in body style. The 96 RT/10 had some of the Gen II improvements (and are sometimes called Gen 1.5), and everything earlier was a Gen I RT/10.

12) You may notice the difference between a regular Gen II and an ACR (and not just in your wallet), but unless you're practically a professional driver, I believe you're unlikely to notice any difference between a Gen II RT/10 and a GTS. The hardtop on the GTS offers a slightly stiffer chassis and improved aerodynamics (on paper, or if you've spent big bucks on mods and are into things like the Silver State Classic unlimited class), but You WILL notice a difference between an Gen I RT/10 and any Gen II car.

13) I think what you're calling "rivets" are vents over the wheels. ? As for the rims, they changed in 1999 to the current smooth 18" style from the 96-98 17" GTS style. The GTS and RT/10 have always had the same rims. The ACR gets 18" BBS rims. Lots of good aftermarket rims out there, too, both for track and for showing off.

14) Get the car, drive it a lot, put it on a road course, and keep reading. You'll have plenty of time and input to figure out the mod list for yourself after all that. It's quite a lot of car in stock form compared to 99% of what's out there, and even the stock ones are enormous amounts of fun on a road course.

15) The emerald greens are fairly rare. A friend of mine had one for awhile. I've never seen a photo that does them justice. Given that two thirds of all Vipers sold are red, I think it's pretty easy to guess most people's favorite color. It is common knowledge that yellow ones are faster. Nobody is sure why, they just are.

16) Most people stick with Mobil One in the engine. I haven't seen a lot of discussion about diff fluid.

17) 93 octane if you can get it. The quality of a fuel by brand name will differ from one area to another since stations have agreements to use each other's gas. For instance, locally Hess uses BP/Amoco gas, but up north where my father lives, Hess uses Shell (and their own, of course).

As ViperJohn says, "Search" is your friend.

Also, even though it's milquetoast windbreaker land, and they'll try their hardest to get $100 out of you for a membership of dubious value, for these sorts of questions you'll get a lot of useful help on the official Viper Club website, viperclub.org.

 

[Chuck 98 RT10]

12) How is the handling feel of Gen I compared to Gen II? I've heard different opinions saying Gen I has a much more "race car" feel with the suspension and handling. I don't want an easy car to drive, I want a real race car.

No Viper is easy to drive, just some are easier than others.

 

[McGuireV10]

The GTS has a full-size spare, doesn't it? The RT/10 just has a skinny "donut" spare (and insufficient room to stow your blown rear-tire... I carry a bungee cord in my trunk just in case).

Might be a consideration depending on how much long-distance driving you intend to do.

 

[Detlef]

My 2001 GTS has the small spare tire

 

[Hisserman]

Most constructive responses I've seen on this forum in quite some time. Congratulations guys!

 

[95Viper]

If you change your own oil, diff, and trans fluids it will be faster than having it done at a dealer. Not sure why but it's true.

Also, the yellow being faster thing was a myth...research in wind tunnels shows that air flows faster over a red Viper. The yellow paint sort of beads up air particles on the paint surface, maybe a chemical in the paint.

Thus, red Vipers are faster and this is why Dodge makes more of them.

 

[snakebitdave]

6) My recall notices are numbered 998 and call for the repair of both the steering gear crossmember and differential mounting bracket for 1996 through 1999 model year Vipers. There are volumes of information on this subject on this forum and Viperclub.org. Be sure you get a competent technician for this work as serious mistakes have been made by well intentioned techs. I haven't had my 96 or 98 done for fear of this. Wish the Viper Wizard was closer.

 

[ViperGTS]

Also, the yellow/red being faster thing was a myth...research in wind tunnels shows that air flows faster over a silver Viper. The yellow/red paint sort of beads up air particles on the paint surface, maybe a chemical in the paint.

Thus, silver Vipers (#1) are faster and this is why Dodge makes LESS of them.

#2 is red, of course.

 

[socalrebell]

I'll just answer #12 since I am a serious road racer. I had a '00 RT/10 I tracked the car and it worked fine, put a set of "anti-toe" brackets in the rear and it will handle like a GTS. The suspension geometry on the Gen 2 is infinitely better then the Gen 1 on the track. I've driven a few of my buddies Gen 1's on the track and basically they suck compared to a Gen 2, get a '98 on up :nod:


.

 

[Kiaser]

You guys are great! I'm up to about 80 pages of threads read now, still learning much. Have found quite a few good Vipers in classifieds (at least good on paper). I'll probably have to purchase from afar, but I'm gonna make sure I get a regional Viper Tech take a look at it before I fly out to pick it up. What do any of you guys usually charge to go check out a Viper if it's in your area? Also, what am I looking at (price and method) on changing a rear exhaust to side?

 

[Chuck 98 RT10]

What do any of you guys usually charge to go check out a Viper if it's in your area?

Most folks send me breasts for the service. I've got a dresser full of them.

 

[Kiaser]

I probably have the most pitiful pair you've ever seen, but ok, if you really need my man tits then it's worth it! lol!

 

[V10 MOJO]

good man, glad to see you prefer the RT10.

best yr is 99 other than ABS you got the best of the viper yrs.

watch the exhaust swap; its louder than you think, and even for a halfdeaf guy like me, too damn loud for a daily driver. looks great though!


FWIW you got a shitload of questions and im lazy to type. pm me and ill give you a call and help you out if you find one in my area ohio, pennsylvania, kentucky, indiana, west virginia

 

[Kiaser]

Thanks Mojo, it's been entertaining reading some of the posts you're in... I was back and forth about RT's and GTS's, but I've always had a open cockput car (T-tops or convertibles). It also helped to read one post saying "RT's get way more poon", after someone pointed out a pretty long reply about GTS advantages! These forums are a howl! It's really cool to see the participation level... I used to run 1/10 scale nitro cars (Yokomo's, with a-arms and coil overs, hmmm sounds familiar), and I thought the forums on those sites were good, but nothing compared to this!

I'll probably be getting an older model (94-96) due to funds. I've found some great 96's and even some good 94-95's for sub $40,000. I like the idea the 96's have upgraded suspension parts, but LOVE the idea of side exhaust. I do onsite IT work and our company car is a Dodge RT (a friends car). We drive to all our onsites with it, he has his cat removed and a nice flowmaster setup (really great noise on throttle). The drone in his car is incredibly loud, especially since the muff dumps right underneath you. But to tell the truth the noise doesn't bother me. In fact the only thing that does bother me is it's an RT and has 5.9 liters to work with, yet is so detuned from factory that it's power output is nowhere near what it should be. Now, put that same drone in a viper with it's power and I'll listen to it all day without ever losing smile.

 

[wbexxon]

hey... i was wondering i bought a new srt10 it has 74 miles on it. We seem to here valve noise. the dealer said possibly injector noise but it definately is a faint valve noise even at 2000 rpm it can be heard. Question do all v10 viper engines make a little valve noise?

 

[Kiaser]

Do '96 RT's also have the head gasket issue? I checked on alldata's sight and as far as recalls go it doesn't list anything about the head gaskets.

 

[McGuireV10]

hey... i was wondering i bought a new srt10 it has 74 miles on it. We seem to here valve noise. the dealer said possibly injector noise but it definately is a faint valve noise even at 2000 rpm it can be heard. Question do all v10 viper engines make a little valve noise?

Yes. Compared to most cars, the Viper valve train sounds like somebody pouring a box of gravel through a sheetmetal air duct. I was all worked up about it when I first bought mine. I used to pester Sean Roe and my dealer about it all the time, until I finally rode in a few other Vipers and noticed it really was as normal as they tried to tell me it was.

 

[Chuck 98 RT10]

the Viper valve train sounds like somebody pouring a box of gravel through a sheetmetal air duct.

LOL perfect analogy.