I was thinking about getting into an '01 Viper GTS since I have found 5-6 within a decent price range with low miles. Being 37, married and with kids, my insurance won't be any cheaper than it is now. Does anyone know any mechanical issues with early 2000 models? I haven't gone to the Viper Forums yet to search their website yet.

 

Hey man. i am your Viper man. Anything you need to know I can answer. I am a Viper nut myself. No problems associated with the 01 that I know of. If there was I would know about it. There are a lot of things you need to know before buying a Viper. It's not a car to just buy. Very detailed specs that need to be looked at. Also, you need to look into whether anything is promised on the car that is not existent. That's popular with this car. How many miles? What color? What price?

 

oooooo Viper....teh 01's still came with teh 8.0 didn't they? i know the later models got bumped up to a 8.3.

 

My friend has one, very uncomfortable and the exhaust running along the side makes the cabin hot and the AC not as effective. Those are the negatives, other than that it is a sweet car. Would not want it to be a daily driver but is fun to cruise on the weekends.

 

Either red or black. I have come across both. One had 5,781 miles on it and was at a surprisingly reasonable price. I know I would lose a backseat. What detailed specs?

 

The 2001+ vipers(actually..i think starting with the 2000 model) are known as the "creampuffs" by their owners. The vipers switched from forged to cast pistons in 2000 I think. Some people swear by them, others say they can't hold boost. FYI A creampuff went 140mph in the 1/4, so don't think the motor is weaker by any means. A plus is that the 2001-2002 models got ABS for the first time, which is good if you plan to daily drive the car.

Head over to http://www.vca2.viperclub.org/forums and do some reading. Most of the guys there are very helpful to newb's looking to purchase a viper.

 

link no worky

 

I found it-it's here...

http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/ubbthreads.php

 

what exactly is the difference between powershifting and standard shifting... just a noob question. What is powershifting?

 

Powershifting is when you hold the gas down and press the clutch about 1/2 way while shifting. I would recommend against doing this.

 

could the ac be not as effective with the roof open?

 

My friend had one, hard top though. Black on black, there were these ac ducts right near the crotch and they gave very frosty nuts.
My friend loved it and I was even looking into getting a used 01 as well. He said that vipers rarely tend to last past 50k miles. I don't know if it's entirely true or not, but since he was an owner and my best friend I tend to believe him.

 

I just sold my 97 Viper GTS, blue with white stripes. Had it 3 months and only drove it a few times, water pump had to be replaced and had to replace all the tires. This was the 2nd set of tires the car had gone through and it had 26,000 miles on it. Anyone who drives a car with max performance summer tires is used to this though, my daily driven car only gets about 12,000 miles on a set of tires with autocrossing. I had a 93 RT/10 before that with the sidepipes, sold that with 1,500 miles on it. I prefer the GTS quite a bit more, the RT/10 had the open roof, I never installed the hardtop because you have to drill holes in the top. Sidepipes make it a big pain to get in and out of the car, especially when its hot, and someone in my family slightly burned their leg on it a bit once. I would recommend getting one with the rear exit exhaust, even though I loved the looks and sound of the sidepipes. Very hard cars to get in and out of and I do not like driving them because of the seating position. I would not daily drive one. Fun car to have to take out on the weekends or to a trip somewhere. Of course plan ahead for expenses to pop up with them even if you don't plan on ever driving it. In the 3 months I owned the GTS it cost me more in repairs and maintenance than I have spent on my daily driver in the 3 years and 50,000 miles I have put on it and its almost at 100,000 miles now with a few hundred miles of racing on it.

 

I would go for it man if the Viper is what you want. I don't need my cars to offer a whole lot of comfort (I just need to be able to fit in them) or amenities, or be a good "daily driver." A doctor friend of mine sold his turbo C5 to buy a Viper, because it had all the power stock with less problems. If you really like the Viper, then go for it.

 

the viper did not come in black in 2001. Only 144 reds were made.The 2000 year and the 2001 year nothing changed engine wise. Only changes for the 01 year were 3 channel ABS. black and steel gray were dropped and an ACR package option. Still has a 4.16 0-60 and emissions test were regulated. That 0-60 has always been in question. I have seen stock 4 sec. flat

 

I should have clarified. I have seen early 2000s and they were either red or black. The one in particular was red with those miles I listed. 0-60 times vary slightly between the RT10 and the GTS.

 

I would go for it. It's my dream car. I would pick out a car and research the hell out of it. If you need any help on what a dealer or private seller says it comes with let me know. It's a good car to fool people on. Both year have very nice ride quality and engine performance. The exhausts still run through the side rails. All 2000 non ACR GTS's came with 5 star polished chrome rims. A lot of people buy the 02 rims since it's the last gen. year and say they are stock.

 

I will check on insurance today or tomorrow.

 

I too wanted a viper badly...I think the absolute best research is to buy the book: A buyer's guide to the viper or something like that. I got a copy on amazon, and it is sooooo detailed on what to lookout for. It covers everything from the first rt-10 up to the first srt-10...so basically I & II gen vipers.

It talks about the price to replace the hood (gawdamn!!!) and the "yellowing" of the door panels from the heat exiting the outlets on the front fenders...good book to buy.

 

Those are the kind of questions I need answered.

 

I got both books. Checkout Barnes and Nobles or Borders. It's an outstanding book. Anything you need let me knwo. Good luck and lucky you.