I'm thinking we can redefine what is Grassroots.
A friend of mine just got a 2001 Viper with only 21,000 miles for just under $30,000 from a dealer - it would have been cheaper from an individual. It seems that low mileage models are more the norm than the exception with most of the models we saw having from 10k -20k miles. Now, I don't know about you, but a sub $30k Viper seems very Grassrooty to me.
Here are a few we didn't consider just because of distance.
http://www.autoextra.com/vehicledetail/adid-89663013/do-basic
http://www.autoextra.com/vehicledetail/adid-90001214/do-basic
http://www.autoextra.com/vehicledetail/adid-90949225/do-basic
If you are willing to get a mid to late 90's model they can be had in the TEENS!!! Yikes!
Maybe we need some articles about how to buy a used Viper.
The first impression of the Viper is of it's sheer size and magnitude. When you think you are going to get behind the wheel you approach it with a little trepidation. "How will I handle all that power on the streets?" "Will it get squirrely on me?" and the inevitable "What if I stall it right here in front of God and everyone?" I got to drive it home from the dealer - but it was in rush hour traffic. I was worried about side swiping someone, but I needn't have worried. The car was a very composed gentleman and behaved admirably. Unfortunately that meant I only got to get on it when I almost got home, SWEEEEEET!
I always thought of Vipers as being quite large and clunky, let me tell you that nothing could be further from the truth. This only becomes evident when you park the car next to something the size of a Miata or S2000. The lines of the car are designed to make the car look more substantial than it really is.
I could have won $1,000 today. I bet my friend his Viper wasn't much bigger than my S2000. But it surprised us both because when parked side by side we found they are virtually the same size!!! And I have pics to prove it. When I can figure out how to post some pics to the forum I will show you a side by side comparison of the Viper to a 66 Shelby Cobra and an S2000. They are all virtually the same size and all of them are actually smaller than a 350Z.
It's all an optical illuzun thingy! The lines on the S and the Z taper to smaller fronts whereas the Viper uses broad, wide, flat strokes to make the car appear bigger and more aggressive looking.
The first thing you notice as you put your hand on the car is that the doorhandles are electrically operated. It gives opening the door a smooooth feel. Both inside and outside handles are really just electrical switches. Which means you could move them just about anywhere you want to. I feel some customizing comin' on.
I have peaked inside numerous Vipers on the track and in parking lots, but I never really paid much attention to the details of the interior. Inside the wide and tall center console, ala Hummer, just seemed to catch my eye and I never really looked at the other details. I was expecting more of a race car/kit car interior and was pleasantly surprised to see a "real" car interior. There are very comfy leather seats and while the interior is a little monochromatic and slightly bland it has all the gauges and creature comforts you'd expect from just about any car.
Back to that honking big console, inside it doesn't feel all that big. It is dominated by what appears to be a too long shifter, but the console is shaped to cup your arm. If you lay your arm in the depression on the console you hand just naturally fits right on the shifter.
While visually the shifter appears too long, in use it works very well. My friend says he's going to get a shorter one, but I am counselling him to wait a while and see if it grows on him. I like it, or at least I like how easy it is to shift. I have had some rather negative experiences with shorter shifters and the hard, notchy shifting they usually give you. Yes, it is a longer throw than on an S2000, but how often do you need to be bang shifting? The car actually is faster in a straight line if you shift in a deliberate unhurried way. If you slam the shifter into the next gear the rear end wants to do some strange things wheras if you shift it normally but fast the rear stays planted and you don’t feel like lifting from the throttle.
The AC works surprisingly well. I was bringing it home on a 105 degree day and I had to turn the AC down before I got home. But a couple of full throttle passes just before I got home made my passenger complain that the footwell got hot in a hurry when I did that. I used the word surprisingly on purpose when I mentioned the AC because they have a round, sewer pipe sized vent that is aimed right at your crotch. It is a little surprising when that first cranks up, but it works very well. I can't wait to get the reaction from some unsuspecting girl in a short skirt sitting there when I first crank it up. This vent is actually a lot more comfortable than the cooled seats in the Lexus cause the Lexus seats make you feel like you've wet your pants.
Speaking of girls in short skirts, the very wide side rails make this car harder to get in and out of than even the Shelby in which you have to swing wide to miss those (very) hot side pipes. The good side of that is that it will make you mind your manners and will make every guy a gentleman. Your mamas will like this car because she’ll see you open the door for every passenger (hopefully female) in a short skirt!
Back to the size thing for a minute. Until you get used to the car it does feel bigger than it is. I think that is due to the view from the windshield. The front end seems to rise before it tapers down in the front which gives you a view of a whole lotta hood real estate. By comparison the Shelby feels almost dainty. I have pics of the view from the driver’s seat of all 3 cars I’ll post as well so you can see what I am talking about.
While the car’s interior doesn’t look or feel much like a race car or kit car it does have some similarities. On a rough road there is a lot of body or chassis flexing which results in some squeaks and rattles especially just over your shoulder where the removable back glass sits and where the rear of the hard top meets the roll bar area.
We don’t know if it is the godawful wide tires or an alignment issue, but it does tramline some. On main streets it’s not an issue but on older black top, especially those with grooves worn in them, it will want to wander on you.
For 450+hp the gas mileage is surprisingly good. But I guess that is to be expected when you are cruising at barely above an idle at 60 mph. So far we’ve had trouble staying off the go-pedal long enough to get any real mileage figures. I’ll tell you real mileage when the car gets back from a quickie trip to Florida from Texas.
The trunk is surprisingly (there’s that word again) commodious. It appears to be about as big as 3 Miata trunks. OK it ain’t huge, but it will let you put several suitcases in it.
He decided to repair the original hood instead.
