New Owner of 2005 SRT-10: How Do I Properly Drive This Car?

[GenIIIDave]

So I am now the proud owner of a silver 2005. It has 3.55 gears, light flywheel, green filters, Quaife diff., MGW shifter, aftermarket suspension etc.. I have owned Vettes over the years and currently own a lightly modded 2004 CTS-V and wanted something different.

I am hoping somebody can give advice/experience on what to do/what not do when driving the Gen III or Viper in general in order to get the most fun out of the car safely. While my CTS-V has a little over 400hp at the wheels it doesnt have the torque this car has and it also has stability control. I hear and read of so many people wrecking their Vipers so I want to learn all I can about properly driving the car.

[Vombomb]

Change the tires out if it has stock tires, for one... that will solve a lot of it. You've already got a quaife dif so that helps a lot also, I've got the same diff and gears as you, with Toyo R888's and it's amazing how manageable the car is. Don't get on the power hard in a turn, for starters, and get to a HPDE course ASAP, it'll help you learn the car in a "safe" environment.

[GenIIIDave]

Great advice. It does not have the stock runflats. Michelin Pilot Sports in front and Super Sports in the rear.

[J TNT]

^^^ Great advise , also recommend MCS Suspension . :)

[Vombomb]

I have KW V3 suspension, should've mentioned that also. What suspension do you have?

[Stretch]

Congrats on the purchase and welcome!! Great advice above already. Always keep in mind to respect the power and the torque. Reminding yourself of this often will help keep the shiny side up and keep you pointed in the intended direction.

[G37Sam]

Go smooth and linear on the gas pedal rather than mashing it especially out of corners.

[GenIIIDave]

It has KW Variant 2 adjustable. Also has Corsa exhaust. Forgot to mention that.

[smhog]

Welcome, Dave and congrats.

The best advice I was given was to drive easy until you get used to the tourqe. If you are going floor it make sure you're going straight, you don't want to be on a curve if/when the rear tires break loose.

Check the tire build dates. The previous owner told me he put new wheels and tires on the car when I bought it so I took his word and didn't check the build date. They were new to the car and the wheels and tires are from a 2001 or 2002 that someone kept in storage. They look great and have plenty of tread but are too old for any safe spirited driving. Luckily I don't drive this car anywhere near it's limits.

Best of luck,
Tim

[City]

Great advice. It does not have the stock runflats. Michelin Pilot Sports in front and Super Sports in the rear.

Not really a good setup with differing front and rear tires.

[Vombomb]

Not really a good setup with differing front and rear tires.

Wow totally didn't see that, yeah you want to get a matching set man. Again I'm gonna plug Toyo R888's, just because I have a lot done to my car performance wise, 3.73 gears and this car absolutely GRIPS and GOES with these tires. Also I got stuck with 6 hours of driving in the rain on these tires and I can't praise them enough, they handled it like it was nothing. Biggest advice is do not go cheap on tires, if you splurge on anything, do it with tires. Toyo now makes the R888's in viper sizes * I have OZ 18" all around, with 335's out back*, so even more reasons to get them!

If you'd rather go another route, Pirelli P-Zero's, Michelin PS2's or Pirelli P-Zero Corsa's are all good choices.

[ACRucrazy]

Buddy bought a stock Gen 3 last year, had 3 different tires on it, several years old. He said the thing would track all over the road and he was afraid he was going to lose control. New tires and an alignment helped greatly.

[GenIIIDave]

The rear tires are fairly new, while the fronts are probably at least half worn so I will be replacing them eventually. I will definitely check out the Toyo R888s.

[Vombomb]

The rear tires are fairly new, while the fronts are probably at least half worn so I will be replacing them eventually. I will definitely check out the Toyo R888s.

Too bad you don't live in WA I'd let you drive mine so you could "see the light" lol. You can't go wrong with R888's, PS2's, P-Zero's or P-Zero Corsa's, just make sure they match :p

[City]

The rear tires are fairly new, while the fronts are probably at least half worn so I will be replacing them eventually. I will definitely check out the Toyo R888s.

If you can afford it, you'd be smart to replace the front tires ASAP with 2 that match the rear (obviously different sizes). The car was never designed for a different tire spec on front and rear. If you're that concerned with "properly driving the car' (which is a wise concern), you'll never feel the proper balance with your present set up. May not matter much with mild driving, but once you get spirited, you're unbalanced.

Almost forgot ... Congrats and welcome!

[viper_eddie]

Congratulations! I was in the same boat a few months ago and it's still scary sometimes. Take everyone's advice here but the best thing you can do is an HPDE. It will teach you more than you could ever hope to learn compared to the street.

When you buy the tires, look to see how old they are all around and how much tread. If it's a matter of the rears needing replacement in a year, I would say just spend the extra money now and get new tires all around. $700 is a small price to pay knowing you'll be safe(r), especially know when you just got the car.

[Loud]

Never pick your nose in the Viper.

[Nine Ball]

Between your two sets of tires, the Super Sports are the better pair. But, if you are just cruising around, I wouldn't suggest swapping out the tires just yet. If you were tracking the car, then yes I'd suggest matching tires. Truth be told, the fastest guys on this site typically run mismatched front and rear tires, because we usually are found on drag radials with normal tires up front. 1000+ hp cars that go well over 200 mph on occasion. For the cruiser car-show types, they likely won't ever hit the limits of any tires on their car. The ONLY tires I'd ever recommend getting rid of are the Gen 3 runflat tires. Horrible, horrible tires with horrible traction.

Vipers are easy to drive, as long as you respect them. Don't try to steer your way out of a peel-out, that usually results in snap oversteer and you end up facing the wrong way on the road in a hurry. And, if you ever take off hard and you feel the rear wheels hopping, LIFT the throttle. Never ever continue a run with the rear tires hopping, that will break the drivetrain parts in a hurry.

Other than that, give it as much throttle as the tires can hold, and shift just before the rev limiter steps in.

Tony

[GenIIIDave]

Between your two sets of tires, the Super Sports are the better pair. But, if you are just cruising around, I wouldn't suggest swapping out the tires just yet. If you were tracking the car, then yes I'd suggest matching tires. Truth be told, the fastest guys on this site typically run mismatched front and rear tires, because we usually are found on drag radials with normal tires up front. 1000+ hp cars that go well over 200 mph on occasion. For the cruiser car-show types, they likely won't ever hit the limits of any tires on their car. The ONLY tires I'd ever recommend getting rid of are the Gen 3 runflat tires. Horrible, horrible tires with horrible traction.

Vipers are easy to drive, as long as you respect them. Don't try to steer your way out of a peel-out, that usually results in snap oversteer and you end up facing the wrong way on the road in a hurry. And, if you ever take off hard and you feel the rear wheels hopping, LIFT the throttle. Never ever continue a run with the rear tires hopping, that will break the drivetrain parts in a hurry.

Other than that, give it as much throttle as the tires can hold, and shift just before the rev limiter steps in.

Tony

Excellent advice. I have some experience with autocrossing and HPDE (about 20 years ago), but I try to remain humble about my driving abilities especially with a car with this much torque.

[Vprbite]

One thing to bear in mind, you have the 3.73s on there. Stock hearing is 3.07 and these things are torque monsters with that. Between the light flywheel and the 3.73s, your car is gonna dump all of that torque on you hurry. I mean fast. So remember that. Probably good idea not to "punch" the throttle or you will end up looking at the back end. Also, people have told you new tires are a good idea. These cars love fresh rubber. Pirelli is being kind enough to basically give away tires to club members so think about joining because the club membership pays for itself several times over when you buy tires and save about 700 bucks on the set.

Congratulations on the purchase. Drive safe and enjoy it. There is nothing like it.

[GenIIIDave]

One thing to bear in mind, you have the 3.73s on there. Stock hearing is 3.07 and these things are torque monsters with that. Between the light flywheel and the 3.73s, your car is gonna dump all of that torque on you hurry. I mean fast. So remember that. Probably good idea not to "punch" the throttle or you will end up looking at the back end. Also, people have told you new tires are a good idea. These cars love fresh rubber. Pirelli is being kind enough to basically give away tires to club members so think about joining because the club membership pays for itself several times over when you buy tires and save about 700 bucks on the set.

Congratulations on the purchase. Drive safe and enjoy it. There is nothing like it.

Actually I misspoke. They are 3.55 gears, but what you said still applies I am sure.

How much to join?

[Vombomb]

Click the Join! tab up at the top of your page and it will tell you all the details. It's worth it, especially if you plan on modding the crap out of your car! Jon B at Parts Rack gives discounts and is lightning fast with shipping and feedback.

[Roddy]

Welcome.

Don't floor it unless the the steering wheel is straight. Thats a big one in my book.

[Vprbite]

Actually I misspoke. They are 3.55 gears, but what you said still applies I am sure.

How much to join?

It does still apply. The 3.55s are an extremely popular choice though for gear swaps. Lots of fun around town because you feel all that oomph right away. The differential should help you control tire spin too.

I forget how much yearly dues are. 80 bucks I think, But aside from getting the magazine which is really good, your local area president will get an email that you joined and you will then get invited along on club events. That is where ownership really gets good. Cruising with 10 or so other Vipers is a sight to see. And you will meet some great people. Here in Arizona for instance we have a very diverse group of people. All walks of life represented here so it's never dull and you will probably find the same thing in your area. We have people in our club here that range from geologists to airline pilots, but we are all brought together by the love of the Viper and cars in general. You will find that club regions try and have a good selection of events that will get you enjoying your Viper more and more. And your dues go towards making the magazine, running the website, and then it goes back to your region to help pay for local events. So you really do get something for your money. It doesnt just go to national and sit in an account. It comes back and helps you directly. That's part of what makes our club so cool and different.

Again, congratulations on your purchase and drive safely. If you have any questions just ask, you see how helpful people are around here.

[GenIIIDave]

Welcome.

Don't floor it unless the the steering wheel is straight. Thats a big one in my book.

Yep. That one I have heard and will stick with as the number 1 rule.

[GenIIIDave]

It does still apply. The 3.55s are an extremely popular choice though for gear swaps. Lots of fun around town because you feel all that oomph right away. The differential should help you control tire spin too.

I forget how much yearly dues are. 80 bucks I think, But aside from getting the magazine which is really good, your local area president will get an email that you joined and you will then get invited along on club events. That is where ownership really gets good. Cruising with 10 or so other Vipers is a sight to see. And you will meet some great people. Here in Arizona for instance we have a very diverse group of people. All walks of life represented here so it's never dull and you will probably find the same thing in your area. We have people in our club here that range from geologists to airline pilots, but we are all brought together by the love of the Viper and cars in general. You will find that club regions try and have a good selection of events that will get you enjoying your Viper more and more. And your dues go towards making the magazine, running the website, and then it goes back to your region to help pay for local events. So you really do get something for your money. It doesnt just go to national and sit in an account. It comes back and helps you directly. That's part of what makes our club so cool and different.

Again, congratulations on your purchase and drive safely. If you have any questions just ask, you see how helpful people are around here.

Yep. I am very impressed with the number of intelligent replies to my first question on this forum. I am looking forward to learning more about my Viper.

[Leslie]

Newer, matching tires
Driver's ed/seat time
Wheel position/amount of throttle and what gear you are in, don't go crazy in 2nd gear around town until you get smoother on your transitions.
I have found heal/toe to really help with that.

[GenIIIDave]

How do I find out if there are other Viper owners in my area?

[swexlin]

How do I find out if there are other Viper owners in my area?

Plenty of us east of you. I'm here in Chester County. Pleaser register for Cool Cars for Cats and Canines in Hershey in 3 weeks, and of course, Carlisle in July. You'll meet plenty of us. I'm in West Chester.

[Vprbite]

How do I find out if there are other Viper owners in my area?

Also, go to the local region of the forums. Scroll down and you will see the regional areas.

Or, join and you will then be a member of a local club and you will get emails and be invited to your local events and such. For instance, our region has a website and we send out emails about events.

[GenIIIDave]

Plenty of us east of you. I'm here in Chester County. Pleaser register for Cool Cars for Cats and Canines in Hershey in 3 weeks, and of course, Carlisle in July. You'll meet plenty of us. I'm in West Chester.

Wow, you have a Gen V! I would love to see that. Or maybe not, as I would probably want to trade my 05 in for one.

Where in Chester County are you? I am near Harrisburg and work in Lancaster area. I will look into registering for those events. Thanks for the heads up.

[swexlin]

Wow, you have a Gen V! I would love to see that. Or maybe not, as I would probably want to trade my 05 in for one.

Where in Chester County are you? I am near Harrisburg and work in Lancaster area. I will look into registering for those events. Thanks for the heads up.

In West Chester. Also, I used to own a Gen 3, so I can tell you some of their quirks. Feel free to send me a PM. There are several of us Viper owners here, we would love to meet you

[Hotrodder00]

I'm a fan of making mistakes, but in a controlled environment and at low speeds. I had access to a giant basically flat empty parking lot type area and did a few burn-outs, took off with the wheel turned to do some fish-tailing, etc. I don't know what an hpde course is, but I have less than 2,000miles logged in my Viper driving experience total, so my next step is classes. Bondurant has one or two that I'm going to attend.

I don't know if others will agree or strictly disagree, but my car makes 704hp at the rear wheels, and a couple spins calmed my nerves in daily driving.

[GenIIIDave]

I'm a fan of making mistakes, but in a controlled environment and at low speeds. I had access to a giant basically flat empty parking lot type area and did a few burn-outs, took off with the wheel turned to do some fish-tailing, etc. I don't know what an hpde course is, but I have less than 2,000miles logged in my Viper driving experience total, so my next step is classes. Bondurant has one or two that I'm going to attend.

I don't know if others will agree or strictly disagree, but my car makes 704hp at the rear wheels, and a couple spins calmed my nerves in daily driving.

I have been thinking of doing something like that as well. Very good idea.

[GenIIIDave]

In West Chester. Also, I used to own a Gen 3, so I can tell you some of their quirks. Feel free to send me a PM. There are several of us Viper owners here, we would love to meet you

PM sent.

[Vprbite]

[QUOTE=GenIIIDave;125349]I have been thinking of doing something like that as well. Very good idea.[/

if nothing else, learn some good respect for how easily it can happen. It doesn't take much throttle to get that rear end out if your tires are turned or going around a curve. I mean, it happens easily enough with the tires straight but have those tires turned and boy oh boy they go up like nothin.

[SlateEd]

I have been thinking of doing something like that as well. Very good idea.

if nothing else, learn some good respect for how easily it can happen. It doesn't take much throttle to get that rear end out if your tires are turned or going around a curve. I mean, it happens easily enough with the tires straight but have those tires turned and boy oh boy they go up like nothin.


agreed - you'll also gain some respect for how difficult it is to "catch" - in other words, it's not a mustang or 350Z that you can fishtail around and drive with the throttle like RWD in the snow. The rear end doesn't gracefully slide (in almost all cases) it snaps. Don't try to get a feel for that unless you have plenty of room around you. (as I found out the hard way with my first Silver GenIII)

and in the Northeast - don't underestimate the difference cold pavement and cold tires can make.. limits are much lower, car behavior is much twitchier, don't even think about full throttle until things are warmed up a little (as I found out the hard way with my first Silver GenIII)

and you said you have some AutoX experience; get back into that... great for control (we have one coming this summer at Lime Rock, July 11 #shamelessplug)

otherwise, as others have said, fresh tires, seat time, smooth throttle, and it won't try to kill you if you don't try to show off like an idiot (as I found out... oh you get the idea)


Congrats on the car, and welcome to the madness!!

[GenIIIDave]

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag90/blkz06vette/Viper%20Pics/20150309_174215_zps0hnfvxe7.jpg (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/blkz06vette/media/Viper%20Pics/20150309_174215_zps0hnfvxe7.jpg.html)

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[viperboon]

http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag90/blkz06vette/Viper%20Pics/20150309_174215_zps0hnfvxe7.jpg (http://s1300.photobucket.com/user/blkz06vette/media/Viper%20Pics/20150309_174215_zps0hnfvxe7.jpg.html)

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what is all that white stuff on the ground?it looks like fire retardant foam? was there a fire near by?

[Vombomb]

Needs more R888's :p

[GenIIIDave]

what is all that white stuff on the ground?it looks like fire retardant foam? was there a fire near by?

Yeah, no doubt. I have only driven it like 3 times since January due to cold, snow, salt and stones on the road. Warm sunny days are hopefully coming soon for us in cold Pa.

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Needs more R888's :p

I looked up those R888s. It showed them as track type tires. Are they made in a version for street driving?

[Vombomb]

They're street legal, but yes they are an R compound tire, so they wear like a track tire. But I've driven in a freakin monsoon with them, and they handle sooooo nice you wouldn't believe they're a "track" tire. And to just to give you an idea of their dry traction ability: I have 520rwhp with 530rwtq with 3.73 gears, so probably 550rwhp with stock gears, and doing a 3k launch she barely gets loose, and with a hard shift into 2nd full throttle there's only a slight wiggle, and from there to 140mph it's like she's glued to the road. And cornering, well, I've been around corners so fast my neck started hurting...

[GenIIIDave]

They're street legal, but yes they are an R compound tire, so they wear like a track tire. But I've driven in a freakin monsoon with them, and they handle sooooo nice you wouldn't believe they're a "track" tire. And to just to give you an idea of their dry traction ability: I have 520rwhp with 530rwtq with 3.73 gears, so probably 550rwhp with stock gears, and doing a 3k launch she barely gets loose, and with a hard shift into 2nd full throttle there's only a slight wiggle, and from there to 140mph it's like she's glued to the road. And cornering, well, I've been around corners so fast my neck started hurting...

Well its not like this car is an everyday driver, so they should be worth me taking a look at them.

[Vombomb]

Trust me, you'll send me a gift basket of hardcore porn after you try those babies on... why did it get awkward in here...

[GenIIIDave]

Trust me, you'll send me a gift basket of hardcore porn after you try those babies on... why did it get awkward in here...

Well, cant help you with that, but I do have another question: How many miles do you expect to get out of your R888s? How many should I expect to get out of Pilot SuperSports?

[Vombomb]

10-20k depending on how you drive. Mine have about 10k on them, and easily have another 10k in them. HOWEVER if you go to the track you're going to DRASTICALLY cut that time down. Realistically plan on 15k. for 1800 for a full set, it's really not bad, considering how sticky the tires are. Someone else will have to weigh in on the PSS's I've no experience with them, I'm too busy jock riding Toyo :p

[GenIIIDave]

Actually that is pretty impressive. They will probably be my next set of tires. Do you know anyone else on the forums that has experience with them? Need anotber opinion as you may secretly be a Toyo tire salesman. ;-)

[Vombomb]

Just type R888 in the search, or browse the track section, a lot of guys run them.