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

[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.