MotoIQ.com - Project Viper GTS: Pt 1 - History & Intro

[stuntman]

Hey guys,

Check out MotoIQ's newest Project Car: Viper GTS - Part 1 History & Intro.


"The Dodge Viper has been competitive on the world stage by doing it the American way: with big wheels, big brakes, big tires, a big engine, and not a lot of refinement. While it has always been a highly capable car on the track, used car prices have finally dropped to the point of being affordable by the masses and it has become a realistic option as a track day car. This project hopes to clarify some of the stereotypes that surround the Viper and bring the truth to light of a very cool platform."

http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/3740/Project-Viper-GTS-Part-1--Intro-and-History.aspx






Enjoy!

 

[stonesonsilver]

Great read! I always liked vipers. Never knew vipers were this cool!

 

[Ritesh]

Good Read. I have never been a fan of the Viper but I have been considering add an American Muscle car to my humble collection. What year Vipers do you recommend Billy? 2009-10 ACR or a new GTS at a good discount?

 

[stuntman]

It depends on what you're looking for.

Gen 1
400hp 460tq.
- were only good for open-air PCH cruising and to enjoy a fast roadster for being a fast roadster (Shelby Cobra, Lotus Seven, etc...)

Gen 2
450hp 490tq (415whp so probably closer to 475hp at the crank)
- have a slightly better suspension (lighter) and powertrain (lighter), with the Coupes being quite good and stiffer. GTS' are 195mph cars.

Gen 3
500hp 525tq
- have slightly more power and a better cooling system than the Gen 2's, but the cockpits were the hottest due to the crossover "ring of fire" -to improve sound and emmissions. Same piston and rod as the '03 Gen3 Hemi.

Gen 4
600hp 560tq
- huge jump in Power thanks to the Cam-in-cam VVT, CNC heads, this is the car to have for the Gen 3/4 body style

Gen 5
640hp 600tq
- looks similar to the Gen 2 GTS, I love this car and objectively its by far the best of the bunch, except a Gen 4 ACR-X which is still faster than a Gen 5 TA (thanks to its better aero). Plastic intake manifold is lighter and does not heat soak the air charge.


My two favorites are the Gen 2 GTS & Gen 5. The Gen 5 is by far the best version of the car and I was never really sold on the Gen 3/4 bodystyle, however the Gen 4 is a pretty good car and I would take an ACR-X as a track toy, while the Gen 3 is kind of the bastard child. The 996 Turbo or R33 GTR of the Viper history if you will...

 

[Zmoney]

There are days I miss my Gen II. I can definitely see myself in a Gen V one day. Awesome cars.

 

[stuntman]

Hey Guys, here's:


Project Viper GTS: Part 2 - General Maintenance


"Before thoroughly enjoying the purchase of a used performance car, it’s important for the enthusiast to go through some routine maintenance items. We prepare our 1997 Viper to be driven by changing the oil, coolant, spark plugs, wires, and go through a few miscellaneous items. We then install an aftermarket temperature gauge to monitor how hot the V10 operates and to test the accuracy of the factory gauge."


Project Viper GTS: Part 2 - General Maintenance > MotoIQ - Automotive Tech, Project Cars, Performance & Motorsports






Enjoy!

 

[solidol]

I enjoy reading these reviews/builds. I was getting confused when you said you have drained water from the cooling system - but as it turned out it was just choice of words.

Is there any solutions out there to improve shifting precision (3rd gear issue you have mentioned)?
Did you get results back from oil analysis?

 

[nsxotic911]

Great article!

 

[stuntman]

Thanks guys.

Solid - More seat time and it's not a big deal. Will it ever be as good or bolt-action as our NSXs? No, but the NSX has one of the best manual gearboxes ever made. The oil analysis came back and it's a bit inconclusive. Due to the cars low mileage (<8,000) and with an unknown service history, its difficult to make a proper conclusion. We will know more about the state of the motor in the next oil change with known usage and mileage.

 

[Jinks]

Always loved that v10 intake manifold. Just gorgeaous. Must have the gts. I have seen these go toe to toe with hyped up street bikes on the gandy bridge when I lived in Florida in the late 90's early 2000's. The bikes, did not stand a chance to the displacement of the viper on a straight.

 

[stuntman]

Hey Guys, here's:


Project Viper GTS: Part 3 - Baseline Track Testing (Data & Video)


"The Viper has a reputation for being difficult to drive and even (incorrectly) known as a bad handling car. Since the 2nd Generation Viper has not been reviewed by a magazine in close to 15 years, we took Project Viper to the track to dispel some myths and assess the car’s balance and handling ability."


http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArtic...art-3--Baseline-Track-Testing-Data-Video.aspx






Enjoy!

 

[RJD1022]

Another great review!

But, you might want to throw another "S" on this word "asses"

 

[stuntman]

Lol, thanks!

 

[stuntman]

Hey Guys, here's:


Project Viper GTS: Part 4 – Baseline Dyno and K&N Intake Test


"The Viper is truly a car built around its engine. In Part 4, we take Project Viper GTS to the dyno for a baseline power audit and see if our mighty 8.0L V10 is cranking out the factory claimed 450hp and 490lb-ft of torque. From there we add K&N replacement air filters and change out the disruptive corrugated plastic intake tubing for a set of ROE Racing polished aluminum smooth intake tubes to see if we can squeeze out a few more ponies."


Project Viper GTS: Part 4 ? Baseline Dyno and K&N Intake Test






Enjoy!

 

[solidol]

Those stock air filters looked pretty restrictive.

 

[stuntman]

Hey Guys, here's the next installement:


Project Viper GTS: Part 5 – Radiator Fan & Wiring Upgrade


"The Viper is a “racecar for the street” in more ways than one; and like a racecar, it does not like to sit in stop and go traffic and can run hot and overheat without proper airflow on a hot summer day. To combat this we upgraded the radiator fan on our 1997 Viper GTS with the higher flowing, larger fan from the 1998-2002 cars. In addition, we safeguarded the potentially flawed wiring and relay box by running standalone relays with dedicated power and ground wires. To further extend the life of the relays we used a trick pair of “NOsparc®” spark suppressors in the harness."


In the article:

- Fan removal & installation
- 1996-1997 vs. 1998-2002 Fan analysis
- Stock & modified fan wiring schematics
- How to wire a standalone power, ground, and relays
- How to make a MIL-spec wiring harness
- NOsparc arc suppressors - to eliminate arcing and increase longevity of relay contacts.


http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/3990/Project-Viper-GTS-Part-5--Radiator-Fan-Wiring-Upgrade.aspx






Enjoy!

 

[stuntman]

Hey Guys, here's the next installment:


Project VIPER GTS: Part 6 - Corsa Performance Exhaust and Kooks Green Cats


"After some impressive gains from intake work in Part 4, we now turn our attention to the opposite side of the engine to improve the evacuation of exhaust gasses as well as reduce the cabin temperature of our notoriously hot viper. For as outlandish and attention grabbing the Viper’s style was, the exhaust note did not have the same head-turning appeal. To remedy this we reached out to our friends at Corsa Performance for their 3” cat-back exhaust to give our viper a more sporty and refined tone. To further boost the volume and greatly knock down the calf-burning side sill heat, we installed a pair of compact Kooks Green Cats which are both environmentally and power friendly. "


In the article:

-Removal of the OEM exhaust
-Installation of the CORSA PERFORMANCE 3" Exhaust
-Installation of the KOOKS "Green Cats"
-Dyno Results of Corsa/Kooks exhaust
-Upload Roe Racing Tune
-Dyno Results of the Roe Tune
-Video comparing the stock exhaust with rear muffler delete vs. the Corsa / Kooks HFC setup


Project Viper GTS: Part 6 - Corsa Exhaust and Kooks Green Cats > MotoIQ - Automotive Tech, Project Cars, Performance & Motorsports





Enjoy!







The wait is over for the next installment covering the heat shielding:


Project VIPER GTS: Part 7 – HeatShield Products


"From coolant to cabin temperatures, Vipers are notoriously hot due to having one of the largest engines ever stuffed inside a sportscar. To combat this problem we turn to the thermal insulation experts at HeatShield Products to keep the heat in the exhaust system to lower the temperature inside the cabin and side sills. Hopefully we will prevent our side sills from discoloring and burning our legs when getting in and out of the car without proper clothing and ingress/egress technique. "


In the article:

-HeatShield Products: HP Stickyshield - covering the side sills and chassis
-HeatShield Products: HeatShield Armor - wrapping the exhaust pipes
-HeatShield Products: LavaShield - Carbon fiber looking heat shielding made of crushed volcanic rock (works better than the 'gold' foil).
-Temperature differences of the above products


Project Viper GTS: Part 7 - HeatShield Products > MotoIQ - Automotive Tech, Project Cars, Performance & Motorsports





Enjoy!

 

[stuntman]

Hey guys, the next installment of Project Viper is up:


Project VIPER GTS: Part 8 – Bob’s Air-Oil Separator


"All cars create blow-by and positive crank case pressure which forces oil and vapors into the engine’s intake to be burned off for reduced emissions. This problem is worse on forced induction cars and performance cars driven at the track. Not only does this oil gunk up the intake tract and valves, it reduces the octane of your fuel which robs power and causes detonation. We installed a Bob’s Air-Oil Separator to the PCV valve and a catch can for the valve cover vent to see how much oil our Viper’s engine is pumping into the intake after some street and track use."


In the article:

-Installation of the Bob's Auto Sports Air-Oil Separator in the PCV system
-Installation of a catch can for the Valve Covers
-Analysis of the oil caught by the PCV & Valve Covers


Project Viper GTS: Part 8 - Bob's Air-Oil Separator > MotoIQ - Automotive Tech, Project Cars, Performance & Motorsports





Enjoy!

 

[stuntman]

Hey guys, the next installment of Project Viper is up:


Project Viper GTS: Part 9 – RareFab/Roe Racing Oil Pan Baffle Kit


"Due to the high capabilities of the Viper, a huge strain is put on the factory oiling system on road courses and at the strip. This can cause oil starvation and a spun rod bearing. Using modern rubber can increase this risk, especially for 1996-1999 Gen-2 Vipers which have arguably the worst oil pan of any generation of Viper. To combat this problem, we upgrade to the larger 10-quart oil pan and windage tray from the 2000-2002 Vipers and install RareFab/Roe Racing’s race-proven Oil Pan Baffle Kit."


In the article:

-Explanation of the major problem with the Gen 2 oil pan design.
-Installation of the RareFab/Roe Racing Oil Pan Baffle Kit
-Early vs Late Gen 2 windage tray comparison
-Joe Dozzo windage tray modification
-Comparison between the Gen 1, Early (96-99) Gen 2, and Late (00-02) Gen 2 oil pans.


Project Viper GTS: Part 9 - RareFab / Roe Racing Oil Pan Baffle Kit





Enjoy!

 

[stuntman]

Hey guys, the next installment of Project Viper is up:

Project Viper GTS: Part 10 – EMI Racing toe stiffener

This may be a pretty controversial review, but it was unbiased (I had to pay retail for it) and the results from fixing such a massive unknown problem were eye-opening.


"The Gen 2 Viper has a pretty serious, fundamental flaw that’s not widely known. The rear toe deflects by HALF AN INCH under hard cornering and acceleration. Unfortunately most of the “anti-toe brackets” out in the market do not properly address the problem or even make a difference. EMI Racing not only found the true cause of the problem, but solved it with their Toe Stiffeners that greatly improve the handling, consistency and safety of the car."

In the article:

-Explanation of the major problem with the Gen 2 upright.
-Installation of the EMI Racing toe stiffener
-Review

Project Viper GTS: Part 10 - EMI Racing Toe Stiffener




Enjoy!

 

[stuntman]

Hey guys, the next installment of Project Viper is up:

Project VIPER GTS: Part 11 – Understanding the Factory Temp Gauge

With summer just around the corner, we all see posts with photos of someone's water temp gauge (often within the normal range) asking if their motor is overheating. I posted pics of the manual, cross referenced it with the factory gauge, as well as an aftermarket gauge and temperature sending unit to come up with a simplified cross-reference chart of what the manual states to put people at ease that their car is (likely) just fine.

"The Viper has an active water temperature gauge that is far more useful than the dummy gauges in most modern cars that only move when there is a massive problem. However, this tends to freak people out since it can be quite active and moves with the normal fluctuations in temperature a car sees. Like clockwork, once summer rolls around, Viper owners quite frequently post photos of their gauge asking if the needle position is normal. We are going to cover all of the bases from what is normal to what to be concerned over on a Gen 2 Viper."

In the article:

-Analysis of owners manual.
-Analysis of factory water temp gauge cross-referenced with aftermarket gauge readings.
-Quick reference chart that's easier to understand than the manual
-Explains the temperature relationship between the radiator fan speeds and thermostat.
-Explains how a lower temp thermostat will NOT make your car run cooler and prevent your car from overheating.

https://motoiq.com/project-viper-gts-part-11-understanding-the-factory-temp-gauge/




Enjoy!