96 Viper GTS valve cover differences?

[488civ10]

Sorry if this a total newbie question, but I've seen a couple 1996 GTS coupes on the internet posted with pictures of the engine where the oil filler cap is on the right side and the valve cover is different looking (a circular bump in place where a sneaky pete normally is). I've attached 2 pictures.

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[488civ10]

Oh, and this is my second ever post... so please go ahead and rip me one for my prior question. Below are two pictures of what my valve covers look like (I had to lower the quality alot so the pictures look like crap... seems I have a 200k attachment limit?), and what I see much more commonly for 96 GTS coupes. Could someone clarify? I browsed some forums about this, but didn't find anything (maybe I didn't look hard enough).

Anyway, my brother and I just bought a 1996 b/w coupe last Thursday... YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! We've stared, dreamt, played the "what car would you buy if you won the lotto game," taken pictures of many vipers, stared, and dreamt some more about this and now its a reality. It currently still in the former owner's garage, but I will be picking it up tomorrow. Now only if southern California would stop burning...

BTW, does anyone think I should hold off on the pickup of the baby, due to all the ash/soot fallout in the air? Not sure how easily it would get lodged in the engine compartment/ elsewhere. I've got to make about a 14 mile drive from the beach to Irvine.

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[plumcrazy]

the second set look exactly like my 98's. im assuming the second set is gen2 and the first set gen1

 

[Warfang]

the second set look exactly like my 98's. im assuming the second set is gen2 and the first set gen1

Both sets have naca ducts... unless the first is a Gen1 with a Gen2 hood.

 

[GTSnake]

Its probably a '96 Gen 1.5.

 

[99 R/T 10]

No, it's not. The 96 RT/10 (Gen 1.5) had a breather tube going from the drivers side valve cover to the airbox(should be a hole where the "Bump" is. Just looks to me like someone put on different (unfinished maybe) valve covers.

 

[488civ10]

the second set look exactly like my 98's. im assuming the second set is gen2 and the first set gen1

Both sets have naca ducts... unless the first is a Gen1 with a Gen2 hood.

Both cars are 1996s, per my original question. What I believe plumcrazy meant was that in the first two pictures, someone replaced the valve covers with Gen 1 covers.

If so, why would someone do this (only thing I can think of was parts shortage, or the mechanic didn't know). Below are two links from where I found the motors looking as such...


eBay Motors: Dodge : Viper (item 280164688369 end time Oct-27-07 12:15:00 PDT)

1996 Dodge Viper For Sale


Anyway, its annoying neither seller offers up anything close to full disclosure (unless that is how the motors came). If that was the case, maybe the valve covers came from the factory that way for 96s early on in the production run. The one on ebay is car #317 according to the VIN. Mine (pics from 2nd post, and what the covers should look like) is car #938.

 

[mad0953]

New motor???? Did you have a Viper Tech run the VIN to see the service history??? The ash? Don't drive it. I was in Yakima Washington when Mt. St. Helens went off, and yes I know that it's a different kind of ash, and a lot of cars in Yakima wound up with a lot of damage from inhaling the ash. I believe you would have a lot of engine detailing to do if you drove it now depending on the intensity of the ash in the air. My .02 worth.

 

[RUGGIERO]

Super old thread here - but did we ever get to the bottom of this? I have an early 96 GTS (VIN #225) and I also have the valve covers with the knockouts instead of the sneaky Pete logo. I’ve been wondering why!!

 

[GTS Dean]

The first couple hundred '96 coupes - including mine - had the oil filler cap under the vacuum hose to the brake booster. The cars got constant running upgrades on the line the first 5-6 years of Viper production.

 

[Big E]

Super old thread here - but did we ever get to the bottom of this? I have an early 96 GTS (VIN #225) and I also have the valve covers with the knockouts instead of the sneaky Pete logo. I’ve been wondering why!!

I was curious about that too since my car isn't too far behind yours. So, I was board one night and did a search of completed auctions on Mecum, Barrett-Jackson and Bring A Trailer. The latest Vin I saw, number 270, had the drivers side filler cap and every car I found before that had it on the drivers side too. Interesting. Maybe one of those hard to find early car items?

 

[Brilly]

I started researching this a few months ago as well and what I discovered was the first ‘96 GTS to come out of production only have “Viper” on the drivers side and on the passengers side have viper and one sneaky Pete. So the conclusion I came to is you can tell which vipers were the first produced based on these covers. No “sneaky Pete” on drivers side = early production. All of the “executive” only vipers have it this way along with Jay Leno all who had their Vipers built first.