Ron Hickey
Enthusiast
The 97 is a great year -- classic blue/white colors, lumpy cam, and strong engines. The 96 wheels are the "weak" ones, but they should not fail in normal everyday street drving; however, the 96 wheels are unsafe for track use. The 97's are fine for street and track use. Assuming that the car has the original Pilot MXX3 tires, be aware that those tires were manufactured in 1996 and are 8 years old now. A switch to new rubber is not mandatory, but you would notice a difference if you replace them. The Gen II Vipers are not rife with major problems. It does seem that many cars of the 96-97 vintage have problems with oil leaks. Possible causes include an oil pan gasket, timing chain gasket or cover, main seals, or a porous engine block. If this car does not exhibit the problem, it could develop it in the future, especially if you decide to change its lifestyle from the garage queen existence it's always known. Another common problem on the 96-97's is the door window rubber, which tends to tear near the top right corner. A warranty would come in handy; otherwise repairs, should these problems develop, are on your dime. If you're buying the car from a dealer, he should be able to sell you a warranty -- if you keep the car for several years, it will pay for itself.
In addition to replacing all the fluids (don't forget tranny and diff), as soon as possible I would also replace the plugs (use stock Champions) and wires (aftermarket Mopar Performance, MSD or Magnecore) and clean the throttle bodies.
In addition to replacing all the fluids (don't forget tranny and diff), as soon as possible I would also replace the plugs (use stock Champions) and wires (aftermarket Mopar Performance, MSD or Magnecore) and clean the throttle bodies.
