ViperCollector
Viper Owner
Before I start....
I have been a fan of the Viper since day one, and got to see my first one up close in a dealer lot in Los Angeles in 96. It was an Emerald Green 94 with tan interior (used) that supposedly was traded in by a former LA Dodger player when he got traded away. Asking price at that dealer was $46,000, well out of my league at that time. However, I remained excited about the Viper, and even purchased one of the 96 Dodge Indy Rams that was Blue w/White stripes as a daily driver. Some simple modding done to it by the dealer (lowered 4", Chevy mirrors painted to match the truck, fiberglass tonneau cover and wing, etc.), and I still have it today!
I also began collecting 1:64 scale versions of the Viper, but stopped for a couple years in the early 2000's when I had the opportunity to buy into the company I was working for (long hours, no time for hobbies).
Fast forward to 2005, and I sold my interest in the company, moved back to the midwest, and picked up my collecting hobby again. I even started a website that some of you may have visited (DiecastVipers.com - A Scale Collecting Community - Home) to catalog my collection and almost all known variations of 1:55 scale and smaller Vipers.
I thumbed through eBay listings and classified ads here on the VCA site, every once in a while contacting the seller for more information. I learned a lot in this process, and spoke with many many owners over a two year period! Thank you to everyone that I spoke with about their cars!
So, I turned 40 this year, and really decided it was time. I began the search in earnest, but ended up missing on some great deals because I couldn't/wouldn't pull the trigger. I guess I've always been over-cautious when it comes to spending large amounts of money, and this was no exception. So, I kept looking for the one model I thought I liked best - a 2001 GTS, sapphire blue with cognac interior. They would come up for sale ever so often, but usually at a price higher than I was willing to pay. I found that people either love or hate the cognac, but if you owned one, you wanted a premium to part with it! I don't blame you, I would too!
I began looking through dealer inventories, and ended up bidding on one offered by Premier when they listed it on eBay. It never hit reserve, even though I was the high bidder. This occurred three times, as they kept relisting it! I finally emailed them through eBay AND through their website to open discussions/negotiations on the car, but not a single person ever contacted me back....so....back to square one.
***(note, this was probably my only disappointing experience overall during the purchasing process). For anyone interested, it is still listed for sale on their website.
A couple weeks ago I happen across an eBay listing from a private seller in Indiana, who has a Sapphire w/silver stripes listed at a very fair price. The seller seemed motivated, and although I have purchased two cars off of eBay prior to this, they weren't in this price range. So, my research begins. Thanks to the wonderful members of the VCA, I was able to find out everything I needed to know about the car before I sprung for airfare to Indiana.
First, I want to thank the President and Secretary of the Indiana/Kentucky Chapter (Kurt Broderick and Steve Fess). Kurt provided a bit of personal knowledge about the car, as he recalled it from an event or two. For those of you that don't know, Kurt has a well-earned reputation for being a perfectionist about his cars, and he was able to shed light on the condition of the car I was looking at, down to "It needs a good buffing in one area where the owner tried to self-fix a tiny scratch". Then Steve, who as you all know is a wealth of information, happily provided the names of not one, but TWO Viper Techs in the Indianapolis area to do a pre-inspection and offered to help out in any way that I needed. Without this local support, I doubt my purchase would have gone as smoothly as it did, or even happened at all since there were two other gentlemen offering on the car also.
I then sent a PM to Mr. Tator (aka "Chuck"). He was kind enough to run a Dodge history report for me, and found absolutely nothing on there that would cause concern. Thank you Chuck for doing this for me!
Lastly, I contacted one of the Viper Techs, Mr. Jason Barnes of Danville Chrysler. The seller was bringing the car in for a sensor replacement and a scheduled oil change, so he offered to do the pre-inspection for me and provide the report at no charge! Jason is eager to make a name for himself with the VCA, and was always willing to talk with me over the phone (he gave me his direct cell number) and I feel like I owe him for doing this on the clock at no charge. So...I promised him a shout-out on this forum and post his contact information for anyone that needs Viper service!Mind you, I didn't know ANY of these people before I started the buying process. They were all open and very willing to help this newbie out in any way they could. If only every car-buying experience could be this good! I owe a great bit of gratitude to these men.
With all of these things now in place, along with a non-eventful Carfax report, I was ready to travel to see the car and finish the deal. A quick flight to Indiana carrying a certified check, and soon I was on a 5-hour drive back to Iowa in my new (to me) car!
(Click for larger version)
I was a little unsure on how I would like the silver stripes on the sapphire car, as to me they looked too bold in all the photos I saw. However, when I saw in person how well they worked together, I was sold (again). This one has a black interior, which probably works best with the blue/silver.
I look forward to becoming a paritipcating member of the VCA (and the Illinois chapter, since it is closest to me). Although not a gearhead by nature, I have a very genuine love of cars thanks to my now-departed father who went through over 30 cars in the last 20 years of his life (including two Shelbys BEFORE they were popular, a Delorean, at least four 60's era Mercedes SL's and countless Galaxies, Falcons, etc.). For me, this is car #5 (the previously mentioned truck, a Boxster for the wife, an XJ12 for running around in, a minivan for the family and now the GTS!). Now to get a lift installed - only a 3-car garage won't cut it when winter rolls around!
On a final note...what are the odds. This car's previous owner first name is Brandon. A couple days into the process, another person named "Branden" posted his Sapphire w/Silver GTS for sale on the Alley classifieds. Not only are the names similar and have nearly identical cars, they both had spare sets of wheels (although my sellers got burnt in a shop fire), similar mileage AND they're both in Indianapolis!
Apologies for such a long post, I'm not usually that long-winded. But I wanted to share my story about the buying process and give thanks where due! Here's the specs on the car for those interested!
2001 GTS Sapphire Blue w/Silver Stripes
Black Interior
Corsa Exhaust
Vipair air collector
K&N Filters
5-pt harness (both seats)
Chrome sneaky pete oil filler cap
Polished temp control knobs
Mileage: 31,400 (now 31,900!)
New tires 2 years ago (about 6-7k miles on them)
Buying price - less than the eBay auction!
Car ended up only needing a couple things to be almost perfect. A buffing (like Kurt mentioned), new left door speakers (blown, will probably replace them all along with the head unit) and of course a replacement gas unit!
- VCA membership bought and paid for! Waiting on the member number before the avatar is updated!
- Only one photo due to weather - more when I get the car washed and the sun comes out.
- Sapphire Blue is the fastest color.
I have been a fan of the Viper since day one, and got to see my first one up close in a dealer lot in Los Angeles in 96. It was an Emerald Green 94 with tan interior (used) that supposedly was traded in by a former LA Dodger player when he got traded away. Asking price at that dealer was $46,000, well out of my league at that time. However, I remained excited about the Viper, and even purchased one of the 96 Dodge Indy Rams that was Blue w/White stripes as a daily driver. Some simple modding done to it by the dealer (lowered 4", Chevy mirrors painted to match the truck, fiberglass tonneau cover and wing, etc.), and I still have it today!
I also began collecting 1:64 scale versions of the Viper, but stopped for a couple years in the early 2000's when I had the opportunity to buy into the company I was working for (long hours, no time for hobbies).
Fast forward to 2005, and I sold my interest in the company, moved back to the midwest, and picked up my collecting hobby again. I even started a website that some of you may have visited (DiecastVipers.com - A Scale Collecting Community - Home) to catalog my collection and almost all known variations of 1:55 scale and smaller Vipers.
I thumbed through eBay listings and classified ads here on the VCA site, every once in a while contacting the seller for more information. I learned a lot in this process, and spoke with many many owners over a two year period! Thank you to everyone that I spoke with about their cars!
So, I turned 40 this year, and really decided it was time. I began the search in earnest, but ended up missing on some great deals because I couldn't/wouldn't pull the trigger. I guess I've always been over-cautious when it comes to spending large amounts of money, and this was no exception. So, I kept looking for the one model I thought I liked best - a 2001 GTS, sapphire blue with cognac interior. They would come up for sale ever so often, but usually at a price higher than I was willing to pay. I found that people either love or hate the cognac, but if you owned one, you wanted a premium to part with it! I don't blame you, I would too!
I began looking through dealer inventories, and ended up bidding on one offered by Premier when they listed it on eBay. It never hit reserve, even though I was the high bidder. This occurred three times, as they kept relisting it! I finally emailed them through eBay AND through their website to open discussions/negotiations on the car, but not a single person ever contacted me back....so....back to square one.
***(note, this was probably my only disappointing experience overall during the purchasing process). For anyone interested, it is still listed for sale on their website.
A couple weeks ago I happen across an eBay listing from a private seller in Indiana, who has a Sapphire w/silver stripes listed at a very fair price. The seller seemed motivated, and although I have purchased two cars off of eBay prior to this, they weren't in this price range. So, my research begins. Thanks to the wonderful members of the VCA, I was able to find out everything I needed to know about the car before I sprung for airfare to Indiana.
First, I want to thank the President and Secretary of the Indiana/Kentucky Chapter (Kurt Broderick and Steve Fess). Kurt provided a bit of personal knowledge about the car, as he recalled it from an event or two. For those of you that don't know, Kurt has a well-earned reputation for being a perfectionist about his cars, and he was able to shed light on the condition of the car I was looking at, down to "It needs a good buffing in one area where the owner tried to self-fix a tiny scratch". Then Steve, who as you all know is a wealth of information, happily provided the names of not one, but TWO Viper Techs in the Indianapolis area to do a pre-inspection and offered to help out in any way that I needed. Without this local support, I doubt my purchase would have gone as smoothly as it did, or even happened at all since there were two other gentlemen offering on the car also.
I then sent a PM to Mr. Tator (aka "Chuck"). He was kind enough to run a Dodge history report for me, and found absolutely nothing on there that would cause concern. Thank you Chuck for doing this for me!
Lastly, I contacted one of the Viper Techs, Mr. Jason Barnes of Danville Chrysler. The seller was bringing the car in for a sensor replacement and a scheduled oil change, so he offered to do the pre-inspection for me and provide the report at no charge! Jason is eager to make a name for himself with the VCA, and was always willing to talk with me over the phone (he gave me his direct cell number) and I feel like I owe him for doing this on the clock at no charge. So...I promised him a shout-out on this forum and post his contact information for anyone that needs Viper service!
With all of these things now in place, along with a non-eventful Carfax report, I was ready to travel to see the car and finish the deal. A quick flight to Indiana carrying a certified check, and soon I was on a 5-hour drive back to Iowa in my new (to me) car!
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(Click for larger version)
I was a little unsure on how I would like the silver stripes on the sapphire car, as to me they looked too bold in all the photos I saw. However, when I saw in person how well they worked together, I was sold (again). This one has a black interior, which probably works best with the blue/silver.
I look forward to becoming a paritipcating member of the VCA (and the Illinois chapter, since it is closest to me). Although not a gearhead by nature, I have a very genuine love of cars thanks to my now-departed father who went through over 30 cars in the last 20 years of his life (including two Shelbys BEFORE they were popular, a Delorean, at least four 60's era Mercedes SL's and countless Galaxies, Falcons, etc.). For me, this is car #5 (the previously mentioned truck, a Boxster for the wife, an XJ12 for running around in, a minivan for the family and now the GTS!). Now to get a lift installed - only a 3-car garage won't cut it when winter rolls around!
On a final note...what are the odds. This car's previous owner first name is Brandon. A couple days into the process, another person named "Branden" posted his Sapphire w/Silver GTS for sale on the Alley classifieds. Not only are the names similar and have nearly identical cars, they both had spare sets of wheels (although my sellers got burnt in a shop fire), similar mileage AND they're both in Indianapolis!
Apologies for such a long post, I'm not usually that long-winded. But I wanted to share my story about the buying process and give thanks where due! Here's the specs on the car for those interested!
2001 GTS Sapphire Blue w/Silver Stripes
Black Interior
Corsa Exhaust
Vipair air collector
K&N Filters
5-pt harness (both seats)
Chrome sneaky pete oil filler cap
Polished temp control knobs
Mileage: 31,400 (now 31,900!)
New tires 2 years ago (about 6-7k miles on them)
Buying price - less than the eBay auction!
Car ended up only needing a couple things to be almost perfect. A buffing (like Kurt mentioned), new left door speakers (blown, will probably replace them all along with the head unit) and of course a replacement gas unit!
