Anybody know anything about the preproduction GTS at South Puget Sound Comm. College

[wolowski]

I'm trying to figure out what the full VIN is of the pre-production GTS that is at South Puget Sound Community College. It was reportedly #004, but it wasn't clear if that meant it was from the 1996 production, from a prior year, or what. It's the one that Chrysler wanted crushed back in 2014 but got a reprieve after it got a loud public outcry against crushing it. I feel like I had seen someone post a couple of pictures, including the VIN tag, but I'm not sure if it was here or on a different Viper forum. But I have been entirely unable to find it.

Does this ring a bell with anyone? Can you point me to either the thread or the photo of the VIN tag? Thanks.

 

[ViperJeff]

My understanding is that those Vipers did not have VIN’s which created a liability for Dodge/Chrysler. They were not supposed to be driven on the streets and Dodge/Chrysler found out they had been. Because they were not VIN’d they couldn’t be insured and that’s where the liability fell to Dodge/Chrysler. I never heard what the final status of these Vipers where.

 

[wolowski]

Hey Jeff, thanks for your response. Several news stories quoted the then-teacher in charge of the auto tech department at the school saying that it did have a VIN, and that it was some sort of -004. I was in touch with him recently via email and he didn't have any idea what the full, 17-digit VIN was. I agree they weren't title-able, but I don't know that it meant they didn't have VINs.

I'd seen somewhere (the Viper registry maybe?) that 1992 VIN #004 may have been used for the 1993 GTS Coupe concept. I don't know if that's true, or it's possible that 1992 #004 had been rebuilt as a '96 pre-production prototype. i tried looking for VIN #004s using 1993, 1994, and 1995 VIN details, and struck out. 1996 VIN TV100004 is an RT/10, and TV200004 is Tom Gale's white blue GTS.

 

[Shaggy]

My understanding is that those Vipers did not have VIN’s which created a liability for Dodge/Chrysler. They were not supposed to be driven on the streets and Dodge/Chrysler found out they had been. Because they were not VIN’d they couldn’t be insured and that’s where the liability fell to Dodge/Chrysler. I never heard what the final status of these Vipers where.

They were to be destroyed after the school used them. I guess some got out.

 

[ViperJeff]

From what I understand (and I have documentation to back this up) each of those Vipers were numbered but not with what would be expected on a 96 Viper. A normal 96 VIN started and contained most of the following (1B3ER69E4TV). The Vipers that are part of this discussion, there unique identifier did not contain the elements of a 1996 Viper VIN

 

[Bonkers]

I guess in theory they could have been given VINs as part
of the inventory process of building them, but even if they
were, those numbers would be Destroy-Only under federal
rulings. Mule cars are 100% not allowed to be on the road,
which is why they were given to schools in the first place
before they were slated to be crushed.

If the College still has one, good for them, but it can never
be sold or driven - any numbers on the car are useless for
any practical purpose. Im not sure what your curiousity is
in the VIN since it would be meaningless. Ive known people
who have tried to skirt Mule Laws (not with Vipers... yet)
and it only ends one way - the car is immediately crushed
and the "owner" gets slapped with all kinds of fines with
no legal recourse. Of all vehicles in existance, Mules are to
be avoided the most...