'Corvettes on the Gulf' Meet an ACR Voodoo

[Grisoman]

See below from Ivan ** our SoFL VCA rep forwarding an email about VCA member Rich Andria's experience at an open Corvette show in Ft. Myers. The 'all caps' are not mine.

HI IVAN, YESTERDAY I ENTERED THE VOOO DOO VIPER IN THE FORT MYERS "CORVETTES ON THE GULF", ANNUAL OPEN CAR SHOW. HERE IS THE WHOLE STORY. GREAT FUN DAY !!
AT REGISTRATION, THE GUYS SAID, MY VIPER WAS "HEAVILY MODIFIED" AND WANTED TO CLASSIFY IT AS SUCH. WE HAD TO GET ONE OF THE JUDGES TO COME OVER AND VERIFY IT WAS 100% STOCK !
THEY PLACED THE CAR IN CLASS C/S 1981 TO PRESENT-- STOCK MANUFACTURE.
I REGISTERED THE CAR IN THE SHOW AS OWNER, AND ALSO REPRESENTING THE SOUTH FLORIDA VIPER CLUB OF AMERICA.
THEY PLACED ME IN THE CORVETTE SECTION OF THE SHOW. ONE OF THE REGISTRARS TOLD ME, (ON THE CUFF), "GO PUT THE CORVETTES TO SHAME" !!
RIGHT NEXT TO ME WAS A NEW ZR-1 WITH A ""CONFIDENT OWNER"".
AS THE PUBLIC WALKED AROUND, I NOTICED, ""HOLY CRAP, LOOK--A VIPER"!!!! "O.M.G., HONEY, LOOK AT THIS CAR" ! ONE GUY SAID, "YOUR CAR BELONGS ON A PEDISTAL, NOT IN A ROW WITH THESE CORVETTES"...L.O.L. I TOLD THEM, IT'S UP TO THE JUDGES.....
IRONIC IN A CORVETTE SPONSORED SHOW, THE ZR-1 HAD MANY LESS VISITORS THAN THE VOOO DOO, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A VERY NICE CAR.

THE AWARDS CEREMONY WENT LIKE THIS: THEY CALLED ABOUT 40 NAMES/CARS FOR CLASS AWARDS, AND MINE WAS NOT CALLED FOR A CLASS TROPHY. ?? MY FIRST CAR SHOW ??
NEXT THE D.J. SAID, "THE NEXT 5 CARS, SCORED VERY HIGH POINTS", AND HE CALLED THE NAMES/TYPE OF CAR FOR THESE.------ NOT ME !
OH WELL, "I'LL TRY NEXT TIME", I THOUGHT, AS I STARTED TO FOLD UP MY CHAIR.

THE D.J. THEN ANNOUNCED "WE HAVE ONE MORE TROPHY, THE HIGHEST POINT SCORING CAR IN THE SHOW"---"AND IT GOES TO DR. RICH ANDRIA AND HIS 2010 A.C.R.VIPER"

WOW WOW WOW !!!!
THAT SURE WAS A THRILL, AND NOW OUR CLUB HAS A TOP DOG WINNER ON RECORD OVER HERE.

OH, BTW, THE GUY WITH THE ZR-1 NEXT TO ME PEELED OUT, LEFT AND DIDN'T EVEN CONGRATS.......

 

[shooter_t1]

Awesome.

 

[Richard Koch]

Congratulations on your win. The ZR-1 is nice, but has no zip or agressive appearance compared to an ACR, especially a Voodoo edition. It was nice oif them to allow cars other than Corvettes to show. I am sure they were blown away with how it did.

 

[sfm79]

Awesome story, gotta love it when you go to a show and there are numerous Vette's and only 1 Viper.

On a side note: I will be vacationing in Ft. Myers Beach the first week of March. Are there any Viper get togethers or car shows planned in that area while I'm there? I would love to drop by and see some of the South Florida Snakes.

 

[rw99]

Any Viper would've garnered great appreciation as a breath of fresh air; bringing a Voodoo was like dropping a bomb. I hope you'll post some pics from the show: "Some Corvettes... and the winner!"

Congrats. And for any of us that enter a Viper in a car show: take it as a sacred duty to be a humble non-*********; appreciative of everybody's ride. Never be "that guy".

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Ah the Vooodoo that you do, so well !!!!

 

[PDCjonny]

Never be "that guy".

Aren't you kinda being "that guy" by entering a pretty radical looking Viper in a Vette sponsored show to start with?
Maybe it's just me.

 

[rw99]

Aren't you kinda being "that guy" by entering a pretty radical looking Viper in a Vette sponsored show to start with?
Maybe it's just me.

Quoted text says it's an "open car show". So no, you're not. Admittedly, though, some people have no concept of friendly competition...

 

[gb66gth]

Yeah, I think bringing an ACR VooDoo to a (mostly) 'Vette car show, is like bringing Pamela Anderson to a church social.

 

[gutterworks129]

Yeah, I think bringing an ACR VooDoo to a (mostly) 'Vette car show, is like bringing Pamela Anderson to a church social.

Funny! LOL

 

[VYPR BYT 94]

So what I'm hearing here is a Viper can beat a Vette without even turning the key to the on position!

 

[shine]

Pretty sweet story!

I, too, have been at a Concours car show with my ACR (just a Roadster, not a sweet Vooodoo), and the ZR1 owner showing right beside me never once spoke to me the entire day there, even after I put the 2nd place trophy up!

 

[3whitevipers]

A Viper is so much more distinctive that a Vette. A ZR1 looks just like a plain Vette to most people. I'm not surprised at your good fortune.---Dave

 

[AFL in NJ]

I Love that the Voodoo won the show!! Awesome in every way.

Regards,
Aaron

 

[Jeebs]

Congrats on the trophy. Did you take any pics??

 

[Silver04]

Great story. Let's see pics!

 

[Grisoman]

Congrats on the trophy. Did you take any pics??

I wish . . . not my car or story unfortunately. Don't know if Rich Andria (the car's owner) frequents this board. I'll check with Ivan on the pics.

 

[Mopar488]

A Viper is so much more distinctive that a Vette. A ZR1 looks just like a plain Vette to most people. I'm not surprised at your good fortune.---Dave

I was out with my wife last week and we saw a crystal red vette parked in somebody's front yard next to the road. I said, look honey, there a vette the same color you wanted. As we got closer, I barely saw the blue zr1 emblem on the side. I was shocked that it was a zr1. I told her it was a shame that somebody spent over $100k and all I saw was a crystal red vette that anybody could have for $40k.

 

[slysnake]

VooDoo edition!! That's not even fair. Coolest edition out there imo.

I have noticed there are two types of vet guys at shows. First are cool car guys that are great. Second are guys that act like their **** don't stink and pretend like they don't see you. I always go straight over to the Vette area and talk to the Vette guys, Wearing my Viper shirt and hat ofcourse. lol

 

[CEJ]

Congrats on the win!

Car shows are fun, but driving is mo' fun.

 

[2005 SRT-10]

It isnt surprising. I am also a "ahem" owner and I have one only because I enjoy(ed) the car. Many vette owners i have come in contact with believe Corvettes belong in museums and act as if. It's sad really, they dont understand respect and friendly competition.


side note: I am speaking for those I have come in contact with and my experience.

 

[Twister]

Told my story many times but here goes.

I had a brand new 04 vette. Decided i wanted a 06 z06 and put my name on a waiting list to get one for for 67k.

Told it would be 07 before I got one.

So in the middle of 06 i drove by the dealer and they had a 06z06 and a 99 viper side by side.

There was a crowd around the viper with little attention to the new z06. I had very little idea of what a viper was. But knew right from the bat it seemed a bit more special than the z06 next to it.

Asked how much they wanted and to my amazement they said 40k!

I went that night and looked up the specs.. Holy cow!

77k when new
450 hp
0-60 in 4.0
Quartermile in 11.9 at 120 mph!

Traded my vette in for it a few days later and never looked back.

On mythird viper purchase now and I can say with very little hesitation that I woldnt be surprised at all if my yellow srt got more attention than a zr1. The srt has actually held its own quite easily next to gallardos. Let alone a vette with a hole in its hood

 

[rw99]

I think, sometimes, the visual appeal of the Viper is misconstrued: people assume that we bought the car to say, "look at me!".

For me, though, and I bet it's the same for many of you... we chose Viper over Vette because we still wander alone into the garage for no other reason than to stand there and say, "look at that!"
Rich

 

[Silver04]

... no other reason than to stand there and say, "look at that!"
Rich

The other night we had some stuff delivered to our house and I heard one of the delivery guys say the above as they came through the garage with the dryer. When we went back out they asked to take photos and we BS'd a lil' bit about the car...kinda cool.

Never had this happen when I owned a Vette!

 

[georgethedog]

Pics of the show???

 

[3whitevipers]

There is no question about the distinctiveness of the Viper. Here in Sarasota there is a lot of money and the cars show it. I've had Ferrari and Lambo owners look at my Vipers very carefully and say that they like the Viper. Vettes here are a dime a dozen and many times a ZR1 is taken for just another Vette. At some shows here the Vipers draw crowds to the point that I don't like to show the Vipers because I don't like crowds of people around them. With a Viper we have a relatively rare car that is very distinctive and for that reason we need the new Viper to be as expensive or more expensive to maintain the exclusivity of the Viper.--just my thoughts---Dave

 

[HLANDIS]

Great show for the snake! Congrats!! Vette on every corner, VIPER always gets the respect it deserves!! #1 in American muscle!!

 

[CitySnake]

Aren't you kinda being "that guy" by entering a pretty radical looking Viper in a Vette sponsored show to start with?
Maybe it's just me.

I'm on the same page with Jon (so I guess it's not just you ... maybe just the two of us ). IMO, there's a line between enjoying an incredible motorcar and taking such pride that you disparage the choices of other car enthusiasts. We didn't create/design/manufacture the Viper. We are just fortunate enough to buy one (or two).

I was shocked that it was a zr1. I told her it was a shame that somebody spent over $100k and all I saw was a crystal red vette that anybody could have for $40k.

Might you consider that there ARE some folks that don't need to wear their wealth? Might it be plausible that this owner actually likes the car to drive or just to own? Sheesh.

Maybe it's just me.