Does this exhaust look stock?

[John_Cassels]

Hey guys,

I'm in talks regarding a 2002 GTS and I wanted to confirm some of the supposed claims by the dealer. The dealer has claimed that the car is stock and the previous owner merely replaced the exhaust tips; however, I am not 100% sure whether they are correct. I was sent these photos by the sales representative and the exhaust looks like it is aftermarket beyond the tips; specifically, it looks similar to a Corsa set up but I'm not entirely sure. Does anyone recognize this exhaust?

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[speedracervr4]

Not stock, looks like Corsa or Borla. Looks more like Corsa.

 

[Slug]

+1 Looks like Corsa

 

[AZTVR]

Looks like my Corsa, except the tips on mine might not stick out that far.

Certainly not stock; but, that is a very desirable mod, in my opinion.

 

[Dom426h]

75% certain its a Corsa,

Take a better pic of the mufflers and verify that the pipe going into them is 3" , not 2.5

 

[eucharistos]

not stock, probably an upgrade unless you want stock

 

[SSSSE YA]

+2 Looks like Corsa for sure.

 

[Luisv]

I'd say that is a Corsa. 95% sure. Based on a couple of reasons. The length of the cans, the finish and the tips, all look like Corsa. Also, when you drive, if you have no drone... it's a Corsa.

Borla cans are shorter and the tips are not the same. Belanger's mufflers are smaller and more bullet shaped. Magnaflow has no rear cans. Given those are some of the most common options, I'd say you have a Corsa.

By the way... the spots... nothing but water marks on the tips. You can polish them out without a problem.

 

[John_Cassels]

Thanks so much for your insights, I really appreciate the help here. The exhaust didn't look stock to me either but I wanted just to make sure with you guys. If it really is a Corsa, that is a modification that I am very happy about.

Luisv, thanks so much for confirming the spots on the tips to be merely water; I just wasn't sure whether they were spots from unburnt gasoline igniting at the tips (due to the car running without cats).

The car has 16,000 miles and the dealer is looking to get $49,900, which seems exorbitant to me. Though I am exceptionally happy that the car has a corset exhaust, going to try and use it as negotiation point for lowering the price significantly. Thanks again for your help guys, it is always very much appreciated.

 

[mad0953]

My GF has a corset exhaust too!

 

[LifeIsGood]

You already know this by now, but definitely not stock. The tips and cans resemble my Corsa. I routinely clean debris off the tips...that shouldn't be a problem. The real question is...does this dealer know his ass from his brain. What else might not be stock?

 

[John_Cassels]

Damned autocorrect...corset...Corsa!

LuisV - I really appreciate your input and help - I just wanted to be sure about the exhaust before going further with the negotiation process.

Lifeisgood - you vocalized my exact concern. This dealer doesn't seem to know his ass from a hole in the ground and I'm wondering what else might have been modified. I had them snap a picture of the engine bay and it has the stock airbus, header heat covers, and stock wires so it looks relatively unmodified but I still am concerned. These guys clearly know nothing about Vipers, so I'm not sure whether to just walk away? Any words of wisdom here guys?

 

[LifeIsGood]

It's hard to discern the value without seeing the viper (or pictures). I purchased mine stock with similar mileage, but I continue to mod it to my likes...including the Corsa cat-back. You'll get a bunch of responses telling you that $49,900 is too much and it is. Post up pictures for us to look at or a link to any of the dealer's pictures. We can usually find clues to the history of the viper if the pictures are of relevant parts of the viper and their not blurry. Some areas of concern are the engine bay, tire dates, door sills, seat bolsters, wear areas...these will determine if it was taken care of. Owner maintenance records are nice to have. Bottom line is they are asking too much, but surely they'll come down with some negotiating. Good luck.

 

[Luisv]

$49K is high for a 2002. Maybe a Final Edition in pristine shape could get up there at a dealer. I would figure that if hey took it in as a trade they would have valued it at $40K towards a new car buy. I would say you'll be able to negotiated to $45K. On this car, assuming pristine condition.

As a reference last year in July I saw four Vipers before I bought mine. Two were in excellent shape. One was a 2000 yellow/black GTS with 13K miles. It. Was a a used exotic car dealer/broker. They were asking $48K but would only go down to $47K. I then found the Final Edition I bought. That had 32K miles and was in better physical condition than the yellow. I got it for $39K. Since that time I've been looking at sales of 2002's to see how mine is holding up on price. I have seen a slight bump in price since January. Now I see 2002's, on average, moving in the low to mid $40K range with little or no modifications.

 

[CEJ]

See if you can get a club member to look at this car with you. Another point on price will be tires. Check date codes, and if older than 5 years, you're going to want to replace them asap. A set of tires ain't cheap, but it makes a huge difference in how your car will perform.

Also, can you go to your DMV with a VIN and get a title history? Some states allow this, some don't. If allowed, you can get the previous owner's name and track them down to ask more about the car. I did this (in NC) and it made a huge difference in my confidence in the car. Plus I learned the exact dollar amout the dealership gave him on trade.

 

[John_Cassels]

Thank you for all of the suggestions guys, it is very much appreciated. You are absolutely right that without seeing the car in person, it is very difficult to determine whether the car is overpriced or not. Obviously the dealer is telling me that the car is pristine and there isn't a single thing wrong with it but I know better than to take his words at face value (He has clearly demonstrated that he doesn't know anything about these cars).

I will start a new thread appealing to some of the Michigan area Viper Club guys to take a look if they can conveniently do so, as it would be great to have an experienced set of eyes look the car up-and-down.

Thanks again guys, I am always appreciative of you sharing your wisdom.