Full Financial Disclosure

[v10enomous]

I stopped by a local cruise night this evening after work. Good turnout of cars and spectators. I was having a great time talking to people and swapping stories and such and of course it couldn't last. So I'm standing by my GTS and 8 or 10 people gather to check out my car. So here comes 3 nerdy 16 or 17 year old kids. So the one who is apparently the Chief Nerd parks himself next to me and blurts out. "So how much is it ?" in his not big enough for his body voice. So I reply "why you want to make me an offer" He becomes visibly frustrated and all of the normal spectators start to look uncomfortable. So he snipes again... "No... I want to know how much you paid for it ?" So I reply "Why... are you in the market for one" Hes retorts... "Why can't you just tell me ?" Now people start looking an walking away and I just hang my head. I look up and say "well this car cost 70 something thousand in 1998. He replies... "So how can you afford that... what do you do for a living ?" I'm thinking *** I say nothing and he goes on..."are you a contractor or something" So now I 'm thinking that he may have been hired by my ex-frikin wife So I look at him and say... I'm in Banking.... He says Banking Hmmmm So he nods his head a few times and starts to walk away but turns back and looks like he's going to do an about face 3 times before he actually leaves... The looks on people's faces were priceless...

 

[bluesrt]

so how much did u pay for it

 

[v10enomous]

so how much did u pay for it

why ... you wanna make me an offer

 

[Mopar Steve]

I like the answer, "My girlfriend bought it for me, just don't tell my wife".

 

[bluesrt]

why ... you wanna make me an offer

how about 5k

 

[v10enomous]

how about 5k

Sold... I'll send the instructions on how to wire me the money... hehe

 

[bluesrt]

damit................

 

[SlateEd]

Could it have been a kid who knows somebody with an EVO or something with tons of mods $ into it and he wants to know what it would cost to do better? (too optimistic maybe?)

 

[1994viper]

I told someone $300,000 LOL.
Another funny thing happened yesterday. While at a local car show, a couple of old geezers came up to me and one of them went on saying that he wanted to whoop my butt in a race. I kindly offered a road course at a local track. The 1/4 mile guy declined.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

When asked "how much?" I always reply with "enough". Most guys just laugh and say something like "I hear ya". A few rude people have said "yeah, but how much?" I just tell them "I've had it since 05', I can't remember what I paid". They normally roll their eyes and walkoff. I then go home and worry all night if that damaged their opinion of me

 

[Zentenk]

Should say your a **** star.

 

[blackandblue01]

Why do people feel the urge to ask these questions. hell my buddy has more in his dually than I do in my car. It's a really friggin nice dually, but still i have yet to hear anyone pop this question to him. Seems like I get it all the time.

 

[Bobpantax]

The "how much" question is frequently asked. I always politely say: " I'm sorry but I do not discuss personal financial matters." People always understand.

 

[blackandblue01]

Well played, will be storing this in the back of my mind.

 

[cfiiman]

I don't know why this happens but it does to me too, I think that same guy lives here in my town too lol. I had a friend once that hated when people asked him personal questions (we worked together at a charter company) and one day on a trip we were waiting for the passengers and some guy was talking to him about something and it got into medical stuff. This guy wouldn't quit wanting to know what kind of condition my friend had at one time in his life (whatever they were talking about). Anyway even after dodging the question the guy just kept on, and I'll never forget when my buddy loudly blurted out "Anal bleeding, ok, I had anal bloody discharges, want to know anything else?" the look on the guys face was priceless, damn I wished I still worked with him.

 

[Mutts02GTS]

I have been asked this question as well, there is usually a prior question, "Is it mine?" followed by the "How much did you pay for it?" my answers are "Yes" and "More than I paid for my first house eighteen years ago...." and then I just stare at them........

 

[jjp11]

People are as nosy as ever. I could be wrong, but I think a lot of it has to do with social media. People publish their life on Facebook, Twitter, etc; and basically have no regard for their own privacy or the privacy of others. It's anything goes and they expect everyone else to have the same philosophy. Some of it also has to do with how people are raised. I was always taught family matters, especially finances, are private and are not to be discussed with other people. Naturally, I never pry into other peoples' personal matters because I interpret it as an invasion of privacy and downright rude. If they bring it up first and want to discuss their life matters, then fine.

 

[BigBadViper]

I don't really care. I tell them how much I paid for it. It isn't like they couldn't get on autotrader and find out what one costs.

 

[plumcrazy]

ivr had some kids ask at cruises or when im getting gas. to me they always seemed to have an honest reason to ask. i tell them it sold for 70K new in 98, i bought it 4 years later, blew the engine up a few times and added the SC. I tell them in todays market, a clean one is in the 35-40K range. i dont ever tell people how much i paid for the mods...

if people have a real interest in the car, i dont mind telling them what it is worth. they can go to ebay on their phones and find out in 3 minutes...its not rocket science and sure isnt important enough for me to care.

if i dont give them some kind of legit answer, I would be that snobby viper guy and i dont wanna be him.

 

[v10enomous]

The problem with answering the question is that it typically leads to more questions and then ultimately some sort of judgement. It's just more fun to talk about how the car drives and "remember back in the day" stories and stuff like that. No matter what you say in a conversation that revolves around the money in the car it always seems to become awkward.

 

[CEJ]

The kid's a bit gauche, but hopefully he'll learn some manners before he becomes a mature dolt.

While stopped at a traffic light, a woman in the car next to mine waved to me and said that her son loved my car (yellow RT/10, so what's not to love?) and wanted to know what it was and what do they cost? I was a bit surprised by her question, so I told her it was a Viper and that they can run from $30 to $110k depending on year, model, and condition. Thankfully the light turned green and off we went. So much for her setting the example for her son. I just hope she doesn't buy one for him when he turns 16. We have enought young drivers getting killed down here in NC in regular sedans...

 

[plumcrazy]

V10enomous, I hear you but its never turned really ugly for me. It's also too easy to tell them to **** off and walk away if it does. I just don't want to come off like the stereotypical viper owner.

Not to mention I always tell people about my buddy Charlie that has a much faster car than mine.....

 

[Zentenk]

There are TOO many stupid questions/comments when it comes to owning one (or other exotics).

Why are you so worried about being viewed as "that" guy? Tell them to quit being a snoopy ignorant fool.

One of my favorite moments was here at this gas station with my friends:

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The orange G8 got tons of questions from some a guy there. It was so cool, my friend felt so excited he talked about the G8 and laughed at me because I was parked right there next to him.

 

[plumcrazy]

I don't remember being that young for the most part but I assume I could have asked the same questions. It might help sway a kid to like vipers or dodge if we all answer some silly questions. All assuming it was harmless and with good intent.

Being the snobby viper owner doesn't help the dodge or viper image at all as so many of you are worried about. It also can lead to being keyed one nite by the kid and friends.

I bought the viper cause I loved mopar and vipers. Not for status....... Especially when they are now so accessible/affordable. Maybe if more people were interested in buying a viper, the values would actually go up.

 

[eucharistos]

i usually tell them that these cars are attainable and are really a bargain in the performance/sports car world for what you get and leave it to them to do the research, or tell them the new price as stated above

 

[v10enomous]

I don't remember being that young for the most part but I assume I could have asked the same questions. It might help sway a kid to like vipers or dodge if we all answer some silly questions. All assuming it was harmless and with good intent.

Being the snobby viper owner doesn't help the dodge or viper image at all as so many of you are worried about. It also can lead to being keyed one nite by the kid and friends.

I bought the viper cause I loved mopar and vipers. Not for status....... Especially when they are now so accessible/affordable. Maybe if more people were interested in buying a viper, the values would actually go up.

I hear ya Phil... This kid was clearly a pushy oversized Galoot probably with parents of the same ilk. He had an attitude and clearly tried to lure me into a game of verbal smashmouth from my perspective. He had all the tact and diplomacy of an aspiring inmate. Different kid... Different answers.. Funny thing is he really didn't look the part... Sort of reminded me of that kid in the News recenly that body slammed that skinny kid when when he started bullying...

 

[JohnnyViper]

i as well get asked this question often, I think there are a few different types that ask the questions, the ones that wants to benchmark their lifes/fiances with the viper owner, honest to god car lovers and the ones that dont know much about cars but realize its a bad ass ride. I was asked the other day about what i paid for it by the dyno tech and we were in at least a 20 min friendly conversation, I answered his question with exactly what I paid for it and said I hope you get one soon but more often then not I give the range answers between 30-110 depending on year/model/condition and that satisfies them.......also for some people its a starter question, they want to talk to you and learn about the car....think of it just as a bad pickup line

 

[v10enomous]

i as well get asked this question often, I think there are a few different types that ask the questions, the ones that wants to benchmark their lifes/fiances with the viper owner, honest to god car lovers and the ones that dont know much about cars but realize its a bad ass ride. I was asked the other day about what i paid for it by the dyno tech and we were in at least a 20 min friendly conversation, I answered his question with exactly what I paid for it and said I hope you get one soon but more often then not I give the range answers between 30-110 depending on year/model/condition and that satisfies them.......also for some people its a starter question, they want to talk to you and learn about the car....think of it just as a bad pickup line

I tried to read where the kid was coming from and I was smiling and being Jovial when I asked him if he wanted to make me an offer and I was taken back by his quick snarky reply. I bought my car when prices hit rock bottom and I'm sure many have bought when they were high so I was really just trying to deflect and prices are on the way back up so why even get into it.... It doesn't help Viper owners to talk about prices in the post 2008 crash era by any means and this kid was clearly a ****.

 

[JohnnyViper]

well you ran into another type of person the "****" that is either jealous, born/trained this way or for some reason is emasculated by your viper....you handles it right...most people would want to strangle him like Homer does to Bart in the Simpsons

 

[1buddyc]

I like the answer, "My girlfriend bought it for me, just don't tell my wife".

GREAT! I'll have to remember that one.