Getting ready for my 1st Viper...answers & Opinions PLEASE

[hershey43]

First off don't, please do not slam me with the "Use the search" line b/c I have been searching thoroughly since I joined and this thread is more for an opinion based answer that I would love to hear from current and experienced Viper owners...

I'm not new to the sports/Hi performance car scene as I've had turns from cars like the SS's, Impala's to Turbo JDM's and now recently for the past few years as I have gotten "older" (my wife says)...I've been dabbling in the European side of things with a Porsche 996 Carrera, BMW E60 M5 and a BMW M3.

But now I'm deciding to get back to my roots and finally get into a Viper, as I have been a fan of these cars since a teenager.I've narrowed my search to 2 cars, both 2006 Coupes.

First One is a heavily modded Viper (I don't know if we can call it that- as I know there are more Vipers with more mods there but to me it's modded in a major way) but it has a Paxton SC, Moton's suspension, 3.73 rear diff, after market rims & a few other aftermarket parts. The Car has 22K miles.

Also this is a private party sale, in which I have met the current owner, rode in the car itself with the owner and who happens to be good guy and disclosed everything about the car (At least I Hope so! LOL). The car appears and looks to be well cared for and the current owner has receipts for all the mods/parts done to the car.

The second Viper is on a dealer lot with 31K miles. ALL STOCK. It has a CAr fAX listed(i KNOW it means nothing but a good place to start). The Carfax has 11 service records...ALL from Dodge dealers, which at the very least implies that it was taken cared of. This car is also obviously priced cheaper.

The mods on the 1st Viper do not bother ( I actually like them!) me at all but since I have no experience in Vipers being modded...I assume its the same as in any car right? "As long as the car & modifications were done right and the car taken cared of"...the car should be in good shape??

Now my question to current owners are:

Me being a new Viper owner, do I or should I start with a stock VIper? I've heard stories of new owners losing control of their Vipers during new ownership times. I have attended performance driving schools in the past but not on a consistent basis...

Any thoughts/opinions on buying a modded Viper particularly like the one I mentioned?

Anything I should be concerned about Mechanically on BOTH Vipers during a PPI?

lastly, thanks in advance

 

[lagalaxy13]

No matter which one you get take your time getting to know the the car before you start pushing yourself or you will become one of those stories. Good luck, (I have a stock viper so have no help on a modded one.)

 

[slysnake]

Sounds like you would be ok with the moded one. Would probably save you money in doing that if you would mod the other one anyway.

 

[usurbrain]

First One is a heavily modded Viper (I don't know if we can call it that- as I know there are more Vipers with more mods there but to me it's modded in a major way) but it has a Paxton SC, Moton's suspension, 3.73 rear diff, after market rims & a few other aftermarket parts. The Car has 22K miles.

The second Viper is on a dealer lot with 31K miles. ALL STOCK. It has a CAr fAX listed(i KNOW it means nothing but a good place to start). The Carfax has 11 service records...ALL from Dodge dealers, which at the very least implies that it was taken cared of. This car is also obviously priced cheaper.

The mods on the 1st Viper do not bother ( I actually like them!) me at all but since I have no experience in Vipers being modded...I assume its the same as in any car right? "As long as the car & modifications were done right and the car taken cared of"...the car should be in good shape??

Now my question to current owners are:

Me being a new Viper owner, do I or should I start with a stock VIper? I've heard stories of new owners losing control of their Vipers during new ownership times. I have attended performance driving schools in the past but not on a consistent basis...

Don't floor it in a turn.... Just make sure the wheels are pointed forward. You'll be okay. Modulate the gas till you are comfortable dropping the hammer Looks like you drove high tq cars before.

Any thoughts/opinions on buying a modded Viper particularly like the one I mentioned?

The First one has some nice mods. Make sure you have someone check out the suspension. Ask when the last service was since they need servicing/refilling every year or 5k miles or so. Have a compression check done and a leakdown if necessary. Is the Paxton tuned with the stock split second box? 3.73 rear end is quite aggressive for a Paxton car. I'd say make sure the run flats are taken off, but seeing how it has aftermarket rims, those should be gone.

Check the compression again on the second car. Both cars have higher mileage than when I was looking (6 months ago), so price-wise I think that these are priced well below 45k. Good luck!

Anything I should be concerned about Mechanically on BOTH Vipers during a PPI?

lastly, thanks in advance

 

[Vipuronr]

Condition being equal, I would go with the modded one. If you have any interest in these types of mods then, as long as they were done well (reputable installer), it is far cheaper to purchase a car with them already than to add them yourself.

All things being equal, if I had to do it over again, I would have bought a modded car rather than 100% stock. Now I am having to "pay the price" to add these mods after the fact.

Either way, its still a Viper!

Good luck in your purchase.

 

[hershey43]

Thank you all. It's much appreciated. I am sure the owner of the modded Viper appreciates it as well because I told him earlier I was confused on which route to go. Also, he may or may not be a member here. I'll have to ask him.

I agree with everyone & am leaning towards the modded Viper.

 

[plumcrazy]

IMHO, if you are serious about buying a boosted car, make sure to get a leakdown test done (not just a compression test). i personally wouldn't buy a boosted car without one. detonation can be dangerous and at times its tough to detect. id wanna know the shape of the internals before buying.

not sure what one would cost you, my guess around $250 but its money WELL SPENT if it finds a problem before you buy and piece of mind after you buy it, if its healthy.

carfax at best is a starting point, do not trust it.

find out who the tuner is (sc installer and engine tuning) and call him asap to see what his opinion of the car is. he knows more about the car usually than the owner. if anyone else has worked on it, call them too. if its a backyard type of tuner or not as well know and trusted, id be more cautious. dont rule it out by any means just more cautious.

 

[Camfab]

IMHO, if you are serious about buying a boosted car, make sure to get a leakdown test done (not just a compression test). i personally wouldn't buy a boosted car without one. detonation can be dangerous and at times its tough to detect. id wanna know the shape of the internals before buying.

not sure what one would cost you, my guess around $250 but its money WELL SPENT if it finds a problem before you buy and piece of mind after you buy it, if its healthy.

carfax at best is a starting point, do not trust it.

find out who the tuner is (sc installer and engine tuning) and call him asap to see what his opinion of the car is. he knows more about the car usually than the owner. if anyone else has worked on it, call them too. if its a backyard type of tuner or not as well know and trusted, id be more cautious. dont rule it out by any means just more cautious.

+ 1 on that advise. Additionally depending on where you live, there might be a well known tech that can check the car out for you.

 

[Bandit3]

My vote is for the stock one. You can always mod it later. Not to start trouble with the modded folks here, but S/C engines are under much more stress and therefore subject to a possible failure of some type. You can always mod at your convenience, and as finances allow. Just my .02. Good shopping, John

 

[Flexx91]

One thing to consider about modded cars: warranty claims. If the car is modded and you want to purchase an extended warranty to lessen your financial burden in case there is a failure, providers may reject your warranty claims. If you have the financial means to shell out thousands of dollars to rebuild an engine, then buy the modded car and enjoy.

 

[plumcrazy]

My vote is for the stock one. You can always mod it later. Not to start trouble with the modded folks here, but S/C engines are under much more stress and therefore subject to a possible failure of some type. You can always mod at your convenience, and as finances allow. Just my .02. Good shopping, John

this is why i would leakdown before i spent cash.

only problem with modding later is YOU take the beating on the mods. if i was going to do it over again, id let someone else lose a ton of cash modding it.

good info on finding a local, trusted tuner to look the car over for you. depending where it is, let us know and we can recommend one for you

 

[hershey43]

I'm located in the Bay Area, CA. The stock Viper is located in So. Cal. Modded Viper in Nor Cal

 

[Bristolrover]

Go with the modified car, It will not take you long before you realize the vipe needs more power than the 500 it has. Vipers are hard to sell and if you modified yout stock car it'll cost you a ton and you'll kick yourself when it's time to trade up to next generation. Vipers are like Vice, hookers, gambling, booze, drugs and racecars.Pleasure is the only return on the investment, I love it all.......As far as losing control, get rid of the runflats and get some sticky tires on and you will have to "Try" to spin 'em on the stocker on a hot day.

 

[CitySnake]

I find all the comments to be interesting, especially at the wide variance of opinion.

When you read the opinions of others, just be careful in your analysis. I have had both a Gen 2 Roe SC'd and a Gen 4 NA Viper. I can give you my opinion, but ultimately, YOU need to decide based on YOUR likes and dislikes; YOUR expectations rather than my experience based on my expectations.

It's rather unfortunate that you haven't expressed any of those (your expectations) or priorities yet in this thread.

How are you going to use the car? Understand that the answer to this question has many facets.
Are you a hands on/DIY kind of owner?
Have you driven a Gen 3 Viper with and without mods?
Aside from the motor, would you expect to be spending for aesthetic mods? Wheels can be a significant expense.

Anyway, you will quickly glean that everyone tends to like and preach the benefits of what they own ... completely regardless of your interest and priorities (although some guys like Plum will give you the advice to save you a great deal of trouble once you make your decision).

Give us a better understanding of YOUR priorities if you want worthwhile advice.

Apologies if I sound obnoxious and/or arrogant. I am, but I don't mean to be.

 

[White 04 Mamba]

Just looked up the Paxton super charged one on craigslist.........damn nice Viper!!! I see it has Nitto rubber so no worries with run craps. If you do go with the stock one your first upgrade should be getting rid of the run flats. I recently put on PS2's and it is a night and day difference.

 

[1BADGTS]

When dealing with a used blown Viper donot assume anything other than the fact that you MAY be putting a ton of money into the car for more reasons than you can shake a stick at.Do yourself a favor if you really need 600 horsepower buy a Gen 4 (trust me you will be saving money ,time ,aggreviation,resale value ect in the long run .)

 

[hershey43]

I find all the comments to be interesting, especially at the wide variance of opinion.

When you read the opinions of others, just be careful in your analysis. I have had both a Gen 2 Roe SC'd and a Gen 4 NA Viper. I can give you my opinion, but ultimately, YOU need to decide based on YOUR likes and dislikes; YOUR expectations rather than my experience based on my expectations.

It's rather unfortunate that you haven't expressed any of those (your expectations) or priorities yet in this thread.

How are you going to use the car? Understand that the answer to this question has many facets.
Are you a hands on/DIY kind of owner?
Have you driven a Gen 3 Viper with and without mods?
Aside from the motor, would you expect to be spending for aesthetic mods? Wheels can be a significant expense.

Anyway, you will quickly glean that everyone tends to like and preach the benefits of what they own ... completely regardless of your interest and priorities (although some guys like Plum will give you the advice to save you a great deal of trouble once you make your decision).

Give us a better understanding of YOUR priorities if you want worthwhile advice.

Apologies if I sound obnoxious and/or arrogant. I am, but I don't mean to be.

No worries at all on the obnoxious/arrogant comment...I did not see it that way at all...to answer the questions:

The car will be a weekend car...at most maybe 2-3 track days a year (after getting used to it of course)

I will be doing the "basic" DIY service/maintenance issues such as oil change, brakes, rear diff fluid change...I will have access to a lift from a friends BMW shop

I have driven a stock Gen III Viper but not a modded one such as the Viper I am looking at (I only rode with the current owner- although I know that it's a must for a test drive)

As far as the aesthetic mods go...I've been there on Porsche's, BMW M5's and M3's. I can tell you one thing- parts & mods for those cars have a much higher premium than the Viper if not almost the same...I'm sure my money spent on my past Porsche will have a much higher "car brand tax" than a Dodge

The priority for the Viper to me is really to just own MY Viper for now. I don't plan on anything wild for mods IF I go the stock Viper route. But IF I go the modded Viper route,(As one other member already mentioned) I know that I "save" money in the case that the modifications are on the car already and I do like the parts on the modded Viper already.

 

[wikkid]

I would believe a private owner over most dealers. Especially with receipts and so forth. You can generally tell if a guy takes care of his cars, and pretty much feel out bull****. Its a tough call, but i would probably go stock if it checks out, and then modify.
I bought a cammed up car with quite a few miles on it, so far so good. I dont beat it but drive it with some spirit now and then.

 

[Venomiss]

Did you buy a viper yet? Maybe get with someone from the local NorCal region VCA club and see if they can recommend someone qualified to look at the modified viper for you.

Northern California VCA

 

[Leslie]

Track days...like in drag strip or roadcourse?

I personally wouldn't roadrace a s/c Viper.

Lots of great advice here, these guys know their stuff!

 

[hershey43]

Track days...like in drag strip or roadcourse?

I personally wouldn't roadrace a s/c Viper.

Lots of great advice here, these guys know their stuff!

Yes, their has been a ton of great advice and I am appreciative.

I haven't bought a Viper yet...although I have narrowed it down to 2 cars. 1 in state and the other out of state. Prolly going the stock Viper route now also.