Hi from a newbie with a dream :)

[Jaw]

Hey guys, thought Id stop by and say hey.

I'm from australia and hoping to buy a Viper for my road trip across america and bring her home with me. Pretty ambitious at the moment but being my dream car for the last 25 years, I promised myself I'd make it happen this year. I haven't decided for sure on a budget, anywhere between $30 and 50k, and am not even sure if it will be an rt/10, gts or srt as prices are totally different there compared to here!

Plan is to land in new york and somewhere between there and chicago hopefully pick her up. Then the trip via route 66 to LA, and drop her off for the trip home.

I'll be having a search around the site to find out what I can but if anyone had any tips on routes, buying advice etc it'd be hugely appreciated and generally awesome.. Biggest challenge will be to try and arrange a car before I land if I can find a reputable dealer who'd take a deposit on one etc so I dont waste too much of the trip shopping but we'll see how we get on!

At anyrate, hi all

Jay

 

[BlackSnake99]

Call Bernie at BJ Motors. Some of his inventory may be at Tomball Dodge in Texas which would be a bit more off your planned route than Virginia. There is also Woodhouse, but Iowa/Nebraska would be out of the way for a cruise down 66. Sounds like a cool trip! Can't wait to see the pics.

http://bjmotors.biz/current-inventory.html

https://www.woodhouse.com/home.htm

 

[Wolfc2e]

My suggestion:

Buy a car from Bernie or Woodhouse (as said above) then have them ship the car to Chuck Tator in NYC (The Viper Wizard - http://www.tatorsdodge.com). Have him hold the car there (and do any upgrades or modifications you might want as well as changing all the fluides, tires if needed, etc. etc.) until you're able to fly in and drive it across the country. Chuck is THE MAN and I'd trust him with my keys any day of the week. When you get to CA have Dan Cragin (http://www.specialtyperformanceteam.com) look it over and do any post-trip upgrades or modifications you would like prior to shipping out.

If you come through Washington DC give me a shout and the Virginia club will meet up with you a cruise for a while through the blue ridge mountains. Your idea is one of the best I've heard in long while. You'll love the car! I drove mine to Utah and back a couple of years ago and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I could get the time off.

Best of luck!

 

[-nighthawk-]

Hi Jay,
I'm also from Australia (although don't own a Viper, yet).

What are you planning to do with the car when you import it over here? Would you need to convert it to RHD?

 

[Jaw]

Call Bernie at BJ Motors. Some of his inventory may be at Tomball Dodge in Texas which would be a bit more off your planned route than Virginia. There is also Woodhouse, but Iowa/Nebraska would be out of the way for a cruise down 66. Sounds like a cool trip! Can't wait to see the pics.

http://bjmotors.biz/current-inventory.html

https://www.woodhouse.com/home.htm

My suggestion:

Buy a car from Bernie or Woodhouse (as said above) then have them ship the car to Chuck Tator in NYC (The Viper Wizard - http://www.tatorsdodge.com). Have him hold the car there (and do any upgrades or modifications you might want as well as changing all the fluides, tires if needed, etc. etc.) until you're able to fly in and drive it across the country. Chuck is THE MAN and I'd trust him with my keys any day of the week. When you get to CA have Dan Cragin (http://www.specialtyperformanceteam.com) look it over and do any post-trip upgrades or modifications you would like prior to shipping out.

If you come through Washington DC give me a shout and the Virginia club will meet up with you a cruise for a while through the blue ridge mountains. Your idea is one of the best I've heard in long while. You'll love the car! I drove mine to Utah and back a couple of years ago and I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I could get the time off.

Best of luck!

Cheers guys, and big thanks for the links! Having a look and a few have caught my eye, so will deffo make a few calls over the next week or two. I think I'll probably look to buy around the end of April / May, will definately have to get a blog going for the purchase and trip and all the pics. A cruise sounds good! will have to get to properly planning a route! I know washington is a little north of where I was planning but I'll only get to do the trip once and the Blue Ridge's do look awesome so not ruling it out for sure. The crazy Australian import laws mean the car has to be 100% stock to pass customs so can't have any mods and upgrades that are non factory - but will definately be good to stop by somewhere for a tune up, bit of advice and maybe even to buy some upgrades and have them shipped to me in Aus..

Hi Jay,
I'm also from Australia (although don't own a Viper, yet).

What are you planning to do with the car when you import it over here? Would you need to convert it to RHD?

Hi mate yep you have to convert it at a cost as much as buying the car!! $35-50k or so, including a full custom re-fabrication of the dash, but still cheaper than buying one over here, go figure!! I'll be piling on the mods once it's here probably - toyed with trading in for a gallardo or something but I doubt I'll be able to bring myself to do it!

 

[-nighthawk-]

Yeah it's insane how much the cost of RHD over here is One of the best RHD conversion places in Australia (Viperformance) is now charging 47k for a conversion :\

I'm actually planning to do the same as you if I ever save up enough for a Viper, good way to get use to the car A 2002 GTS FE is my dream car.

Where abouts in Australia are you?

 

[Jaw]

I'm in Perth, will be getting viperformance to convert mine, can drive it back across aus that way too Yeah it really is insane, probably selling my M to cover it, but I figure it's worth it if I'm not planning to change it for a long time.

 

[-nighthawk-]

Ahh nice, I visited Viperformance nearly 10 years ago now! Here's a few pictures from my trip:
http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/648381-Hi-from-Australia!?p=3004674&viewfull=1#post3004674

Any chance you can drop by in Melbourne after the conversion?

 

[Jaw]

Ill be over that way for sure, Im going to be working over that way by the time I pick it up from the conversion! Awesome looking at the pics, got me all excited! The next few months cant come quick enough

 

[-nighthawk-]

Sounds good
May I ask what you do for a career?

 

[Jaw]

Im a quantity surveyor / contract administrator / contracts engineer mainly, how aout you?

Promised myself a viper for my 25th so have been working my ass off the last few years to make it happen!

 

[Jaw]

Am I right in thinking the gen II was a 7.9 v10 and the gen III is the 8.3? I think I'll be going for one of the two just cant make my mind up which, I was all for a blue/white 20002 ish g II but have fallen in love with a gIII on the classifieds here

 

[-nighthawk-]

Ahh cool, I'm currently working as a Business Analyst at one of the Big 4 service firms.

The Gen II had a 8L V10 (well 7.998) while the Gen III is 8.3L. Have you found a company which converts and complies a Gen III? After all my research I've only found companies which convert the Gen III & Gen IV Vipers to RHD but none that comply them. Because a company hasn't complied them they can't be road registered.

 

[slysnake]

Doesn't route 66 go pretty close to Roanoke?

 

[Jaw]

Ahh cool, I'm currently working as a Business Analyst at one of the Big 4 service firms.

The Gen II had a 8L V10 (well 7.998) while the Gen III is 8.3L. Have you found a company which converts and complies a Gen III? After all my research I've only found companies which convert the Gen III & Gen IV Vipers to RHD but none that comply them. Because a company hasn't complied them they can't be road registered.

I found one, but it was so long ago now that I'd better check - it was more than viperformance and they were the only company in aus who could. I think the ticket price was about $60k fully complied. Got the number on my desk here somewhere burried, so will have a look and get back to you

Doesn't route 66 go pretty close to Roanoke?

Not too sure but I think so.. What's going on in Roanoke, Worth a visit?

 

[-nighthawk-]

Actually, looks like this company now does it:

http://www.usautos.com.au/Viper-Conversions.html

 

[Jaw]

cheers, those are the guys I'd spoken to!! glad, because I'd completely lost their number..

 

[-nighthawk-]

No worries. I thought Viperformance was the most expensive in Australia at 47k haha.

There is a company that does RHD conversions in New Zealand which charge 35k for the conversion but no compliance, wonder why these guys charge so much for it.

 

[Jaw]

Short answer mate, is because they can! Fair enough they have to custon fabricate the interior but the majority of it is exploiting their position I'd imagine.. As more competiton comes in it will get cheaper I suppose

 

[-nighthawk-]

Yeah pretty much. It's a shame that my dream car is so difficult to obtain in Australia. Wonder if anyone will do a Gen V conversion, although I'd image that would be harder due to the newer interior.

 

[ohlarikd]

What's going on in Roanoke, Worth a visit?

Roanoke is a very reputable Dodge dealer in Illinois - they sell a ton of Vipers and are closer to your route. Looks like they have 4 Vipers right now listed.
http://www.romocoinc.com/used-inven...SBmodel=Viper&SBbodystyle=clear&SBprice=clear

 

[Jaw]

Thanks, have fired off an email about one of their vipers so will see how we go

 

[Rizzo]

I think i see a business opportunity for someone in the US. Converting Vipers to RHD and shipping them to Australia.

 

[-nighthawk-]

I think i see a business opportunity for someone in the US. Converting Vipers to RHD and shipping them to Australia.

There are companies which do this. The problem is that in order for it to be registered in Australia the company who does the conversion & compliance has to be located here. Because there are very few they charge high prices making my dream car harder to get