How much should I ask for my car??

[JBW1997]

I may be needing to sell my Viper. If I do, no worries, I'll be back to the community soon. I need to get some opinions on what it might be worth. If I decide to sell it, I would like to ask a price that will move it along fairly quickly. It is a 1997 RT/10. It has 15k miles on it. It is in very good condition, but there are a few chips on the hood. The wheels have no scuff marks and the interior is mint. It has the hardtop too. The only mods were smooth tube intake runners and a 3.55 gear. I have all of the old parts to make it original again. They only made 117 RT/10's that year. Should I list it here? Or ebay? Opinions please...

 

[DrumrBoy]

Sorry to hear. Why not list it is as many places as possible to get the exposure?

Good luck with the sale.

 

[slysnake]

Prices are rebounding. From the small amount of info you have given I would guess low 30s perhaps

 

[99 R/T 10]

You should should list it here, Autotrader and ebay if you need to sell it quickly. The price will also be determined by how motivated you are to sell. 1997 are the rarest RTs of them all.

 

[JohnnyViper]

just my opinion here, if you want to move it quick, $25k will have it sold in under 7 days on ebay, you could also do a buy it now option at 28K to end the auction early, if you have it in the low 30s expect to have it for a few months or more before it moves, I'm always on ebay looking at viper and know the range very well, I see at what prices viper sell at and what they don't, sure you will find gen 1 and 2 one ebay in the 30s but they dont sell very often, btw I bought my viper on ebay so I do have personal experience, it come down do how fast you need to sell it, I wish you the best at getting the most

 

[plumcrazy]

just my opinion here, if you want to move it quick, $25k will have it sold in under 7 days on ebay, you could also do a buy it now option at 28K to end the auction early, if you have it in the low 30s expect to have it for a few months or more before it moves, I'm always on ebay looking at viper and know the range very well, I see at what prices viper sell at and what they don't, sure you will find gen 1 and 2 one ebay in the 30s but they dont sell very often, btw I bought my viper on ebay so I do have personal experience, it come down do how fast you need to sell it, I wish you the best at getting the most

agreed......

 

[Vipuronr]

Cars.com is another place to list...that is where I found mine.

I would take the real estate approach and have it in as many (legit) places as possible. Still not totally sold on Craigs List, as there seem to be many scams there.

Hate to see you sell it, but I know where you're coming from!

Good luck with the sale.

 

[CitySnake]

Have to agree with the previous posts. I think the difference between a relatively quick sale and a protracted listing will be determined by whether the first digit of your price is a 2 or a 3 respectively.

 

[ZYellow01RT]

just my opinion here, if you want to move it quick, $25k will have it sold in under 7 days on ebay, you could also do a buy it now option at 28K to end the auction early, if you have it in the low 30s expect to have it for a few months or more before it moves, I'm always on ebay looking at viper and know the range very well, I see at what prices viper sell at and what they don't, sure you will find gen 1 and 2 one ebay in the 30s but they dont sell very often, btw I bought my viper on ebay so I do have personal experience, it come down do how fast you need to sell it, I wish you the best at getting the most

Geez...why not list it for $15K and sell it in under 3 days?

Seriously...letting this car go for under $30K would be a huge mistake, in my book..and I've bought and sold Vipers on eBay as well...

Good luck with the sale, but don't give it away...

 

[subyguy]

i am actually picking up a 1997 rt/10 red in a couple of weeks, same mileage almost but stock and needs tires without a soft top. Im picking it up for $27K. the guy had it for sale at $35K all summer and didnt sell.

im from canada though so for me to have that car in the US cost me $27K cdn it would have to cost $23K US/

Im sure at $28K it will sell quick, depends how long u want to wait on it

I say keep it, there is nothing out there in the $30K range that can come close to everything a viper has to offer, unless you upgrade to a newer gen viper

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Not sure of any constructive philosophy of a quick sale at 25K. We need to realize, as Viper owners, that when we give fire sale advice to our fellow Snakecharmers, we are involuntarily giving the view that the cars have little value. Statements like this are partly the reason we have seen a drop in the price of our cherished machines. Keep in mind that random opinions affect your own Viper and that a positive expression can do more to enhance a sale than acting like one must be desperate to sell the car.

Numerous key points would promote the rarity of the 97. This is not a easy car to find, and I would estimate, even though we have sold more Vipers than anyone over the last 12 years, that we have sold more than 2-4 1997 RT-10s.The Factory top is a huge, huge plus , as they are now almost unobtanium and very few 1997s came with them.

I know we have not even sold a 1997 RT-10 for at least 5-6 years, and the only one we ever had that had both tops was the rare blue/white.

Sell your positives since, frankly , you have quite a few!!!

Best of luck,
Bill Pemberton
Woodhouse

 

[JBW1997]

Thank you to all who have chimed in here, especially you, Bill. There has been a lot of good information posted here. Hopefully I can avoid selling the car, that would be the best thing. I will know more in the upcoming weeks.

 

[ACRSNK]

You definately dont't see 97 R/T's coming on the market too often. Great car. Best of luck with the sale and pretty much what Bill said as he is one of the most helpful guys on this board.

 

[v10enomous]

A prime example of rarity vs desirability. 1 of 64 with blk interior and 1 of 3 with cognac in 97. Red RT/10s are arguably iconic but mainly because more of them were made from 92-02 than any other mode/color combo. Ask $33k and take the first $31k IMO.

 

[SquadX]

Not sure of any constructive philosophy of a quick sale at 25K. We need to realize, as Viper owners, that when we give fire sale advice to our fellow Snakecharmers, we are involuntarily giving the view that the cars have little value. Statements like this are partly the reason we have seen a drop in the price of our cherished machines. Keep in mind that random opinions affect your own Viper and that a positive expression can do more to enhance a sale than acting like one must be desperate to sell the car.

Numerous key points would promote the rarity of the 97. This is not a easy car to find, and I would estimate, even though we have sold more Vipers than anyone over the last 12 years, that we have sold more than 2-4 1997 RT-10s.The Factory top is a huge, huge plus , as they are now almost unobtanium and very few 1997s came with them.

I know we have not even sold a 1997 RT-10 for at least 5-6 years, and the only one we ever had that had both tops was the rare blue/white.

Sell your positives since, frankly , you have quite a few!!!

Best of luck,
Bill Pemberton
Woodhouse

couldnt agree more. Gotta stop giving them away.

 

[plumcrazy]

its easy to say when you dont need to sell something....

 

[CitySnake]

its easy to say when you dont need to sell something....

Exactly. You can market the rarity of anything all day long, but if there's no buyer ready willing and able to make the purchase during the time frame that you desire, well then it simply ain't worth what you're asking under those circumstances.

This is a discussion that's been turned inside out numerous times. You can make your own determination of value to your heart's content, but that determination would be YOUR value as opposed to market value.

If a buyer won't match YOUR value, then keep the car and tell everyone it's worth far more ..... to YOU.

 

[JohnnyViper]

agreed, sorry if you dont like my "advice" but we also have to be realistic about the market and what vipers have sold for in the recent past, I agree our vipers are worth more then what the are currently selling at but if you need to sell something fast as he mentioned he would like to do then you need to price it to move

 

[2BADD-4U]

I may be needing to sell my Viper. If I do, no worries, I'll be back to the community soon. I need to get some opinions on what it might be worth. If I decide to sell it, I would like to ask a price that will move it along fairly quickly. It is a 1997 RT/10. It has 15k miles on it. It is in very good condition, but there are a few chips on the hood. The wheels have no scuff marks and the interior is mint. It has the hardtop too. The only mods were smooth tube intake runners and a 3.55 gear. I have all of the old parts to make it original again. They only made 117 RT/10's that year. Should I list it here? Or ebay? Opinions please...

JBW, Good Luck with your decision!

Get ready for some real dingers of opinions. As already seen.

The only "valuable" one was from Bill P. This man has more knowledge about Vipers and Sales than most all on here. He never boasts his opinion, just expresses it professionally. Unlike some.

The ultimate decision is yours, go with what works for you!

God Bless!

Dave


aka ROBINHOOD

 

[shooter_t1]

The only "valuable" one was from Bill P. This man has more knowledge about Vipers and Sales than most all on here. He never boasts his opinion, just expresses it professionally. Unlike some.

Really?. His JOB is to sell Viper's for a profit. Betcha a dealer, or any other "professional" Viper salesman, would offer mid 20's for the car. The OP asked a question and the other poster's on this thread are just being realistic about Viper prices right now. Vipers have always been overpriced anyways. The OP's car is only worth what someone is willing to pay if and when he decides to sell.

 

[JohnnyViper]

The only "valuable" one was from Bill P. This man has more knowledge about Vipers and Sales than most all on here. He never boasts his opinion, just expresses it professionally. Unlike some.

how did we boast our opinions we were asked for them by the way and I think you are the one being unprofessional, we are being honest with the value and giving good advice as owners, he asked what he needs to price it at to sell fast, you would faint if you knew what I paid for my viper which I care not to share

I wonder if you even own a viper being an enthusiast with 34 postings?

 

[VIPER PIT]

Just go ahead and keep banging your heads against the wall. Beat each other up and brag over how cheap you got your cars for. The truth of the matter is only so many of these beasts were made and idiots keep wrecking them and others chop them up with mods. There will be a time in the not so distant future where a 35 - 45 k mile car will be considered low miles, and in great condition will bring serious bucks. I am a believer in driving them and enjoying them, cars are not investments by any means. But, will I give away a vehicle in a fire sale with some of the low prices mentioned here? No way! Patience and good marketing as Willie 'Paco' Pemberton says will pay off, sell the good points. If the current market is really the high 20s to low 30s for a good Gen 1, screw it. I will moth ball my cars and give my kids each one when they graduate college. I really think the waters are muddied by people pricing cars as a group whole by year and not really on the merits of the car and the condition of it. When you see a salvage title not far from a 'normal' car price, what gives. Paco feel free to chime in here.

 

[JohnnyViper]

i think you are missing the point, he may need to sell it fast, he may not have the option to hold onto it until the market recovers and how are we barging mentioning we bought our vipers at the market price, it was brought up to make a point. Crack a economic book and learn the basics, something is worth what people are willing to pay

 

[commandomatt]

If the current market is really the high 20s to low 30s for a good Gen 1, screw it. I will moth ball my cars and give my kids each one when they graduate college.

Good idea. Give them to your 'kids'. That way, when they wreck them (like the 'idiots' you mention) there will be a couple more out of the loop and the rest will go up in value.

I certainly agree with the statements that the car is only worth what somebody is willing to pay, and to say that its better to just hold on to it.... well, if that was an option the OP would probably not have asked the question in the first place.

If you need to sell it 'right now' then pricing it aggressively may be the only way to move it. When the time is right to get another one down the road, somebody else will be in the 'must sell' situation and those cars can be bought right.

The way that the 09's and 10's are still available new from dealers, there may be some incredible values to be had in a near future.

Regardless....good luck with selling it if you decide to do so.

Matt

 

[JBW1997]

Again, thanks guys. I think there has been a great deal of good information presented. It boils down to how fast do I need to sell it. If I want the car gone in a week, then eBay would work. But then I have to expect to get less money. That is understood. If I can wait for the right buyer, then of course I can ask a premium. As it stands right now, it is looking better and better that I get to keep the car. I was one of those that paid a premium for my rare car. I had one (97 RT/10) once before and wanted the exact same thing. To sell the car at a huge loss would be very unfortunate.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

I appreciate being called a " Professional ," as I do love this business, but I believe my only advice to this gentleman was how to approach selling his car. The issue to me is that we need to give good advice to our fellow Viper owners, and not assume this is a fire sale. He said he may need to sell it quickly, and no where in that sentence does it state I need to dump this car - and why did some assume that meant he had to do it by just dropping the price to the floor? Having owned 7 Vipers and one that loves the marque as much as any owner, we need to realize how much folks read into what is said on the Forum. The answer to his question, in my estimation, was to tell him what he needed to do to advertise it well, not to just cut and run ---- this does affect us all and I apologize , but I think it is irresponsible. We all bought a very sought after car and over the years it has had one of the highest resales figures for an exotic or semi exotic in the industry.

The cars have always taken 2-3 months to sell and folks get antsy when they don't . This is a reflection of the anount of money as well as , today, Banking requirements. It is ironic to me that at this very same moment we have another thread talking about values going up. The objective views there are wondering if this is the case and why? Though it is focusing on the Gen IIs in the question, the truth is the entire used Viper market has gone up. Some models less than others ( Gen Is for instance ), but overall the market has changed. This is not to say it has gone through the roof, but we do appear to be on the upswing --and this is apparent in the last 6-9 months.

I have often told folks if they absolutely must sell something , that a good source is to call the various Dealers on this Forum, since dropping the price numerous times in various threads, posts, ads, just drives the cost down all around --- everyone is on the fence waiting for the next drop. This kind of exposure makes it very difficult for a Dealer to give one a good price , as the consumer and board members have already driven the price down with their comments.

Over the years I have heard over and over how much someone bought a car for and how much they saved . It would be highly unprofessional of me or our Dealership to get on the board and talk about all these screaming deals some folks got that ended up costing them 3,000 - 5,000 to get up to *****, but it is the norm. I hope many realize that most of the high quality Viper Dealers in the Country do a very extensive check up on their cars before they ever leave the lot, as our reputations go right along for the drive.

Let's all have some common sense and try to give our fellow owners constructive advice, building on positives, as this website is viewed by millions. Don't kid yourself that negative comments and questionable views don't affect all of us.

I look at one comment from Shooter T1 , that Vipers have always been overpriced , and wonder why he bought one? I know if he was to sell his 1 of 1 , Yellow Aero Group car it would have a ton of positives going for it!! This is a great car, extremely rare, super color, so that would be what one would discuss. To me , this car would be worth more than similar one due to it's strong presence,color and Aero Group. Yet , one wonders why he doesn't view an older car with good credentials in the same manner?

The same issues should be given this gentleman considering that other than the blue/white 97 RT-10s , only about 60 others exist -- wow. This one happens to have a factory top ( try to buy one through MoPar now and see what the price is ) and in 97 alot of Dealers did not order the top. Rare car, hard to find hardtop, first of the electric window RT-10s, first year for a 450 hp RT-10, 17 inch rims , etc.

Perception is reality and we all need to build on the positive reasons we bought our cars. I love my Viper just like I love my wife ............I don't talk down about either of them,ha.

Enough said, and hope you all feel the love?

Good luck on your sale and sell the special items your ******* terror has!

Respectfully,
Bill Pemberton

 

[JohnnyViper]

glad to hear you may not have to sell! bill you do make some good points but there is definitely two sides to the coin in this debate, lets put it to rest with your detailed post and wish it/make it true that our vipers will be worth much more soon

 

[ZYellow01RT]

Excellent post, Bill...thanks.

I appreciate being called a " Professional ," as I do love this business, but I believe my only advice to this gentleman was how to approach selling his car. The issue to me is that we need to give good advice to our fellow Viper owners, and not assume this is a fire sale. He said he may need to sell it quickly, and no where in that sentence does it state I need to dump this car - and why did some assume that meant he had to do it by just dropping the price to the floor? Having owned 7 Vipers and one that loves the marque as much as any owner, we need to realize how much folks read into what is said on the Forum. The answer to his question, in my estimation, was to tell him what he needed to do to advertise it well, not to just cut and run ---- this does affect us all and I apologize , but I think it is irresponsible. We all bought a very sought after car and over the years it has had one of the highest resales figures for an exotic or semi exotic in the industry.

The cars have always taken 2-3 months to sell and folks get antsy when they don't . This is a reflection of the anount of money as well as , today, Banking requirements. It is ironic to me that at this very same moment we have another thread talking about values going up. The objective views there are wondering if this is the case and why? Though it is focusing on the Gen IIs in the question, the truth is the entire used Viper market has gone up. Some models less than others ( Gen Is for instance ), but overall the market has changed. This is not to say it has gone through the roof, but we do appear to be on the upswing --and this is apparent in the last 6-9 months.

I have often told folks if they absolutely must sell something , that a good source is to call the various Dealers on this Forum, since dropping the price numerous times in various threads, posts, ads, just drives the cost down all around --- everyone is on the fence waiting for the next drop. This kind of exposure makes it very difficult for a Dealer to give one a good price , as the consumer and board members have already driven the price down with their comments.

Over the years I have heard over and over how much someone bought a car for and how much they saved . It would be highly unprofessional of me or our Dealership to get on the board and talk about all these screaming deals some folks got that ended up costing them 3,000 - 5,000 to get up to *****, but it is the norm. I hope many realize that most of the high quality Viper Dealers in the Country do a very extensive check up on their cars before they ever leave the lot, as our reputations go right along for the drive.

Let's all have some common sense and try to give our fellow owners constructive advice, building on positives, as this website is viewed by millions. Don't kid yourself that negative comments and questionable views don't affect all of us.

I look at one comment from Shooter T1 , that Vipers have always been overpriced , and wonder why he bought one? I know if he was to sell his 1 of 1 , Yellow Aero Group car it would have a ton of positives going for it!! This is a great car, extremely rare, super color, so that would be what one would discuss. To me , this car would be worth more than similar one due to it's strong presence,color and Aero Group. Yet , one wonders why he doesn't view an older car with good credentials in the same manner?

The same issues should be given this gentleman considering that other than the blue/white 97 RT-10s , only about 60 others exist -- wow. This one happens to have a factory top ( try to buy one through MoPar now and see what the price is ) and in 97 alot of Dealers did not order the top. Rare car, hard to find hardtop, first of the electric window RT-10s, first year for a 450 hp RT-10, 17 inch rims , etc.

Perception is reality and we all need to build on the positive reasons we bought our cars. I love my Viper just like I love my wife ............I don't talk down about either of them,ha.

Enough said, and hope you all feel the love?

Good luck on your sale and sell the special items your ******* terror has!

Respectfully,
Bill Pemberton

 

[PDCjonny]

A friend of mine (and VCA member) who does not post that often but is VERY knowledgable about Vipers and has owned several recently put his car up for sale. Without going into specifics his asking price was very fair, maybe slightly on the high side to allow some negotiating room. He got the usual low ball offers that were just out of the realm of possibility. But he didn't bite, or fall into the mindset that his car was only worth *** amount. He KNEW what is was worth. Took a few weeks and the right buyer came along. Guy flew in, took a look at the car and it was sold on the spot for almost the original asking price. A few grand less but waaaaayyyy more than the bottom feeders offered. The buyers are out there if your car is not misrepresented and realistically priced.

 

[shooter_t1]

I look at one comment from Shooter T1 , that Vipers have always been overpriced , and wonder why he bought one? I know if he was to sell his 1 of 1 , Yellow Aero Group car it would have a ton of positives going for it!!
Bill Pemberton

I bought one because I wanted one. I didn't buy it to sell it later. I wanted a yellow/black stripes aero coupe. I knew it was a 1 of 1 and I also knew I wouldn't pay over invoice for it. Like I,and other's on here have said, a car is only worth what someone will pay for it. Hopefully the OP will be able to keep it as all Vipers are great.