Need Some Maintenence Help with '95 1st GEN

[OZ_Viper_Tag]

Hey Guys, I have this '95 First gen viper, its pretty rough was found in japan and we had it imported over, seemed to have been abandoned or neglected for years and I have been restoring it slowly the car does have a subtle widebody which is really cool. I am located in Australia so its hard to get an understanding of this car down here as there is barely any in Oz, So thought i'd gain some insight here.

Q1. On the right headlight there is a huge gap between the light and the hood been searching for hours on the internet and forums to try find help but all the photos are not visible or their is just lack of info as this model is so old, so just curious on how to fix, any tips and pointers from fellow 1st Gen owners who have experienced this, i will include a photo below. (last photo it is really visible and its bugging me)

Q2. And i just need any pointers or tips on what to restore or focus on or keep an eye out on as i am in this project blind and so far has just been an electrical nightmare and now has a misfire which is in the process of getting fixed.

Thanks guys any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[maverickagm]

I'm not sure I quite understand your questions, but in terms of Q1, the gap on the right side of the hood is so you can slip your hand in and undo the hood latch. It's supposed to be there. But there is some sort of misalignment going on there. I can't tell if the driver's side of the hood is too high or if the bumper is sagging.

 

[green_rt10]

Glad to see this car being sorted! I'm new to Vipers, too, so I'm not much help. However, I did want to mention that panel gaps are generally tricky with these cars, and the headlights often show a gap between the lens and the corresponding cutout on the hood. These early cars were essentially hand built, which means they are prone to having some fit and finish issues.

Your car almost appears to have a cut-out on the lower edge of the hood (between the headlights, along the seam where the hood and fascia meet).

I've heard of folks having success re-adjusting the hood with shims, but this is said to be a tricky job. So, it might be worth getting the other stuff worked through. Get the car driving well and then tackle the cosmetic stuff.

 

[redtanrt10]

Congratulations you new Viper.

I can see the hood sits higher on the drivers side, your pictures are dark and not close up so hard to really see the hood gaps. There is some good information on the viper owners website site in the Archive section.

Here's a link to a thread on hood adjustment. https://driveviperforums.com/forums/threads/13855-Hood-Gaps?highlight=hood

If you can connect with dave6666 from that site he has a wealth of knowledge hoods. Also, if you do more searching on that hood subject, '92-2002 all use the similar hods and adjust the same way

There are many things that you may need to be done, if you want restoration tips, ask for specific areas and you get a responses

Electronics are fairly simple and you need to purchase a set '92-'95 factory manuals, (see ebay or the various viper FB sites) that will provide you, or you mechanic great information on the electronics

Good luck!! Mike

 

[GTSHolgi]

Congrats on your Viper! Adjusting the gaps between the hood and the front fascia can be very tedious. Typically something you should plan some more time for, requires lots of patience, too (that's at least my experience). In my case, re-shimming did not lead to the result I was looking for. I actually had to modify some holes in a metal bracket to correct the position of fascia and get it level. This did the trick. Now I am happy with it and it is still in the right position after a few years.

One more thing you need to check are head gaskets. The early paper gaskets where prone to leak very quickly and need to be replaced by MLS gaskets. Also, if you don't know the history of the car (maintenance records) you should replace all fluids, plugs and plug cables.

Hope this helps and you enjoy the car!

 

[Rayz1950]

Where in aus are you

 

[Badsnek]

If you still need information on how to adjust the bumper, hood, headlights, send me a message. I have some pictures with descriptions of what they do that a member on Facebook did for everyone. Nice ride!