New Owner Gen 1 - Kind of.

[DickDavis]

Bought the car a year ago from an estate and got it dirt cheap. Was planning on Gen 2 until this came along.

16,000 miles and in good shape. However, the Manuals are not great and there are many idiosyncrasies that can only be learned by seeing another one or asking to other owners.

Realistically a later model is probably better but I really enjoy the crudeness of the vehicle - nothing but car. I could sell now and buy a later one and be almost even or do everything to this car and have in it what it could sell it for but I would have a semi-restored one. It is a tough call.

First odd random question - what is the little button full left on the air system? Is it a blank for optional AC?

 

[Steve-Indy]

Yes. What year is your Viper?

The blue/red dial has nothing to do with managing cold air...it is merely a link to the water valve under the hood. So, when you turn it to full red, one gets heat to the floor vents and/or the windshield. When you turn it to full blue, one merely closes the water valve...thus isolating the heater cote from the flow of coolant, and thus the anticorrosives in said coolant. Vipers kept in warm climates where the heater is never used can suffer from rusting out the heater core, and dumping the contained fluid I onto the passenger side floor.

Our 2 Gen I's happen to have A/C. So, in order to get cold air flowing, I select the dash vent setting on the dial to the far right of the blue/red dial. If I want colder air via the A/C, I turn the dial on the far right one more counterclockwise step to the snowflake mark which is not on your dial. Cold air only comes out the dash, while warm air only comes out the floor vents and/or windshield vents as selected.

Because of this curious arrangement, I keep the red/blue dial on full red YEAR AROUND...and, on a 95°F day in Indy, if I want A/C, I select the snowflake setting while leaving the center dial on full red...and I freeze my asp off.

This is also how I manage this system on our 3 Gen II's...and, would suggest that you consider doing the same...as ******* up as it sounds !!

Things do get easier (more conventional) in Gen III, IV, and V Vipers.

 

[Monopoly]

Depends on what you want. Depending on what you paid and the condition of the car with that low mileage it’s probably worth a decent amount. I can’t live without AC where I am it gets insanely gross humidity in the summer. I also like windows and door locks.

 

[Walter Clark]

Bought the car a year ago from an estate and got it dirt cheap. Was planning on Gen 2 until this came along.

16,000 miles and in good shape. However, the Manuals are not great and there are many idiosyncrasies that can only be learned by seeing another one or asking to other owners.

Realistically a later model is probably better but I really enjoy the crudeness of the vehicle - nothing but car. I could sell now and buy a later one and be almost even or do everything to this car and have in it what it could sell it for but I would have a semi-restored one. It is a tough call.

First odd random question - what is the little button full left on the air system? Is it a blank for optional AC?

My '94 has a snowflake where that little button on yours is located. I assume it is for the optional AC (I dont have AC).