A few notes to pass on to new owners - The rims on the '96 are cast, and very brittle. If you plan to track it, the '97 and up rims are forged and much stronger (and you can actually polish them). The brakes aren't that great and tend to lock-up the fronts, so make it a point to learn threshold breaking or you'll have flat spots in your tires. I never roll the windows all the way up unless I'm washing the car. The rubber piece at the top of the stanchion tends to separate from the stanchion, and you have to buy the entire assembly (around $350 per side). Go to a high performance driving school to learn your car...it just might save your life. My door panels pull away from the top of the door when it gets hot, and there's not much you can do about it unless you get new ones. The power steering cap and the reservoir are made from 2 different materials, and the cap tends to come off and spew power steering fluid on the exhaust manifolds. This is a very effective way to burn your new car to the ground. Roe has a power steering drain tube
http://www.roeracing.com/productcart/pc/Roe-Racing-Power-Steering-Vent-Tube-92-02-p188.htm and it's just a good idea. I also had a leak coming from the front of the engine, and found out it was the timing chain cover gasket. They weren't the greatest from the factory, and from what I understand this is a fairly common issue. I purchased these
http://viperspecialtyperformance.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=216 along with the water pump gasket. If you're careful, you won't need to replace the oil pan gasket. If you're unsure of the service/maintenance history, now would be a good time to replace ALL the fluids (differential, brakes, radiator, transmission and oil). If you don't plan on driving it much, get a Battery Tender because the doors are electric and if you have a dead battery you can't get in the car. Speaking of the battery, it's located behind the driver's side rear wheel. to get to it, you have to remove the driver's side rear wheel, and then remove the access panel to get to it. There are 2 posts on the driver's side in the engine compartment, right above the exhaust that you can use for a jump or connect the Battery Tender. If you haven't already done so, find your local region Viper Club and meet up with them. Trust me, the friends you make will be the best part of being a Viper owner.
