Paxton S/C in SRT-10 Pricing

[ViperInBlack]

Combining all data from drivers to dealers, it appears that the following is the summary:
a. Look at ~10k for a quality install, tune and tweaking
b. Polishing is a waste of money but just too cool to resist
c. Unless you remove and resell, you are looking at a substantial financial loss
d. The issue of resellability if the S/C is still on the car has not been addressed, but clearly, people want the best price on the lowest mileage, unmolested stock vehicle
e. Even in street use, everyone (to date) has said that they prefer driving it with the S/C (for more than just bragging rights)

The input was appreciated, especially from those who have made the plunge and for those on the borderline

Alice & The Viper Blog

 

[GR8_ASP]

Some comments below in blue

Combining all data from drivers to dealers, it appears that the following is the summary:
a. Look at ~10k for a quality install, tune and tweaking
<font color="blue"> 3k for installation and tuning sounds excessive to me. The installation should be between 500 and 1000. That would leave 2k for tuning and the resulting higher power and closer to the edge operation. For me 650 RWHP is satisfying so far and the extra 30 to 50 hp is not worth being closer to the edge of the envelope (note I am not aware of any tuner that evaluates their tune for all altitudes, temperatures, grades of gas, etc and thus the risk for getting closer to the edge is real.</font>
b. Polishing is a waste of money but just too cool to resist
<font color="blue"> Disagree. Whether you modify other components or not the polished looks better (to me) and IS worth the price difference. </font>
c. Unless you remove and resell, you are looking at a substantial financial loss
<font color="blue"> No more than the whole car is a substantial financial loss. Paid 85k now worth 20k less. Loss of 25% in 2 years. Paxton - 7k if I recover 5k of it in 2 years the rate of loss will be the same, with both being worth the costs involved for the enjoyment. </font>
d. The issue of resellability if the S/C is still on the car has not been addressed, but clearly, people want the best price on the lowest mileage, unmolested stock vehicle
<font color="blue"> For every car there is a market. Not every potential buyer wants a garage queen. SOme may prefer an already modified car as long as the modification has a good reputation. </font>
e. Even in street use, everyone (to date) has said that they prefer driving it with the S/C (for more than just bragging rights)
<font color="blue"> Absolutely! </font>

The input was appreciated, especially from those who have made the plunge and for those on the borderline

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[ViperInBlack]

Ron:

The return of investment on aftermarket parts is 10%. Verify this with your favorite online Viper salesman. He will confirm.

I said that the polished is irresistable regardless of how little sense (cents) it makes.

Yes, there is a market for most things...for everything else, there is e-bay, but performance modifications limits the resale field. Again, check with those who re-sell.

The $10k number was based upon the above thread and those who professional install and tune. I did not imply that this figure represented a good deal, merely a commonly quoted median figure.


Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[Y2K5SRT]

c. Unless you remove and resell, you are looking at a substantial financial loss
d. The issue of resellability if the S/C is still on the car has not been addressed, but clearly, people want the best price on the lowest mileage, unmolested stock vehicle
e. Even in street use, everyone (to date) has said that they prefer driving it with the S/C (for more than just bragging rights)

Hmmm, it would appear that you may have missed the post from somebody that has actually SOLD a supercharged car - which I think was one of the questions posed earlier. Or perhaps that post was misinterpreted. No matter.

I disagree with "c" entirely, having helped sell more than a few modified Vipers, including my own. You will not sell the take-off parts for as much as you would if they were still on the car. If you put any effort into selling your car and not just "flip" them, you should be able to retain at least 50% of your upgrade investments. Dealer trade-ins do NOT count as a "sale", as a dealer will rarely give you even 25% on your upgrades. What I did on two of my previous Vipers was to offer to return them to stock or sell them to the new owner with the upgrades. If they wanted the upgrades, they had to pay me the original cost, less a slight discount (10-20%). Had I separated them to begin with, I would have undoubtedly taken a much bigger hit.

As for "d", taking the parts off prior to selling and then representing the vehicle as "unmolested" is tricky at best. While you could probably get away with it through a dealer trade (typically "don't ask, don't tell"), a private sale usually requires disclosure on the part of the seller. Let's say that you supercharged your car and used it as such for thousands of miles. During that time the hypereutectic cast pistons, unbeknownst to you, developed hairline cracks. Two weeks after the new owner takes delivery, the engine grenades. When pulled apart, Dodge refuses to warranty the car because there is evidence of supercharging. Guess who is liable?

If nothing else, having somebody come up to the new owner and say, "Hey, I remember when that car was supercharged. Why did you take it off?" will cause you more problems than what it is worth. If you really believe that the car is best returned to stock and represented as such, a dealer trade-in is the safest way to do that. Despite the fact that you will lose more money going that route than you ever would selling it private party.

As far as "e", I don't think that it is a better driver in everyday street use. If you aren't using those extra 2-300 horsepower, how could it possibly affect the drivability of the car? Unless you actually race it or pound the go pedal (street, dragstrip, or track), bragging rights are indeed the biggest benefit. Although the inherent "whine" and resulting raised eyebrows from other sports cars may be worth the price of admission alone.

 

[ViperInBlack]

The information was imparted by this site's top Viper salesman. He may, or may not, care to comment.

To wit, the ROI on aftermarket items is .10 on the dollar.

Regardless, this is the picking of nits and not the core of the initial post; the installed price.

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[BigCarrot]

It's ten cents on the dollar if you trade it in with him. I always return my cars to stock before I sell them. Viper parts usually sell very easily, and they retain a lot of their original value. Believe it or not, I made back about 90% of what I spent on parts when I sold my ACR! Not too shabby, huh?

 

[ViperInBlack]

Crockett:

Exactly! You understand.

If you find a private buyer, and you the seller has what he wants, S/C or not, then the deal can be completed. You can elect to recover your funds by removing and selling parts indepedent of the car. The latter is what I do.

Dealers apparently have found that aftermarket parts (just like mileage) lowers their potential customer base. Thus, if you plan to trade back to a dealer of your choice, then you should expect .10 on the dollar.

But, again, that was not the core of the thread which was: What did those, who have the S/C installed, pay for the total installation.


Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[BigCarrot]

I got a REALLY good deal on mine since I was their test mule. I think they normally charge $7,900 polished and installed.

 

[ViperInBlack]

Crockett:

I was never certain that you had gotten yours back. I gather the photo of the polished unit that you posted is yours? (nice).

So your bottomline was less than 8k installed, polished and tuned. What are the dyno numbers?

At that price, you can pull it at sale time, easily sell the unit, and it is financially a wash. Good move.

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[DSR207]

I'll stay on task...Paid $6700.00 for S/C $900.00 for install, tune and dyno.
I did buy a VEC2 though, it makes tuning easy and gives more options, but that was another $1k...

 

[DSR207]

Quote:

"b. Polishing is a waste of money but just too cool to resist
Disagree. Whether you modify other components or not the polished looks better (to me) and IS worth the price difference"
........................................................

I think every one agrees the polished is great looking, but it will stick out unless you polish the rest of the stuff under the hood....

 

[BAKNBLK]

Hi Alice, Stocks and the like are for investment not
carsCars are meant to drive and enjoy and nothing says joy like a Paxton supercharged Viper!!!!

Velocity Performance is a great shop in Dallas. They specialize in forced induction. They have some of the most experienced Supercharger/Turbo techs around. They also have the ability to tune your car. A lot of performance shops out there just throw the Paxton on the car with no tuning. The Paxton kit comes with a piggy back computer made by Split Second. The Split second box has the ability to adjust Air/Fuel and timing through out the RPM band. The Split Second box that comes with the Paxton kit for the 03 and up Vipers is designed around a stock viper set up. That means if you add exhaust, airfilters high flow cats, headers etc... Those parameters will not work with your car. That means your car may run rich on lean. Velocity Performance has the Split Second software as well as an in ground dyno with a wide band O2 to read your air/fuel/timing and adjust it as needed. Velocity Performance also has one of the best priced kit's on the market. They offer the polished for around 8K. There SRT/10 Vipers are typically putting out around 700hp at the rear wheels which is higher than what most other shops are getting out of their cars running the paxton set up. Velocity has a 15,500sf facility so you don't have to worry about your car being crammed in some tiny back alley performance shop. Good luck in your supercharger search. If you want to take a look at Velocity their web site is www.velocity-performance.com or give them them a call at 972-389-9877.

 

[BigCarrot]

Crockett:

I was never certain that you had gotten yours back. I gather the photo of the polished unit that you posted is yours? (nice).

So your bottomline was less than 8k installed, polished and tuned. What are the dyno numbers?

At that price, you can pull it at sale time, easily sell the unit, and it is financially a wash. Good move.

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

I did get it back earlier this week! That pic is of ViperD's car. Mine looks just like that, except for my polished throttle body. With the Corsa that I think I remember you having, your rwhp should fall somewhere in the high 600's. Not bad for $8k! Mine made 716, but I have no cats and bigger injectors. I'll lose some money if I pull the blower and sell it, but who cares! You can't take it with you, and every time I hit the gas peddle I get my $$$$ worth!

 

[ViperInBlack]

Tony:

Thanks, and I do understand what you are saying. Also, thanks for the link.

Mike:

Polishing is a matter of preference. I personally prefer the look of the S/C polished and that may certainly make selling it separately a bit easier.

Crockett:

Yes, I do have the Corsa. Regarding depreciation and monies lost...people have different financial committments, boundaries and interests. I can see owning two depreciating Vipers, but it is more difficult (for me personally) to add $20k to one that is unrecoverable. Just different frames of reference.

Thanks and best regards to all,

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[BigCarrot]

I'm just saying that losing a couple grand won't kill you. A large portion of the cash is recoverable.

 

[ViperInBlack]

Yes, Crockett. I understood.


Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[GR8_ASP]

Alice you referenced the 10k installed price as the average. Me thinks not. That is the highest I have heard of (not including places like DLM that install their own system and not a straight Paxton). I would say 8k is closer to average.

 

[ViperInBlack]

Ron:

I suppose we would have to say $8-10k dependent upon section of the country. In California (at least as mentioned above) the price may be closer to the 9-10k range. Here in the South, it is simply a **** Dog puppy, the wheels off your house plus your social security disability check.

It would be great if a range of aftermarket performance modifications were available through your Dealer even if it stipulated that you had to compromise on the warranty.

Oh well.

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

 

[Shelby3]

Hi Alice, Stocks and the like are for investment not
carsCars are meant to drive and enjoy and nothing says joy like a Paxton supercharged Viper!!!!

Velocity Performance is a great shop in Dallas. They specialize in forced induction. They have some of the most experienced Supercharger/Turbo techs around. They also have the ability to tune your car. A lot of performance shops out there just throw the Paxton on the car with no tuning. The Paxton kit comes with a piggy back computer made by Split Second. The Split second box has the ability to adjust Air/Fuel and timing through out the RPM band. The Split Second box that comes with the Paxton kit for the 03 and up Vipers is designed around a stock viper set up. That means if you add exhaust, airfilters high flow cats, headers etc... Those parameters will not work with your car. That means your car may run rich on lean. Velocity Performance has the Split Second software as well as an in ground dyno with a wide band O2 to read your air/fuel/timing and adjust it as needed. Velocity Performance also has one of the best priced kit's on the market. They offer the polished for around 8K. There SRT/10 Vipers are typically putting out around 700hp at the rear wheels which is higher than what most other shops are getting out of their cars running the paxton set up. Velocity has a 15,500sf facility so you don't have to worry about your car being crammed in some tiny back alley performance shop. Good luck in your supercharger search. If you want to take a look at Velocity their web site is www.velocity-performance.com or give them them a call at 972-389-9877.

Aren't you one of the owners of Velocity Performance?

 

[VIPER D]

Crockett:

I was never certain that you had gotten yours back. I gather the photo of the polished unit that you posted is yours? (nice).

So your bottomline was less than 8k installed, polished and tuned. What are the dyno numbers?

At that price, you can pull it at sale time, easily sell the unit, and it is financially a wash. Good move.

Alice &amp; The Viper Blog

I did get it back earlier this week! That pic is of ViperD's car. Mine looks just like that, except for my polished throttle body. With the Corsa that I think I remember you having, your rwhp should fall somewhere in the high 600's. Not bad for $8k! Mine made 716, but I have no cats and bigger injectors. I'll lose some money if I pull the blower and sell it, but who cares! You can't take it with you, and every time I hit the gas peddle I get my $$$$ worth!

Are the runners also powder coated red on yours? or just polished. I am getting the new henazzeeee t.b in billit (i think it like 20 hp gain for sc cars)


vd..

 

[Y2K5SRT]

It would be great if a range of aftermarket performance modifications were available through your Dealer even if it stipulated that you had to compromise on the warranty.

Good news! Woodhouse Dodge offers complete performance upgrades on all Vipers, including brand new. You can even order the full Paxton system (polished, of course) as a stand alone or fully installed by Woodhouse. As to the warranty, I suspect they will stand behind the manufacturer's warranty (Paxton) and their installation.

Not bad: Buy a brand-spankin' new Viper SRT-10 and have it show up at your door already breathing 700 HP. Now to get the FACTORY to offer it as an option...

 

[BigCarrot]

[/QUOTE]


Are the runners also powder coated red on yours? or just polished. I am getting the new henazzeeee t.b in billit (i think it like 20 hp gain for sc cars)


vd..

[/QUOTE]

Yeah, mine is done just like yours. I have the HP throttle body too. It looks great!

 

[Kelly06]

Best topic I have ever read

 

[Dave T (BADVENM)]

I'm tentatively planning on having Woodhouse install my system, whichever it will be. They are the only ones I trust to touch my car. I have full confidence in them that if I have any issues they'll come to the rescue, they've done it before for me.

 

[BAKNBLK]

Hey Jim, you are correct sir. I thought in my post it was pretty clear, after reading over it though I'd say it sounds a little like 3rd person I'm not a big fan of pitching our shop on line. I like to let our customers do the talking for us. This is the first time I've posted on the Viper Forum in a couple of years.

We are pretty excited about Crockett's Car, it's a beast!! We have another forum members car with a Paxton in our shop currently as well. We are adding some larger injectors and tuning it. I'm starting to get the Paxton itch for my own car Paxton will be coming to our facility this summer for a tech session for Viper owners interested in a Paxton set up. We are also going to have a horse power shoot out while Paxton is visiting. We'd like to see your car on our dyno, we had a guy with a self installed Roe Blown car + NOS stop by on the Viper club dyno day. He did pretty good horse power wise. We ran it with the NOS flowing, he shot about a 2 foot flame out his tail pipe. I think he put down 670 at the rear wheels with the NOS. Take care, Velocity Performance

 

[PDCjonny]

Hey Jim, you are correct sir. I thought in my post it was pretty clear, after reading over it though I'd say it sounds a little like 3rd person.

Nahhhh...just because you refer to your own business as "they" through the whole post? LOL J/K

 

[BigCarrot]

Hey Jim, you are correct sir. I thought in my post it was pretty clear, after reading over it though I'd say it sounds a little like 3rd person.

Nahhhh...just because you refer to your own business as "they" through the whole post? LOL J/K

LOL That was pretty funny! I can vouch for them, as can several other members here. They have exceeded my expectations thus far!

 

[BAKNBLK]

Hey ViperJon, too funny, your right "They" is a lot differnt than "We" I'm going to refer to myself as "they" when I'm talking to people for the next couple of weeks, just for S%#ts and Giggles

 

[Shelby3]

Hey Jim, you are correct sir. I thought in my post it was pretty clear, after reading over it though I'd say it sounds a little like 3rd person I'm not a big fan of pitching our shop on line. I like to let our customers do the talking for us. This is the first time I've posted on the Viper Forum in a couple of years.

We are pretty excited about Crockett's Car, it's a beast!! We have another forum members car with a Paxton in our shop currently as well. We are adding some larger injectors and tuning it. I'm starting to get the Paxton itch for my own car Paxton will be coming to our facility this summer for a tech session for Viper owners interested in a Paxton set up. We are also going to have a horse power shoot out while Paxton is visiting. We'd like to see your car on our dyno, we had a guy with a self installed Roe Blown car + NOS stop by on the Viper club dyno day. He did pretty good horse power wise. We ran it with the NOS flowing, he shot about a 2 foot flame out his tail pipe. I think he put down 670 at the rear wheels with the NOS. Take care, Velocity Performance

Just checking if there was a management change. I like the idea of that 2 foot flame feature. I'm working with some lifter issues right now but will try and make your next dyno day. Haven't run my nitrous with the water/**** yet but will try to get that tuned in soon.