Shopping for a Viper, would love some help from Viper owners and fans

[Supra]

Allright fViper owners and fans, I have sold my Supra and I would like to get a Viper GTS (I'll eventually get another big turbo Supra but I have had Supras for over 6 years now so I figured a change of pace may be nice, besides I'll probably keep the Viper when I'm ready to buy another high HP Supra). I prefer to find a 1996 or 1997 model as I would like not to spend all the $$$$ I got from the sale of my Supra so I would like to stay at $40K and under. I have looked around and found some 1996 Viper GTS's in the mid to high 30's. I got a couple of questions.

1) Is there a reason I shouldn't get an "older" Viper GTS such as a 1996 or 1997? Any "problems" they fixed on later models?
2) Besides the "normal" thinks that everyone must look for when buying a used car are there any other things to look for when buying a Viper?
3) What are some good sites to look for some good deals on Vipers (I have a friend of mine that works for a high end used car dealer looking for me as well, he's also going to look at auctions)
4) Where can I find the seat lowering kit? I hear this helps a lot for tall people (I'm 6'5")

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Ulysses]

Check through here:

TSBs

Engine work is the most important stuff. Make sure that this was done.

There was a recall for the steering rack and rear diff mount. I would look for one that has had the work done, otherwise you'll have down time having it done yourself.

 

[Newport Viper]

Time to get a new user name!!!!! Wecome to the club!

 

[TZL]

Hey Guilly,

Welcome to the world of Supra ---> Viper converts, good luck with finding a viper, I'm loving mine, and don't miss the surpa at all.

Of course my supra wasn't as monsterous as yours....but it was fun while it lasted nonetheless.

Ting

Allright fViper owners and fans, I have sold my Supra and I would like to get a Viper GTS (I'll eventually get another big turbo Supra but I have had Supras for over 6 years now so I figured a change of pace may be nice, besides I'll probably keep the Viper when I'm ready to buy another high HP Supra). I prefer to find a 1996 or 1997 model as I would like not to spend all the $$$$ I got from the sale of my Supra so I would like to stay at $40K and under. I have looked around and found some 1996 Viper GTS's in the mid to high 30's. I got a couple of questions.

1) Is there a reason I shouldn't get an "older" Viper GTS such as a 1996 or 1997? Any "problems" they fixed on later models?
2) Besides the "normal" thinks that everyone must look for when buying a used car are there any other things to look for when buying a Viper?
3) What are some good sites to look for some good deals on Vipers (I have a friend of mine that works for a high end used car dealer looking for me as well, he's also going to look at auctions)
4) Where can I find the seat lowering kit? I hear this helps a lot for tall people (I'm 6'5")

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Supra]

Thanks for the responses!

Ulysses, I'll definitely check the TSB's.

Maui, I'll definitely have to change my "handle" as soon as I buy a Viper

Ting, how are you, I remember you. I think the reason many Supra owners "convert" to Vipers is because most Supra owners are at at least BPU levels so when they want to replace their cars they want something with "cojones" so the Viper is an obvious choice!

 

[Russ M]

Guilly!!!

Finaly huh?

Be carefull with the car you find for 40 or under, there are many many many seriously shady vipers out there.

I was trying to find one for a friend of mine and after 6 months of searching only 1 clean car came up, and the price was way higher than your typical Ebay car.

It seems that if you want a trully clean/1 owner/no accidents or previous undisclosed damage/with under 15k miles you will have to pay 50k or more.

If you find one out in CA let me know I have a Viper God I know who can examine every part of the car for any previous damage, that may not be noticible from just looking at the car. He examined 5 Vipers for me for my friend and all of them had been in accidents which the owners were neglecting to disclose, and btw carfax is worthless all the cars showed clean no accident title.

Good luck
Russ

 

[TZL]

Guilly,

Well let me know if you need someone to take a look at any vipers in NorCal for you.

BTW, there is a dealer with 2 red 2001 ACR's here (Regal Dodge in Sunnyvale), if you wanting to spend in the $60-70k range, a brand new ACR wouldn't be so bad.

Ting

Thanks for the responses!

Ulysses, I'll definitely check the TSB's.

Maui, I'll definitely have to change my "handle" as soon as I buy a Viper

Ting, how are you, I remember you. I think the reason many Supra owners "convert" to Vipers is because most Supra owners are at at least BPU levels so when they want to replace their cars they want something with "cojones" so the Viper is an obvious choice!

 

[BlueGTS]

Guilly,
I am sure you made enough off the sale of the Supra. For that reason you should not cheap out when looking for a GTS. Why spend <40k? Spend at least 50k. Do you really want the cheapest GTS you can find? It is just like buying Supra’s, you get what you pay for. In today’s market I would not want a 20k Supra, I would spend at least 30k to get a very clean low mileage one.

 

[DodgeViper01]

Well it is nice to hear that you are looking at a Viper. They are great cars. Below I have tried to answer the questions to the best of my ability.

1) Is there a reason I shouldn't get an "older" Viper GTS such as a 1996 or 1997? Any "problems" they fixed on later models?

ABS IS THE MAIN CONCERN. If you do not want ABS then you don't have to get a new one but in 2001 the ABS SYSTEM was created for the Viper. It is a HUGE difference and you will probably thank it several times.

2) Besides the "normal" thinks that everyone must look for when buying a used car are there any other things to look for when buying a Viper?

The best idea is to take it to a Dodge Dealer that specializes in Viper's and have a VIPER tech. They can run a whole check on the car for you and let you know if anything is wrong with the car.

3) What are some good sites to look for some good deals on Vipers (I have a friend of mine that works for a high end used car dealer looking for me as well, he's also going to look at auctions)

The best place to get these cars are on either eBay or dealer auctions. eBay is great because you get GREAT deals on cars there. Usually it is the last resort for the seller and you can usually talk them down as only about 25 percent of the EXOTICS sell on eBay. Most never meet the reserve. Hey just be careful, but if you are you can save a lot. I would try buying on eBay from a dealer though because it is a lot safer. Hey I got mine on eBay brand new and saved A TON!!!

4) Where can I find the seat lowering kit? I hear this helps a lot for tall people (I'm 6'5")

This I am not to familar with. I would suggest looking at old posts as they can explain it in great detail.

I hope this helps. If you need anymore help feel free to e mail me.

Have a great night

Keith

 

[jcaspar1]

Click here for the seat lowering kit.

 

[ViperJoe]

Buying a used Viper

While doing my research on used vipers, I assembled a general list of questions that I wanted to get answered, some of which were dealer-specific (at the bottom). It does not have year-specific questions. It does have a few RT/10 specific questions though. Hopefully this can be of help to you.

Used Viper Questions:

General:
1. Year?
2. Price?
3. Mileage?
4. Clean title?
5. VIN #?
6. Existing lien?
7. In service date?

Equipment:
1. Stock /original, minor modifications (K&N filters, smooth tubes), or more?
2. Exterior and Interior Color? (stripes?)
3. Nature of CD player (single in-dash, trunk player, etc.)?
4. Soft-top, hardtop, tonneau?
5. Bag for soft-top?
6. Bikini top and bag
7. Car cover?
8. Existing warranty (or provide additional)?

Condition:
1. General Condition (any nicks, scratches, window cracks, etc.?)?
2. Involved in an accident, damaged, repainted, etc.?
3. Condition under front bumper / spoiler?
4. Condition of top(s)? (Soft-top sagging? Exterior condition?)
5. How maintained? (One owner? How long have you had it?)
6. Leather condition? (Split/cracked?)
7. Tire condition? (Reasonable tread?)
8. Floor mats condition?
9. Smoker / non-smoker?
10. Nitrous used?
11. Used for track events?
12. Condition of the rocker panels (underneath)
13. Condition of inside door rocker area
14. Scrapes under front bumper / spoiler?
15. Bottomed out?

From a dealer
1. Processing fees?
2. Taxes? (out of state?)


Differences between Gen I and Gen II: there are three big ones (besides the exhaust) that stand out:

1. The engine
The majority of reference to "Gen I and Gen II" refer to engine changes as there are several differences between the two engines, not the least of which is horsepower: The latter Gen I was rated at 415 (I refer to Gen1.5) and the Gen II is rated at 450 (ACR & GT2 rated at 460 due to smooth tubes and filters).

2. Suspension
96 RT/10 had the upgraded GTS suspension pieces

3. The hood
On the Gen I they have "smoothie" hoods with no NACA duct between the headlights and no vents above the wheel wells. The cars look different from the front with these changes.

That said, I can tell you that both are a blast to drive. You can't go wrong with any Viper. Period.
In addition to many mechanical changes, there are lots of changes from Gen 1 to Gen 2 Rt/10 you can easily spot. Windows, airbags, steering wheel, differential housing, even how you open the door, the spedo was increased to 200 mph...

HTH

 

[Supra]

Thanks for all the responses!

Russ, I would love to get a really low mileage Viper like you describe but if it is well maintained I don't mind it having ~35K miles. As far as price I would love to be able to stay in the $40K and under range so I can keep the 98 BPU Quicksilver Supra I got right now.Plus I would like to get rid of some bills. Having said that if I don't find a Viper GTS in good condition (I know it won't be 100% showroom perfect) for around that price then I may wait a bit to save some more $$$$ and spend a little extra. If I find one in the southern cali area I'll let you know!

Ting, 60 to 70K is definitely out of the range I want to spend at this moment. But I will definitely let you know if I find a Viper in the northern cali area

Aaron, I definitely made good money on the Supra sale, but as I stated above I want to get rid of some bills (bought a house about a year ago) and would like to keep my other Supra, I will be selling my 94 Z28 but I want to replace it with a truck to tow my jetski and carry stuff around as well as use it for daily driver status.

Keith, thanks for the informative reply. I'll definitely be using it to help me get the right Viper

Jeff, thanks for the info on the seat lowering kit I have driven 3 Vipers (all GTS's) and they are a little tight for me so this would be a great thing to have!

ViperJoe, thanks for the very informative email. I'll definitely be using it to help me get the right car!

 

[matt lankford]

there is a 97 gts on ebay with 22k and a buy it now of 42k

 

[slaughterj]

Buying a used Viper

While doing my research on used vipers, I assembled a general list of questions that I wanted to get answered, some of which were dealer-specific (at the bottom). It does not have year-specific questions. It does have a few RT/10 specific questions though. Hopefully this can be of help to you.

Used Viper Questions:

General:
1. Year?
2. Price?
3. Mileage?
4. Clean title?
5. VIN #?
6. Existing lien?
7. In service date?

Equipment:
1. Stock /original, minor modifications (K&N filters, smooth tubes), or more?
2. Exterior and Interior Color? (stripes?)
3. Nature of CD player (single in-dash, trunk player, etc.)?
4. Soft-top, hardtop, tonneau?
5. Bag for soft-top?
6. Bikini top and bag
7. Car cover?
8. Existing warranty (or provide additional)?

Condition:
1. General Condition (any nicks, scratches, window cracks, etc.?)?
2. Involved in an accident, damaged, repainted, etc.?
3. Condition under front bumper / spoiler?
4. Condition of top(s)? (Soft-top sagging? Exterior condition?)
5. How maintained? (One owner? How long have you had it?)
6. Leather condition? (Split/cracked?)
7. Tire condition? (Reasonable tread?)
8. Floor mats condition?
9. Smoker / non-smoker?
10. Nitrous used?
11. Used for track events?
12. Condition of the rocker panels (underneath)
13. Condition of inside door rocker area
14. Scrapes under front bumper / spoiler?
15. Bottomed out?

From a dealer
1. Processing fees?
2. Taxes? (out of state?)

Hey, I made that list 2 years ago!!

 

[TZL]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415235426

the car looks clean, then again the pics are from like 100 feet away....lol

"There are 4 brand new tires & rims on this beauty." - wonder why?

there is a 97 gts on ebay with 22k and a buy it now of 42k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415116502

this blue and white with 9700 miles looks good....tons of pics here

http://www.firsttraderegistry.com/forsale/80up/d-g/97viper/index.htm

 

[Toby]

my motto as it is on most treads like this...

You get what you pay for and always have a trained eye look the car over top to bottom.

 

[ViperJoe]

So that's where I got it from Passing down another Viper Family heirloom!



[/QUOTE]

Hey, I made that list 2 years ago!!

[/QUOTE]

 

[slaughterj]

So that's where I got it from Passing down another Viper Family heirloom!

Hey, I made that list 2 years ago!!

[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE]

Heh, between that and the fluids chart and my other list on what to do when looking to buy a viper, I think you've gotten about everything

 

[DodgeViper01]

Glad I could help. They are great cars and you will love it once you get it.