So close to buying a Viper this morning...

[rmani]

Well I had the check made out, did all my research, and I drove with a friend over 200 miles to pickup the car but upon arrival my friend could tell the front end had been hit and resprayed so I ended up not purchasing it. The owner and the mechanic at the shop where it was getting serviced had previously assured me the car had never been in an accident and a VIN check through a fellow board member and a carfax report confirmed this but it definitely had been hit before. Not only was the passenger side of the hood not aligning but the area below the passenger side mirror had been bonded up (possibly due from the hood be pushed back into it) and the re-spray job on the front end didn't even look good. The paint looked all wavy across the entire front!

I'm so tired and pretty aggrevated so I'm sorry but I just had to vent. It was the exact car I was looking for too ahh well.

 

[plumcrazy]

just more proof that carfax is a total joke and not to be taken for gospel like so many do......

better off NOT buying and getting screwed later.

id post the ad of the car so someone else doesnt get lied to !!!

 

[dave6666]

I always drink alcohol after those situations. Pour some on my head and in my boots just to be thorough.

Sorry to hear about your grief.

What was the car?

 

[goldcup]

Been there Done that!!!!!It beats having bought it and finding that out!!!!
Do'nt get too down you will find it and you will be alot better of having waited for the right one.I know right now it just all ***** but most of us have been there ,keep the faith Good Luck!!!

 

[plumcrazy]

buy the buddy with the sharp eye a beer too....

 

[IEATVETS]

Have patience, there are some very nice Vipers out there. What Phil said is correct, don't depend on Carfax. It is always better to have somebody go check out the car for you and also to have the car inspected before you buy.

 

[rmani]

Thanks guys. I've basically given up at this point the only color I like on vipers is blue/white and it's impossible to find one at a reasonable price with mods. I am on a tight budget and can't spend over 40k so that's why I was really psyched to have found this one. This was a 97 with 40k miles with very nice hre wheels and aftermarket bolt-ons. Seems like very other blue/white car is 50+ k with no mods it really *****.

 

[Chris(NJ)]

what part of jersey are you from? I know theres a yellow w/ blk on rt34 in wall. Dunno the price, but probably not under the 40k mark. Worth checkin out though if you're local.

 

[rmani]

Appreciate the heads up Chris but I'm only interested in blue/white combo. I was, for a while, considering red/white but after coming so close to getting the color I always really wanted I don't think I could settle for anything else. man I cannot stress how dissapointed I am right now.

 

[tbsviper]

Be patient my friend. There is a Viper in your future and you will find the right one for you. I looked at Vipers admiringly for years, stumbled onto a white Mamba with 50 miles on it (at the time I did not know they even made white), bought it and never looked back! By the way, Blue/White and Red/White are my other favorites even though I keep reading in these forums that Yellow is the fastest!

 

[RTTTTed]

I wanted a b/w (either a blue or black with white stripes) but bought a perfect red/silver instead. The car was better than new and had a Roe with hi-flow cats and exhaust. I flew/drove 7,000mi. checked 4 Roe sc GTSs. The b/w had 50,000 and did 10.5 on DR. Awesome, but I took the 19,000mi. Red GTS instead. 1,000mi. on Roe. Drove it 2800mi. home. I hate Red and figured that when it got some rock chips I'd paint it Black.

Wrote it off instead. Replaced it with Rockhold's 01 Sapphire GTS. Faster, prettier and more trophies means I actually came ahead. And now I know Sapphire is faster! It's also Black with Pearle Blue flakes in the clear - BEST color. Lol

What's a paint job worth? a couple thou?

Ted

 

[rmani]

I'm not really a fan of painting the car though my friend works at the bodyshop and he's told me a good paint job will cost 4-6k depending on color. Not to mention a car that has been painted has very poor resale value. Don't get me wrong I'm not buying this car to have it as a collector item but when I do decide to sell it I'll want to at least recoup as much money as possible.

 

[Cobraken]

Buy what you want. Don't buy a compromise. If this car is repairable and you still have a good deal after factoring the repairs, buy it.

 

[97GTS]

As far as resale value goes, pretty much ALL of them are poor right now. Depends on what you want and how much you can spend. I personally wanted a black GTS. Couldn't find one that I liked for the price that I liked. Found a red one that got sideways off of the road and had to have some body panels replaced. Guy got tired of dealing with it and I bought it. Difference is I do paint and bodywork so I get to make the car any color I like (obviously black) It is a 97 and there weren't any black ones made that year. I look at it like I have the only black 97. Will it hurt the resale value? Absolutely. Also has side exhaust now. I guess the point is I am doing this car EXACTLY the way I like it not worrying about what the next owner thinks. I will enjoy the crap out of this car and it fit in my budget. You will have to decide exactly what YOU like and at what price you will pay.

Ron

 

[mike & juli]

rmani--Like Phil said, your friend there has a VERY sharp eye!!! I never buy a used car without a mechanic present with me, or driving it TO the mechanic. Consider this just a lesson, and move on...you'll find your 'dream' car, just be patient....not bummed!!! Sorry this happened to you. Your dream car IS out there. ~juli

 

[RTTTTed]

You must be registered for see images

Not stock color (was Hemi Orange) with a 318.

You must be registered for see images

So, if the car has much more value with the original color, repaint it again. If it's not that important to you then go with whatever color you find on your Dream car.

The paint is only important on stock collector cars. It's pretty funny to see people make a big deal out of an old lousy paint job. You collect OK shape OLD cars or perfect shape cars? Would you keep the bad brakes in a car, or prefer to have the best brakes available? Resto-mods are getting as much or more than original stockers now. I hate original old cars. Why have to suffer with a 71 340 car when you could have a perfect 500hp resto-mod Duster? If it's for collecting you don't ever drive it, but if you actually drive the car brakes and other modifications will probably save an accident and maybe your life.

I'm a collector, but not of OLD sh_tty cars.

My Duster eats stock vettes and Vipers, and it gets early as much attention as my Viper. When I drive it down the road no one comments on how ugly the factory brown/no stripes and black rims look or how quiet it is. The comments are the same ones I hear when I drive my Viper.

A collector Viper would be a GT2, comp coupe, ACR. Unless the buyer decides that the car was wrecked (like you did) it shouldn't make much difference to the value. If the body alignment is off (like the one you looked at) you should be fine selling it. Rock chips don't add value to your car.

It's your choice and if "original" paint is important to you then keep looking, the b/w prices will come down. Our cars are depreciating quickly right now.

Ted

 

[FinalEd357]

Thanks for sharing this important reminder. Sorry to hear of your disappointment - be patient. It will be worth the wait.

 

[RedEnuf93]

40 K for a Blue/White will be a difficult one.

The blue/white was what I wanted too, but after a reality check (and I wanted a Viper before retirement home), I ended up with a 1993. After 7 years, I'm happy that I ended up with my red one.

If you want only the Blue/white, save more, it will be worth it. Dont buy a piece of s#it now...

 

[rmani]

thanks for the words of encouragement everyone. Another tough problem for me is in the Northeast there are so few vipers (let alone blue/white models), it seems like they're all in the south and west. I hate the idea of spending 40k+ on a car and having to spend another 2k to ship it to me sight unseen. I'm not one to drive a cross country trip I hate that kind of stuff. O well I guess I'll just save my money and keep looking.

Thanks again guys.

 

[mike & juli]

thanks for the words of encouragement everyone. Another tough problem for me is in the Northeast there are so few vipers (let alone blue/white models), it seems like they're all in the south and west. I hate the idea of spending 40k+ on a car and having to spend another 2k to ship it to me sight unseen. I'm not one to drive a cross country trip I hate that kind of stuff. O well I guess I'll just save my money and keep looking.
Thanks again guys.

Being from the NorthEast ourselves, we see tons of blue/white GTS's...they ARE around. Maybe if you notify Chuck Tator or Bill Pemberton/Woodhouse that you're looking for this specific year/color scheme, they may be able to help you find one? Just a thought. One of our friends has a '97 blue/white putting down 650-675rwhp, AWESOME beast it is!!! Good Luck to ya....juli

 

[Fast Viper Dan]

If you can't have it checked out by a respected Dealer, have a VCA member check it out.

 

[DougM]

If you expand your search to everything east of the Mississippi, the most you will pay for enclosed shipping is probably $1500. Chances are there are way more cars to choose from and some nicer at a better price. There is almost always an owner on one of these boards willing to check out a car. I personally like to fly & drive. Fedex auto transport will give you an immediate quote for shipping.
I don't care what the asking prices are, but with $40k cash on hand, there will be plenty of cars in your budget right now. If you are a serious buyer willing to put down an immediate deposit, you will be surprised how much sellers will deal.

 

[JohnnyLightning]

LOL I spent 3 years looking for the exceptional deal ended up with a Roush Stage 3. Then sold that made even and finally ended up with a 96 Blue and White GTS clean as a wistle just need a little TLC like floor mats, tires and stuff completely stock with 14k miles. Paid 40k for it. She has a few scratches that will buff right out I only have had it for 2 weeks already got Belanger headers ordered and about 2k more of stuff for it.

 

[JohnnyLightning]

I drove for it all day event to trailor it back home which was a 7 hour trip there 9 hours back. I saw it in person was described pretty close to what they said it was. I have looked at probably 10 other vipers in the past 2 years and passed on them because of the condition. Just look around with the economy yes I proably could sell it for 45k the way it is but I plan on keeping this one and not worrying about resaleing just enjoying it.

 

[Batboy]

$40K for a '96 B/W with 14K miles does not sound right. The '96 B/W is probably the most sought after "normal" (non ACR, GTS-R, GT2 , etc.) GTS since it was the first year and they made the B/W only 2 years. Even the '97 B/W are selling higher than most other equal GTS'. Not saying there is anything wrong with yours. You may have just gotten a great deal. But I wouldn't advertise this as normal. I remember reading the other day some dude sold his B/W '96 for what it was new. It had very low miles (like less than 100), but that was for around $67K not $40K! Just my $.02, I don't keep that close attention to current prices.

 

[Kenneth Krieger]

YOUR car is out there......be patient and keep looking. When you find the right car for the right money patience will definitely pay off!

 

[ViperJohn]

Was the car you looked at in Virginia by chance?

 

[rmani]

Yes it was

 

[JohnnyLightning]

It was just a really good deal kind of like at the right place at the right time. He was wanting 46k for it but when you get desperate and cash talks things happen. When he said 40k within 48 hours I made it happen. He was buying business property and needed some money so he let go some of his toys.