Suggestions on selling my 06

[ViperGeorge]

Ok, I've had my 06 FE supercharged coupe for sale for a while (number 87 out of 200). Its been on this site and that auction site whose name the mods seem to object to. I've got a Buy it Now price of $57,500 and a starting bid of $55,000. Seems like a fair price given it has a newly rebuilt engine with forged pistons, forged rods, swinging oil pickup, ATI damper, crankcase ventilation, chrome molly push rods, Race Logic Traction Control, MGW shifter, MGW shift knob, chrome SRT 5 spokes, Corsa exhaust, PLX multi gauge, 08 hood, OEM striped car cover, Stop Tech rotors, etc. And it has a polished Paxton with custom larger heat exchanger for the intercooler and a high flow pump from DC Performance.

Alright it does have 25.000 miles but Chuck Tator just went through the whole car including a complete engine tear down and check out with new rings. The Paxton blower was also rebuilt and tweaked by Doug Levin and the PCM was flashed by DC Performance. The car has not been driven since. While I've had some interest nothing firm. The car is in excellent shape as Chuck also detailed it. I don't want to give it away and devalue all of your cars so what do you think? Have prices dropped that much? I guess I would just as soon keep it than sell it for some crazy low price.

Thoughts?

 

[DMan]

I don't think it's the price. I think that's a pretty specialized viper with all the stuff done to it, you're looking at a special buyer who would understand and appreciate the work. So I think it's a smaller population of savvy buyers and you just haven't hit one yet. I sold my 03 for $42.5k and bought my 08 for $62k just for reference and your price is in that range for a high HP viper.

 

[AbsolutHank]

Okay...let's get right to it. I would say your asking price is very fair, considering the mods. But, most people just aren't willing to pay for mods...and no matter the mods, there are plenty of 06 Vipers out there with much lower mileage. It's something people like you and I will always have to fight since the majority of the Viper community barely drives their cars.

Bottom line is this - if you have barely any activity, you aren't priced accordingly. Since you don't seem to be in a position that needs to sell, just hang on to it. Modded cars are always a challenge - people buy the cheaper, lower mileage car and tell themselves they will add the Paxton and supporting mods later, and never do. If they do, they will have WAY more into it, in actual cash and headaches, than just buying your car outright...just the way people think!

 

[DeceptioN]

I'll trade you an 06 FE #156 for it. Has similiar miles.

 

[Paul Hawker]

At your price, you are pretty close to what you can buy a 08 Gen IV with a warranty.

Think you are priced right at market, but with the slow economy people are sniffing around looking to snag something at below market.

For many buyers, rebuilt motors/ rebuilt superchargers, higher mileage and no warranty do not demand a significant premium.

 

[01sapphirebob]

Okay...let's get right to it. I would say your asking price is very fair, considering the mods. But, most people just aren't willing to pay for mods...and no matter the mods, there are plenty of 06 Vipers out there with much lower mileage. It's something people like you and I will always have to fight since the majority of the Viper community barely drives their cars.

Bottom line is this - if you have barely any activity, you aren't priced accordingly. Since you don't seem to be in a position that needs to sell, just hang on to it. Modded cars are always a challenge - people buy the cheaper, lower mileage car and tell themselves they will add the Paxton and supporting mods later, and never do. If they do, they will have WAY more into it, in actual cash and headaches, than just buying your car outright...just the way people think!

Agree with this.

 

[MPM IV]

You have a great looking car and I'm not trying to insult it, just let you know what I thought when I saw the ad.
Engine built by Arrow Racing, just gone over by Chuck Tator. Tuned by DC Performance. Paxton rebuilt by Doug Levin. I realize that the blower is seperate from the motor, but at a glance it looks like a lot of different shops have worked on this, and that isn't always good.
Since it appears you actually drive your car you may not have it set on kill, but 645rwhp seems low for a built motor with a blower.
The combination of the things mentioned made me wonder if there's something wrong with the car. I think the price is fair, but problems with a highly modded vehicle can be expensive and time consuming. I also think people looking for highly modded vehicles are looking for big power. I'm still curious, dose it have a fuel system to support more power, and if so why only 645?

 

[wikkid]

All you need is the right buyer, and that may take a while, especially with the mods and miles. Nice ride, thats for sure GLWS

 

[GTS-R 001]

You have a great looking car and I'm not trying to insult it, just let you know what I thought when I saw the ad.
Engine built by Arrow Racing, just gone over by Chuck Tator. Tuned by DC Performance. Paxton rebuilt by Doug Levin. I realize that the blower is seperate from the motor, but at a glance it looks like a lot of different shops have worked on this, and that isn't always good.
Since it appears you actually drive your car you may not have it set on kill, but 645rwhp seems low for a built motor with a blower.
The combination of the things mentioned made me wonder if there's something wrong with the car. I think the price is fair, but problems with a highly modded vehicle can be expensive and time consuming. I also think people looking for highly modded vehicles are looking for big power. I'm still curious, dose it have a fuel system to support more power, and if so why only 645?

All good points, but the main killer is the mileage, I have owned 12 vipers and some has as low as 38 miles on them and some had over 30K. Vipers are classified in the minds of the buyers as follows: 9this is my own synopsis so flame away if you don't like it, but it is from experience)

next to no miles 50 and under - highly desireable
under 500 miles - collector car
under 1000 still collector but not as appealing, over 1000 a driver
under 5000 next mental block - bridging from driver to abused miled out
10,000 way too high mileage for a viper,
25K and over - unless it is a diehard or a special collector edition, like a 97 rt10 B&W, good friggin luck getting a decent price, might as well be salvage

Modded out with no power - serious problem selling, the number talk, you would be better off to either :
remove all mods and sell separately - most $$$$ you will probably get mid to high 40's for the car and $12K for the mods
or
spend $1.5K and get some dyno number that get close to 1000

 

[Sonoman]

All good points, but the main killer is the mileage, I have owned 12 vipers and some has as low as 38 miles on them and some had over 30K. Vipers are classified in the minds of the buyers as follows: 9this is my own synopsis so flame away if you don't like it, but it is from experience)

next to no miles 50 and under - highly desireable
under 500 miles - collector car
under 1000 still collector but not as appealing, over 1000 a driver
under 5000 next mental block - bridging from driver to abused miled out
10,000 way too high mileage for a viper,
25K and over - unless it is a diehard or a special collector edition, like a 97 rt10 B&W, good friggin luck getting a decent price, might as well be salvage

Modded out with no power - serious problem selling, the number talk, you would be better off to either :
remove all mods and sell separately - most $$$$ you will probably get mid to high 40's for the car and $12K for the mods
or
spend $1.5K and get some dyno number that gets close to 1000.

They should make this a sticky: The Viper Owner's Guide to Not Driving Your Car
Humorous, but some truth to that as well.

BTW, the undriven ones depreciate too, so might as well drive 'em and enjoy 'em while you can. Around here, the lowest price examples sell quickly anyway, so why go through the hassle of trying to sell the pristine, unused, high-dollar museum piece since it will take forever to find a buyer willing to pay for that. It's a car, not an investment (and a car built for pleasure at that, not transportation). Anything you get back at the end of ownership is a bonus.

 

[GTS-R 001]

They should make this a sticky: The Viper Owner's Guide to Not Driving Your Car
Humorous, but some truth to that as well.

BTW, the undriven ones depreciate too, so might as well drive 'em and enjoy 'em while you can. Around here, the lowest price examples sell quickly anyway, so why go through the hassle of trying to sell the pristine, unused, high-dollar museum piece since it will take forever to find a buyer willing to pay for that. It's a car, not an investment (and a car built for pleasure at that, not transportation). Anything you get back at the end of ownership is a bonus.

Agreed!

Only the truly collectible vipers benefit from no miles, if it ain't really special, drive the hell out of it or your wasting your money, its kind of like having a hot girl friend and not doing it with her,, the only one who benefits is the next guy, if you have the cow, MILK IT!

 

[Sonoman]

Only the truly collectible vipers benefit from no miles, if it ain't really special, drive the hell out of it or your wasting your money, its kind of like having a hot girl friend and not doing it with her,, the only one who benefits is the next guy, if you have the cow, MILK IT!

Well, if you put it that way.... hey, wait a minute, are you saying my girlfriend is a cow??? --Confused in CA : )

 

[shooter_t1]

You have a great looking car and I'm not trying to insult it, just let you know what I thought when I saw the ad.
Engine built by Arrow Racing, just gone over by Chuck Tator. Tuned by DC Performance. Paxton rebuilt by Doug Levin. I realize that the blower is seperate from the motor, but at a glance it looks like a lot of different shops have worked on this, and that isn't always good.
Since it appears you actually drive your car you may not have it set on kill, but 645rwhp seems low for a built motor with a blower.
The combination of the things mentioned made me wonder if there's something wrong with the car. I think the price is fair, but problems with a highly modded vehicle can be expensive and time consuming. I also think people looking for highly modded vehicles are looking for big power. I'm still curious, dose it have a fuel system to support more power, and if so why only 645?

See, now I think you don't have a clue about Viper's. If I was looking for another S/C car, gbatejan's car would be the way to go. If you knew anything about Vipers, you would know that the people he has listed are the people at the top of the food chain. It's like he listed the names of an All star team. Arrow Racing rebuilds the engines for Dodge under warranty, Chuck Tator IS the Wizard. Dan at DC Performance is the guy that Dodge asks when they have Viper questions. Same for DLM with the paxton.

645 RWHP is the normal range for a easy driving street friendly S/C Viper. And has a VERY safe tune that will work anywhere and can be enjoyed without having your eye's glued to the A/F gauge constantly.

gbatejan, your car is priced just right. Seems people are wanting us to give our cars away lately. The right buyer will come along. You have a hell of a car dude.

 

[Timnineside]

At your price, you are pretty close to what you can buy a 08 Gen IV with a warranty.

Think you are priced right at market, but with the slow economy people are sniffing around looking to snag something at below market.

For many buyers, rebuilt motors/ rebuilt superchargers, higher mileage and no warranty do not demand a significant premium.

YEP!!!!

gbatjan I actually emailed you threw that site about the car. First off you seem like a very cool person, and were very helpful and responsive. That is one of those things that can hurt a sale, but you did NOT lack in that departement.

Yeah people don't want to pay for mods. Neither do I, but your car has been done EXACTLY the way I would want a FE coupe done (Minus the Trac control but you did explain that correctly in your add)

I truley fell in love with your car when I seen it, but then I also decided if I was going to spend that much I would do a Gen IV. Needless to say I am still sitting on my GTS because I refuse to budge on price, and it too is a modified car.

I have been watching 06 Coupes go as low as 43K, and even seen a SC on here from a reliable guy sell his for 50K because he had a bit of a tragedy in is life and wanted to come off it.

Needless to say Price is more then fair for the right person. But at that....... I will still give you my GTS and some cash for it!!!!

-Tim

 

[Dads Toy]

from a want to be owner, like someone mentioned earlier, I would be leary with 3 different shops having a hand in your car. If something went wrong I could see the shops all pointing at another shop. From being on this board for a while I know all the shops you name and from reading understand that they all have a great reputation but do buyers who do not frequent this board know them?

good luck with your sale.

 

[MTGTS]

from a want to be owner, like someone mentioned earlier, I would be leary with 3 different shops having a hand in your car. If something went wrong I could see the shops all pointing at another shop. From being on this board for a while I know all the shops you name and from reading understand that they all have a great reputation but do buyers who do not frequent this board know them?

good luck with your sale.

I would agree with this usually. But.....

This car has been gone through by the top Viper tech in the WORLD.
DLM is @ the top of the list when it comes to sc your viper.
Arrow handles all Viper motors for Dodge.

If the seller isn't explaining this to potential buyers then that's his fault. These things should def. be help selling this car. They should not hurt it in any way to any informed buyer.

 

[Dads Toy]

wasn't an arguement but I was trying to point out that a good number of buyers MAY NOT know those shops or Chuck and take it as a sales line. I know if they did a tiny bit of research they would find out real fast that the shops are what the seller says they are. I would be happy with any viper that one of those shops worked on.

 

[TR930]

I think you need to find car brokers that cater to European, Asian, Middle Eastern and Russian clients. Those guys LOVE American Muscle. I have a friend who sold his 08' coupe to a German buyer through a car broker.

Expand your market.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Thanks guys for the thoughtful input. Some additional comments. 646RWHP is where this car should be with a stock Paxton pulley. It gained exactly 200RWHP with the addition of the supercharger. The forged internals add safety not horsepower. Of course a new owner could add a smaller pulley and retune it for more HP, I just didn't need more. 646 is already a boat load to me. Did I mention that I am including a brand new SCT never-used tuner for the car? This will help anyone with the desire to push the envelope. The car right now is set up to safely deliver the HP it has with A/F ratios in the mid 11s.

The comments about different shops working on the car or its parts are true but as pointed out they are the best at what they do, I believe the term used above was "the all star team". The Viper Wizard, Chuck Tator was the last one to put a wrench to the car and he is the best in the world, period. He went through the whole car including the engine. Doug Levin rebuilt the blower and added his special tweaks to the bypass valve and the tensioner. DC Performance provided the tune.

I think it is true that some folks aren't really looking for a modded car. Many though will buy a stock Viper and then proceed to modify it. I only have to look in the mirror to see someone like this. Truth is that is easier and far, far cheaper to buy one that is already modded. Ask me how I know. My bills to modify this car are probably close to $40K. But I'm not looking to recoup that money, I just would like to get a fair price.

Mileage is the major challenge, but hey I didn't buy the car so that I could stare at it in the garage. Never really understood people that will buy an expensive car like an Aston, Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo, or Viper and then not drive it. Crazy to me. The ACR I got in January of this year already has 6800 miles on it. I once owned an 03 Aston DB 7 GT. Had it for 3 years and put 16,000 miles on it. When I went to sell it I got "it has too many miles", 16,000 miles is too many?! Did find someone that looked past the mileage to the beautiful, well maintained car it was. Hopefully I find someone like that to buy my Viper (remember it also has a 7/50K Chrysler warranty that expires 11/1/2012). If not, it is not the end of the world. My wife has said I can keep it, God love her. And everyone knows that Blue/White striped Vipers are both the fastest and the most beautiful

 

[ViperGeorge]

Oh and one more thing. While you might be able to find a Gen 4 for a little more, remember that modifying a Gen 4 is almost an exercise in futility given the complexity of the cam and the new Venom controller. My SC Gen 3 will kick my Gen 4's butt in terms of acceleration.

 

[wikkid]

KEEP IT.

 

[shooter_t1]

My wife has said I can keep it, God love her. And everyone knows that Blue/White striped Vipers are both the fastest and the most beautiful

You are a lucky guy. I wish I would have had the finances to keep my 14/200 and buy my Gen4.

 

[jpa99acr]

does the addition of the paxton nullify the warranty?

 

[ViperGeorge]

does the addition of the paxton nullify the warranty?

The warranty will not cover modded parts but it will cover everything else.

 

[351carlo]

It's a shame you aren't able to mod back to stock and sell the car stock. You'd certainly make out better that way. You'd have a larger market to sell to, and get cash for the mods.

Of course you could always find someone with a stock car to swap parts for you

 

[Coloviper]

George;

You just need the right buyer and that will come along in the future. There is nothing wrong with your car. Mileage is mileage and the longer the cars are out there, the less a 25K mile car is going to look out of place. And in the end, the car is now coming up 6 years onld. The mileage does not look that bad when people really look at it. Your car has most of the mods I want for mine, actually more than I was thinking for mine but a lot of the same ones. I just prefer to mod mine because it is my first Viper and no one has driven it but me, otherwise I would be all over your car. Hard to explain.

I would add as little miles as I could to it now, maybe one lap at a time at High Plains.

 

[Flexx91]

The warranty will not cover modded parts but it will cover everything else.

Don't believe you answered his question. Of course aftermarket add-ons are not covered by the manufacturer's factory warranty. And yes, superchargers and other engine mods can void an engine warranty claim. If your car does need warranty work and you have performance engine mods, you best bring it two one of the "Viper friendly" dealerships.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Don't believe you answered his question. Of course aftermarket add-ons are not covered by the manufacturer's factory warranty. And yes, superchargers and other engine mods can void an engine warranty claim. If your car does need warranty work and you have performance engine mods, you best bring it two one of the "Viper friendly" dealerships.

Dealers are not allowed to void a car's warranty simply because of modifications. They may deny warranty claims for problems that they can show were caused by modifications. There is a federal law somewhere that spells this out. Any aftermarket part supplier will tell you the same thing. So if the buyer blows the engine up then yes they could argue that the supercharger was responsible. If the radio or windows or AC fails they would have a hard time denying the claim. I've never had any problem with warranty work from any of several Dodge dealers. Yes, they had Viper Techs (I wouldn't take the car to a dealer that didn't) but this doesn't make them "Viper friendly". Any prospective buyer can check the warranty record on this car at a dealer. They won't find any claims that were denied.

 

[ViperGeorge]

Here's more on the warranty law. It is called the Magnuson-Moss law.

Understanding the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975.

Nearly everyone has heard about someone who has taken a vehicle that has been modified with aftermarket parts to a dealer for warranty service, only to have the dealer refuse to cover the defective items. The dealer usually states that because of the aftermarket parts the warranty is void, without even attempting to determine whether the aftermarket part caused the problem.

This is illegal.

Vehicle manufacturers are not allowed to void the vehicle warranty just because aftermarket parts are on the vehicle. To better understand this problem it is best to know the differences between the two types of new car warranties and the two types of emission warranties.

When a vehicle is purchased new and the owner is protected against the faults that may occur by an expressed warranty - an offer by the manufacturer to assume the responsibility for problems with predetermined parts during a stated period of time. Beyond the expressed warranty, the vehicle manufacturer is often held responsible for further implied warranties. These state that a manufactured product should meet certain standards. However, in both cases, the mere presence of aftermarket parts doesn't void the warranty.

There are also two emission warranties (defect and performance) required under the clean air act. The defect warranty requires the manufacturer to produce a vehicle which, at the time of sale, is free of defects that would cause it to not meet the required emission levels for it's useful life as defined in the law. The performance warranty implies a vehicle must maintain certain levels of emission performance over it's useful life. If the vehicle fails to meet the performance warranty requirements, the manufacturer must make repairs at no cost to the owner, even if an aftermarket part is directly responsible for a warranty claim, the vehicle manufacturer cannot void the performance warranty. This protection is the result of a parts self - certification program developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA).

In cases where such a failed aftermarket part is responsible for a warranty claim, the vehicle manufacturer must arrange a settlement with the consumer, but by law the new - vehicle warranty is not voided.

Overall, the laws governing warranties are very clear. The only time a new vehicle warranty can be voided is if an aftermarket part has been installed and it can be proven that it is responsible for an emission warranty claim. However, a vehicle manufacturer or dealership cannot void a warranty simply because an an aftermarket equipment has been installed on a vehicle.

If a dealership denies a warranty claim and you think the claim falls under the rules explained above concerning the clean air act (such as an emission part failure), obtain a written explanation of the dealers refusal. Then follow the steps outlined in the owners manual. However, if this fails, then phone your complaint in to the EPA at (202) 233-9040 or (202) 326-9100.

If a dealer denies a warranty claim involving an implied or expressed new car warranty and you would like help, you can contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint, you can call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the online complaint form. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide.

 

[plumcrazy]

this does not sound like a built motor car. does it have cast pistons ?