genXgts
Enthusiast
Well, well, well,
Have to admit, I have a smile on my face as I type this, I'm dead tired, just pulled a red eye from Vancouver, and have to get some sleep, but here goes:
I am now the proud owner of one of approx 50 Cdn Spec 1997 GTS in Blue/White. 100% stock (K&N, smoothies). 35K (22K miles approx). Mint, Mint, Mint.....still smells new, original brakes, tires, etc.
After losing out on a few US cars I switched my search back to Canadian Cars (I live in Canada!). My only colour choice is Blue/White, most of my previous sports cars were the same colour. At one time owning at the same time a low 12 (off the bottle 5.0) and high 13 winter ****** 5.0 both in blue. The choice for a blue car was a no brainer, it's my trademark here in Lillaput, the trick was finding one.....
After pestering a BC owner to death with numerous phone calls, we agreed on a price, and booked the flight under time constraints, somewheres around 5 mintues to go before the flight costs quadrupled into a Bus class flight as opposed to red eye. Keep in mind this car was not for sale at all, merely a VCA member who had not renewed his membership, therefore I figured some prodding into the situation would perhaps yield me my blue/white in Cdn spec (gotta love that 350KPH speedo).
I flew out and checked the car out on Sunday, go over it for 5 hours, wrap the deal up, and then have a 5 miles jaunt to get the car from the owners house to the waiting enclosed trailer just beyond the border crossing. We set the transfer up for Monday afternoon, as to allow time for the check to cash, sign off paperwork, etc.
Wake up Monday morning, look out the window from my hotel, anxious to see the weather and am greeted by snowplows plowing the highway, this region of BC has the hardest hit snowstorm since 1955 I think the weather channel stated, nice, no one said it was easy........
With both the seller reluctant to drive the car over the border in the snow, as well as myself,(touchy liability issues as I possess the legal signed off ownership, yet the car is not legal to drive in my home province. Seller can't drive the car under his insurance, as his company no longer has an legal "interest" it in, I have a temp tag, but have never driven this particular car yet, let alone at night in a snow storm) we scramble and find an intermediate shipper that will pick the car up, flatbed it over the border and then dump it off to Concourstranspot from there.
Things are a touch dicey at the border, US customs exercising there "authority" on the situation for some time, regardless we eventually made it thru, myself following the tow rig in my trusty rental car......
After a rough 3 days of wrapping up this deal while I am present for all aspects of the sale as to prevent no loose ends, the final straw was the transfer from the border carrier to long haul carrier, why not induce palpatations by transferring the car 4 feet in the air from lift to lift!! Running, in reverse, in the snow, at 1 am, bottom of the tires at my eyeballs, ahhhh yes a perfect ending to a perfect weekend
The car is now en route over this way, should be delivered in 7 or 10 days or so, and then I am good to go.
After reading this board for a year and eager to get into this car and make it quick from the get go, toss the exhaust, shifter, etc. I am thinking I may leave the car stock for a while, and then enjoy each mod as they arrive. By establishing a solid baseline I can watch the car progeress in power each stage of the game is my theory......
I would like the final stage to be somewhere near Miami Beach, ohhhhh Mr. Levin...
Seriously, with the car being 100% stock and mint, the mental debate to modify is huge, I think a summer of feeling out the car will help ease the decision. That and maybe a good spanking from a Z06 or Supra will have me online with Jon for some Belanger products that same day, haha...
I have to thank all those that helped on this board leading with advice and suggestions on all aspects on getting my blue GTS: Denny for the help on logistics on US/Cdn cars, Craig for his Cdn experience for anything Viper, Mike Pavloff for pounding in messages that anything other than a 97 is not considered a Viper, haha, Z06 Dave, for some tidbits from the cupholder gallery, conversations with the infamous Bill P, Eric Lee, and other dealers in the know, Bigs for making me feel youthfull after downloading some of his recommendations in music, Chuck and Gerald down south for insurance and muffler delete issues, heck, I'll even throw one in for Norman, who stated recently that those that talk of buying a Viper and do are 2 different breeds, that one hit home, and decided to end my lurker status. Next stop, losing poser status with some track time.....
Have pics every step of the way, hoping they turn out, they'll be up soon, I'm off for some zzzzzzz'sssss
I am a happy man, time for a little 450 horse excitement in my neck of the woods,
Ryan Bilyk
PS Peter shoot me an email, I'd love to pop over to your place with my GTS and listen to your Corsa if that's kosher with you, one comment from a Ricer that my GTS sounds like a Civic with a Fart Can and I'll run no exhaust till the good stuff comes in!!!
Have to admit, I have a smile on my face as I type this, I'm dead tired, just pulled a red eye from Vancouver, and have to get some sleep, but here goes:
I am now the proud owner of one of approx 50 Cdn Spec 1997 GTS in Blue/White. 100% stock (K&N, smoothies). 35K (22K miles approx). Mint, Mint, Mint.....still smells new, original brakes, tires, etc.
After losing out on a few US cars I switched my search back to Canadian Cars (I live in Canada!). My only colour choice is Blue/White, most of my previous sports cars were the same colour. At one time owning at the same time a low 12 (off the bottle 5.0) and high 13 winter ****** 5.0 both in blue. The choice for a blue car was a no brainer, it's my trademark here in Lillaput, the trick was finding one.....
After pestering a BC owner to death with numerous phone calls, we agreed on a price, and booked the flight under time constraints, somewheres around 5 mintues to go before the flight costs quadrupled into a Bus class flight as opposed to red eye. Keep in mind this car was not for sale at all, merely a VCA member who had not renewed his membership, therefore I figured some prodding into the situation would perhaps yield me my blue/white in Cdn spec (gotta love that 350KPH speedo).
I flew out and checked the car out on Sunday, go over it for 5 hours, wrap the deal up, and then have a 5 miles jaunt to get the car from the owners house to the waiting enclosed trailer just beyond the border crossing. We set the transfer up for Monday afternoon, as to allow time for the check to cash, sign off paperwork, etc.
Wake up Monday morning, look out the window from my hotel, anxious to see the weather and am greeted by snowplows plowing the highway, this region of BC has the hardest hit snowstorm since 1955 I think the weather channel stated, nice, no one said it was easy........
With both the seller reluctant to drive the car over the border in the snow, as well as myself,(touchy liability issues as I possess the legal signed off ownership, yet the car is not legal to drive in my home province. Seller can't drive the car under his insurance, as his company no longer has an legal "interest" it in, I have a temp tag, but have never driven this particular car yet, let alone at night in a snow storm) we scramble and find an intermediate shipper that will pick the car up, flatbed it over the border and then dump it off to Concourstranspot from there.
Things are a touch dicey at the border, US customs exercising there "authority" on the situation for some time, regardless we eventually made it thru, myself following the tow rig in my trusty rental car......
After a rough 3 days of wrapping up this deal while I am present for all aspects of the sale as to prevent no loose ends, the final straw was the transfer from the border carrier to long haul carrier, why not induce palpatations by transferring the car 4 feet in the air from lift to lift!! Running, in reverse, in the snow, at 1 am, bottom of the tires at my eyeballs, ahhhh yes a perfect ending to a perfect weekend
The car is now en route over this way, should be delivered in 7 or 10 days or so, and then I am good to go.
After reading this board for a year and eager to get into this car and make it quick from the get go, toss the exhaust, shifter, etc. I am thinking I may leave the car stock for a while, and then enjoy each mod as they arrive. By establishing a solid baseline I can watch the car progeress in power each stage of the game is my theory......
I would like the final stage to be somewhere near Miami Beach, ohhhhh Mr. Levin...
Seriously, with the car being 100% stock and mint, the mental debate to modify is huge, I think a summer of feeling out the car will help ease the decision. That and maybe a good spanking from a Z06 or Supra will have me online with Jon for some Belanger products that same day, haha...
I have to thank all those that helped on this board leading with advice and suggestions on all aspects on getting my blue GTS: Denny for the help on logistics on US/Cdn cars, Craig for his Cdn experience for anything Viper, Mike Pavloff for pounding in messages that anything other than a 97 is not considered a Viper, haha, Z06 Dave, for some tidbits from the cupholder gallery, conversations with the infamous Bill P, Eric Lee, and other dealers in the know, Bigs for making me feel youthfull after downloading some of his recommendations in music, Chuck and Gerald down south for insurance and muffler delete issues, heck, I'll even throw one in for Norman, who stated recently that those that talk of buying a Viper and do are 2 different breeds, that one hit home, and decided to end my lurker status. Next stop, losing poser status with some track time.....
Have pics every step of the way, hoping they turn out, they'll be up soon, I'm off for some zzzzzzz'sssss
I am a happy man, time for a little 450 horse excitement in my neck of the woods,
Ryan Bilyk
PS Peter shoot me an email, I'd love to pop over to your place with my GTS and listen to your Corsa if that's kosher with you, one comment from a Ricer that my GTS sounds like a Civic with a Fart Can and I'll run no exhaust till the good stuff comes in!!!
Make sure and get LOTS of sleep between now and then!!) 
