Viper chat rooms and forums for newbies...

[tim721]

Any of you guys know a good place where a newbie like myself could get quality feedback from Viper owners on what to look for on specific year Vipers? ('92-'95) This place was of no help. I thought it would be a lot more helpful. I posted a question about Gen 1s 2 days ago and got 1 reply of 125 hits...LOL (thanks yellow94) If anyone knows of another chat room or forum that would help me get started, I would really appreciate if you could email me the link. Before I make the purchase, I wanna make sure I'm goin' after the right one!
thanks,
TIM



http://vca2.viperclub.org/forums/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB14&Number=315304&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

 

[Austin]

Tim, you have a PM.

 

[Viperzilla]

Don't know of another forum as good as this one. You may want to try viper-alley.com (take out the hyphen).

Possibly one of the reasons you didn't get a good response is because for the Gen 1s, you have to have someone/an owner who really knows about Vipers and the mechanical differences between each and every year. Most owners and enthusiasts don't, can't, won't do this, even for fun to look it up. When I start looking for a Viper to buy, I'll probably be going the Gen 1 or 1.5 route as well. Good luck.

 

[carguy07]

I saw your thread the other day. I figured everyone would chime in with "use the search button" this will help you a lot. I just bought a 95 this spring so I'm pretty up to date on 92-95. I'll PM you my ph # just give me a call and I can get you up to speed fast. This actually is the best place for good info. Other boards spend a lot of time talking smack. Good Luck!

 

[Wild Bill]

Did you do a search? This has been addressed many times before. Your father would be an excellent place to start since he is a VCA member and a Viper owner. As the question become more specific you will get responses but this question was so general I think most people just passed it by.

No flame, just observation

Bill

 

[Janni]

Check out the Viper Registry section of this site for specifics on the cars by year. SOMEWHERE there is an excellent article about what to look for when buying a Viper - but I cannot seem to locate it.

Basically - buy from a VCA member or have a VCA member and/or Viper Tech look over ANY car you are considering purchasing. VCA members from all over have looked at cars for folks in many states. Avoid ANY car with a questionable history - there are too many NICE cars out ther to get a crappy one.

Be leary of cars from Florida - the title washing state.

Befriend a Dodge dealer and get service / recal history of the car you are looking at.

Do NOT trust CarFax 100%. Better to have a Viper Tech and VCA member's eyes than a piece of paper.

Decide if you want A/C, or an aftermarket hardtop, or real windows to be able to secure the car. These items can be costly and often you can find a car with them already included.

And, when you have a found a car - post pics and ask specific questions - you can get a ton of help here.

Good luck in your search.

 

[VIPER1996]

tim721 I will be more than happy to help you with the gen 1. I have a 94 and 96 and have done a lot of work on the 94. I bought 94 sight unseen and won't do that again. It was a nice car but my opinion of a 9.5 out of 10 was way different than the guy in south carolina. You can email me at [email protected] and we'll go from there.

This is a great forum, I have been away for a while focusing on my 68 cuda but I used to talk on it a lot and always got great help. Hang in there tim721

 

[snowmann]

Tim I saw your post, I had a 95 RT/10 and in my opinion that was a great car for me with little problems. Some things to think about are the following...

1) It is really nice to get a service contract, Vipers are not cheap to fix and it was really nice being able to go to the deal to fix every little thing that didn't seem right. This will pay for itself, trust me.

2) Get a hard top, you probably don't think you need one, but you do. The standard hardtop that comes with the car is utter junk... Get a car with a nice hardtop because that will cost you $$$ if you don't already have one.

3) Get one with windows, the factory windows are the biggest pieces of junk. You need vendor windows.

4) Do a carfax.

5) Look for the obvious use... there is a section on this website about it... I like cars with the original tires (not sure if you will find that)...

That's all I can think of off the top of my head...

 

[tim721]

I appreciate the feedback from everyone so far...good links & other various sources of info. I'll be taking advange of some of the search options on this site. Everyone that chimed in their 2 cents so far, thanks, you're narrowing my search for a healthier snake.

Adam96, yellow94, Austin - thanks for the emails...

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Tim- If you need info on a 92 or 93 I can answer any question you might have.
Having a Viper Owner or Tech look at the car for you or with you will help a great deal.
I also depends on what you want the car for... if your going to drive it regularly then a low mileage car is not as important. A car that has been driven and cared for will be far more dependable than a car that has sat.
The older the car the less comforts it will have...so a 95 car will have different driving characteristics that a 92. Be happy to help but we need more feedback from you.

 

[tim721]

thanks Jeff. I'm not looking for low miles, but dont want too high either. around 30-45K is ok as I'm not looking for a garage queen. I see a lot all over with less than 10K & I'm not interested in paying premium prices for them. I want to take it out every weekend I can. I know you have a 1992, is A/C something you would like? From 92-95, A/C seems like a big factor (to me anyways). All buttoned up with that thing breathing on you must get hot. It seems like I can get one w/out A/C in the 29-31K range...mostly 92&93s, and the later ones are creeping up to the 36K range.

 

[ROCKET62]

PATIENCE - GRASSHOPPER! Not only for a reply to your post (you left this flame message just two days after your first and one day was a holiday) but also Patience in finding the right Viper.

Search the boards as already indicated. The almighty dollar will be a big factor in the decision as there seems to be about a $10k difference between gen 1 & 2. Mileage will play a big factor as well. There are many garage queens out there with low miles - which may or may not be a good thing. Low miles doesnt necessarily mean that the Viper was cared for or that you wont have expenses in updating - for example tires - my 93 only had 7600 miles on it when purchased. Tires looked ok and had good tread - but absolutely NO BITE. Add $1500 for pilots.

Also - options such as windows, wheels, stereo, and hardtop should be considered in the initial purchase - as unfortunately - they will cost you alot more to purchase separately - the so-called VIPER TAX!

Carfax is OK, but when you find one with the color and options you want - also check with a dodge dealer for warranty and service history. Having a Viper tech look at the car would certainly help - as long as it was an impartial tech. Do you think that the tech that owner uses is really going to tell you anything bad about the car? Having a Viper owner look at the car with you is also a big plus.

Many people are out looking for deals on Vipers - but buyer beware - as you usually get what you pay for! A warranty would be nice, but the info on this board is incredible and you can pick up a service manual on ebay.

Good Luck!

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Tim- I have AC in mine, I added it! I would not buy a car without it. It would cost you 3-5 grand to add it. Depending on if you could find used parts or not.

Windows? I have 2 sets of stock windows for 92. One show and one for driving. I have 2 sets of 96 windows. I have a set of Vipermania windows. The Vipermania are the easiest to put in and out. Great for running without the Top. Window opening is smaller than the 96 sliders. Can be difficult @ Toll booths.

Soft Top? I have 1 usable one. They can be tricky to set up and break down. So I have mine set up and hanging on my wall. The more you store it in the trunk the more worn it will get. Inspect the top when you look at a car. They cost around $1000 used.
Tires are important too. Unless you get a car with Pilot Sports you will have to replace the tires regardless of tread depth. Old tires are hard tires, hard tires will not grip. Original tires are only good for show. 17" Tires $1500.00 installed.
* I can go on and on.

 

[GR8_ASP]

I have a 95 and generally agree on the info above. I do not have a hardtop nor do I have any intention of getting one. I have not used a roof on it in 1 1/2 years. It was made for running roof off. If you do want a roof and would keep it on for extended periods the Autoform roof is probably the best. I do have and use the VMania Lexan windows. A absolute requirement. The Autoform roof uses Autoform windows only.

I have owned my RT/10 since it was new and watched it get built at Mack Ave (place where Gen I's were assembled). You will hear lots of anti Gen I talk on this board. Ignore them. Most have never owned one and are speaking only of second hand knowledge (a dangerous thing). The only work I have done on my car outside of upgrades is brakes and clutch. And neither of them was really needed. That was after 32,000 miles. The engine/transmission/differential have been flawless. No head gasket or other issues.

The best improvement on a Gen I is tires. The original were terrible when new (except on the track). After 8 years they would be rock hard bricks.

Viva Gen I, The true Viper soul!

 

[Marv S]

The link is at bottom of the "for Sale" page: http://www.viperclub.org/menus/index_classifieds.htm

Check out the Viper Registry section of this site for specifics on the cars by year. SOMEWHERE there is an excellent article about what to look for when buying a Viper - but I cannot seem to locate it.

 

[Janni]

The link is at bottom of the "for Sale" page: http://www.viperclub.org/menus/index_classifieds.htm

Check out the Viper Registry section of this site for specifics on the cars by year. SOMEWHERE there is an excellent article about what to look for when buying a Viper - but I cannot seem to locate it.

Thanks, Marv - Amazing you found it - the font is REALLY TINY.... No need to hide such a helpful article.

 

[RavenFan_94]

Tim721,

I just went through a very similar situation. Send me a PM, I would be happy to help via phone if you would like.

Thanks.

 

[slaughterj]

Check out the Viper Registry section of this site for specifics on the cars by year. SOMEWHERE there is an excellent article about what to look for when buying a Viper - but I cannot seem to locate it.

That's because the article is frickin' buried! I've bi+ched about that repeatedly, but to no avail! The article is on this page, the first article under "Viper Articles" (scroll down) (for some reason, you can't link to the specific article! ): http://www.viperclub.org/menus/index_comm_links.htm

 

[slaughterj]

The link is at bottom of the "for Sale" page: http://www.viperclub.org/menus/index_classifieds.htm

Check out the Viper Registry section of this site for specifics on the cars by year. SOMEWHERE there is an excellent article about what to look for when buying a Viper - but I cannot seem to locate it.

Thanks, Marv - Amazing you found it - the font is REALLY TINY.... No need to hide such a helpful article.

<font color="green"> </font>

Interesting, in a different location, but still nicely hidden

 

[Janni]

OK - maybe someone will take the hint and put it somewhere:

EASY TO FIND, and

in a HUGE FONT.

Thanks.

 

[tim721]

i found it...thanks! not an easy one to spot.

a customer of mine has a red '93...
new hardtop
v-mania windows
soft top &amp; windows
its DOES have A/C
41K miles
Borla XR1 raceline exhaust
and he chromed out the stock 3 spoke rims

he said he'll take 35K now for it...
is that a fair price, or can I do better?
I'm curoius what most of you would offer...

any feedback would be great

TIM

 

[XS TORQ]

Just got this regarding a black 94 for sale. I thought the price was VERY reasonable, and you could likely find someone on the board who has first hand knowledge of the car

Black 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10 For Sale $33,950

http://www.carbuyer.com/moreinfo.html?adv=&amp;key=803075&amp;s=

My viper is in excellent condition. All stock. Driven mostly around the Lake
Tahoe/Carson City/Reno area.

I would be pleased to send pictures to anyone that asks. If someone from (or referred by a member of) the club is interested, I will drop the price $500
if sold in the next 30-days.

Anyway, thanks in advance for passing this information on the members.

Rich and Teri Guy
752 Geraldine Drive
PO Box 6677
Incline Village, NV 89451
Home Phone (775) 831-0887
Work Phone (775) 831-0889
Cell (775) 240 9482
Fax: (775) 831 0223
Email: [email protected]

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

http://www.viperclub.org/misc/buyviper.html

 

[Marv S]

Yeah, last week I went to the classifieds page and happened to notice it at the bottom.

It makes sense to have it on that page but some higher viability near the top of the page would be good.

 

[Janni]

Thank you Tony!

 

[Supercharged Vipermad]

I added it to the top navigation links as well, Marv.....gotta go to work now.

 

[Marv S]

thx!