Will a viper be totaled if it needs a rear tub and.....

[heavyt]

The rear pass bumper horn is bent? Dealer sold me the viper with bald tires and it started raining and there was oil on the road. Trooper said outer rear wheels was 4/32 but inner rear was 1/32 and front were 7/32 was going 5-10 under the speed limit in the right lane of a 6 lane hway with 3 in each direction.

Car from what I can see needs a new rear from the edge of the trunk back and only the rear bumper horn looks bent, needs new front headlight bumper and possibly hood as there is a mark where paint came off near the headlight. Emailed jonb but gonna try and call him tomorrow.

I was so careful driving it back too, most of the cars were passing me as well. I had a 4 post lift on order as well and was gonna order new tires from partsrack when I got back.

 

[AZTVR]

I can just imagine how much that ***** on the first day or two of ownership !

 

[ViperGTS]

TIRES and/or RAIN...again.

Hope you can afford to fix it.

 

[heavyt]

TIRES and/or RAIN...again.

Hope you can afford to fix it.

I have full coverage on it, got it 2 days before I went and got it. If its not totaled insurance will fix it. Been with them for 4 years and have auto and home, not one blimp on my record and I have a vette too, the viper would have been my 4th car.

 

[heavyt]

I can just imagine how much that ***** on the first day or two of ownership !

You know how they say you fall hard in love with your first... They are right whether women or vipers

 

[Warfang]

Welcome to the party! So sorry to read about your accident. Call JonB at partsrack anyways.... he'll give you solid advice on how to get the most out of this claim.

 

[RedEnuf93]

What year??? The older, more likely totalled.

Both bumpers and hood with rear bumper horn (now thats whats VISIBLE) would push it very close to the totalled territory.

 

[plumcrazy]

id bet its totalled.

call jonB or partsrack ASAP and he can help you with this. he helps a lot of guys when they get wrecked and deal with the insurance companies.

 

[FrankBarba]

Dealer sold me the viper with bald tires

Although i am sorry that this has happend to you, you do play some responsibility in this. Why would you blame this on the dealer? Didn't you look the Viper over before you purchased? Why wouldn't you have the dealer put new tires on the vehicle before you picked up?

Did you just take delivery when this happend?

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Bald tires, rain and oil on the road? Are you sure there wasn't ice, snow and a sudden 120mph gust of wind too?

 

[dave6666]

Bald tires, rain and oil on the road? Are you sure there wasn't ice, snow and a sudden 120mph gust of wind too?

And I was leaving a bar at 2:00 AM and my date wouldn't leave me alone!

Hey, hope you get your car fixed but bald tires with a rainy oily road means stay home and watch the Weather Channel for upcoming days when you can go to the tire store!

 

[heavyt]

Although i am sorry that this has happend to you, you do play some responsibility in this. Why would you blame this on the dealer? Didn't you look the Viper over before you purchased? Why wouldn't you have the dealer put new tires on the vehicle before you picked up?

Did you just take delivery when this happend?

yes i just got it the day before and picked it up he said there was 40% tread left and I felt the read tires but I didn't reach in all the way to the inside.

I understand I can't blame him totally as I was the one driving and took delivery but it was a combination

 

[ViperGTS]

You did not check the tires? Age? Tread?

The most important contact to the real world in a super sports car...

 

[ViperGTS]

I do check other Viper owners tires in our club and give them a hard time when I see 8, 9 or even 10 year old tires...

 

[ViperGTS]

o.k. - another one...about tires.

I found a SRT-10 one year ago. NEW TIRES. run craps.

I checked the production date and found that all 4 were over 5 years old. One 5,5 years! I told the owner. He did not notice! He trusted the Viper "specialist"... selling him the tires

 

[SquadX]

What year and model was the car? I assume its a Gen 1 or 2 since you posted in this forum. Pics would help alot.

 

[JonB]

I know that car very well, lots of upgrades......Glad you were not hurt. It looks like the ORGAN DONOR for this car may be WANTED's RT/10, well-known here. Allstate has already called us and made arrangements to rebuild this car.

If the buyer accepts USED parts, we can usually get these insured jobs done as a rebuilder. If the owner insists on NEW parts, the car could be totalled.

The issues of course are diminished value...but you bought the car at a great price....so if Allstate will pay you $40k, you might want to TAKE IT !!

TIRES PEOPLE!! No one here doubts that a novice driver, on old, darty-rubber, was a major factor here....... for the bazillionteenth time.

It also points out that COPS LOOK AT TIRES!! Hell, Ive been stopped for speed or plate warnings and the cops mentioned my bald-looking tires. I was on track-rubber, and had to 'splain the DOT and tread-depth story a bit, but COPS NOTICE... You should, too. Fact is, if you DONT have 'minimum tread depth, regardless of DOT rating, you CAN get cited with an equipment ticket!

Tire Age Note: Just becasue a properly-stored NEW tire is 4 - 5 years old does NOT make it ready for the recycle bin. The aging actually begins once the mold-skin is worn off (20-50 miles) and HEAT CYCLES come into play. I would feel happy and safe on -NEW-STICKER tires 4-5 years old, but id be sure to scrap them when heat-cyles for 2-3 years from in-service date. Would I prefer 1 year-old rubber better? Of course! But those seeking 'calendar new' RunFlats wont find em anywhere....just one of the many reasons we try to convert buyers to PS2.

In our restoration-museum-stock I have some 1998 MXX-3 NEW-NEW tires in stock whose rubber seems quite soft! We also have some 1995 XGT-Z sticker-new tires that feel very sticky. Storage Conditions matter.

 

[heavyt]

Thank you jon for all your help and putting up with me on a monday morning, I'll be adding my vin to the site and signing up as well as giving you business in what we discussed in email.

first thing on order from parts rack will be new tires all around.

 

[plumcrazy]

i never had a claim on the viper but i have with other cars on allstate and they are the best to deal with. youre in good hands.....

 

[CitySnake]

What year??? The older, more likely totalled.

Yep. I looked up to see the section this was in and was saddened to see it wasn't the SRT area. If you need a GEN 1/2 hood....you're going to be pushing the economic line towards being totaled.

Sorry for your misfortune.

 

[GTS Dean]

The fact that you rear-ended your Viper is highly unusual. I would guess that 2/3 get the front ends smashed, and the balance split between side and rear impacts. At least there are ample supplies of takeoff parts for the back end of your car. Probably even in the right color.

 

[heavyt]

yeah airbags didn't even go off

 

[NI-KA]

Tire Storage Question:

I replaced my "run craps" with 4,700 mi on them. How should I store them?

Are they worth storing for restoration to stock purposes?

Note: I put PS2's on from Parts Rack. Make no mistake; they were a huge improvment !

 

[heavyt]

ok so ps2's it is

 

[vip06]

PS2,s are night and day from factory tires!

 

[JonB]

Thank you jon for all your help and putting up with me on a monday morning, I'll be adding my vin to the site and signing up as well as giving you business in what we discussed in email. first thing on order from parts rack will be new tires all around.

......I know that car very well, lots of upgrades......Glad you were not hurt. It looks like the ORGAN DONOR for this car may be WANTED's RT/10, well-known here. Allstate has already called us and made arrangements to rebuild this car.

If the buyer accepts USED parts, we can usually get these insured jobs done as a rebuilder. If the owner insists on NEW parts, the car could be totalled.

The issues of course are diminished value...but you bought the car at a great price....so if Allstate will pay you $40k, you might want to TAKE IT !!

I am repeating my earlier post for emphasis. While I would sure as heck like to sell you and Allstate a rear clip, and some new tires, it may NOT be in YOUR best interest to go this way. Call me for more info, but I think that fixing this car may be a "fools errand" in view of Allstate offering you $40k for the car. "NO OFFENSE INTENDED" especially since I'd like to make a sale, but.......... I often talk folks OUT of buying stuff from me......

 

[JonB]

Tire Storage Question:
I replaced my "run craps" with 4,700 mi on them. How should I store them?
Are they worth storing for restoration to stock purposes?
Note: I put PS2's on from Parts Rack. Make no mistake; they were a huge improvment !

They make interesting FLOWER PLANTERS when embedded 50-75% deep in the ground next to your garage. Doris says they help the flower planting retain moisture in their inner sidwalls, resulting in better and longer flower growth, due to frost protection for the roots.


Seriously, in this economy I would put them in classifeds for $200/pr and they might sell to someone who would NEED them......