1994 or 1995

[First Strike]

Always admired the styling of the gen 1 snakes. Well I am finally in position to purchase one and wanted to gather info on difference between 1994 & 1995. Which would be a better buy ?, all recommendations will be appreciated. Thanks

 

[99 R/T 10]

I am guessing you want the Gen I for the side pipes? I would get the 95, green with tan interior is the best looking!

 

[ryan94rt10]

are you buying this to drive or to save?

there were a lot more 94's built than 95's so there is a rarity factor there...from what i understand there are'nt too many differences in both models...so buy the one you get the best deal on!! that is of course if you are not worried about the rarity factor...

i'm sure chuck tator would have some of the differences if there are any!!

 

[propsail]

My guess is probably the later the better for quality control. I'd go w/ the '95 (my '94 was a deal too good to pass up).
~Craig

 

[Venomiss]

Buy the book:

Viper Buyer's Guide by Maurice Liang 2004

and find a Viper Tech to look over the car you find. Might cost a bit but will pay off later on. Find a Viper club near you and talk with members-California has three major clubs:
Northern

Northern California Viper Club of America
Central

Viper Club of America - Central California Region
Southern


. : : SoCal Viper : : .
You might even find a Viper networking that way and meet the present owner..a good thing. Good luck and happy hunting.

 

[94EmeraldGreen]

I love my 94, but the real windows of the 96+ would be nice. Might be worth jumping up a year or two just for that.

 

[PittsburghRT]

I love my 94, but the real windows of the 96+ would be nice. Might be worth jumping up a year or two just for that.

96 RT/10s did not have roll up windows.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

96 RT/10s did not have roll up windows.

96 RT/10s have hard plastic sliding windows as opposed to the plastic zip up windows of 92-95. Still not real roll up windows, but a nice upgrade from 92-95 windows. I rarely use my windows, so its not a concern of mine. IMO, all 92-96 RT/10 windows look like crap anyway.

 

[99 R/T 10]

1997 was the first year for roll-up windows. Here's a real nice one in the classifieds:

ViperClub Classifieds - 1997 Viper RT/10 - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

 

[blue01gts]

You should be able to get a good deal on a 94 or 95 but I would have to agree that it worth going up acouple of years to get the power windows, newer interior look, plus 50 more horsepower. However the newer ones wouldnt have the side pipes if thats what you like about the 94's and 95's.

 

[anaconda666]

If you have your heart set on a '94 or '95, take a look at this one. I was going to buy it but could not import it into Canada.

ViperClub Classifieds - 1994 Hennessey 500 serial # 021. - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

My '94 didn't have the passenger door handle; the '95 does.
My '94 didn't have the net pocket at the front edge of the driver's seat bottom and the '95 does.

With 90K miles of experience on mine, I would look more closely at the condition of the headlights and side curtains. Whether the car has miles or not, sunlight will yellow the headlights (and once it starts, it does it quickly) and hardens the side curtains until they crack on a cool day.

Lastly, I don't know really what causes it, but look around the gas cap area and edges of the body work (like the edge of the trunk) for the clearcoat lifting off. Also, check the hood above the engine (heat) and see if the paint has sharp ripples that indicate the base coat is shrinking.

After that, drive it. A lot.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

If you have your heart set on a '94 or '95, take a look at this one. I was going to buy it but could not import it into Canada.

ViperClub Classifieds - 1994 Hennessey 500 serial # 021. - Powered by PhotoPost Classifieds

I bought my US-spec '94 from Toronto in '98. To get the car into Canada, the owner had to install seat belts (and corresponding interior pieces) from a Viper that had airbags, since that provides the frame-to-frame mounting locations. Canada didn't allow the goofy roll-up-in-the-door belts. To re-import into the US, I only had to change it back. Emissions was not an issue.

 

[anaconda666]

The import laws have changed. Cars 15 years or older are exempt. If a car newer than 15 years is in the inadmissable column, no changes done to it will make the car admissable. I talked directly to the import office when I wanted to import the above mentioned car. Sorry to go off topic. Ron.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

'94's had serious head gasket issues that '95's didn't.

 

[PittsburghRT]

Actually all 92-96 RT/10's had the paper headgaskets that should be changed. I did a lot of research on the early RT/10s before I bought one. Last June Chuck Tator updated my car to the new metal layered gaskets. Mine were not bad, but I wanted it done before I had problems.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Yes, not all high mileage early gaskets went bad. The exposed parts can look really bad while the compressed parts hold up. OK, they are not the quality of the new replacements, but they can last.

 

[SCOTTB]

look in the classifieds here say nice one that mopar steve has for sale looks like a good deal!

 

[newelly]

yeh that car looks sweet for the price Im surprized it hasnt gone already