Advice- GTS or ACR ???

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

I need some advice from the Viper family out there. I purchased a babied (1500 mile) yellow 02 GTS 6 months ago and I love it; My first choice was an 02 ACR but after months of searching I could not find the color / mileage that I wanted. I have now been presented the opportunity to purchase the ACR that I was searching for with low miles.
Here is the dilema and my question......I will have to sell the newly aquired GTS which I paid healthy taxs on, I will lose $$ on the GTS because vipers have devalued over the past 6 months, I will pay a premium for the ACR as well as more tax and shipping. Is it really worth all this just to get the ACR (1 of 14) or should I just keep the GTS and start the mods. If I buy the ACR I'll keep it for a long time especially because of the rarity. I intend to lightly mod (exhaust, shifter, etc) either car and drive it the way it was meant to be driven...... as fast around town as I can go without getting arrested, plus a trip to the track (road course)a few times a year........ not a garage queen. I think both models will be classics eventually and I would love to pass to my children the dream car from my highschool days.

So what do I do....It's not a matter of money but a matter of wasting money. Is it worth it..............Whataya think

Thanks GTS and ACR owners,
Brandon

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

For what you plan on doing with it, stick with your GTS. If you're gonna lose money swapping to the ACR, I would have to know I was using the ACR to its FULL benefit. Just running around town and the occasional trip to the track isnt worth taking a loss IMO. If you're looking for an investment, the ACR is your better bet, but you didnt sounds like you're going to be looking to make a quick buck in a couple years. Stick with your GTS, do your mods, and ENJOY it

 

[carguy07]

Keep it and mod. The $ you will lose switching can be used to make your current car better than an ACR. Buy the wheels, harnesses and upgrade your shocks and you are there for less $. Use the extra $ for more goodies, IMO.

 

[sween]

what color is the 02 ACR?

 

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

The ACR is solid yellow, the same as my GTS.

Thanks for the feedback so far.....I'm thinking........I have to decide in the next day or two!

 

[Camfab]

Buy the ACR! What ever the difference is, probably ten grand, I would buy the car you really want. If you really like the ACR you gotta **** it up and buy it. Sorry but just buying the wheels alone is over half that price for a used set. ACR shocks are 3-4 grand a piece new. You will spend twice the difference and still not have an ACR. ACR's are really a bargain at this point, in that they don't bring a huge premium.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

Not worth it IMO to go to ACR. Nobody knows how long it will take to get to collector prices but 20 or more years is likely. Invest money elsewhere to gain money. Buy a Viper to drive and enjoy it.
Few Vipers are sure collector bets like the GT2, 1992 model year, Competition Coupes and Racing Vipers and a couple others. Since money is an issue to yourself still, like myself, enjoy your GTS which is definitley awesome and use the money you would have spent on mods. I recommend Kumhos V700 rears to keep traction when the pilots wear out. They cost $100 less than the Pilots which makes up for less tread life. I can pull out into traffic without fear of breaking loose and spinning now. Good luck.

 

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

I paid $4700 tax on the GTS
Depreciation of +/- $3000 (loss at sale)
I would pay $4700 tax on the ACR
(yes, the vechicles are the same price!) LOVE THE SPORTS CAR MARKET OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS!!!

hmmmmmmm.... a loss of $12400 + DMV fees etc.

That's a lot of $$$$$mods on a GTS!!! Do you ever wonder why we do this to ourselves? We just can't wait, "I gotta have it now!"

The little boy in my brain is arguing with the accountant in my back pocket and the devil on my shoulder is just laughing away!

Thanks all,
Brandon

 

[PowerKraus]

This is a very easy question, given your guidelines.....your ONLY choice is the ACR. The ACR IS the car you've been looking for and really really wanted.

As for cost prohibiting you from getting the ACR, lets assume you will keep it 'forever'; and I certainly believe that and have done that myself (look at sig). Anyway, lets put a number on this, with keeper period of, say, 15-years, ok? And consider your stated cost differential of $12,400.

Ok then, take your $12,400, divide by 15 years, then divide by 12 months. So that comes to only $69 p/month....or $2.26 p/day. Soooooooo lets avoid the should-a would-a could-a syndrome.

Hey......for $2.26 p/day.....I buy the car of my dreams.

Good luck and enjoy your new ACR !

 

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

PowerKraus,
You don't happen to own a company that sponsers children in Africa do you??

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

PowerKraus,
You don't happen to own a company that sponsers children in Africa do you??

LOL, just remember to join the VCA. It costs less than 28 cents a day, which is even less than the $2.26 a day that your ACR is gonna cost

 

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

But I already have 20 step children in 10 foreign countries....it's cutting into my starbucks fund.

Seriously, were are very lucky to live where we do and in the manner that we want. Thanks for the laughs!

 

[46hemi]

Tough call. I know I was in your shoes a few years ago but fortunately for me I had the intestinal fortitude to hold out for the exact car I wanted (ACR-Stripes-No Comfort Group and new). I don't know where this sudden burst of restraint came from, its never happened before, and probably will never happen again.

The reality of the situation is for everyday driving and ownership experience it really dosent make a difference. They drive similarly and the ACR is definitely not markedly faster than a GTS. Very few people I encounter even know what the ACR is, but they all know its a Viper.

The flip side is the ACR is definitely more exclusive. With just over 800 made (I don't count color combinations as a different model variant) there are just not alot of these cars around. If its not going to be a garage queen I think your best bet is to stay with the GTS. I am accustomed to the performance of my ACR and if not for my desire to maintain this vehicle stock I would be modding like crazy. So my choice of owning the "rarer" car is kind of diminishing my experience if that makes sense, but I still feel I made the right choice because I would be forever beating myself up for not getting the exact car I wanted..

So I guess I need to pick up a high mileage, low priced, SC GTS for a great price and leave my ultra rare ACR on the top rack. Now if I can only convince the wife of that plan!

 

[Wifey's Viper]

Buy the car you want. It will keep gnawing at you if you don't.

 

[BlueGTS]

Buy the car you want. It will keep gnawing at you if you don't.

I think this is a very true statement.

However I am not sure why people put such a premium on the ACR? IMO the wheels do not look as good as stock 02 wheels and they are harder to clean. Also the ACR comes without fog lights which I happen to like. The harnesses and better shocks are nice but nothing you can't duplicate. It is not like the difference between a regular C6 and a Z06. The changes are so minimal that it really does not pull much more money when buying the car used.

If I were picking between two 02's I would take the non-ACR personally due to the wheels. If you think the ACR will hold its value better... I hope you are willing to wait ~20 years.

 

[PDCjonny]

I really don't understand the mindset of buying a Viper now and thinking that in 20 years it's going to be some kind of hyper valuable relic going to sell for half a million. Sure, people are asking more for certain models, but are they getting it? Guys that bought brand new '96 Blue and Whites (the most collectable debately) are selling them for LESS than the 96 sticker price (which they also paid sales tax on), with virtually no miles on them. So they held onto one for 9 years, cared and fed it, virtually never drove it and still lose money on the resale. What was the point? I say buy what your heart tells you and drive it! This car will never be your kid's nest egg, if you think that you are deluding yourself. They made Viper's in all kinds of "limited" editions, colors and styles. There are many out there. Are they suddenly going to triple in value in 10-15 years? The B/W '96's didn't in almost 10 years. How long are you going to wait?

 

[98viperGTS]

^ very good point.

 

[thebigsnake]

Sounds like you made your decision 6 months ago. Why are you wasting your time by doing further shopping?

 

[Catwood]

Buy it, sell the GTS in the Spring/Summer when the winter doldrums are over.

 

[thebigsnake]

Having said that, this is what European Car magazine had to say about the ACR.

Whoever coined the phrase "walk softly and carry a big stick" was not referring to the Viper ACR. An unabashed extrovert, the Viper ACR announces its presence with all the subtlety of a 2x4 across the back of the head. And it's about as comfortable. The Viper's lure is not its road manners, akin to wrestling with a Ritalin-addled bull, and it's certainly not its cabin, which has all the spacious comfort of a 747's toilet. No, the Viper ACR isn't concerned about making its drivers cushy--its main purpose is to crush the guy in the next lane, humiliate him, brutalize him. The Viper and its 460 bhp and 500 lb-ft of twist was born to crack heads, pure and simple.

 

[Gerald Levin]

Easy decision for me:
Is the ACR worth another $12k over the GTS? No way Ray. If you work hard for your money and don't like flushing it down the toilet, keep the GTS. If you have a money tree where the cash is there for the picking, then take the ACR.

 

[Andrew/USPWR]

Buy the car you want. It will keep gnawing at you if you don't.
___________________________________________________

If your going to do some serious tracking, the ACR 5 point harnesses are great ”I know I put a set in my car” but the rest of the up grades you could do yourself except the wheels are expensive. I prefer the 18’’ 5 spoke myself but I do like the rarity of the ACR’s if that your bag then I’d get the ACR if not love the one your with.

Hey that has a familiar ring to it

 

[Silver Snake]

I’d get the ACR if not love the one your with.

Hey that has a familiar ring to it

Yes it does, but I believe the song goes:

If you can't have the ACR
then love your GTS.

 

[Yellow_OC_Viper]

Thanks to all of you! I have decided to keep the GTS and start the mods. Who knows what will happen with Viper values in years to come and frankly there are 1001 better speculative investments. If I need an ACR in 2020 I can buy a nicely restored example and not lose more money restoring an ACR that has 150,000 miles of hard driving on it.

The hardest part was that my wife simply said "Do what makes you happy!" ......Lucky me!

Thanks to all of you,
Brandon

 

[PatentLaw]

Although you may have initially made up your mind, I just wanted to chime in and give you some more food for thought. The ACR may not be that bad of a purchase as originally shown. Depending upon your tax situation and your state, some of the money payed for vehicle sales tax and registration may, in fact, be recoverable. If you are in a higher tax bracket you may decrease the amount of the dollars spent on the ACR tax and licensing by a third. Moreover, why include the money spent on the GTS tax as "lost" money on the purchase of the ACR? The money is gone, whether you keep the GTS or you purchase the ACR. The state of California thanks you. Either way, the money is spent and will not be recovered. (You may get a portion of the tax money back on the GTS, but saying simply that you have to spend that to get the ACR is not entirely true from the financial viewpoint.)

So the real cost difference between the two options would be the depreciation and potentially 2/3 of the tax money paid on the ACR. Maybe $6,000? If you are a good negotiator, $4000 to $5000? It is true that this may allow some modifications to the vehicle, but the true cost of the ACR may be better than originally anticipated. Looking at the condition of the cars can make it a closer analysis. If the ACR has a newer/nicer set of tires (compared to the GTS) and maybe an upgraded stereo, the ACR may come in even closer. Adjustable shocks are worth money. The ACR wheels are worth more as well. The upgraded engine as well. It all adds up.

Not trying to negate your analysis of the situation. Just wanted to give you another viewpoint so you make the right decision.....which is the reason you posted in the first place. Whatever the outcome, you will have a rare car, worthy of admiration.

 

[monnieh]

ACR, it's just cooler.

 

[BlueGTS]

The upgraded engine as well. It all adds up.

Ok, lets not make anyone think there is an upgraded engine.

 

[Eric H]

I would figure out what you like most about the ACR, is it the better handling and adjustable shocks? Those can be bought for less than $2000, is it the wheels? Again, for less than $2-3000(used of course) I'm sure for what youre going to do with it that you would NEVER reap the benefits of the ACR, just throw an ACR sticker on your GTS and you'll never notice the difference(just kidding on the sticker)
Save your money, mod your GTS, and save the money you would have spent on the ACR and mod the hell out of your GTS. for 10k you can Uber-Charge your GTS and have all sorts of fun!