Gen I Owners...Come on in Please!

[DrTaco]

Hey all,

Well, been looking for a used Viper and had thought I wanted a Gen II until I made the mistake of checking out a Gen I. I dont know, there's just something about those that I fell in love with. The purity of what it is - and isn't - is just amazing!

Are you Gen I owners all pretty happy you went with a Gen I? Wish you would have gone for a different generation if you could have? This will NOT be a daily driver, and I would love to keep it/return it to stock condition. However, I will want something I can drive 2+ days a week or so, and not be $broke$ because of all the repairs. I guess my biggest concern is by buying a Gen I am I just going to be getting a lot of headaches?

haha, and no...I can't buy one of each Gen.

Thanks for the input all, it is appreciated
Mark

 

[Stretch]

I love mine. I had been obsessed forever with owning a GTS, but my friends had convertibles and it looked like fun. So then I started looking at RT/10's. At the time I was impatient and the Gen 1's fit my budget better than the Gen 2's. So after a ton of research I determined that a Gen 1 wouldn't be so bad and I could handle the impracticality of it. So, last September I picked one up and haven't looked back!

I would highly recommend the AP Engineering 3 piece top and windows. They are great. What part of the country are you in? Weather can affect your 2 days a week driving experience a little more in the Gen 1's. I don't take mine to work unless it's 20% or under chance of rain for the entire day. I could drive mine 2-3 days a week in the summer but I typically don't because it makes me nervous a little sitting out there alone and I don't want to totally bake the interior. Now with that said, I usually drive it at least once a week as long as it's nice and I've put almost 5,500 miles on in a year.

So I may have jumped the gun a little on my purchase but I absolutely love my 95. I couldn't be happier with my decision. It is the original Viper and what started the legacy. It's raw, mean, ****, and I love it. You also won't believe how much fun it is to tell people that it does not have windows or door handles

Good luck with your search and if you have any specific Gen 1 questions don't hesitate to ask

 

[DrTaco]

Thanks, Stretch! I appreciate all the input you gave. I'm in Chicago, so no driving for a few months outta the year haha. Thanks again, guess I got some thinking to do.

 

[JPL]

Love mine, going on 8 years in Jan, haven't looked back, I went with the Northwest Engineering top & windows and drive it until the first snow. It's a keeper forever.........unless the right price pops up. lol!

You must be registered for see images

 

[jasontiff]

Unmodified cars are only as big a headache as you make them. The only "major" thing that's necessary on them is replacing the head gaskets, and by now most should have had that done. They're relatively simple cars and if you're handy with a wrench you can do most of the work yourself. The only downside is the fairweather aspect of it, but you'll never look back once that first gorgeous 70˚ day comes along.

 

[redtanrt10]

I've had my Gen I for 13 years. The biggest difference between I's and II's are the windows as others have pointed out. I bought a set of 3/4 plexiglas windows from a long ago vendor in San Diego. He told me I'd never take them off and he was correct! They work great for me but the viper has always been in AZ and CA. The hardtop on the Gen II's are easier to use as on Gen I's you have to remove the sport bar pad.

Build quality is better on he II's, there are more performance mod's availble too.

Repairs should be similiar and hopefully minimum. Head gaskets need to be checked for replacement and some Gen I's got hood cracks from design clearance.

Side pipe look is classic, but aftermarket exhausts make them loud in your ears.

Look for a lower mileage, few owner with lots of documentation and service records. '95's are the most refined.

Find a good one, not a cheap one, depreciation will be minimal if you decide to move up later. Good luck! Mike

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

94k on my 96' RT/10 (Gen 1.5). 43k of that belongs to my right foot. I have no regrets buying a Gen 1. The softtop is a piece of crap, but is hardly ever on the car so that can be dealt with. The lack of windows doesn't really bother me. The only major mechanical issue I've had <knock on wood> is I had to replace my transmission a few months ago after bending the reverse shift fork. It could've been rebuilt, but for a few hundred $$ more, I was able to get a brand new, 0 mile, Gen 3 tranny.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

My first time driving a Viper was a yellow 95 in Vegas as a rental. I had an absolute blast.

There are significant improvements to the Gen II which are worth paying up for. I recommend getting the Viper Buyer's Guide by Maurice Liang which is very specific on information. Also have a local Viper tech check out the Viper if possible.

 

[JPL]

I've had my Gen I for 13 years. The biggest difference between I's and II's are the windows as others have pointed out. I bought a set of 3/4 plexiglas windows from a long ago vendor in San Diego. He told me I'd never take them off and he was correct! They work great for me but the viper has always been in AZ and CA. The hardtop on the Gen II's are easier to use as on Gen I's you have to remove the sport bar pad.

Build quality is better on he II's, there are more performance mod's availble too.

Repairs should be similiar and hopefully minimum. Head gaskets need to be checked for replacement and some Gen I's got hood cracks from design clearance.

Side pipe look is classic, but aftermarket exhausts make them loud in your ears.

Look for a lower mileage, few owner with lots of documentation and service records. '95's are the most refined.

Find a good one, not a cheap one, depreciation will be minimal if you decide to move up later. Good luck! Mike

Not true, my Northwest Engineering top does not require the sports pad to be removed. And it's carbon fiber, very light, easy for one person.

 

[ACELLR8]

Love my Gen I, Enjoy driving it more than the GTS.

 

[Crompton]

Love it .Drive it daily when there is no chance of rain or snow just got to 50k plus the other day had it for three years and would never change up.Love evrything about it and its still all original for now.

 

[vipurgen1]

I have to agree also. I first started looking at the GTS and although it is also one hell of a car, I much more enjoy the ability to drive ******* and enjoy all the waves and thumbs ups. I heard rumors about the Gen1 being a very rough ride, but by the time you get in and start moving, it rides and looks as good as any other exotic out there. Of course that's just my opinion. The Gen 1 was good enough for the world when it first made it's debut and it's still a great car today. Go for original beast....

 

[jdeft1]

No regrets....