I replaced my 94 RT -- lots of photos

[MannyC]

OK guys, as many of you know, my 94 RT/10 got wiped out by a Denali SUV (the thread said Denali Vs. Viper -- Denali Wins!) Anyway, I found another 94 that had a lot of what I wanted to do (performance wise) to my car, and I felt the price was right, so I purchased it.

The car is a SVSi stroked motor. I'm waiting to hear back from Ron from SVSi to find out what package was put in there. I was told by the broker that it was a Stryker 700 package, but then I heard something else from somebody else, so I need Ron to confirm what I have in this beast. I bought the car without ever actually going to look at it, based on the fact it had what I wanted and the dealer (dodgevipers4sale.com) claimed it to have 825HP with the NOS. It was the same dealer who had the last car I bought on their site as well, and I was told this car was in better condition, so I went for it.

It's got a nice direct port NOS system built onto it, as you can see from the photos. As for the NOS system, I haven't yet tried it, not until after I get the car on a Dyno to make sure it's running right since it left SVSi a year or so ago.

This car is actually too loud for my taste. Hear me out now... I LOVE loud. In fact, the other 94 has high flow cats, Borla Exhaust, etc., and I wanted that one louder and meaner sounding. This one is definately more tinny (Corsa) but it just drones too much while driving (very much louder in the cockpit than the last car.) I am not sure if that is a characteristic of the Corsa exhaust, the motor, or a combination of multiple things. At Wide open throttle, it is unbelievably loud and the once lovely grumble sound I had with my last car as I let off the gas and let the egine slow the car down, is now replaced with the occasional loud bang that sounds like I am shooting off a revolver in my car. Any suggestions on taming the drone part of it and the gun shots (back fires), without losing too much HP?

The car has a roll bar installed, but forgot to take photos of it. It's got some Brembo brakes on it and a brake bias knob inside to adjust front and rear brakes while you drive. I haven't messed with that, yet.

Not sure what was done to the pedals, but I have more leg room in this one than I did in my other one, and my other one had a seat lowering kit and this one doesn't seem to have that. Might be my imagination on the leg room.

Has a nice 5 point harnass system and supposedly a great Penske suspension set up, although I haven't yet hit the corners hard to see what she can do.

Car has a carbon fiber front splitter. I like the agressive look of it, but god almighty is it low. My last car was lowered 1.5 inches and I was scraping all kinds of stuff, and this one seems to be at least another inch lower than that one was. I'm afraid I will break that front off somewhere in San Diego, so not sure if I will keep it or sell it, or lift the car a bit or... i dunno.

I can't stand the ugly orange logos on red cars, so the first thing I did was put on some West Coast Vipers chrome emblems all the way around. It's really the only thing I have done to the car since I got it.

I will be tinting the rear window, and potentially replacing the side windows with the one from my other 94 RT/10, when I get it back. For sure, I will be swapping out the wheels since my other car has brand new chromed ones.

Alpine stereo and alarm, plus various dash and floor mats were included.

That is about it. Overall, the car will put a beating on my other 94 in a race, without a doubt, and with no NOS. I freaked my girl out when I took her for a short spin and opened it up. She didn't freak out in the other car.

I was told this car had made it to a couple of events and was wondering if any of you had seen it before? If so, let me know what you thought of it then.

Lastly, is supercharging a stroked engine a decent idea or a bad one?

And now, the Photos....

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Brembos -- should I sell and get Stop Tech's ?

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New chrome logos I get from West Coast Vipers (talk to John over there in Temecula.)

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Carbon Fiber Front Fascia Splitter

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Feel free to comment on what you like and don't like.

 

[emo]

Way too go!!! It sounds like you are very happy with the car.I looks great. That front end is low.

Take care and enjoy!!!
Ernie

 

[GCHDEALER]

Where did you get those rear chrome emblems?? Love that car!! It has to be one of the best Gen I cars that I have seen. I just thought I used to own a good looking Gen I.
Chad Harrison
Snake Hydes

 

[HP]

Sharp car! I saw it listed on .com by Nathan Rose.

 

[MannyC]

Hey Chad,

Wanna trade a $3,400 NOS system for one of your super deluxe interiors? This car already has a NOS setup, so no need for the big setup I bought just a few weeks ago. I'd rather trade it than sell it and lose out on it.

As for the emblems, call 'West Coast Vipers' in Temecula and speak to Jon. I believe they are $50 or so for the set. Best $50 you will spend for the car, as it really dresses it up, both on the sides and the rear bumper.

 

[REDSLED]

Alright Manny, with all that HP I expect to see your new ride at the track pronto. No excuses, it has the HP, the big brakes and the suspension. I'll show you how to make use of it all.

Jonathan

PS-Don't park the car in any parking structure!

 

[MannyC]

Hey Jon, I will have a nice shiny red 1994 Viper ready for sale in about a month, with new paint and all No need for two Vipers.

I'll tell you Jon, I do like driving your the 1st '94 RT/10 more because it is so easy to drive. This new one, I stalled twice within about 10 minutes. Freakin' release the clutch a centimeter and the thing grabs and wants to take off. With yours, it's like my Z06 -- lots of play and easy to drive. This one has a gear shifter like my Z06 -- much harder to shift (very stiff.) I'm sure you remember what a weird feeling that was.

And yes, I will be bringing it to the track I actually plan on being there on July 23rd (Willow Springs big track.) Will you be there?

 

[Qualitywires.com]

Man your car rocks! I like the engine and all the nozzles! WOW!!

Now when I first looked at the front side of your car, it reminded me of my first scary movie I watched. It was the "Creature from the Black Lagoon". Remember that?

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I'm not poking at your car, it's the first thought that came to me. Now if you look at my car, I'm sure it looks like a picnic bench with wheels from your local park! But the difference between your car and that creature is that you don't look like you are going to get your assss kicked by anyone like the creature did in the movie.

 

[GARY J]

Hey man I'm a pretty picky guy but that gen 1 looks pretty good. Congrats!!

 

[robiferretti]

car looks good, except the front doesn't do much for me

 

[MannyC]

car looks good, except the front doesn't do much for me

Yeah, I am torn on the front. When I first saw the photos of the car, I really liked the front. But the more I look at it, the more I confuse myself. It serves a good function, especially the Gen I's since we don't have a scoop in the hood, so it really keeps the car planted.

So what do you guys think, keep the front, or sell it and go back to a more docile looking front end? For reference, here is a shot of both of my 94 RT's from almost the same angle. The top one has the newer rims, so disregard that if you can. It also has what I think is a nicer looking side window (going to put those on the new RT/10.)

Old 94 RT/10 being repaired:

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New 94 RT/10 Stroker Engine with Front Splitter:

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[vipernate]

I personally like the front splitter and to be honest, when driving the Viper and stopping for gas, I got probably 10 compliments. The front bumper really makes that Viper stand out. Never have I recieved so many looks, thumbs ups, and compliments in any other Viper and I have driven every color/version out there. You have a very sweet car. I would track it at least once with the front bumper on and if you decide to part with it, put the stock one on, then see/feel the difference. I think the way the car sits now is perfect. It is loud, maybe a muffler change will solve that for you? Hope you like the car and be careful, it's a rocketship!!

 

[REDSLED]

Sorry Manny my GTS will be in the shop getting some suspension work done for the next week or so. I wish I could be there to help ytou break that car in. Oh well not to nit pick but take a look at the front emblem on the new car, it isn't centered. I'm sure Horton can fix that for you. Congrats on the new car it's a beauty

 

[carguy07]

Stock front end, for sure. Spoiler is just too much on a street driven R/T. Form follows function, spoiler is all function. IMO.

 

[MannyC]

Sorry Manny my GTS will be in the shop getting some suspension work done for the next week or so. I wish I could be there to help ytou break that car in. Oh well not to nit pick but take a look at the front emblem on the new car, it isn't centered. I'm sure Horton can fix that for you. Congrats on the new car it's a beauty

Shiat Jon, you're right! I didn't notice this until you mentioned it. I just went out and measured it and the ****** is off and needs to be moved over 3/4 of an inch. Do these emblems just come right off (without taking the paint with them) ? Those guys at SVSi make good motors, but bad emblem gluers. (sigh) Good eye, and thanks.

Manny

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[Ulysses]

Geeez, that is a beast of a car. Looks tough. Not sure how you're going to quiet it down. A muffler change may not do much for you without losing the benefits of your more open exhaust. The backfire is just a result of that exhaust system, but I haven't heard it so your guess is as good as mine. Supercharging a stroked motor can be done but it's probably going to take planning and some rebuilding. Talk to John at West Coast or Dan Cragin for the local boys, as well as Doug Levin, Jason Heffner, etc. and SVSi for their opinion.

 

[kARLUG]

Thumbs up! Great looking Gen 1. You also take great digital pictures.

 

[ACELLR8]

VERY VERY SWEEET Ride!! Love the direct port N2O setup!!

Has the car been dynoed?

 

[ViperJoe]

superbar,
can you rob the seat lowering parts and exhaust off your other car?
Glad you found another Viper!

 

[Janni]

Sell the Brembos and replace with StopTech - uh... no. Those monoblock calipers are WILDLY expensive along with being the best out there. SVSi has been doing Brembo brakes for a long time - my guess is that they have done it right.

However, if you do decide to take them off and sell them, please let me know first, OK?

 

[snowmann]

LOL, your gonna need to get that front emblem straight... funny how you don't see the small details until someone else points them out... That's gonna bug you for a while.

 

[Viperzilla]

I'd replace the front fascia personally, I'd either get it a Gen II fascia or Autoform's fascia with the two center lights. I am more of the subtle type though (subtle in a Viper???).

For me on a Gen I if it were mine, I'd probably go with a Gen II front. This way it's one of those not-easily-picked-up details one has to know about and notice. But if it were modded like yours, I'd go Autoform.

 

[2001 Sapphire Blue]

Joseph, Nice catch on the emblem. I had to go back and look cause normally I see those things. I'm anal like that! Don

 

[MannyC]

See, that is what I thought. Jon over at West Coast Vipers said that the Stop Tech big brake system beat out the Brembos in some recent test. He suggested I sell my front Brembos (the rears are stock Viper brakes for some reason) and get the Stop Tech's all the way around. You guys disagree?

Sell the Brembos and replace with StopTech - uh... no. Those monoblock calipers are WILDLY expensive along with being the best out there. SVSi has been doing Brembo brakes for a long time - my guess is that they have done it right.

However, if you do decide to take them off and sell them, please let me know first, OK?

 

[MannyC]

superbar,
can you rob the seat lowering parts and exhaust off your other car?
Glad you found another Viper!

Yep, and that was already suggested. The hood on this car has 3 pretty deep scratches and two dime sized diples on the side (right where one of the emblems go.) West Coast Vipers suggested I swap out the drivers seat with my other car as well as the hood (if the colors match up.) These things are hardly noticeable and the normal observer perobably would never see it -- heck, I didn't see them until I was cleaning the car -- well, I saw one of the scratched when I went and picked it up and Jon pointed out the dimples since they happened to place the one of the new chrome emblems right over the dimples.

As for the exhaust, I don't know if that is going to help or not. The Borla exhaust is very deep, so I would imagine that the droning sound would be more amplified, not rectified, right? I really need to get to one of these San Diego meets and hear other cars like mine with a stroked motor that has a similar set up. Any of you have Gen 1's similar to mine in terms of engine/exhaust set up?

Manny

 

[MannyC]

I'm kind of liking the front Splitter now. I haven't seen another Gen I RT/10 photo with one of those on there, so it makes my car stand out a bit. The deciding factor for me will be driveability. If I am unable to manuever through downtown San Diego because of the front end, then I will replace it.

Question: What do you guys think of raising the car 1" ? I know this backwards ***, but the car is already at least an inch lower than my last car which is 1.5" lower than stock. So lifting it an inch will give me a bit more clearance and I will still be 1.5" lower than a stock viper. I saw the clearance on an SRT-10 yesterday when I went to pick the car up, and that thing looked like it had 4 or 5" more of clearance than I had.

 

[Janni]

Well, as far as brakes go - if your car doesn't have a different 4 wheel system, then perhaps he's right - because stock front calipers are Brembo anyway, now sure you would really be gaining much by getting the monoblocks.

It's kinda hard to compare a complete 4 wheel system with a front caliper only change. It's likely that what is on your car is comparable to the StopTech front wheel upgrade, so yes, a Big Brake (4 wheel) kit would offer better braking.

And yes, please let me know if you decide to sell - the race car has stock Viper fronts on the rear and we may be looking to upgrade them to a Brembo 4 piston monoblock to match the 6 piston fronts.... Thanks.

And congrats on the car - looks like you got the benefit of someone else's mod money...

 

[MannyC]

That was the other option they mentioned to me -- to replace the stock rears with stock fronts, this way the car is a bit more balanced out. Right now I am tapped out, since I bought two vipers exactly 30 days apart from each other. So any additional mods will need to wait until after I sell one of the cars. Ah yeah, I have a Z06 Vette as well -- woman really doesn't want me to sell it, as she really doesn't want to go with me anywhere in the Viper (to rough and old school tech for her.)

Well, as far as brakes go - if your car doesn't have a different 4 wheel system, then perhaps he's right - because stock front calipers are Brembo anyway, now sure you would really be gaining much by getting the monoblocks.

It's kinda hard to compare a complete 4 wheel system with a front caliper only change. It's likely that what is on your car is comparable to the StopTech front wheel upgrade, so yes, a Big Brake (4 wheel) kit would offer better braking.

And yes, please let me know if you decide to sell - the race car has stock Viper fronts on the rear and we may be looking to upgrade them to a Brembo 4 piston monoblock to match the 6 piston fronts.... Thanks.

And congrats on the car - looks like you got the benefit of someone else's mod money...

 

[99 R/T 10]

so, will you have TWO vipers now? Or did the insurance total the 94? Also, That is a sweeeeeeet front end, I like it! By the way, are the slotted rotors suppose to be oriented in teh other direction, or does it matter? The reason I ask, I was told they should go on a certain way, and I am getting ready to put some on my back brakes.

 

[MannyC]

I don't know the answer to the slots question. I assume SVSi knows what they were doing. Guys, does it matter?

And no, the other Viper is being fixed. Was going to be about $5K, but they told me they had to replace one of the rear quarter panels, so the price doubled to nearly $10K. The other persons insurance company is paying for it all, so oh well.

so, will you have TWO vipers now? Or did the insurance total the 94? Also, That is a sweeeeeeet front end, I like it! By the way, are the slotted rotors suppose to be oriented in teh other direction, or does it matter? The reason I ask, I was told they should go on a certain way, and I am getting ready to put some on my back brakes.