6 cylinder Viper

[efnfast]

Driving the World's First Hurricane Swapped Viper. It's absolutely Wild!

I recently had the opportunity to collab with my buddy John over @BoostedMotorsports where he showed off his newest creation. In a very controversial move, ...

www.youtube.com

I was respect the amount of work that went in to it, but no, just no (imho)

 

[BoondocSaint]

Ya, this build is not my jam. This guy really wants you to know this GTS is an ACR, but he has removed everything ACR from the car except the 5 point harness and VIN plate.
ACR shocks were sold off for BC racing. BBS wheels were sold off for whatever he put on there. Motor and transmission were swapped to that 6 cylinder/8 speed combo. Cut a hole in the hood to route turbo exhaust. Watching this guy destroy a clean ACR was enough for me to unsub and forget his channel.

 

[lane_viper]

I used to be a fan of his and really enjoyed some of his DIY videos of him working on his Gen 2.

Now that his Viper is not really a Viper anymore, I feel like you do Saint.

 

[MoparMap]

I've seen the link several times, but I keep scrolling past it. Was there something wrong with the original engine to make him go down this path, or was it just for the fun of it?

On the one hand, I'd rather see someone do an engine swap to keep an otherwise good car on the road if the original engine was toast and couldn't be repaired rather than parting out the rest of the car, but on the other it just feels kind of wrong to not pick a more appropriate engine.

 

[BoondocSaint]

I've seen the link several times, but I keep scrolling past it. Was there something wrong with the original engine to make him go down this path, or was it just for the fun of it?

On the one hand, I'd rather see someone do an engine swap to keep an otherwise good car on the road if the original engine was toast and couldn't be repaired rather than parting out the rest of the car, but on the other it just feels kind of wrong to not pick a more appropriate engine.

Been watching this car for years at this point. Like lane_viper pointed out, used to be good maintenance content with a few tasteful mods, but has turned into click-bait garbage. There was nothing wrong with the drivetrain that came out. His channel, his car, but I won't bother wasting my time with this guy anymore.

 

[MoparMap]

Oof, that's rough. Kind of like what SuperFastMatt did with his off-road Viper. I like watching the guy, but that series was a bit harder for me to get through. I just wish these people would start with rougher cars or salvage titles or something like that. Seeing them start with good useable cars that don't appear to have any major issues and then cutting them up makes me wince.

 

[lane_viper]

I've seen the link several times, but I keep scrolling past it. Was there something wrong with the original engine to make him go down this path, or was it just for the fun of it?

On the one hand, I'd rather see someone do an engine swap to keep an otherwise good car on the road if the original engine was toast and couldn't be repaired rather than parting out the rest of the car, but on the other it just feels kind of wrong to not pick a more appropriate engine.

I believe he was invited to attend the RoadKill Nights drag event.

As part of this You are given an engine from Dodge, and build a car utilizing that engine/drivetrain. Why he decided to do this with his really solid ACR is beyond me.

If I were to ever do this with my GTS, I would do everything I could to return the car back to its originality. I hoped he would go that route, but when he started hacking up the hood, i knew that was over.

A few years ago, Dodge/MotorTrend gave invitees Hellcat engines, and a Hellcat RT/10 emerged. I wasn't thrilled about that build either as, like you said, it wasn't keeping a car alive, it was hacking up a really nice car.

The result wasn't too bad, but still far off from what I would ever do.

 

[BoondocSaint]

Yep, all part of the Roadkill event. Can't blame Dodge for tapping YouTube influencers for powertrain swap builds, but wish that YouTubers would stop using Vipers for the shock value and clicks. At least the other channels didn't ever push Viper content, it was just a shock and awe build. This ACR build rubs me the wrong way in particular, because it was a clean ACR before he got his hands on it, and he attempted to come off as a "Viper" guy while crapping all over that car.

 

[GTS Dean]

He was looking for Unitrax half shafts in a hurry for the build. He was trying to talk me into pulling the ones out of my racecar for his deal - said he would even ship his stockers to me plus cash. Glad i didn't bite on that deal. What a waste.

 

[BoondocSaint]

He was looking for Unitrax half shafts in a hurry for the build. He was trying to talk me into pulling the ones out of my racecar for his deal - said he would even ship his stockers to me plus cash. Glad i didn't bite on that deal. What a waste.

Dean, thanks for not being an enabler lol. They are obviously better on your car for a multitude of reasons.

 

[Goggles Pizano]

I hope EllowViper did sell him them for cheap on the alley.

 

[Ricketts]

Like mentioned above, I used to enjoy his DIY videos. Always nice to see any Gen2 content. But I have zero interest in this build. Really dont like a Viper with anything but a viper engine. But to swap in a engine that I couldn't care less about made it worse.

 

[yzf1999]

Soon as I saw him standing on his Vipers hood I instantly lost all respect for him…and cutting a big hole in a perfectly good hood sealed the deal for me. He has no respect for the car and he is just another ******* YouTuber that will do anything for money (views) and attention.

 

[doctormosfet]

The things the YouTube algorithm will make you do...

There are a multitude of channels which keep digging deeper in order to maintain click volume. In some cases, you can tell the creator would rather do something else, but they feel trapped, especially if the channel is their main source of income. That doesn't excuse ruining a perfectly good car, but then again, it is his car to do with as he pleases. Personally, I'd rather he do this to something else, like a RAV4 or maybe a Kia Sorento, but it's not my choice to make. Many Viper owners are prone to making modifications to address known shortcomings with the car anyway, so then it's a matter of how far is too far. Koni shocks have leakage issues, 18" rims are harder to get tires for than 19" rims for this car, power steering pulley/bracket upgrade, brake upgrades are probably appropriate if you're tracking the car, etc. I'd say when you replace the engine, for me that's a step too far.

I guess one good thing to come from this is the original parts he took off of the car could be sold to other folks who want to keep their Vipers running in more original or original-like condition.

 

[GTS Dean]

Koni ACR shocks leak less than the Dynamics that superseded them in mid-'00. As a matter of fact, I'm having a set freshened just up the road, dropping off tomorrow. I've not had any particular trouble finding 18's for my Viper, and even 17's are available if you know where to shop.

On most other points you made, I'm aligned with you.

 

[doctormosfet]

Well, I wouldn't say that 18's are impossible to get tires for, but it does appear they're just not as easy to source tires for compared to 19's, especially street tires. If you want racing tires or slicks, then sure, 18's are not a problem, but I'm not putting Hoosiers on the street

 

[white out]

Speaking of youtube Viper builds. The Throttl Hellcat swapped RT/10 is badass, got to check out the car and they made a great drag car out of it. Apparently the engine swap was quite simple too, basically bolted in.