BLWNASP
Enthusiast
It does nothing for me!
Just kidding.
Just kidding.
anyone looking for a CLEAN GTS?
- Thread starter big-n-italian
- Start date
DodgeViper01
Enthusiast
That is one heck of a clean car. I wish him the best of luck.
Jerry Dobson
Enthusiast
Hello Guys,
That is my GTS. Good clean Vipers are hard to find. I know my Viper is worth more than the average market value. I had an offer on it last summer for way more than $55k and turned it down.
It all comes down to “You get what you pay for”. In the Ferrari world, a huge price factor is service and maintenance records. This is not really the case with the Vipers. Most buyers base their purchase amount on year and mileage. This is fine but you need to look at the entire car. When I walk around a Viper I notice things like the ripped door seals, all the paint chips on the nose, paint discoloration on the side sills, etc. I am like a cash register ringing up all the repairs. It’s always cheaper to pay more for a gem than to attempt to polish a ****.
Whenever I pop a hood on a Viper, my eyes go straight for the brake fluid. If it looks like black coffee, most likely other parts of the Viper have been neglected. Many Viper owners just change the oil. What about the transmission, rear end, brake fluid, clutch fluid and coolant? If the car is not driven and does not have many miles on it…it needs to be changed MORE often. Fluids absorb moisture. If the car never moves, gear sets start to oxidize.
PhoenixGTS, you are correct and have a good eye. Those are new drop links. My rear drop links had rips in the boots. They were not defective but they were not perfect. I replaced all four. They are about $140 each. My brake rotors are also new. I don’t turn rotors, I replace them. I drive fast and I want to be safe.
I found a hairline crack in one of my back wheels. The wheel shop said “We fix them all the time”. Not acceptable. I bought a new wheel, had it chromed and put the tire on it. Not cheap. No one would ever have found that crack in the wheel. Most guys would just sell the car with the defective wheel. Not me. Anyone want to buy a cheap chrome wheel for a coffee table?
I could go on and on about Viper prices. My Viper did not sell last week. It went up to $52,900 but did not meet reserve. I talked to the high bidder many times on the phone. We just did not close the deal. I know there are a lot of people watching my auction including dealers. If my car sells, it will set a high water mark for values.
I have driven Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Masseratis, Porsche 911, Ford GT, Z06 etc. I have had my car for five years now. I still get excited over the ownership. If I sell it will I leave the Viper community? Nope. The Viper is a damn exciting car.
Jerry
That is my GTS. Good clean Vipers are hard to find. I know my Viper is worth more than the average market value. I had an offer on it last summer for way more than $55k and turned it down.
It all comes down to “You get what you pay for”. In the Ferrari world, a huge price factor is service and maintenance records. This is not really the case with the Vipers. Most buyers base their purchase amount on year and mileage. This is fine but you need to look at the entire car. When I walk around a Viper I notice things like the ripped door seals, all the paint chips on the nose, paint discoloration on the side sills, etc. I am like a cash register ringing up all the repairs. It’s always cheaper to pay more for a gem than to attempt to polish a ****.
Whenever I pop a hood on a Viper, my eyes go straight for the brake fluid. If it looks like black coffee, most likely other parts of the Viper have been neglected. Many Viper owners just change the oil. What about the transmission, rear end, brake fluid, clutch fluid and coolant? If the car is not driven and does not have many miles on it…it needs to be changed MORE often. Fluids absorb moisture. If the car never moves, gear sets start to oxidize.
PhoenixGTS, you are correct and have a good eye. Those are new drop links. My rear drop links had rips in the boots. They were not defective but they were not perfect. I replaced all four. They are about $140 each. My brake rotors are also new. I don’t turn rotors, I replace them. I drive fast and I want to be safe.
I found a hairline crack in one of my back wheels. The wheel shop said “We fix them all the time”. Not acceptable. I bought a new wheel, had it chromed and put the tire on it. Not cheap. No one would ever have found that crack in the wheel. Most guys would just sell the car with the defective wheel. Not me. Anyone want to buy a cheap chrome wheel for a coffee table?
I could go on and on about Viper prices. My Viper did not sell last week. It went up to $52,900 but did not meet reserve. I talked to the high bidder many times on the phone. We just did not close the deal. I know there are a lot of people watching my auction including dealers. If my car sells, it will set a high water mark for values.
I have driven Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Masseratis, Porsche 911, Ford GT, Z06 etc. I have had my car for five years now. I still get excited over the ownership. If I sell it will I leave the Viper community? Nope. The Viper is a damn exciting car.
Jerry
KURT E
Viper Owner
Stop and click Jerry's avatar. That is not a staged pic. His garage, tools and cars are that clean. I think Jerry might be OCD, but, in car world that is usually a good thing. I hope he gets what he wants for it. If you dont like the price dont buy the car.
Kurt
Kurt
Jerry Dobson
Enthusiast
A strong selling price helps the entire Viper community. There is no reason to give away our cars. I think I need to take something for this Obsessed Car Desire or as you call it…OCD.
Early93Viper
Enthusiast
Trust me. Jerry's Viper is worth ever penny of 55k. I have never seen a car as clean or maintained better than Jerry's. That car is near perfect.
Jerry is also one hell of a guy. That has done a lot for the viper community.
Jerry is also one hell of a guy. That has done a lot for the viper community.
We can all agree it's an outstanding car and we all hope he gets every penny he is asking, I'd love to see a red '98 get 55K for it, especially since that's what I have. In fact, I have about 20K on mine. In the real world, I know mine is worth 42-45K maybe, it's very clean but not on that scale. New cars aren't that clean... 
But that's the reality in todays market, that is what they are selling for. So it will be interesting to see if an ultra clean car like Jerry's fetches 10K+ than the present going price for a 98 with that mileage. I hope it does, I'll dismantle mine and go over it with a toothbrush (but it still won't look like that).
But that's the reality in todays market, that is what they are selling for. So it will be interesting to see if an ultra clean car like Jerry's fetches 10K+ than the present going price for a 98 with that mileage. I hope it does, I'll dismantle mine and go over it with a toothbrush (but it still won't look like that).Brian Paddock
Enthusiast
Jerry's car is almost too clean! You pay top dollar for a car this clean. Only a mint low mileage b&w should bring more money.
V10SpeedLuvr
Enthusiast
Hs the bumper been repainted or is that scuff guard really THAT good at saving damage to the lower part of the bumper?
Casey
Enthusiast
Gorgeoous Viper!
Good luck with the sale!
Good luck with the sale!
ViperArry
Enthusiast
Why did you replace the old logo with the new one? That´s what I wanted to know.....
Hoosier Daddy
Enthusiast
I see some dirt! Around the recessed caliper bolt areas. That area is wide enough to get a q-tip in there!!! Thats a deal breaker for me though. This is one very clean car.
Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
Hey guys, I can answer a few questions as I helped write the ad for it on eBay. As for the front fascia, he gets it repainted every year. He doesn't want to mess with touch ups or anything else, nor does he want the slightest hint of bug residue from those "stainer" bugs that seem to be out every summer. So he spends big bucks to get it painted and then throws on those 80 coats of wax (or whatever he does to make the thing so dang SHINY!).
As for the "Fangs" logo in place of Sneaky Pete, he just likes the newer logo better. Mind you, he still likes to refer to my SRT as the "S2000", but at least he likes the emblem.
If there were ever a single car I would buy out of warranty this would be the one. Not only because of the pristine nature of the car itself (not to mention the thousands of dollars in upgrades), but because Jerry is a guy with incredible mechanical skills that will not accept anything less than perfection. Ask that guy "Early93Viper" above: Jerry took apart Dan's engine to put in new head gaskets and also put a new transmission in that '93. He did it all in his own garage while wearing surgical gloves - I kid you not.
There are very few people I would trust to work on my own car, including more than a few 5-Star dealers. Jerry is that rare exception that will take care of it as well as the guys (and gals) that built it in the first place. That is a very rare find indeed.
Hope it brings the full price, as it deserves it - and so does the Viper market!
Chris
PS. Brian's picture (which is Jerry's car) really does say it all...
Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
And you GTS guys shouldn't short yourself - this car is apparently worth up to $160,000 according to this note I just received...
HELLO, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR VIPER. IT SEEMS TO BE JUST WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AN OFFER. I HAVE A LIMITED EDITION BRONZE SCULPTURE FROM THE GREATEST ARTIST OF ALL TIME MICHAELANGELO. IT IS ENTITLED 'THE MADONNA'. IT IS VALUED AT $45,000 AND IS ONE OF ONLY 500 WORLD WIDE. IT IS SAID THAT IT SHOULD INCREASE IN VALUE TO BE WORTH OVER $150,000 WITH IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.THE BEST WAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT IS TO GO TO THE WEBSITE (www.newrenaissanceart.com) THE WEBSITE HAS MANY ARTICLES ABOUT THE MADONNA AS WELL AS GREAT PICTURES OF IT. SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION WITH ALL THE FACTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS PURCHASED 3 OF THEM FOR HIS COLLECTION. I AM WILLING TO TRADE YOU THE SCULPTURE FOR YOUR CAR AND $10,000 CASH.
So you guys need to quit short-selling your cars!
HELLO, I AM VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR VIPER. IT SEEMS TO BE JUST WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER AN OFFER. I HAVE A LIMITED EDITION BRONZE SCULPTURE FROM THE GREATEST ARTIST OF ALL TIME MICHAELANGELO. IT IS ENTITLED 'THE MADONNA'. IT IS VALUED AT $45,000 AND IS ONE OF ONLY 500 WORLD WIDE. IT IS SAID THAT IT SHOULD INCREASE IN VALUE TO BE WORTH OVER $150,000 WITH IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS.THE BEST WAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT IS TO GO TO THE WEBSITE (www.newrenaissanceart.com) THE WEBSITE HAS MANY ARTICLES ABOUT THE MADONNA AS WELL AS GREAT PICTURES OF IT. SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION WITH ALL THE FACTS. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT DONALD TRUMP HAS PURCHASED 3 OF THEM FOR HIS COLLECTION. I AM WILLING TO TRADE YOU THE SCULPTURE FOR YOUR CAR AND $10,000 CASH.
So you guys need to quit short-selling your cars!
ViperArry
Enthusiast
WOW, I need to start sculpting Michaelangelo like things and try to trade them for a Viper....
If you'd consider something wich could be worth $100.000,- and $11.000 in cash, I'll try making something.
Wahaaa..... if this hasn't written SCAM all over it.......
(If you wanna trade it for my scale models collection.... my mailbox is open
)
If I read this whole topic correct, this could be the best GTS around.
Too bad I don't have the money to buy it.
If you'd consider something wich could be worth $100.000,- and $11.000 in cash, I'll try making something.
Wahaaa..... if this hasn't written SCAM all over it.......
(If you wanna trade it for my scale models collection.... my mailbox is open
)If I read this whole topic correct, this could be the best GTS around.
Too bad I don't have the money to buy it.
V10SpeedLuvr
Enthusiast
I figured you got an email saying he was gonna send $160,000 and you need to return $105k of it
Well, atleast that guy didn't misspell anything, used punctuation and wrote sentences I could understand.
ViperArry
Enthusiast
No... the 105k is for transporting it to Poland (no offense to any of the Polish guys here just kidding)
OP
OP
big-n-italian
Enthusiast
jerry, love your car. i too love to clean it although mine looks like a pig-stye im comparison now!
how do you get the underside so clean? please share.
how do you get the underside so clean? please share.
EllowViper
Enthusiast
Looks like the hoods been repainted as well. The flat/matte black finish under the hood speakers is not original...now red. Looks nice however.
IEATVETS
Enthusiast
I'll tell you guys something. If and when I sell my car, I will pay full boat for this car if it is still available. I have somebody coming from Green Bay tomorrow night to look at mine so hopefully he will buy. If he does buy it I will call you right away Jerry!!
sween
Enthusiast
WOW thats clean!
Jerry Dobson
Enthusiast
I would love to sell my car to IEATVETS
Time to answer a few questions.
Why did I change the hood emblem? Don’t take this the wrong way. When I first saw a Viper Sneaky Pete logo, I thought the hood emblem was not aggressive and almost cartoonish. I really liked the new Fangs style Viper logo. So I changed it.
To keep a car show quality you can do two things. Not drive it, or paint it. I have inspected cars with 200 miles on them and I can find flaws. Driving a car = chips and scratches. Why don’t I use 3M plastic? I don’t like the look. (I remember the days when people put plastic on their sofa). The bumper guards really help and have saved my underside, but they do nothing for rock chips.
A Viper guy named Sean came by for the first time last week. He walks past my car and stops. He backs up. “Those doors are way too perfect to be factory”. Good eye Sean. My doors did not have a scratch or chip in them. They were just too wavy. It took 22 hours of sanding to make them correct. Not cheap but they sure look good now. You can see the difference from 20 feet away. A factory door has way too much “orange peel” for me.
The windshield cowling has been painted red to make the hood look even longer. I have the factory cowling also for those that like the original look.
How much does all this perfection cost? Most Vipers that have been driven need the front fascia, side sills, hood, and of course the doors painted. About $5,000. Doors normally don’t get chips. But the front nose and side sills sure do. The will need work annually.
How do I keep the underside so clean? I own a 4-post lift. Without a lift, it would be near impossible to keep up on it. During the winter months when any paint work is being performed, I start to clean on the car. Since I am not being paid or on the clock, I can spend LOTS of time cleaning.
Whenever I get around other Vipers I notice all the little things that are broke like rear hatches not staying up, ripped door seals, AC that blows warm air. Some of these cars have very low mileage. I think to myself “I will never find another one like this”. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Jerry
Time to answer a few questions.
Why did I change the hood emblem? Don’t take this the wrong way. When I first saw a Viper Sneaky Pete logo, I thought the hood emblem was not aggressive and almost cartoonish. I really liked the new Fangs style Viper logo. So I changed it.
To keep a car show quality you can do two things. Not drive it, or paint it. I have inspected cars with 200 miles on them and I can find flaws. Driving a car = chips and scratches. Why don’t I use 3M plastic? I don’t like the look. (I remember the days when people put plastic on their sofa). The bumper guards really help and have saved my underside, but they do nothing for rock chips.
A Viper guy named Sean came by for the first time last week. He walks past my car and stops. He backs up. “Those doors are way too perfect to be factory”. Good eye Sean. My doors did not have a scratch or chip in them. They were just too wavy. It took 22 hours of sanding to make them correct. Not cheap but they sure look good now. You can see the difference from 20 feet away. A factory door has way too much “orange peel” for me.
The windshield cowling has been painted red to make the hood look even longer. I have the factory cowling also for those that like the original look.
How much does all this perfection cost? Most Vipers that have been driven need the front fascia, side sills, hood, and of course the doors painted. About $5,000. Doors normally don’t get chips. But the front nose and side sills sure do. The will need work annually.
How do I keep the underside so clean? I own a 4-post lift. Without a lift, it would be near impossible to keep up on it. During the winter months when any paint work is being performed, I start to clean on the car. Since I am not being paid or on the clock, I can spend LOTS of time cleaning.
Whenever I get around other Vipers I notice all the little things that are broke like rear hatches not staying up, ripped door seals, AC that blows warm air. Some of these cars have very low mileage. I think to myself “I will never find another one like this”. Remember, you get what you pay for.
Jerry
Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
And for those that would like to see the other side of the coin, here is a 2003 SRT-10 with 24,000 miles, factory warranty, and for LESS money:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140020184539
Granted, the SRT-10 is a good deal, but the contrast when it comes to the care and feeding of these cars is startling. Sure makes you appreciate the incredible amount of time that has been devoted to that GTS. Normally the conditions would be reversed!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140020184539
Granted, the SRT-10 is a good deal, but the contrast when it comes to the care and feeding of these cars is startling. Sure makes you appreciate the incredible amount of time that has been devoted to that GTS. Normally the conditions would be reversed!
