Cost of fixing Viper 94 - 96

[Saxon]

Since Vipers are not dime a dozen, it is hard to determine the cost of keeping the beast running for those who have yet to be privileged of its ownership. I think it would be a splendid idea to gather prices paid for all kinds of repairs one would encounter while owning the vehicle in question. I am new to Vipers and it would really help to know what kind of financial obligations I am getting myself into. I am interested in all types of services. From the most mundane to those of the rarest kind.

Let's hear what the folks have paid to keep the beast oiled and ready to rumble.

 

[slysnake]

I'm sure there is a "Viper tax" on repairs. But something I've found out is that these cars are so basic that a lot of work can be done on them by a person with just average mechanical skill. Plus, I think they're pretty solid cars. So the need for repair is usually not that great.

 

[JohnnyViper]

If you have to ask then a viper may not be for you. They are not cheap to own. Being able to do your own work is a plus. You will encounter people not willing to work on them or give you "Viper Pricing" meaning they inflate the price of labor and parts excessively for no good reason. They are basic and simple cars to work on....19k for a crate engine, 19-22k for a hood, 1000+ bucks for a headlight assembly, 1500+ for good tires, 500+ for gas cap ....the list goes on....find a viper in good condition and take care of it the repairs will be few, vipers are reliable. When I purchased my viper the past owner which only have it about a year in a half, replaced some minor wear and tear stuff a rear main seal and a radiator, his repairs totaled over 4k

 

[Saxon]

I could live with 19K for that V10 but $500 for a gas cap - that is crazy territory. I guess no more going top the bathroom while at the gas station. Either that or taking the cap with me. LOL

 

[Kala]

Gen I - headgaskets, and cracks in the hood are the most expensive that I remember.

 

[white out]

Doing all the work myself; plugs, fluids, filters, and grease was less than $300 for the past year. Most expensive thing was a wheel/tire balance at the Porsche dealer ($100) since nobody else in the area could get under the car or balance 335s.

Nick

 

[WOT!]

I own a 96 and over all I think it has been more than reasonable to maintain. Yes, they can hit with Viper tax even for an oil change. I do my own for cheap.

The head gaskets were a one time expense. I was lucky as mine was covered under warranty. I did pay for a little extra work that I requested while the tech was all the way in.

The only other big expense is tires. So I say get your moneys worth out of a set and leave your calling card in your friends drive ways.

If you don't mod them I think they very cheap to run.

 

[slysnake]

I could live with 19K for that V10 but $500 for a gas cap - that is crazy territory

Sometimes there are aftermarket or "used" alternatives.

 

[plumcrazy]

Try using the search feature. This has been asked hundreds of times. If youre so worried you probably can't afford it. Find the attention elsewhere: )

 

[Saxon]

Gen I - headgaskets, and cracks in the hood are the most expensive that I remember.

How much would the two ones mentioned set me back?

 

[Saxon]

If you have to ask then a viper may not be for you. They are not cheap to own. Being able to do your own work is a plus. You will encounter people not willing to work on them or give you "Viper Pricing" meaning they inflate the price of labor and parts excessively for no good reason. They are basic and simple cars to work on....19k for a crate engine, 19-22k for a hood, 1000+ bucks for a headlight assembly, 1500+ for good tires, 500+ for gas cap ....the list goes on....find a viper in good condition and take care of it the repairs will be few, vipers are reliable. When I purchased my viper the past owner which only have it about a year in a half, replaced some minor wear and tear stuff a rear main seal and a radiator, his repairs totaled over 4k

I have no problem paying decent money for good service. I am just trying to see if the Viper tax is closer to Vette tax or Porsche's Tax.

 

[Saxon]

Try using the search feature. This has been asked hundreds of times. If youre so worried you probably can't afford it. Find the attention elsewhere: )

Not to worry plum. I will run the numbers by you when I decide to pull the trigger so that I can get your approval. So far I am getting a lot of attention from you without the Viper. Imagine if I had one

Enjoy the skyline. One day U2 shall be able to reside there.

As always.... much love!

 

[slysnake]

How much would the two ones mentioned set me back?

Those GenI and GenII hoods are crazy expensive to replace. I don't know about repair of cracks though. Would guess that should be the same as any other car at a body shop. As long as it's just repairing.

 

[Dads Toy]

thanks for posting this. I think you are doing your home work up front.

 

[AZTVR]

500+ for gas cap ....

I could live with 19K for that V10 but $500 for a gas cap - that is crazy territory. I guess no more going top the bathroom while at the gas station. Either that or taking the cap with me. LOL

Maybe $500 for the cast aluminum hinged racing cap assembly. Hard to lose one of those. The screw in gas cap underneath is an everyday screw in cap, about $5-7 at Autozone.

Not very often one is going to need to buy the aluminum assembly, although it can start oxidizing/corroding and need refinishing. I assume that it must be clearcoated and when that is breached, you get corrosion.

 

[daytonprowler]

Not to worry plum. I will run the numbers by you when I decide to pull the trigger so that I can get your approval. So far I am getting a lot of attention from you without the Viper. Imagine if I had one

Enjoy the skyline. One day U2 shall be able to reside there.

As always.... much love!

Good one!

I had the same attitude from dealers when I bought my Viper, Prowler, TBird, and Shelby Mustang. It was great going back to those dealers and showing them what I bought from their competition,, cash sales.

I just had a friend of mine and his partner try and buy a $58,000 2010 Dodge 3500 Cummins from a dealer, off the lot, in Columbus, Ohio. They offered them $2,000 off sticker. They either didn't think they were serious or for some other reason.

I took them to my dealer in Dayton. They let them ORDER the exact truck they wanted:inferno red, leather, Cummins, 3500, etc., total $58,000 and gave them $13,000 off sticker = $45,000. Oh, and they gave them $200 worth of gas/diesel cards for having to drive from Columbus to Dayton, twice. They had to wait 6 weeks for the truck, but for $13,000 off, I'd wait too.

Never judge a customer/buyer, you'll lose everytime.

 

[Kala]

How much would the two ones mentioned set me back?

Hoods can be $20k... Head gaskets are probably $1200-$1500 I'm guessing about these prices, it's been a long time since I had a Gen I...

Saxon, Plum is a good guy... We like him here. He is giving a helpful reminder... We've been getting a ton of these threads from new owners lately. Personally I'd rather see repeats of threads than have someone get snake bit or in over their heads... But when all else fails, search here works great too

If you end up buying a Viper, joining the VCA has benefits... There is a section for illustrated upgrades that will help a new do it yourself er mod their own car. That can save a lot of $ too... Your local chapter of the VCA can be extremely helpful to a new owner in many ways as well. You might want to check those two things out

More than $ spent on mods or repairs, plan to spend some time and $ at a HPDE near you. Adding the driver mod is one of the best investments you can make. Your local club will have info on track days.

Have fun

 

[daytonprowler]

Kala is right. When you get your Viper, join the club. You will not find a better group a people that will help you with a problem, or they will find someone that can help you.

As for my Gen1, it has never been in the shop, even for warranty work, except for the replacement of the side sills due to corrosion. Chrysler even took care of that for me 7 years after my warranty was up!!! How's that for a car company!! She has 28,000 on her, just got back driving her on the Grand Caravan to VOI11. Still original head gaskets. Replaced all the hoses, etc. before I left. Keep all the fluids changed regularly. Gen1's are very reliable cars.

 

[DrumrBoy]

Maintenance and mods are key to the probability of issues occuring.

If its modded, the probability goes up; if its not well-looked-after, the probability goes up.

Here's a totally non-scientific, not backed up with statistics way to think about it:


Probability of big $$$ issue occuring:

Stock, well maintained = 10%

Modded, well maintained = 20%-30% (depending on the extensiveness of the mods)

Stock, poorly maintained = 30%

Modded, poorly maintained = 50-100%


This is the probability of an issue happening. As others have said, do some or all of your own wrenching and the cost of remedying an issue goes way down.

So do your homework. I started in category 4 and it took me several years and alot of $$$ to get it ship-shape.

 

[jdeft1]

What is your mechanical ability? I think that's key. Professional service will be costly (as it is for every car IMO..) As stated earlier in this thread, vipers are really pretty simple machines, gen 1 in particular. I've had several gen 1 cars over the last ten years or so and never brought any of them to a dealer....

Some of the work I've done to mine:
Headgasket job cost me $600 +/-
Oil changes are $80 in my garage (approx.)
Clutch and brake fluid changes.. $20 each or less.
New Aluminum radiator and upgraded fan - $700 (my fault for busting off the drain plug).
Silicone coolant hoses $300 (from Snake Oyl)
Tires all around $2000(every 15-20k mi. if you don't track it).
Alignment is $125 - $170 in my neck of the woods.


I'd advise against using a gen 1 as a DD. PM me if you'd like my take on the subject of ownership.

 

[BigBadViper]

Mine was already twin turbo when i bought it, so I haven't had to spend much money.

$5000 - New tranny
$5300 - New heads
$1500 - New clutch
$2500 - labor
$4500 - New Axles
$3500 - New Diff

Those are the main things. Like I said haven't spent much.

BTW - my diff and heads were used. Got a good deal.

 

[Saxon]

Those GenI and GenII hoods are crazy expensive to replace. I don't know about repair of cracks though. Would guess that should be the same as any other car at a body shop. As long as it's just repairing.

Why are those hoods so expensive to replace? I am guessing they are no longer being produced and hence the price being so high.
Also why would they develop cracks?

 

[Saxon]

thanks for posting this. I think you are doing your home work up front.

Knowing what you are up to is half the battle.

 

[Saxon]

Good one!

I had the same attitude from dealers when I bought my Viper, Prowler, TBird, and Shelby Mustang. It was great going back to those dealers and showing them what I bought from their competition,, cash sales.

I just had a friend of mine and his partner try and buy a $58,000 2010 Dodge 3500 Cummins from a dealer, off the lot, in Columbus, Ohio. They offered them $2,000 off sticker. They either didn't think they were serious or for some other reason.

I took them to my dealer in Dayton. They let them ORDER the exact truck they wanted:inferno red, leather, Cummins, 3500, etc., total $58,000 and gave them $13,000 off sticker = $45,000. Oh, and they gave them $200 worth of gas/diesel cards for having to drive from Columbus to Dayton, twice. They had to wait 6 weeks for the truck, but for $13,000 off, I'd wait too.

Never judge a customer/buyer, you'll lose everytime.

While in college which was a while ago, I was asked to leave a Toyota dealership because I just wanted to look and was not ready to provide my personal info. To say that I was unhappy would be an understatement. I left and guess what? I have never ever been back to that or any other Toyota dealer. Granted being a student I was not ready to buy, but neither was I ready to purchase a Viper a couple of years later at my local Dodge dealer, yet the treatement I received was super. Heck the sales person even unlocked it for me and let me sit behind the wheel for a while. Goes to show you.

BTW I do not think Toyotas are bad cars, but they are not the only game in town and even if they are all that, there is no need to be unprofessional.

 

[Saxon]

Maintenance and mods are key to the probability of issues occuring.

If its modded, the probability goes up; if its not well-looked-after, the probability goes up.

Here's a totally non-scientific, not backed up with statistics way to think about it:


Probability of big $$$ issue occuring:

Stock, well maintained = 10%

Modded, well maintained = 20%-30% (depending on the extensiveness of the mods)

Stock, poorly maintained = 30%

Modded, poorly maintained = 50-100%


This is the probability of an issue happening. As others have said, do some or all of your own wrenching and the cost of remedying an issue goes way down.

So do your homework. I started in category 4 and it took me several years and alot of $$$ to get it ship-shape.

I would love to get one of those pristine almost virgins with less than 15K on the odometer and then slowly improve her till she is ready to rumble. It would probably be the best way to spend even more $$$ on the car without wife searching for divorce lawyers in local directory. I am not into making my Viper into 800HP machine. I am sure I would enjoy every red light with that kind of power, but the financial obligations to get to that magic hp would strain my budget beyond my wife's patience. Having said that I would surely change the wheels (I am not a particular fan of the originals), do something for the sound (and I do not mean music here LOL) and fix the side pipes heating problem. Perhaps I would dress up the engine bay a bit and tinker with brakes to get better stopping power.
However, I am sure getting a nicely modified Viper with a host of upgrades and done with attention to detail and taste would not be a bad way to enter the Viper ownership. Some people have good taste and one can sometimes find a spendid ride with extras galore for very little extra. That avenue of progress toward purchasing one is wide open as well.

 

[Saxon]

Mine was already twin turbo when i bought it, so I haven't had to spend much money.

$5000 - New tranny
$5300 - New heads
$1500 - New clutch
$2500 - labor
$4500 - New Axles
$3500 - New Diff

Those are the main things. Like I said haven't spent much.

BTW - my diff and heads were used. Got a good deal.

When I was reading your post I was under the impression that your prices are on the high side and then I saw what kind of a Viper you possess. WOW , that thing could race an F16 and give it a serious run for the money. I guess when one has 1600 under the gas pedal a 5K tranny is the only solution. They should have your face in the dictionary ynder the definition of fun!

 

[Saxon]

What is your mechanical ability? I think that's key. Professional service will be costly (as it is for every car IMO..) As stated earlier in this thread, vipers are really pretty simple machines, gen 1 in particular. I've had several gen 1 cars over the last ten years or so and never brought any of them to a dealer....

Some of the work I've done to mine:
Headgasket job cost me $600 +/-
Oil changes are $80 in my garage (approx.)
Clutch and brake fluid changes.. $20 each or less.
New Aluminum radiator and upgraded fan - $700 (my fault for busting off the drain plug).
Silicone coolant hoses $300 (from Snake Oyl)
Tires all around $2000(every 15-20k mi. if you don't track it).
Alignment is $125 - $170 in my neck of the woods.


I'd advise against using a gen 1 as a DD. PM me if you'd like my take on the subject of ownership.

I am not mechanically inclined but I do have a dear friend who is a good mechanic and have been fixing my cars for the last 20 years (including my vette). He is a solid, smart and patient guy who charges around $60/Hour and enjoys working on cars. He is very detailed and disciplined when working. His garage is very clean and in order and I have yet to have any problems with him. As long as the car does not have too much electronics, he would probably be good enough to fix things and do regular upkeep.

I am interested as to why you advise against using gen 1 as a daily drive (I assume DD is daily driver). I would like your take on the subject and if possible I would prefer it to be placed in an open forum so that others contemplating just that could sort of compare notes. If you prefer pm then by all means. Either way I am all ears.

 

[Vipuronr]

I've owned many Corvettes and they can be expensive if you have the wrong mechanic work on your car. Vipers are the same in this respect and no different than having the wrong person work on anything (story of the old appliance repair person).

The VCA is a great organization and you will find that there are incredibly good Viper Techs in all/nearly all regions and certainly reputable/fairly priced dealers who are quite familiar with Vipers.

That said, I agree with many above...if you have to ask, then this might not be the car for you. While it is a fairly basic car, parts are/can be expensive on their own even if you have a good mechanic. But, many maintenance parts are similar in pricing to many other cars...I have an Infiniti FX35 and recently replaced the tires. They cost approximately the same as the tires I put on the Viper.

If you buy a well cared for Viper, and you take care of it, it should be a great ownership experience. But, keep in mind, people know the Viper is unique and expensive, so....you get what you get and you don't get upset! (this is what we tell our kids).

 

[Vipuronr]

And....I just re-read your post. You just recently joined the VCA, but I can't tell if you're seriously considering buying a Viper or are a person who just likes Vipers and are in the club (there are others).

That said, if you are seriously going to purchase a Viper, you have to do your research before buying. Because there have been few Vipers produced relative to other cars (Vettes for example), many Vipers that are for sale are cars known to other VCA members and that will provide you with a great perspective on what cars are good/bad to buy.

Knowing the history of a car can be an invaluable indicator of how the car will be going forward (garage queen vs. beat on).

 

[musclenutz]

Since Vipers are not dime a dozen, it is hard to determine the cost of keeping the beast running for those who have yet to be privileged of its ownership. I think it would be a splendid idea to gather prices paid for all kinds of repairs one would encounter while owning the vehicle in question. I am new to Vipers and it would really help to know what kind of financial obligations I am getting myself into. I am interested in all types of services. From the most mundane to those of the rarest kind.

Let's hear what the folks have paid to keep the beast oiled and ready to rumble.

I am lucky in that the local Dodge mechanic here is very good at working on high performance cars. Since i bought a new Fusion Sport from them,they seem to treat me better than other places around here too. They are always willing to work on my Viper. Still can get pricey because of 'Viper pricing' on parts. So far nothing major. These cars seem pretty well made too. I am disabled so can't do a lot on mine,but hopefully i won't need to much in the way of repairs if i treat em right