Cost to Convert coupe to ACR

[wastntim]

Having gone a whole year without a Viper, I am really starting to consider replacing my car. I'm currently wrestling with Gen II vs. Gen IV.

If I go gen IV, I'd really like it to have the aero of the ACR. Problem is used ACR's are in the $80ks, while some coupes are getting into the upper $50k's. So what is the current cost of the different components to upgrade a coupe to an ACR?

 

[C.Hermsen]

I'm no expert, but IIRC all the factory parts total to around $10-15k.

*edit* Try to contact member Vegas. I believe he converted an 06 coupe to ACR Aero, and he said it was around $14k

 

[kcobean]

Having gone a whole year without a Viper, I am really starting to consider replacing my car. I'm currently wrestling with Gen II vs. Gen IV.

If I go gen IV, I'd really like it to have the aero of the ACR. Problem is used ACR's are in the $80ks, while some coupes are getting into the upper $50k's. So what is the current cost of the different components to upgrade a coupe to an ACR?

You'd have to change the suspension and brakes, add the splitter, canards, wing and underbody aero and badging, and buy a set of sidewinders and sport cups if you wanted to go all the way.

I doubt all of the above would equal the current ~$30k delta between a standard coupe and an ACR, but in the end, you'd have a modified coupe that is functionally an ACR. That is how a buyer would see it when you decide to sell.

ETA: And keep in mind that the 'aero coupe' wing is different than the ACR wing and I don't believe the factory aero option included the canards.

 

[PDCjonny]

I'm no expert, but IIRC all the factory parts total to around $10-15k.

*edit* Try to contact member Vegas. I believe he converted an 06 coupe to ACR Aero, and he said it was around $14k

I can't imagine how all the required upgrades would be under 10-15K, how much is the CF splitter and wing alone?

 

[kcobean]

I can't imagine how all the required upgrades would be under 10-15K, how much is the CF splitter and wing alone?

Yeah, I thought the factory wing was something like $8K. I know the add-on extension piece for the splitter alone is around $1k.

 

[C.Hermsen]

http://forums.viperclub.org/srt10-s...637892-would-like-convert-2008-coupe-acr.html

After a quick search I found that. Theres a few people who say they've done it for around $15k

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

It is almost 15K upgrade/option from the factory, and it can not be done with factory parts this inexpensively. The KW suspension and the wings and splitters/canards are way more than that uninstalled and then you have wheels, Stoptech rotors, short throw shifter, gear change for 5th , etc.

Even if you do a 08/09 conversion , hence not needing the short throw shifter and 5th gear swap, the labor to do all the other things is not going to be cheap ------ sorry.

 

[wastntim]

I appreciate the feedback and seeing some of the conversions. The benefit of going this route is that I can do things over time. My guess is the only thing that needs to be done at the same time might be suspension and aero due to the downforce. Brakes, short throw shifter, wheels, etc. can all be done over time to spread out the expense.

 

[BlknBlu]

The ACR badges are $400.00 alone. It will cost you more in the neighborhood of 25K to convert a coupe.

Bruce

 

[wastntim]

Badges? Badges? we don't need no stinkin' badges!

 

[Dan Cragin]

There are aftermarket parts to make you car "ACR" like for much less than the factory stuff. It's good parts.

 

[sun diego]

And Dan would be a good source.

I think an ACR is collectable. If you pay for it up front, I think it will hold much of that differential. The market will pay you nothing more for an aftermarket ACR than a base car, and might discount the cost of taking off the improvements. you will be ahead with the real deal.

'08 coupe 59K with maybe 10K miles

'08 ACR 76K " " " "

 

[evomind]

true, it depends on what you want.
ill be buying soon and at first i wanted an acr but i am having a hard time justifying the upcost. i might be better served with a coupe and taking 10-12k in mods.
i rather like the cleaner lines of the coupe, but the acr is very cool too.
the acr will hold its value a little better it seems.
i think if you want an acr, buy an acr. a coupe that is modded to an acr clone is still a coupe when you go to sell.
at the end of the day its an individuals choice what he does with his car, but its always good to make an informed decision.

 

[J&R3xV10]

It always amazes me how the first thing that most people think about when buying a car seems to be what they can sell it for If I am buying a car its because I want it and I like it.

For what its worth I plan on changing my 08 coupe into an ACR over time. I am most concerned with getting the ACR wing vs the Aero package wing. I don't care about changing it to be an ACR clone I just like the ACR upgrades.

 

[gilly6993]

I think an ACR is collectable.

sorry but I disagree with that.....

 

[sun diego]

I like spending the same dollar more than once. In 2005 I bought a racing Shelby GT 350 and then vintage raced it hard for 4 years. I then sold it for quite a bit more than I paid for it. I bought another vintage racer with the money.

If we look at which Vipers really made a lot of magazine covers, 3 stand out. The 1992 car, the 1996 B/W coupe and the 2008 ACR. Now they've built quite a few of the ACRs. I'm not suggesting buy one and put no miles on it. It just should tend to hold it's value a bit better than a non-ACR. They already seem to be doing that.

I don't buy cars to make money. I do like not losing too much on them if that can be helped. I also buy them to track or race them, which isn't the best thing for them holding value, and I don't care because that's what they were built for.

 

[wastntim]

It always amazes me how the first thing that most people think about when buying a car seems to be what they can sell it for If I am buying a car its because I want it and I like it.

Amen!

A big part of my problem is that of the used ACR's on the market (there isn't many) are colors that I don't want. To me, repainting a car, other than just adding stripes, is no different than adding a bunch of aftermarket parts i.e. wing, etc. I was thinking a blue coupe with the ACR paint scheme with a flat black would look pretty mean. I think someone on here might have already even done that combination.

Additionally, one of the purposes of buying the car is to track it once and a while, which as I know from my last car, it does put a bunch of wear and tear on the car. The car tends to get a heck of a lot more rock chips from doing 130mph down a straigtaway with a car in front of you than on the highway at 65mph, not to mention an occaisional visiit to the grass.

 

[redtanrt10]

Robert, if you DIY then you pick the colors vs. dodge or the used market. 2/3 of the cost is the aero, as Dan said there are aftermarket options and even pretty good clone aero. Check w/JonB too, he had a new/used set for 30% less than the price I told you. Also consider Gen III coupes as a base. You can build a Gen III motor to have the same HP and more torque (across the band and peak) than a maxed IV. If you're worried about re-sale a used ACR is much better, but if you convert and use dodge parts I think you'll be able to sell the aero for 70% of cost and then need to fill 4 holes on the deck lid and 4 on the bumper. good luck in what ever you decide. The factory aero is amazing on the track!!

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

I know of a 08' ACR (black w/red driver's side stripe) for sale in the $80k neighborhood. I think mileage is either below 10k or not much over. PM me for seller's info.

 

[Magnus_]

As you said, even tracking it once in a while can lead to rock chips and other things.

If you're set on ACR factory parts, then buying the ACR out right is your best bet.

I went with an 06 first edition and put APR aero, bellangers, motons, stoptechs, OZ wheels, hoosier R6's, racing seat, etc.. and put on about 3000 track miles this year. My front bumper cover is split and really hammered. My hood has chips. There are bug splatter and rubber marks hard into the hood/roof area.

And as you said, the occasional visit to the grass... or.. concrete..

I'd love to rock it out there in an ACR, but for me it made sense to spend less on the chassis when I'd be tracking it pretty hard.

And, someone mentioned resale value. If you're concerned about that, definitely get the ACR. Your coup with all these aftermarket parts will not hold its value like an ACR with factory parts, even though your coupe may have better suspension, etc... You could always put the suspension on the coupe back to stock, however the holes from the wing/canards won't cover up so easily.

Oh, also, personal preference but I prefer the APR wing (and their new splitter) over the ACR's. I feel the ACR is just a little too wide that it looks a little goofy, although I'd imagine it does perform a little better. I'm sure the ACR's wing is also much higher quality than the hollow APR's. The redesigned splitter in the APR kit also appears to cover more front area than the ACR's (from what I've seen). The ACR's piece is MUCH more thick though, its a really solid piece where as the APR's is honeycomb fiberglass. The way the ACR's splitter is mounted a bit nicer too.

Hope this helps, and hope to see you out on the track some time!

 

[JonB]

..If I go gen IV, I'd really like it to have the aero of the ACR...So what is the current cost of the different components to upgrade a coupe to an ACR?....

What He and Dan C Said below..... and for reference purposes only, there are OE ACR components available on occasion for under $9k for the COMPLETE OE authentic kit, a significant savings off the $15k MSRP noted above. But the kit noted by Dan and by Magnus is 1/3 of that, and looks and performs great.

JonB~~~~:<~

As you said, even tracking it once in a while can lead to rock chips and other things.

If you're set on ACR factory parts, then buying the ACR out right is your best bet.

I went with an 06 first edition and put APR aero, bellangers, motons, stoptechs, OZ wheels, hoosier R6's, racing seat, etc.. and put on about 3000 track miles this year. My front bumper cover is split and really hammered. My hood has chips. There are bug splatter and rubber marks hard into the hood/roof area.

And as you said, the occasional visit to the grass... or.. concrete..

I'd love to rock it out there in an ACR, but for me it made sense to spend less on the chassis when I'd be tracking it pretty hard.

And, someone mentioned resale value. If you're concerned about that, definitely get the ACR. Your coup with all these aftermarket parts will not hold its value like an ACR with factory parts, even though your coupe may have better suspension, etc... You could always put the suspension on the coupe back to stock, however the holes from the wing/canards won't cover up so easily.

Oh, also, personal preference but I prefer the APR wing (and their new splitter) over the ACR's. I feel the ACR is just a little too wide that it looks a little goofy, although I'd imagine it does perform a little better. I'm sure the ACR's wing is also much higher quality than the hollow APR's. The redesigned splitter in the APR kit also appears to cover more front area than the ACR's (from what I've seen). The ACR's piece is MUCH more thick though, its a really solid piece where as the APR's is honeycomb fiberglass. The way the ACR's splitter is mounted a bit nicer too.

Hope this helps, and hope to see you out on the track some time!

 

[Magnus_]

To add, I got almost all of my parts from JonB. Thanks Jon!

 

[sun diego]

$84K 700 miles!!


2009 SSG ACR - MINT - ViperClub Classifieds

 

[Neil - UK]

$84K 700 miles!!


2009 SSG ACR - MINT - ViperClub Classifieds

liked the comment by V1PERMAN below the add, where do these guys come from....

 

[ACR steve]

A buddy of mine did it and I think he paid John B around $9,000 for everything all in. I thought it was a great buy

 

[B & R]

wastntim:

My wife and I just completed the conversion of our 08 convert and coupe to the ACR front and rear wing parts and suspension. JonB was the man on this one! We both did this conversion because we really enjoy tracking our car. The local dealership wanted my car and 27K to do the swap to an 08' ACR. This just seemed silly to me so I started researching the options. We were lucky in that we were able to obtain used parts so ended up doing both of our cars for less than 18k including paint for the rear wings. We will actually get to go and try out the new setup this weekend at TWS so am pumped to see the difference. I don't see any reason to swap out the break rotors until they wear out or the wheels since I like the six spokes better anyway we picked up and these are almost as light as the stock ACR wheel. I am not saying I have an ACR but I do have a car that will preform as well or better give I have a set of 18" Forgelines for the track with r-compounds and the wider front wheels. I have no thought of rebadging because I just cared about the jump in performance. Its your car and its certainly up to you as to how you enjoy it. Just a word of advice though, your ride quality on the street will go way down as your suspension travel tightens. So don't be surprised at the harsh ride quality.

B&R

 

[PDCjonny]

liked the comment by V1PERMAN below the add, where do these guys come from....

They come from time wasting tire kickers who don't have two nickels to rub together.

 

[BlknBlu]

so what does everything include on a conversion?

Black sidewinder wheels
Pilot Sport Cups
KW shocks
Slotted Rotors
Front splitter
Front dive planes
Rear Wing
ACR badges
Trunk struts

Is that about it? I understand not all of this needs to be done however that is not the question that was asked.

Bruce

 

[kcobean]

so what does everything include on a conversion?

Black sidewinder wheels
Pilot Sport Cups
KW shocks
Slotted Rotors
Front splitter
Front dive planes
Rear Wing
ACR badges
Trunk struts

Is that about it? I understand not all of this needs to be done however that is not the question that was asked.

Bruce

I have not been under a standard coupe, but my understanding is that there is an underbody panel to help with under-car airflow....Not sure if that's true or not.

 

[BlknBlu]

I have not been under a standard coupe, but my understanding is that there is an underbody panel to help with under-car airflow....Not sure if that's true or not.

I believe that is part of the front spltter that wraps underneath.

Bruce