I made the leap!

[RavenFan_94]

Well guys, I did it. I picked up a 96 RT today and could not be happier about it.

After a few months of reading this board and searching, today was better than Christmas. It is good to know that even in August, Santa's sleigh is still red.

I would like to thank the many of you that helped me along the way (Chuck T., Bill P., & Md Crab Feast attendees). Especially Ron Hickey (MD/DC/VA Pres.) and Biff Brown (Vipermania). Ron spent countless hours helping me better understand and evaluate these cars. Biff is also a true asset to the Viper community. His products, sincerity and knowledge are first rate. If you have the opportunity to do business with Vipermania, do it...

I have owned great cars and been a member of the Porsche and Vette clubs over the years. Viper nation dwarves them. If this were religion, I just found God!

Ok, I know the rules. Pics are coming. Thanks again to all.

 

[YouWish]

Welcome aboard. I just joined the board today. I have owned my gts for nearly a year now you will love every second of ownership! Does you viper have any mods already done to it?

DOUGLAS

 

[RavenFan_94]

Just the V-mania windows and 99 GTS wheels. My financial institution is on notice. The mods are coming, the mods are coming. Thanks. Ok, back in the garage.

 

[YouWish]

Just the V-mania windows and 99 GTS wheels. My financial institution is on notice. The mods are coming, the mods are coming. Thanks. Ok, back in the garage.

Don't feel like you have to do "everything" over night. It is hard to fight the urge but,just take it easy that way you always have something to look foward too.

 

[Vic]

Jody and Douglas,

Welcome aboard! Wish you both have a great time with your snakes. Respect it until you get used to it.

Watch your dash board warning light cluster for the "check wallet" light, should be coming on any time now.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Pics? You didn't even tell us the color.

 

[RavenFan_94]

My darn camera is on loan. Red, no stripes. I am thinking of adding silver mettalic ala the 'how-to' section of this site. Should get the camera back on Friday, pics are coming.

 

[Tomer]

Congrats Raven_Fan!!! As a fellow member of the exclusive 96 RT club, you better get that camera soon and get some pics up!!

I have the white with blue stripes, and I can't tell you how all the attention brings a smile to my face (this is NOT why I bought the car, but what a bonus)...I get so many folks honking, waving, thumbs up, conversations at stop lights, from Vette owners, bow ties, they all respect the VIPER!!

ON an average ride home from work (25 minutes total) I get minimum of 2 compliments, as many as 4-5...Get used to it!!!

Tomer
PS You will also get a kick out of being kind to the kids in your hood, you are now the NEW KING of your neighbourhood...Congrats again on the new status...

 

[Magicboy2]

Welcome and congrats!

 

[Viper99]

Welcome from the few, the proud, the Viper Nation.
Enjoy your ride.

 

[ViperJoe]

Keep the wheel straight when you nail it!!!

 

[RavenFan_94]

Boy you guys are not kidding. Ok so here are my first 48 hours of Viper ownership.

I take the car to my Dad's place 25 miles away. All the looks and honking of the horns. I am a man with new found celebrity. I get to Dad's (certified gear head) and he nearly makes me poo poo my pants. I think we touched 140 or atleast that is when I stopped looking. The performance (which is inducive to poo) didn't scare me but I was more worried about him bending the car. We survived. Who can say no to a proud father?

Today on the other hand was miserable. I am minding my own at 55mph returning from a trip to the local inspection station and a state trooper rolls up on me like my tag read BINLADEN. He was 'curious' about why I didn't have a front tag. Cleary there is no place to put a tag on the car, but eh the law is the law.

Now the twist: I literally just bought the car. It needs some items prior to passing inspection (brakes, belt yada yada). Whilst those are scheduled to be installed on Monday, the car can not be registered. "License and registration please". I was only able to provide half of the equation.

Johny Q. was not pleased. Reads me the riot act and calls for a TOW TRUCK, stating that my tags (registered to my Porsche) and my lack of registration yields an unlawful driver. He is literally towing the car.

After 10 minutes of begging and pleading. He lets me go without jail time. Issues a written warning and advises me that if he sees me without a front tag on the car (law in MD) he will impound the car.

Hence, my weekend is shot. Granted I am going to be a Viper owner for a long time, so what is a couple of late summer days. However, my ****** Viper weekend, is long spoiled.

Anyone ever seen a tag on the front of a snake? I ordered the bracket from the local dealer, but I can't bear putting it on the fascia.

Sorry for the novel. I will live to drive another day.

 

[RavenFan_94]

BTW, thanks for your posts. Just snapped some pics. Will post in the A.M.

 

[Vic]

I hate to say it, but that has everything to do with being young. Some cops get nervous and/or jealous with young guys, in wealthy looking cars.

This effect subsides after you get older. (Ask me how I know!)

 

[Jay Herbert]

Some people just hate to see others have fun, part of life

Don't install the dealer/DCX front plate, it reqires drilling holes in the fascia.

Search the forums for "front license plate" and you'll find a suction cup one that one of the members does.

A few interesting threads for you to read:Getting A Front Plate Waiver

Lee Dove's Front Plate Bracket

 

[RavenFan_94]

Thanks JAY!

 

[ViperJoe]

Front plate....... what's that? LOL!

 

[RavenFan_94]

Ok, finally some pics. Okay Sneaky Pete, say cheese!

Am thinking of adding silver or black stripes as well as chrome emblems. Any preferences?

 

[BLOWNGTS]

Congrats! I just got my 3,000 mile 1996 GTS in July. Great car. I have added Corsa cat back exhaust and in the process of adding Paxton supercharger. Have owned stock '95 Viper and some decent horsepower '99 Saleen S-351's(600-650 RWHP). Looking forward to being back in a Viper.

'96 Viper GTS
'03 Whipple supercharged Escalade ESV
'02 Jaguar S-Type R (supercharged)

 

[RavenFan_94]

Thanks. What do you think of the Corsa's? I need to do something to this exhaust in a hurry. Some kid in a stock Mustang pulled up next to me and had a better sound.

. Of course, I roasted him.

 

[Peter-RedGTS'98]

Thanks. What do you think of the Corsa's? I need to do something to this exhaust in a hurry. Some kid in a stock Mustang pulled up next to me and had a better sound.

. Of course, I roasted him.

My Viper has Borla/Mopar (no rear muffler) and gives awesome laud and deep sound. Neighbors know when I get the snake out. This is a must mod.

I also installed the front plate to eliminate stupid talks with cops. Yes, in VA and MD they started to look at your front (and they looked at my already) to add $$$ to the revenue. There are people that paid a ticket (~$100). I also tried to talk to troopers since I am next door to their HQ. No way – they are rude about this. They said – “if you do not know how to install it, bring the car to the Dodge dealer cause they know how to do it”. Overheating, car design, etc did not help. I do not like the exsisting bracket designs, so, I have my own design. It requires two parts from Home Depot and drilling small holes way back and bottom of the front bumper. The plate is close to the ground. Can post or email pics next week, if you want.

 

[RavenFan_94]

Yes Peter, please do. I am definately in the market for a solution. Good to hear from you. Give my best to your better half. I'm the Porsche no more.

 

[BlueGTS]

Just the V-mania windows and 99 GTS wheels.

Aren't those stock wheels for 96? Either way, welcome aboard!

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

That's really unusual for Maryland. I have NEVER seen a front plate on any car at a MD/VA event. I think your trouble started with the car not being registered and the plates belonging on another car, you're really lucky he did not tow you for that. I'm curious as to where you were when it happened, I hope it's not a new trend out of a particular barracks. One way to prepare for this, (other than the suction cup deal) is to go to a Dodge dealer and ask them to order one for you, then have them write backordered on the order slip, or write it there yourself, then, ahem, update it once in a while with various scanning techniques, so that you have something up to date to show the officer. I'm sure Ron has already talked to you about the VCA and make sure you hook up with us for the Xmas party in Annapolis, we should have over 100 people there this year. Congratulations!

 

[RavenFan_94]

Thanks Lee, I was on Route 50 east bound about 3 miles before the bridge. Yes, I was lucky. I have since title the car with tags etc and ordered a front plate. I don't know if it is a new trend or just a trooper having a bad day. I took the car down to Ron's place and put her on the lift etc.

Ron is a tremendous asset to the Viper Community for sure. I am a pending member, just waiting for my application to be processed.

I am looking forward to the X-mas party. Unfortunately my snake is a little sick right now. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank and hope to see you on the road.

 

[Ron Hickey]

I've been contacted by two MD members in the past months who were stopped and received tickets for no front plate -- no other violations. It's comforting to know that MD's elite police force has cleaned up all the drug dealers, terrorists and thieves in the Free State and have nothing better to do than to hassle honest tax-paying citizens driving Vipers. We haven't quite reached that level here in the Old Dominion yet, but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time.

 

[zoomie]

ditto on the drug dealers, murderers... Baltimore and Maryland must be
certifiably clean now. Pulled last week going down 140 in heavy traffic, not doing anything remotely bad. Two lanes of traffic, everyone sees trooper
in median with lights, just finishing another 'fund raising'. He pulls out in traffic ahead of us, moves to the right lane and slows to under 50 in traffic.
I was planning on turning around at the upcoming light, so I stay in the left lane, under 50 also, but still moving with traffic as it approaches the left turn lane at the light. We slowly pass the trooper just before the left turn
lane, and I pull left at the light and stop and wait for the left light.
Looking in the rearview, there he is with lights blazing. He must have Whipped
in behind me! We both turn left and into a Shell station and Subway.
the Subway and Shell people are popping out the back door left and right..
" hey lookie... A Viper ! musta been caught ... etc.."
So he asks about the front plate, which I usually keep in the front window, but my friend passenger is holding it after it slid back. He asks for license and registration, and I hand him the registration, and look for my license. Forgot
I had pulled the license a few days before and forgot to put it back in wallet.
Gave him my Federal photo ID and told him why. He comes back in five minutes
while gawkers have a field day. get this - a "warning" for the front tag..
( twenty miles from Pa which Has NO front tag. ) So he must have pulled me
at the last second looking at my rear tag as I pulled left. He stopped me for
THAT ?!? Rinky dink (*&^ ! Then, for being such a dangerous criminal
and with a photo Federal ID, a $35 ( no points ) "no license" TICKET to pay for his time away from the lack of other felons to look for. Like the computer check he ran didn't show my license ?
Weird. So I should Thank him for no ticket for the Front tags ? or for the
$35 Trooper Fund contribution for ???? Just adds to the love and respect.

 

[ViperJohn]

Front tags ****! I always thought it was a BS MD law, however, this spring I was pulled over in my Durango for not having my front plate. I actually asked the cop, "Isn't this a bogus reason for pulling me over?" He was actually quite polite, informing me that they were really going to start cracking down on this particular issue. He gave me a warning. Still no front plate on the Viper, still no front plate on the Durango, still no front plate on the Firehawk. I guess I didn't learn.

BTW, welcome to the club. The pics look nice. Being a 96 RT, was this Viper originally a McViper? (yellow wheels)

 

[RavenFan_94]

Thanks. No, I was told that these are the stock cavity back wheels. Just like my golf clubs. HA!

I have since ordered a tag bracket and will probaly just do it. At least I have vanity plates on order that will soften the blow.

I can understand the law if a cop is looking for a stolen car and wants to read the plate as the car approaches. It makes since if you are looking for a blue honda accord. But a Viper? Geesh.

 

[ViperBing]

The Bay Bridge cops are notorious for pulling people over for no front tag.

Cops also have a harder time targeting your vehicle with Lidar (laser) if you have no front tag.