Maintain the value of your snake?

[SNAKE BITE]

I have a totally stock 94. Lets just say 30 years from now, will my car be worth more if I leave it totally stock, or are there some mods that can be done without any loss of value. For example:
Chrome stock rims
Paint dash
New seats
Exhaust
Etc........

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

As long as it isn't difficult to restore to stock and you have the stock parts available I don't see any reason for a loss of value. Miles I suppose would be the biggest factor.

Not sure about the painted dash. I've heard GenI had dash issues. Dunno what affect that will have in the years to come.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

OMT I bet those ugly gray three spokes will be important to collectors 30 years from now. But that wouldn't stop me from stripping the paint and polishing them.

 

[SylvanSRT]

i agree w/ chuck, except i don't even think miles are that much of a factor in a really long time frame. the condition will be much more important in my mind. really just drive the pants off it and maintain the car, there have been way to many of these cars made to become truely collectable.

 

[Brian 95 RT]

there have been way to many of these cars made to become truely collectable.

Way too many made??? Between 1992 and 2003, there were a total of 19,824 Vipers produced, according to the Viper Registry: http://ivr.viperclub.org/build.php

Check out the Corvette build numbers: http://www.idavette.net/facts.htm
The value of the big block era Corvettes of the mid-60's are ridiculous right now. In 1967 alone there were 22,940 vettes produced, 9,707 of them with the 427.

I'd say the Viper is a little "rarer." We'll just have to wait 30 years to see what the values are!

 

[ROCKET62]

Since I bought my Viper for the thrill of owning and driving - I don't worry what it might be worth in 30 years. That being said, I do try to keep all of the stock parts that I replace/modify so that if someone wants to return it to stock they can.

The "Viper Smile" I get from my Viper is priceless!

 

[Bandit3]

Heck, thirty years from now, I'll be pushing up daisys. I drive it as much as I can. John, the oldie.

 

[rcdice]

Love these threads. As a guy who bought his Viper for keeps (told my 9 year old son it will be his someday) I'll post my comments.

The Viper will be collectable someday because: it's American, it's exotic, it's high hp, relatively few were built, it doesn't have a bunch of techno crap on it, the numbers are decreasing due to accidents and a generation is growing up lusting after them. Look at the average age of the big ticket muscle car buyer now. How old were they in 1970? Young boys and teen boys are Obsessed with the Viper, fall all over themselves just to see one. Fast forward when they are 45-55 years old and a VP of ?? Inc. They will be willing to plunk down big $$ for the car of their dreams.

Being "able" to return the car to stock, if wanted, is the key. Mod it all you want, but keep the stock parts. IMHO, don't cut, weld, drill or otherwise "disfigure" the car. If it can be returned to stock and you have the parts, it is bone stock. The biggest $$$ goes to "as from the factory" cars.

 

[Casey]

I thought putting 2 Big Heffner Twin Turbos would up the value ALOT!

But now that I think about it, 30 years down the road, OLD FART HEFFNER may be making 3500rhwp on his Street Beasts!

 

[rcdice]

Casey,
I'd LOVE to have a Heffner TT car, right now. Awesome. 30 years from now we'll be fueling our cars with broccoli and h20 if the tree huggers have anything to say about it. I imagine the $3k gas guzzler tax on a new Viper will seem like a bargain in the future. My motto: plan for the future but enjoy the present.

 

[PDCjonny]

I agree, the condition is the key. I drive mine on the weekends regardless of salt or sand on the roads. I bought it to enjoy whenever I can, not put it in hibernation for 5 months. But when I get it home after using it on Sunday I detail it so that it is completely clean inside and out. I have had the paint touched up professionally behind the rear wheels where it was sandblasted off in spots (before I owned it) I am having the front fascia underneath done as well (some scratches and chips) so it is like new. I want to be able to use it when and where I want, but be able to have it look like it rolled off the showroom floor as well. I am keeping all the stock parts I have changed so far, tubes, filters and exhaust. If there ever is a next owner, they will just have to look at the car to know it's worth it.

 

[joe117]

I believe that the most important thing will be that the car is STOCK. Everything must be exactly as stock. Numbers must match.

Now of course that's for a top dollar collector car.

A Viper with the wrong stock wheels for its year will not be as good as stock, but it will be better than a Viper with any aftermarket wheels. I don't care how much they cost.

Got headers, aftermarket cats, mufflers? You'll be taking a hit.

Stock radio will be important.

Stock rear? I don't think that will be noticed too much.

Smooth tubes? No, you will have to have the old intake tubes or take a hit for the cost of replacing them.

The spare tire will be important along with the stock side curtains, window, soft top, stock hard top, and all the cloth storage bags.

These cars will be worth big money some day. I don't think it will take 30 years either.

But to cash in, you will have to have a stock car with no chops to fit a radio or roll bar cut outs or carbon fiber dash or aftermarket anything.

There are all kinds of replacement parts for old Vettes. I'm not so sure that anyone will be making stock looking replacement parts for Vipers.
The market is too small.

 

[big-n-italian]

i recommend staying away from doing this to your car:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6209&item=4531981666&rd=1

 

[GTSPOWERED]

I think like most of the others. If you want to make a change on your car do so but always leave the option to return it back the way it came from the factory. We should all enjoy the moment.

 

[THOR]

I think like most of the others. If you want to make a change on your car do so but always leave the option to return it back the way it came from the factory. We should all enjoy the moment.

EXACTLY!!!

 

[KenH]

The link below is an interesting read on muscle car values including clones and aftermarket mods. One common theme I hear is that tasteful/useful modifications to muscle (performance?) cars has less of a negative effect on value than it does on non-muscle cars, especially if the mods are in keeping with the era that the car came from and improve the driving experience. I would assume that the Viper will be similarly viewed many years down the road.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/26/pf/autos/wednesday_muscle_car_prices/

--- Ken

 

[PhoenixGTS]

Was looking at the Viper Registry site this morning and saw this footnote:

"98: Last car off the line was a red roadster on 12/11/98. One '98 RT/10 (VIN 1B3ER65E*WV400408) was accidentally shipped with a "smooth hood and pre-'98 RT/10" facia. All other '98 RT/10's were manufactured with NACA duct and vented hood and GTS style front facia."

I am going to go out on a limb and say that this car with the wrong hood, in bone-stock condition might well be one of the top five most valuable Vipers ever made along with very first and maybe last in production runs and I think I remember seeing that only one blue GTS was made without stripes. In stock condition, those will be the huge dollar cars, but yep, a stock car with low miles will be worth a lot more than a "hacked up" modded car overall.

P.S. Anyone here own the "wrong hood" car mentioned above? Or the no stripe blue GTS?

 

[SNAKE BITE]

This might be a dumb question, but since I don't know the answer...I'll ask anyway.
I have a few small scratches in the paint on the dash. I want to keep the car totally stock, so do I leave them or is it fine to have the dash redone as long as it's done the same as it is now. This could be the case for alot of small defects over the years also.

I guess what I want to know, is it ok to redo things back to stock showroom condition or will the car be worth more if small defects are left alone.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Anaconda]

I have a totally stock 94. Lets just say 30 years from now, will my car be worth more if I leave it totally stock, or are there some mods that can be done without any loss of value. For example:
Chrome stock rims
Paint dash
New seats
Exhaust
Etc........

Your car isn't going to be worth anything to you, if you get hit by a busload full of sumo wrestlers tomorrow. Enjoy your car today.

 

[SNAKE BITE]

I have a totally stock 94. Lets just say 30 years from now, will my car be worth more if I leave it totally stock, or are there some mods that can be done without any loss of value. For example:
Chrome stock rims
Paint dash
New seats
Exhaust
Etc........

Your car isn't going to be worth anything to you, if you get hit by a busload full of sumo wrestlers tomorrow. Enjoy your car today.

I drive my car on nice weekends in the summer and hope it will be worth something to my son(2 years old now) when he gets my age.

 

[NOTV8]

If you want to make money go invest it on stocks. In 30 years you will definitely made some monies. But if you want to have fun.... drive the viper.



You only live once, own a viper....

 

[Ron]

Snake Bite,

I'd forget them for now as you'll get more and when it matters, you can have the dash redone professionally. If it's done right, no one will know.

There no such thing as a used perfect car.

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Stock will be worth more. But its your car now.

 

[94RT10Ohio]

This is why I say what I do in my signature. A clean and maintaned car that is 100% stock will pull more money than a modded car once it becomes that "classic". Someday you will see the auctions with GEN I Vipers pulling money like the old stock big block Vettes do. GEN II will follow shortly after.

I plan on painting my dash as well, but going to get a second dash and keep one in a box

Someday I might buy a second Viper.... Maybe a rebuilt title so I feel good about getting radical.

 

[BLUESNAKE367]

Here is my 2c..

I bought my 97 GTS, after restoring many 50s and 60s muscle cars, I have many stories of matching numbers this and build sheet that...

Most people buying them, and myself included, loved them cars but wanted them to have all the modern day bells and whistles.

I am very anal about my GTS, it is with a dought the most beautiful car I have ever owned, but, now I have begun adding things I like: GT-2 wing, roof vent, side exchaust, interior up grade, probably up grade brakes and tires & rims, and hopefully next year super charge..

So do I want a race viper? or have I ruined my GTS? No on both, in my opinion, what my GTS will evolve into is something totally for me, If I was a collector or concerned about resale I would of bought a time capsuled viper.

If for some reason, 30 days or 30 years from now I needed to sell my GTS, I would get exactly what I want for it, or it would not sell plain and simple...

My thought is never about selling a viper at anytime sooner or later, but how I can aquire more of them, they are addictive.......I love all vipers

 

[joe117]

If "I needed to sell my GTS, I would get exactly what I want for it, or it would not sell plain and simple..."

Of course that would not be true.

If you "needed" to sell your Viper, you would take what you could get.

If you didn't take what you could get,
then,
You didn't "need" to sell it.

Just messing with you, I think I know what you really mean.

 

[BLUESNAKE367]

joe117, I was using the NEED,WANT,DESIRE, rule on this one, but thanks for knowing where I was coming from.....

How about that weather lately? yesterday in the 70s, and the wife and I were out cruising Vabeach on the Harley..

Today, rain and snow...with wind gusts up to 70 mph....this place is killing me..