Membership renewed after a lapse & now looking for shop recommendations

Viper rolls

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Hey All - Today I renewed my membership after letting it expire. Long story but I got my 1/2 of the Viper back after my divorce became final on Monday!

Looking to get back involved with events and catch up. My red '05 is in great shape but needs some updates. First thing I want to do is change out my 3.08 rear for 3.55's or maybe 3.73's and maybe go with a short throw shifter.

Looking for shop or mechanics locally or within short distance (I'm in Bethesda) to have the gear and shifter changes done. I might also wrap the car, it is red now and I'm thinking another color (another story as to why) but getting the mechanical upgrades is the priority.
 

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ViperJohn

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You have some options being down in Bethesda. Tysons Corner/Ashburn area, Springfield and I do know of one other former Viper Tech, but I need to check in with him to see where he is nowadays.

Let's get through the holidays and I will have some specifics for you. Welcome back.
 

JANEY

VCA Member-Director MW Zone & Great Lakes Region
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Welcome back!
 

FrankBarba

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Your smack in the middle of 2 very qualified people to do the updates on your viper.
Chuck Tator & Tom Sessions.
 

Bobpantax

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The work that you describe above is not complex. It is also two different types of work. The wrap is more of an art form. The rear end gear change and short throw shifter are paint by the numbers. Assuming that your car is off any extended warranty, call the Dodge SRT help line and see who they think is the most active SRT sales and service dealer in your area. Then call and see if you can speak to the Viper tech to get a level of comfort. For the wrap, locate the highest end body shop in your area that repairs Ferraris, Lambos, etc. and ask them who they use to do wraps. The pickier the customers, the better the wraps. I have used dealers to do any and all of the mods on my SRT products with the exception of the modification of the tranny on my former Gen III. I shipped the tranny up to John Donato in Michigan. He is the Viper tranny guru. https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-donato-92712b10 I had a modified Gen IV tranny and an OS Giken differential in a Paxton supercharged environment. It worked well. Here is a link to an old thread that you may find interesting regarding differentials. http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/625381-OS-Giken-Differential-in-Viper/page4
 
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Viper rolls

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I decided to hold off on Viper upgrades and came to the conclusion that to make this car right would be too much effort and cost and I'd still not have what I ultimately want, a track car.

Decided to sell my '05 Viper after all - bone stock original and very clean. Fixing a bit of curb rash and a broken CD player, other than that the car hasn't broken anything. Best car I've EVER owned in terms of repairs. I tell everybody I know. Yes, the car is simple and not full of things that break for the most part but in 14 years and nearly 14k miles, it's been incredibly reliable.

The plan is to sell this car and buy next gen hardtop - if I either run out of patience waiting OR find a great track car or one I can justify building, I'll go that route. Track time is what I want to do with the car. Viper is tons of fun on the road but I don't want to do a rag top, don't want to spend the extra time and money cutting the car up for a cage... car is near perfect now.

I did figure out the wrapping.

Instead of the Viper, I wrapped my '10 GT500 using an amazing product that ends up looking like brushed aluminum.

I've had lots of people do a double and triple take. Novice people get the story about Ford making 3 aluminum cars, crushed 2 and because I've got a friend who's an exec in Dearborn I was able to procure the only remaining aluminum Shelby GT500. I wait for them to look at the car, then me, then the car again and depending on what they say I'll either let them in on the joke or let it ride a bit longer. The wrap job looks so good, people who don't know cars are fooled and my buddies and I am impressed with the looks.

I can't recommend highly enough the idea of wrapping the Viper or any other unique car. Totally worth it. My GT500 was red with white vinyl stripes - looked great but I was super tired of red.

Before and after - On pics below, you need to zoom in as much as possible, you will be able to see the brush strokes or the brushed aluminum surface with the amazing texture. Looks just like real aluminum that's got surface texture.

A) It's a completely different car
B) I love the color change
C) I spent extra for door jambs to be wrapped
D) I think it was $3400 total - tons less than a paint change or selling and buying another GT500
E) If I hate it later, I can go to red by pulling the vinyl off or wrap another color
F) Good for years and years, maybe 5+ given the car is stored inside and actually not taken out for lots of days since I have other cars
G) Was able to mix black vinyl tape for side stripes to keep the original style going
H) I might go back and re-wrap hood with flat black to pick up on that style
I) Hopefully not, but if the car gets dinged or hit, re-wrapping a finder, door, hood or quarter isn't a big deal and won't cost a lot - damage can be repaired and the area can be redone easily.

If I was keeping the Viper (90% sure I'll end up selling it), I was going to go with:
a) Lime green (whatever Dodge calls the citrus green color
b) Maybe same silver brushed aluminum or medium grey or dark grey/black brushed aluminum
c) flat black and change wheels to black
d) There are a couple of blues I like, but Viper GTS Blue on that convertible could be killer
e) Mopar colors from the 60's (Purple, Orange, Green, Yellow)
f) Metallic orange (don't know Mopar name, similar to GMs Atomic Orange from Corvette's) as well as a dark or burt bronze

Brandit, Wrapit in Rockville MD. Ask for Edwin

https://www.branditwrapit.com/
301-838-9727.

375 Derwood Circle
Rockville, MD 20850

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