Newbie Looking For Info...

[wiehl]

Hello to all,
I am brand new to this forum and am seeking some information. I am very interested in purchasing a used Viper (probably a Gen 1 model) but I would like to pick the brains of experienced Viper owners about what to look for and what to expect when buying a Viper of this era. Specifically,
What should I look for when looking at or inquiring about a pre-owned vehicle?
What are some tell-tale signs that a Viper has seen extensive track use or abuse?
What are some common problems these cars experience or repairs these cars need that I should be aware of?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. By the way, I intend to buy the Viper Buyer's Guide which I assume contains a wealth of information, as well as search through the postings of this forum extensively. But I am hoping to just get some good, practical advice from seasoned Viper owners as a suppliment.

Thanks to all in advance...

Mike

 

[TomSlick]

Just buy a low mileage car.

 

[jrkermode]

Buy Maurice Liang's book.

 

[Torquemonster]

If they have been looked after thay can last a long time - there are members that have Vipers that have done 100,000 miles, but you are doing the right thing researching first because there have been issues.

If you can swing the extra - consider the generation 2 as the engine is better and there were several improvements made - but there are many happy owners of Gen 1 cars. Therefore as long as you buy well you should be very happy with your choice.

Good luck

 

[wiehl]

Just bought the book today...well...ordered it at least. Can't wait for it to come in.

 

[ChicagoGTS]

W-W-W-W-W-W-Warrenty!!! Best money you'll ever spend!!! Make sure the vehicle you choose is eligable. Call Chuck Tator with the VIN before you buy he'll let you know. Good Luck wiehl.

~Matt~

 

[wiehl]

Warranty...
There's a novel concept! While a good warranty would cover pretty much anything major that could happen (short of wrapping the car around a tree) I am mainly concerned with what the primary things are that typically go wrong or need repair/replacement that make a warranty so attractive or worth its cost.

I am fairly proficient when it comes to working on my own vehicles and can do alot of work myself. But having no idea how difficult certain jobs are to do or which jobs I may find myself needing to do or how much the parts are for the jobs that may need to do is the key issue for me. Obviously I understand that these are limited production vehicles and the parts will be more expensive than average. But I would still like to get a feel for what issues owners have had with their vehicles that required repair/replacement.

Moreover, I actually work for DaimlerChrysler (Mercedes Division) so I believe I will have access to decent discounts on OEM parts/components. How much of a discount, I still need to investigate. I know I get some pretty sweet deals on the purchase of new vehicles. While I am not 100% sure this applies to new Vipers (I have been told it does), it is irrelevant because unless I could get one for about half off MSRP (wishful thinking!) this would not be a possibility for me for some time. If a discount is offered, it is probably closer to dealer invoice.

 

[ChicagoGTS]

Wiehl,

As an ex-wrench turned IT manager (computer's grabbed me), the Viper is a relatively easy car to work on. It's a hot-rod through and through, it's very mechanical there's not much more to it electronically (outside of the single PCM, coilpacks, and the wire harness), unlike my father-in-law's SL55 (which I also recently waxed and I don't mean that in a detailing sense, pissed him off) which I wouldn't want to change a tire on even that has a monitor system in it.

I was actually shocked when I bought the car, it is very easy to work on maintenance wise, after my first dealer visit I learned about "Viper Tax" the hard way, $750 to change the coolant, trans fluid, and motor oil. When you come down to the bottom line the maintenance parts for these cars are cheap I could of done the same work for $150, I'm also in the process of changing my brakes,so I called Napa today and got a price of $49 per pair. I think I paid that much for an oil filter on the last Beamer I owned. Besides saving a ton on labor, it's just plain fun to get dirty and get to know your car better.

However, the reason I say warranty is because regardless of how much of a gearhead you are, unless your Rockafeller your talking some serious scratch to replace anything "Major". Don't think of that term "Major" like your driving your trusty Volvo around, these cars break plain and simple they are high performance machines. Do yourself a favor and look under the hood of one while it's idling. There are alot of violent things happening under there to make the power they do, just look at how the motor wobbles when it's idling (Yes, I did say idling). These cars take alot of punishment when driven hard and it takes a ton of maintenance if you plan on driving it a lot or atleast like it's supposed to be driven. However if it's a garage queen or a parade float, then you probably don't need a warranty.

Let's face it, it is a $20,000 motor and the parts that make it are F'n expensive. But when you talk about working on it yourself, you'll eventually get sick of it. It's not the things that go wrong that will drive you nut's, it's the things that aren't broken but aren't working just right that will. Like chatter in your trans, ticking in your clutch, rattling in your engine. These things happen all the time but don't necessarily warrant ripping the car apart, however if you take any pride in your craft they will drive you nuts. I gaurantee after the first or sencond time you fix something major the novelty of working on it yourself goes away. While I enjoy doing the maintenance and upgrades myself, when it comes to major repairs I'll leave it up to the guys that get paid for it. I can fill both of my hands with the various things I've been in for. And if I would have done them all myself I don't know if we'd be talking right now.

~Matt~

 

[Jeff Torrey]

Mike- All Gen 1's are out of warrantee by now. There are lots of cars out there but many are beat-up. Insist on test driving the car. Make sure the tranny will shift through all the gears (up and down). Listen for a rear end whine. Ask about head gaskets, many cars have updated gaskets. Check out the condition of Soft-Top, Side-Curtains, Rear Glass, ask about Hard-Top and each item should have a storage bag.

Inspect Tires for age and condition- XGT Original Equipment (to old, bad in rain). MX3 Good Tire but getting old, will probably need to be replaced. Pilot Sport- Best Tire to date
and if the tread is good you won't have to buy tires right away ($1400).

Inspect Hood for Cracks- Look Close to make sure you get what you pay for.

*Ask the seller if the car has ever overheated, been in an accident. Run the Vin # at a Dodge Dealership for service history. Do a carfax report.

You won't have any trouble servicing your car yourself. Everything is pretty basic, but its a tight fit under the hood. Keep in mind a warrantee is only as good as the tech performing the service.

Good luck.

 

[ViperJoe]

Gen1 warranty - I doubt it, but maybe.

BUY Maurices' book on "Buying a used Viper"\

Here are some other items to look at / for:

Used Viper Questions:
General:
1.Year?
2. Price?
3. Mileage?
4. Clean title?
5. VIN #?
6. Existing lien?
7. In service date?

Equipment:
1. Stock / original, or minor / moderate modifications (K&N filters, smooth tubes)
(headers, hi-flow cats, cat-back system, or more?) Rear wing?
2. Exterior and Interior Color? (Body stripes - painted or vinyl) Interior mods?
3. Nature of radio / CD player (stock, single in-dash, trunk player, etc.)?
4. Soft-top, hardtop, or both? Condition of each
5. Bag for soft-top?
6. Bikini top and bag
7. Tonneau cover? Side windows? (Gen1)
8. Car cover?
9. Existing Factory warranty / extended warranty (or provide after-market warranty)?

Condition:
1. General overall condition (any nicks, chips, scratches, window cracks, etc.)?
2. Involved in an accident(s), damaged, repainted, (telltale signs) etc.?
3. Condition under front bumper / front lip spoiler?
4. Condition of top(s)? (Soft-top sagging? Exterior condition?) Scratches on sport bar? Sport Bar cap missing?
5. How maintained? Records? (One owner? How many and how long) Documentation / Paperwork? DOCUMENTATION AND HISTORY of maintenance and sale(s) / owner(s)
6. Leather condition? (Split/cracked/worn?)
7. Tire condition? Brand/Size (Reasonable tread?)
8. Wheels (condition, nicks, curb rash?) Stock wheels for the particular year or aftermarket
9. Carpet / Floor mats condition?
10. Smoker / non-smoker?
11. Nitrous or other power adder used?
12. Used for track events (strip, track, Viper Days and autocross)?
13. Condition of the rocker panels (top and underside, chips, yellowing, sandblasted)
14. Condition of inside the door / rocker area
15. Scrapes under front bumper / spoiler?
16. Bottomed out?
17. 998 / 999 recall work done (if applicable) and done CORRECTLY. Documented?
18. Head gaskets (Gen1) Documentation?
19. Hood alignment (symmetrical?) Any hairline cracks? Hinges keep hood up?
20. Doors close well (no drooping-bad hinges)




Buying from a dealer
1. Processing fees?
2. Taxes? (out of state?)
3. Delivery


Differences between GenI and GenII: there are other differences (besides the exhaust) that stand out:

1. The engine
The majority of reference to “GenI and GenII” refers to engine changes, as there are several differences between the two engines, not the least of which is horsepower. GenI was rated at 400hp, later GenI (96) were rated at 415, and the GenII is rated at 450 (ACR & GT2 rated at 460 due to smooth tubes and filters).

2. The hood
The GenI cars have "smoothie" hoods with no NACA duct between the headlights and no vents above the wheel wells. The cars look different from the front with these changes.

3. Suspension
Changed to GenII suspension in 96. Both the GTS and RT have the same GenII components.

4. Exhaust
Went to rear exit exhaust in 1996

5. Other changes
Power windows, airbags, steering wheel, method of opening the doors, differential housing, CD player, speedometer, wheels, all changed from GenI to GenII

 

[carguy07]

"All Gen 1's are out of warantee by now"

My extended warranty on my 95 is good until 2007. Transferable for $50. Their are some still under warranty, you just can't buy one anymore. I would pay a lot more for a car that has one. Count on replacing the head gaskets.

 

[JWVIPER]

"All Gen 1's are out of warantee by now"

My extended warranty on my 95 is good until 2007. Transferable for $50. Their are some still under warranty, you just can't buy one anymore. I would pay a lot more for a car that has one. Count on replacing the head gaskets.

True, good till 7/07 on my GEN I