Opinions on potential viper purchase

[leitnerj]

Hi there! I've been a Corvette and Trans Am person who has decided to try out a Viper (still keeping the 'Vette). I've decided on a 4th Gen. I am looking at a 2008 with only 18,000 miles but am questioning whether its the right car for me based upon the modifications.

List of mods:
Gen 5 intake manifold
K&N Air intake
B&M Precision Shifters
3.55 gears (owner says out of 2016 ACR)
Belainger Exhaust
Baer 2 piece brake rotors
KW V2 coilover kit
Prefix Viper ECU


what has me pausing here is the Gen 5 intake, the gears out of the 2016 ACR, coilover kit, and the Prefix ECU.

Does this scream that the car has been run ******* the track for its 18,000 mile life? Should I be concerned about any of this? Otherwise it has a clean title but two small accidents (mirror replacement, and new front bumper). Both occurred in the first 4 years, it's been clean for the past 14 years.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bonkers]

I dont know how the 3.55s out of a 2016 are
any different than the 3.55s out of a 1993, but
otherwise it looks like a typical set of poser mods.
Im not a fan of K&N, but the rest has the feel of
Street+ to me, and they are all quality parts.

Youre moving from a geriatrics car culture to a
cult based one. We assume all Vipers with over
5000 miles are thrashed... because thats what
they were built to do. I personally wouldnt pay
real money for one with under 5k. Barring
obvious damage, there really is no way to tell.
For a couple of decades there was a dedicated
track program where anyone... and i do mean
anyone... could spend a weekend on some of
the best tracks in the country.

This is a symbiotic relationship - my advice has
always been; if the car feels right and you can
afford it, then thats all you really need to get
started here. But be warned, Vettes and TAs
are designed to do everything they can to save
your life when you screw up... Vipers are
perfectly okay with letting you die.

 

[leitnerj]

Thanks I appreciate the response.

I believe I'm talking myself out of this car. I don't mind the exhaust, not a fan of the K&N either, short throw shifter, brakes, I am all good with. The other's raise my spidey sense of what did the car go through and do I want those items on my car. Would I be willing to accept it knowing I would most likely change back to stock. That is what I will ponder over the upcoming weekend.

Thanks for the additional note. I'm actually looking forward to it and have already committed myself to getting the car and myself to a track with an instructor early in my ownership. That way I can learn the limits of not only the car but also myself in a safe(r) and controlled setting. The vette also doesn't have any of those ***** items to keep you safe. Just a raw 427 in a '67 Vette The Trans Am is also the slowest vehicle in my garage. It was fun 20 years ago but I'm aging out of it.

 

[white out]

Basic bolt ons. None scream 'track' to me. They will definitely clean up the driver experience - someone spent decent money on them.

GEN5 manifold makes a +15hp, less prone to heat soak (plastic vs. aluminum) and looks cool.
KW V2 is their street coilover, it's a nice coilover and definitely better than stock. KW was the OE supplier for GEN4 ACR coilovers (similar to V3 Clubsports).

 

[leitnerj]

Thanks for the input. After reaching back out the seller decided to keep his car.

Back on the hunt I go.

If anyone knows of a 4th Gen Coupe for sale, a driver (20k to 40k miles), please let me know. Preferred color is Viper Violet but open to anything but black

 

[RandyM]

Gen 5 intake: When I had my Gen 4 upgraded with
GEN IV STAGE II PERFORMANCE BUILD, INCLUDES: GEN V PORTED AND POLISHED PERFORMACE HEADS W/ COMP CAMS DOUBLE VALVE SPRINGS.
UPGRADED EXHAUST AND INTAKE VALVES, PUSH RODS, LIFTERS, CUSTOM COMP STAGE II CAMSHAFT, AND ARH HEADERS, W/CUSTOM TUNE, GEN V FACTORY MANIFOLD, GEN V FACTORY THROTTLE BODYS and ACCUSUMP.
The reasoning of the Gen 5 intake is that the engine has better air flow / breathes easier.

 

[RandyM]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zHZo48-Ztw&t=1s. Accusump Explained & Installed on LS3 Corvette C6 Formula Drift car.

My Viper Tech, Viper Exchange Performance, would only do engine upgrades if they installed a accusump.

​

 

[Badsnek]

Thanks for the input. After reaching back out the seller decided to keep his car.

Back on the hunt I go.

If anyone knows of a 4th Gen Coupe for sale, a driver (20k to 40k miles), please let me know. Preferred color is Viper Violet but open to anything but black

Oof sounds like you missed out. Finding a Viper Violet will be challenging. Low production numbers in each color make finding a specific color hard to do sometimes.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Badsnek]

Thanks for the input. After reaching back out the seller decided to keep his car.

Back on the hunt I go.

If anyone knows of a 4th Gen Coupe for sale, a driver (20k to 40k miles), please let me know. Preferred color is Viper Violet but open to anything but black

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[viperBase1]

....poser mods....

We assume all Vipers with over 5000 miles are thrashed...

Vettes and TAs are designed to do everything they can to save
your life when you screw up... Vipers are perfectly okay with letting you die.

"Poser Mods"??
Hooeeyy!! Take it back or... Or.. I dunno who cares.. Those mods take the car closer to 700hp / 600+whp. At 600hp its a supercar. At 600+hp its a supercar with a bit of an attitude ready to pounce.

"We assume all Vipers over 5k miles are thrashed"..
Total bull, take it back! I want to know any older car I buy gets at least 600 to 1K miles per year. At the very least, just to stretch her legs a bits and make sure everything is functional. N' to fix anything that needs attention.
Bare minimum: All fluid changes and tires. Most old Vipers are very well cared for and coveted.

"Vettes and TAs are designed to do everything they can to save
your life when you screw up...Vipers are perfectly okay with letting you die"
Well said and VERY COOL. I'm gonna use that, thanks!

 

[Bonkers]

"Those mods take the car closer to 700hp / 600+whp."

Everything there is off the shelf upgrades, except
for maybe the Prefix Tuned ECU... if it even is a Prefix
Tuned ECU... Maybe, maybe not, I dont know the car
or owner so i take the path of cynicism..

"I want to know any older car I buy gets at least 600 to 1K
miles per year."

Okay, thats you, and your experiences arent everyones
elses experiences.

But the notion that "Most old Vipers are very well cared
for and coveted" is factually BS. 90% of Vipers, especially
Gen1/2s tend to fall into two very distinct categories
A) They are abused either through Track time or abused
from lack of driving altogether, or 2) they are abused from
being wrapped up in a corner of a garage somewhere
waiting for the FordGT Fairy to come and BibityBobity
them into Barret Jackson Limelight. The remaining 10%
are the ones owned by people who love and cherish
them... but heres the catch... i bet less than 1% of
those 10% EVER sell their babies.

Maybe this is one of those cars... again, maybe not...
but id be willing to bet the Default setting of every person
here is that - if its been driven, its probably been driven
hard and put away wet. That opinion can certainly change
once you see the car and talk to the owner, but we dont
have that here...

 

[99RT10GTS]

I have a 2008 coupe, built motor, heads/cam(675RWHP), Serpant widebody kit and a 2010 convert, basic mods(571RWHP). Both for sale

 

[viperBase1]

Okay, thats you, and your experiences arent everyones
elses experiences.

Dittos back atchya. We're all just spouting opinions here.

90% of Vipers, especially Gen1/2s tend to fall into two very distinct categories
A) They are abused either through Track time or abused from lack of driving altogether, or 2) they are abused from being wrapped up in a corner of a garage somewhere waiting for the FordGT Fairy to come and BibityBobity
them into Barret Jackson Limelight. The remaining 10%
are the ones owned by people who love and cherish
them... but heres the catch... i bet less than 1% of
those 10% EVER sell their babies.

First off, your index went from (A) to (2) ..that just offends my sense of organization and now you've lost a serious measure of credibility. Ha!


I don't think there's any reason to pull percentages out of thin air.
Only 32K Vipers ever produced and the number of operational units is unknown (is this # known?). If they got thrashed they were probably wrecked/destroyed or at least have some pretty obvious scars. IMHO, the few Vipers that are left (still in existence and operational) are most likely OK. N' like you said, once you see the car and/or have a thorough inspection it should resolve/confirm any concerns.

Maybe this is one of those cars... again, maybe not...
but id be willing to bet the Default setting of every person
here is that - if its been driven, its probably been driven
hard and put away wet. That opinion can certainly change
once you see the car and talk to the owner, but we dont
have that here...

I don't completely disagree but at its base level of existence, the Viper is a street legal race car. Its a tank of a car and built to take a beating. It can handle a little track time just fine. HPDE days are a total gas with little risk for significant wear, tear and damage. Its about expectations.