Here's the text of a letter I sent to someone who was asking about buying the car.
I'm not really trying to sell the car. I don't owe any money on it so it isn't costing me anything. But like I said, if someone came around with the money, I'd sell it and look for a GTS.
I'm not really much for open cars. A GTS would be better for me.
Anyway, this is what I told the last guy who asked,
I'll start off with the worst and then tell you what I've done. I bought my 94 R/T 10 Viper in February 2002 from the original owner who lived in Bethesda Maryland. He treated the Viper like an ordinary car and he drove it every day. He had an extended warranty on the car and the records that I have show a few minor items fixed over the years. The major item was the engine. It was replaced at 95k miles by a local Dodge dealer under the extended warranty.
When I bought the car it had 102k miles and it has 107k now. At one time a few years ago someone backed into the front of the car in traffic causing replacement of the fascia and radiator. I suspect that the AC condenser might have been damaged too as it seems to have a leak. From the looks of the paperwork on this repair job it didn't look like it was too much of an accident and of course the car has a regular Maryland title, no wreck or salvage.
When I bought the car it needed a number of mechanical and cosmetic fixes. I took it to a local Dodge dealer and told them to make a list of everything it needed to make it right. They gave me a list and I told them to do it all. The major items consisted of, clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, all clutch hydraulics, clutch/starter lock out switch, complete pedal assy, shifter, complete parking brake assy, steering rack, outer tie rod ends, brake rotors, pads. The bill came to over $5k but the car was mechanically sound. Just about everything has been replaced except the transmission. No problems with the trans.
I bought new seats and all new interior dash and trim parts and a new steering wheel, radio, all stock parts. I bought polished aluminum wheels, stock from a 97 Viper. I bought new tires, Kuhmo 700R, all around. I replaced the soft top and sliding side curtains and bought a stock factory hard top. I bought a Toneau cover and bra. I replaced the stock mufflers with Belanger 3” mufflers, the cats remain stock. The car is louder than stock but not so loud that you would get a ticket. The car has a Valentine one radar detector.
The Viper comes with a 3.08:1 rear. With the stock rear you need to be going 80 mph to get into 6th gear. Some of the Viper guys change the rear to a 3.55:1, that's what I did too, Unitrax limited slip unit. 6th is now possible at 65mph. The car still has a top speed of over 160 mph. I had the car and the hard top painted black, that was the color the car came with and has always been.
I have all the factory repair manuals and the owners manual. I have all the paperwork from all my expenses and quite a bit of the first owners paper including the dealers bill to the warranty company for the engine replacement $15k!
The car looks very nice. There are no problems with it. It's not a show car but it turns heads wherever I go. Everyone wants to sit in it. They even get their cameras out and want their picture taken in it.
I retired from the Government in January 2003. I also have a 96 Vette. I find that I don't really need two sports cars. I'm planning to sell the Viper and the Vette and buy something else.
I live in southern Maryland and, of course, that's where the car is.
That's about it, Joe Moraski
