Viper for sale why NO Bites??

RoadiJeff

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I have a 95 Last of the First Generation, even stamped "Last 300 side Exhaust" almost 28,000 miles excellent condition ,

You're asking $38,000 for THAT? My goodness.

If you really want to sell it you might want to research what similar Vipers are listing for. I recently sold my '99 RT/10 with 21,670 miles and in excellent condition through a consignment deal. They listed it for $34,995 and I understand they sold it for slightly less than that. My part of the deal was $28k.

Anyway, I doubt if anyone will even make you an offer if you have it priced that high. If you're wondering why NO bites, this is probably why.
 
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steve e

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What I also have found is there is a big difference what one person thinks is excellent condition to someone else. For 28k it was a worn out rat.
 

98RedGTS

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Not sure if it helps or not but I just picked up a 98 GTS that had 14K miles on it. Never wrecked and the last 10 years of service history was documented/completed by the same Dodge dealership I bought the car from. No issues at all with the car except an aftermarket stereo I didn't like. Paid $38K.
 

Free2go

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Not sure if it helps or not but I just picked up a 98 GTS that had 14K miles on it. Never wrecked and the last 10 years of service history was documented/completed by the same Dodge dealership I bought the car from. No issues at all with the car except an aftermarket stereo I didn't like. Paid $38K.

Good for you man. Sounds like a good deal too.
 

RoadiJeff

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Doesn't seem like you researched the market if you gave up a 99 rt/10 for $28k.

No, I researched the market and similar good to excellent condition Vipers of the same year with similar mileage were listed for around that same price. I didn't want to sit on it for years and years, the personal property taxes and insurance cost me over $1,500 each year just to park it in the garage. I drove it less than 200 miles last year. It was time for it to go.
 

SAABseanSCANIA

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I hate to break it to you, but a 1996-2000 Viper GTS can be typically bought for between $33,000 to $40,000. However, savvy individuals who desire Vipers can find excellent deals if one looks in the correct places.

My son purchased a 1997 Red Viper GTS:
- 30,000 miles
- Borla Exhaust
- Edelbrock Headers
- Cammed up so that it is pushing over 500 horse power
- Viper ACR Suspension and shocks
- Modern stereo system with brand new speakers and AMP
- The car used to be owned by a corporation out of New York City
- No previously bad history

This car was purchased for $25,000. You are trying to sell a Generation I Viper for $38,000? No offense, but Viper owners and Viper buyers are not the type to try to "steal" your car away nor are they trying to pay nothing for your Viper. Simply put, a Generation I, in the year 2016, is not worth the price you are asking for unless it is a special edition. You are simply asking way too much for that caliber of car.

I just purchased a red 2005 SRT-10 with 25,000 miles for only $26,000.

A close friend of mine purchased a 2000 Red Dodge Viper ACR for $23,000 that needed carbon-fiber work on the back near the driver's tail light. He did the work himself, and it has been restored back to factory specifications and quality.

Consider the information above as you price your Generation I Viper.

Can I ask where you bought the two cars you're speaking of here? If you're a dealer, were they from auction? I've been searching for quite some time (private sales, forums, dealers, VOA/VCA word of mouth) and haven't come across many that weren't complete basket cases in the 20's. I'm not doubting you, I want in.... you just described the purchase of the two vehicles I'm interested in for close to 10K less than the prices I'm seeing.
 

terminator02

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I hate to break it to you, but a 1996-2000 Viper GTS can be typically bought for between $33,000 to $40,000. However, savvy individuals who desire Vipers can find excellent deals if one looks in the correct places.My son purchased a 1997 Red Viper GTS:- 30,000 miles- Borla Exhaust- Edelbrock Headers- Cammed up so that it is pushing over 500 horse power- Viper ACR Suspension and shocks- Modern stereo system with brand new speakers and AMP- The car used to be owned by a corporation out of New York City- No previously bad historyThis car was purchased for $25,000. You are trying to sell a Generation I Viper for $38,000? No offense, but Viper owners and Viper buyers are not the type to try to "steal" your car away nor are they trying to pay nothing for your Viper. Simply put, a Generation I, in the year 2016, is not worth the price you are asking for unless it is a special edition. You are simply asking way too much for that caliber of car.I just purchased a red 2005 SRT-10 with 25,000 miles for only $26,000.A close friend of mine purchased a 2000 Red Dodge Viper ACR for $23,000 that needed carbon-fiber work on the back near the driver's tail light. He did the work himself, and it has been restored back to factory specifications and quality. Consider the information above as you price your Generation I Viper.
Give me a break. 25k and 26k. Gen 2 prices are low. But what you are quoting is salvage title or storied car low. If true I guess I sold my 2000 Acr just in the nick of time to hop in my 14 TA. OP, sometimes you do have to take a loss to make a gain. I just traded in my 15 original owner Viper GT a bit lower than I wanted to get a 14 TA with full xpel and Tomball installed stage ll heads cam and titanium exhaust package which is about 16k. The car would have been gone in another day since it was being sold at a dealership in Ohio for 79,900. I honestly think if you can't let her go for a bit less then perhaps it's a warning that a brand new one may be too rich anyway. The nice cars are gonna get picked up fast because of production ending. If you are just going for a base 16/17 I guess you can wait on your car as there will be plenty but you have to ask yourself how worth it it is to do so? The gen V is a remarkably better car all around. I'd say price it to sell and advertise through many different venues because even priced to sell cars are taking awhile to grab. On another forum someone is trying to sell his 2000 ACR with 31k miles for 32k and that was recently lowered from 34k. A gen 2 acr is a much higher value vehicle. Finally, you defend that you drive your car and don't see the value of it sitting but that really is a moot point if you are also trying to sell for garage queen pricing. Just my. 02
 

SAABseanSCANIA

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Give me a break. 25k and 26k. Gen 2 prices are low. But what you are quoting is salvage title or storied car low. If true I guess I sold my 2000 Acr just in the nick of time to hop in my 14 TA.

My point exactly. Where are you buying these and what's the WHOLE story.... Like terminator said they're either salvage or storied or beat to hell. As I asked, if you're a dealer like you said, where are you getting these deals from that supposedly have no "bad history". Do you buy trades from dealers? Auctions? I can't see a private sale going for 25-26K unless there is a serious **** addiction involved.

"The car used to be owned by a corporation out of New York City" Does this mean an exotic rental agency? That might make the 25K price tag make sense.
 

terminator02

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I hate to break it to you, but a 1996-2000 Viper GTS can be typically bought for between $33,000 to $40,000. However, savvy individuals who desire Vipers can find excellent deals if one looks in the correct places.My son purchased a 1997 Red Viper GTS:- 30,000 miles- Borla Exhaust- Edelbrock Headers- Cammed up so that it is pushing over 500 horse power- Viper ACR Suspension and shocks- Modern stereo system with brand new speakers and AMP- The car used to be owned by a corporation out of New York City- No previously bad historyThis car was purchased for $25,000. You are trying to sell a Generation I Viper for $38,000? No offense, but Viper owners and Viper buyers are not the type to try to "steal" your car away nor are they trying to pay nothing for your Viper. Simply put, a Generation I, in the year 2016, is not worth the price you are asking for unless it is a special edition. You are simply asking way too much for that caliber of car.I just purchased a red 2005 SRT-10 with 25,000 miles for only $26,000.A close friend of mine purchased a 2000 Red Dodge Viper ACR for $23,000 that needed carbon-fiber work on the back near the driver's tail light. He did the work himself, and it has been restored back to factory specifications and quality. Consider the information above as you price your Generation I Viper.
You know what I looked at your limited posts and see your 05 is classified as a theft car since it has a bunch of stolen parts on it and damage you don't even want to fix properly and you want the OP to use your information as a benchmark? That's sleezy. In the Viper community generally the people who sell and post have well sorted out cars and if it's a salvage or theft or whatever depreciation killer it's transparent. No one in their right mind sells a 2000 Acr for 23k unless it's salvaged and has very bad issues as it could part out cheaper. I guarantee your friend had more than carbon fiber issues. Probably didn't have original bbs wheels etc because those are about 4k alone. Now your son gets a Viper with full bolt ons and the "corporation" also wanted to spend insanely overpriced money on a stock acr suspension and "modern stereo" but sell for less than the price of parts? Again it's a storied car. Just based on the limited information one can gather from your limited posts shows you have a car with issues. You get what you pay for. You aren't funding steals or being savvy as you say. You are getting complete salvage cars at auctions. Your cars are NOT benchmarks for the OP. His 95 that 's clear titled and we'll sorted out is worth more than your 05 theft car with at least 1500 in damage you don't want to fix the right way. Geez way to chime in transparently dude. I will take ANY of your follow ups with the finest grain of salt from here on out.
 

SAABseanSCANIA

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A close friend of mine purchased a 2000 Red Dodge Viper ACR for $23,000 that needed carbon-fiber work on the back near the driver's tail light. He did the work himself, and it has been restored back to factory specifications and quality.

The $23K ACR again... It needed "carbon fiber work" near the tail light? As a result of what? A collision? Meaning he purchased a vehicle needing not just wear and tear items, but body repair and paint. Alright, that makes more sense.

Isn't the tail panel Plastic? I definitely thought it was injection molded plastic. Somebody chime in and correct me but if the car even required a repair to the body in that locale, wouldn't that be RTM (fiberglass) or am I not aware of carbon body panels on the 2000 ACRs.

What I do know is that if your buddy is repairing damaged or delaminated carbon fiber structure to "factory specification" in any capacity he's a talented chap; or at least I think he is, having a mild background in advanced composites.

If it's just RTM, or even just paint work on plastic, it's still not mint, it's a damaged vehicle. I don't know what would impress me more, your close friend repairing carbon, or finding carbon to repair on the car.
 

98RedGTS

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Can't guarantee on an ACR but I was looking at an 02 that was repaired from rear damage. Got the pics of the damage and it diffidently wasn't Carbon Fiber.
 

Ricketts

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everything I did to the car Stripes, wrap etc can be taken Off without damage to go Back

to total OEM, NOT many 1st Generations Out there.

Here is one strike for me if shopping. I want nothing to do with a wrapped or dipped car. A, its a trend I hate. B, more importantly I don't know what the seller is/can be hiding under the wrap. Its not worth the effort or chance for me to buy a "dream car" only to get it home and after a long process of removing such to find out it was hiding paint issues.

Plenty of GEN 1's out there, just have to look. Gotta remember they made almost 6,000 of them, so they aren't "super rare"

You're asking $38,000 for THAT? My goodness.

Anyway, I doubt if anyone will even make you an offer if you have it priced that high. If you're wondering why NO bites, this is probably why.

This is your #1 reason man. Not trying to be mean, just honest. When I'm shopping for a car, bike, etc, etc and see one quite overpriced I never make a offer either. I just keep surfing till I find said item priced reasonable by another seller.
 

WinstonCupDad

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You know what I looked at your limited posts and see your 05 is classified as a theft car since it has a bunch of stolen parts on it and damage you don't even want to fix properly and you want the OP to use your information as a benchmark? That's sleezy. In the Viper community generally the people who sell and post have well sorted out cars and if it's a salvage or theft or whatever depreciation killer it's transparent. No one in their right mind sells a 2000 Acr for 23k unless it's salvaged and has very bad issues as it could part out cheaper. I guarantee your friend had more than carbon fiber issues. Probably didn't have original bbs wheels etc because those are about 4k alone. Now your son gets a Viper with full bolt ons and the "corporation" also wanted to spend insanely overpriced money on a stock acr suspension and "modern stereo" but sell for less than the price of parts? Again it's a storied car. Just based on the limited information one can gather from your limited posts shows you have a car with issues. You get what you pay for. You aren't funding steals or being savvy as you say. You are getting complete salvage cars at auctions. Your cars are NOT benchmarks for the OP. His 95 that 's clear titled and we'll sorted out is worth more than your 05 theft car with at least 1500 in damage you don't want to fix the right way. Geez way to chime in transparently dude. I will take ANY of your follow ups with the finest grain of salt from here on out.

Purchasing a theft car is one of the greatest secrets in the automotive industry. The trick is not to purchase cars that need a lot of work, replacement parts, or repair. If you purchase a salvage vehicle, follow my steps below to determine if it is worth purchasing. When I purchase a salvage vehicle, you will see that the car is definitely not one that you would find at a junk yard or a used car lot that is "buy here and pay here". Since you are not necessarily sure of the replacement parts, I do not think that you have the best judgment regarding the type of Viper that I currently have. All parts are factory ordered straight from Dodge itself. While some of the parts are not what originally came with the Viper out of the factory, it is still absurd to think that the Viper is any different if it has been restored to 100% factory conditions that have been certified by Dodge certification standards. As you would imagine, I do have the paperwork for the car.

Why spend $15,000 more for a Viper with a bumper and headlights instead of using a Dodge Viper bumper (from Dodge) and painted by Dodge of Detroit? Of course, that may be a compromise that you are not willing to make.

The 2000 ACR Viper only had fiber glass issues on the back driver's side tail-light. If you have not seen the car or do not know anything about the car, then it is improper for you to use straw-man tactics to assume that the car is **** or has more wrong with it than the issues that I have listed. The gentleman who owns the car has worked in a garage his entire life, worked for a NASCAR team body repair garage, and has plenty of experience fixing vehicles that need repair. There were no issues with the ACR since he spent five years of his life building the second generation Viper from 1997-2002. He knows how to inspect the cars for any damage or issues; none are reported. Therefore, he did get his Viper for $25,000, and the other two Vipers were purchased at similar prices. It hurts, but non-current generation Vipers are at a low swing, and people are willing to get rid of their Vipers for unusual circumstances. I cannot help that the prices are where they are, but we should not let that make us feel worse about our cars or as if they are not worth their value. The Vipers are still worth a decent amount of money, and they will only increase in value within the next twenty years.

My son's Viper has all of the specifications listed, and again, it is in wonderful shape. It is not a storied car, nor am I lying on a message board to boast about the Viper. My son was personal friends with the owner of the corporation (a multi-millionaire), and he basically gave the Viper to my son at that price simply because he had so much money that he did not really care how much he sold it for. Much like the bank trying to sell repossessed houses, the owner of the corporate car did not care about making any money back; I am sure that his company paid for it and probably wrote it off as a company car on the taxes.

As an individual who has an inspector in the family, many cars with minor damaged are written off as salvage vehicles simply because the owner wanted it written off that way. Where I live, you get to choose who inspects a wrecked car, and you usually choose your friends who will ensure that you get the best deal out of the process. I once had a 2005 Mustang GT salvaged simply because the rear spoiler came unglued from the car. The insurance company wrote it off as a salvage, I got the equivalent money for the car, and the next owner spent less than $200.00 repairing the spoiler of the car. I know it seems shady and terrible, but this happens so much around the United States and is a common occurrence. As another example, I purchased a 1997 Corvette Convertible in 2000 as a flood vehicle because cars are classified as flood cars if they sit in water that is higher than ankle deep for a specific period of time. I bought the car at flood price, replace the wheels and brakes based on factory specifications, and then allowed the car to be inspected to reclaim the title as being good.

As a final note, I did return the 2005 car to specifications and repaired it by placing the actual factory part. It is repaired properly.

It is absurd that you are trying to discredit my purchases as if you know the history of the Vipers, their backstories, and methods in which the cars obtained. You also assume as if you know more about these three Vipers (that you have not seen) than the actual owners who have spent their entire lives in the car industry. I make no mistake that the Vipers have all had a strange, quirky history, but it does not change the fact that the Vipers are all in original factory condition, have actual Dodge factory parts, have clean titles, and were obtained for complete steals. You can discredit the Vipers from 2,000 miles away from where I live, but if I have been able to come across these deals, then it is important that everyone else on this forum be aware that similar deals could be found in their own situations and lives. As Viper owners, we all love our cars. You should also know that as Viper owners, we would never drive **** vehicles or vehicles that have issues and troubles. We drive are known to be some of the best owners in the world due to our car of our cars, our pride in our cars, and our love/passion for showing the cars in public to allow others to enjoy them. While you like to paint the grim picture that my Vipers look like 1986 Camaros sitting on concrete blocks in the front yard, your view is just not representative of the cars or their condition.

I am not sure why you feel threatened that I have come across such cheap, amazing Vipers, but you should be happy/proud that good deals were found instead of assuming that the cars are **** or restored in **** condition even when specifically told the history of each car from the owner. I do not want to make assumptions about you, but others with your attitude are the same people who learn how to drive stick shifts on high end cars, hate it when young kids are driving Ferraris and Porsches around town, and never can believe it when young people are able to afford nice cars. Dude, calm down, control how offended you are at the three Vipers, their purchase prices, and their stories and just learn how to politely inquire more about stories rather than assuming the user is a liar or is a ******* who knows nothing about his own cars.

Here is another true story that you will not believe - My son learned how to drive a manual gearbox by driving a Shelby Cobra around the subdivision over a period of several days. Sometimes stories that are too good to be true are...simply true. Now, talk your grains of salt and make some more with your salty tears.
 
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WinstonCupDad

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The $23K ACR again... It needed "carbon fiber work" near the tail light? As a result of what? A collision? Meaning he purchased a vehicle needing not just wear and tear items, but body repair and paint. Alright, that makes more sense.

Isn't the tail panel Plastic? I definitely thought it was injection molded plastic. Somebody chime in and correct me but if the car even required a repair to the body in that locale, wouldn't that be RTM (fiberglass) or am I not aware of carbon body panels on the 2000 ACRs.

What I do know is that if your buddy is repairing damaged or delaminated carbon fiber structure to "factory specification" in any capacity he's a talented chap; or at least I think he is, having a mild background in advanced composites.

If it's just RTM, or even just paint work on plastic, it's still not mint, it's a damaged vehicle. I don't know what would impress me more, your close friend repairing carbon, or finding carbon to repair on the car.

You are correct. I apologize. I typed "carbon fiber", but I entirely intended to type "fiber class". I have been watching too much Top Gear lately. However, the gentleman with the ACR has worked in a body shop for most of his life; he had a small stint in Vietnam, but has worked on cars since the day he returned. He knows how to repair body word and complete professional paint jobs. As side information, this same gentleman, three years ago, completely built a 1956 Corvette from ALL original parts that were stored in bags and boxes. He then painted the car and sold the car. He just loves to work on cars.
 

WinstonCupDad

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Can't guarantee on an ACR but I was looking at an 02 that was repaired from rear damage. Got the pics of the damage and it diffidently wasn't Carbon Fiber.

You are correct. I am sorry, man. It was "fiber glass" rather than "carbon fiber". I have been watching way too much Top Gear and listening to Jeremy Clarkson talk about "The caaarrrbbboooonnn fiiiiiibbuurrrrrrr boddddddyyy." My fingers types something that my brain was not thinking.
 

steve e

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Why is everyone upset, Winstoncup is a used car dealer who is full of shi! and does not know his ass from his elbow. No offence:rolaugh:
 

Free2go

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Why is everyone upset, Winstoncup is a used car dealer who is full of shi! and does not know his ass from his elbow. No offence:rolaugh:

10-4 Steve. Just a carpet bagging snake oil salesman. Get a rope.
 

WinstonCupDad

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Honestly, it seems pretty clear that this Viper community, for a small section of users, seems full of altruistic individuals who treat users and their cars like **** unless the users bought the cars for $10,000 over retail/sticker price.

The hatred and vitriol shown to these cars and my REQUESTED explanation for the full stories of the cars is absurd. Honestly. I have rebutted every attack, and I have addressed every single question regarding my posts within this thread. I have justified how these cars were purchased at such a wonderfully low value, and I have done all that I can be supportive of users who are looking for Vipers that are affordable; I think the users spitting out hatred like to indulge themselves in the belief that their cars are exclusive and so rare that commoners such as myself, my friends, and my family should not be able to have them. Go ahead, gentlemen, and get yourselves excited at how your cars are so rare and better than most of the world.

I love to share my Viper stories, I love to let others see my car, I let others sit in my car during car shows, I let them take photos, and I specifically do not have a "dont touch policy" due to the fact that I want my cars and the other Vipers to bring joy to others.

This is supposed to be a supportive community, and several users have been as I have tried to share my passion with other Viper users. However, some of you are just too miserable and too condescending and too offended at the thought that other people have Vipers too.

It is also clear that these same people do not know the difference between a CAR SALESMAN and a CAR DEALER. I am dealer. A snake oil salesman? You guys have no idea who I am or what I am like. You just spit out hateful attacks since I do not fit your definition of a "True Viper Owner".

Unbelievable.
 

WinstonCupDad

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I know I'm absolutely stunned......

A guy walks in and wants to talk about Viper's and he gets run off

What is it exactly you guys want if this is not it? Tell me, I'd really like to know what you're thinking if at all

Honestly, I have no idea. The attacks on my career, the attacks on my friends who they know nothing about, the attacks on my son, and the rampant attacks on the three Vipers that I have discussed in great detail are downright absurd from members of a group that is already so small due to the exclusivity of the Viper in the first place. However, the vendetta against me springs from a subconscious (maybe these users are conscious in reality) desire to put others down simply due to a lack of understanding of what another user has tried to explain; good deals on Vipers are out there, and if I have found three fantastic deals within a single state, then it is very possible that other great finds are available as well if one is willing to put in work, time, and money to purchase vehicles that are repossessed, thefts, and dare I say...floods/salvage titles.

Let me make myself clear to all of the users who are reading this thread due to the desire to purchase a Viper, DO NOT purchase a salvaged/flood title car if your intention is to resell the car at a later date in hopes of selling the car for values of $40,000+. You purchase a salvage or flood vehicle for two reasons:
1. You want to keep the car the rest of your life because you are satisfied with the car, and you do not mind to put in the work and money needed to make the necessary repairs to restore the care back to original condition.
2. You want to repair the car to make a $5,000 to $10,000 profit. For example, I purchased a salvaged C6 ZR1 Corvette that needed a new front bumper and headlights (this Corvette was almost charcoal in color). The car was purchased for $45,000. After spending $1,200 on a front bumper, $500 on brand new factory headlights, and $1,200 for an authentic paint job, I was able to sell the vehicle for $65,000 (with a good title), which is still MUCH LESS than what you can purchase the car from a dealership or someone who is a private owner. The secret to the making money in the car business is not selling lemons and ripping people off by being a snake oil salesman, as my Viper colleagues have so generously labeled me, but is to purchase cars that need a little bit of work and can be flipped for quite a bit more money. If I operate on this theory and others that I know operate on this theory, then I do recommend that others be out on the look out high quality Vipers for a low price. Again, you would not purchase a $25,000 Viper to resell for $50,000. You could, however, purchase a $25,000 Viper, restore it back to factory condition, and sell it for closer to $33,000; you make a considerable profit while also providing someone the opportunity to own a Viper for much less than purchasing one from a private owner or a dealership.

For those interested in where I have purchased the three Vipers that I have discussed, I would like to turn your attention to the following website.

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/Search.aspx?Keyword=Viper

This is a wonderful place to find Vipers that need work or, if you are lucky, have no issues and that the banks are trying to get rid of as a way to get some of their money back.

Here is an example of a Viper that you SHOULD NOT purchase since the amount of money for repairs would never be made when reselling the car; the repair cost would also be almost as much as buying an equivalent Viper from a private citizen:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?itemID=22513121&RowNumber=0&loadRecent=True

Here is a Viper that is salvaged:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?ItemID=22604596&RowNumber=1&loadRecent=true

Unfortunately, while there appears to be nothing wrong with the body, you cannot tell why the car has been salvaged. The interior looks nice, the exterior looks nice, and the car appears to have no problems. This would seem to be an electrical issue, but it could also be a Viper that an inspector has salvaged even if nothing is wrong with the car (see my post earlier about how "totaling" a vehicle is not as big of a deal as one would believe). Overall, I would not bid on this car since I am not sure what is wrong with the car.

Here is an example of what Free2Go and Terminator02 thinks that I buy from this website:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?itemID=22278878&RowNumber=2&loadRecent=True

I am sure that they are still laughing their asses off at the thought of thinking that this is the type of car I purchase for $22,000. For anyone interested in this wreck of a car, you can probably win the bid at $9,000 if you want a project car to repair. I would not go anywhere near this type of car.

At the moment, there are no Vipers for sale on this website that I would recommend purchasing. However, I make sure to check once per month in case there are newly updated cars place on the lineup.

My son's daily driver is a 2015 Toyota Corolla S (White) that was purchased off of IAAI for $8,500 because it had a salvage title. The reason that it was salvaged is because the bumper had one crack on the passenger's side and the radiator fan had been stolen. After fiber glass work (3 days and $100 including paint and primer) and a new radiator fan, the car's title was returned to normal, and my son is driving a 2015 Corolla (28,000 miles at the time) for less than $10,000. Yeah, call me an idiot all you want for playing this game of fixing cars, but there is no point in purchasing the equivalent car for almost double for what he ended up paying. His girlfriend purchased a 2008 Mini Cooper S (Sidewalk Edition - they only made these cars for two years) for $8,500 with 31,000 miles on it. It needed a completely new driver's side door and a front bumper, but her rare Mini Cooper S was repaired and fixed to the point where she only had less than $11,000 in the entire purchase.

To all serious users who are interested in purchasing a Viper, I do not advocate purchasing wrecks from another owner unless you personally know the owner, nor would I purchase wrecks from places such as Craigslist (I hate to contradict Free2Go, but that is a terrible website to use for business [sellers always want too much for their cars and buyers always want to pay too little for the cars], so please please please stay away from Craigslist unless you are willing to make a purchase on less than the full facts of the car). If you are interested in this method of purchasing a Viper, which is highly looked down upon and judged by those in this Viper community since it "appears" that I am too much of a cheap ass to just pay $20,000 extra for a nonsalvaged/wrecked/flooded/repossessed car, please use a company such as IAAI that provides free Car Fax Reports, all details issues pertaining to the cars, and all proper documentation and paperwork to diagnose the problems with the car. There are MANY deals out there, but you may have to pursue avenues that you thought that you would never think about. If you do think about using IAAI, do not go looking for cars alone if you do not have experience repairing cars or purchasing cars for later resell. You could end up with a garbage vehicle that could completely set you back thousands of dollars that you will never get back. I suggest that you have someone in the car industry (someone who repairs cars and not necessarily someone who just sells cars at a dealership) to give you advice as to the repair cost and extent of damage that will need to be addressed. Stay away from complete wrecks and try to only purchase cars with cracks in the fiber glass, those that have front/back bumper issues, and cars that may have pieces stolen from them. If a car needs electrical work, stay FAR FAR FAR away. The main suggestion that I would have is to be patient; the ACR that I have described came two months before the 2005 SRT-10 that I have described earlier in the post. You may need to wait months for the right Viper to come along.

As usual, I have provided a very informative post that is transparent and helpful to the other users in the Viper community. Folks, I will never laugh at your Vipers, I will never make fun of how you prefer to live with your Vipers, and I would never demean you because you found a Viper for a price that is much lower than what others in this forum are willing to pay for an equivalent car. Please feel free to PM me if you need more advice or resources to look for such cars and other cars, and I will do whatever I can to assist you without an altruistic, condescending, snarky attitude. Unlike Terminator02 and Free2Go, I would be thrilled if everyone in the world had a Viper so that they could share in the joy that we all have whenever we drive ours; those two users most likely vomit at the thought of anyone becoming a Viper owner since it makes their cars that much more less desirable and rare. Give me a damn break, folks.

I love it whenever I see others driving cars in which they are proud, whether it be Vipers, Corvettes, Mustangs, or even pickup trucks. We are now in an era where it is evermore difficult for the younger generation to have as many cars as we did whenever we were growing up. Therefore, I am ALWAYS happy to see anyone in a fantastic car in which they are proud. Honestly. It really does make me smile knowing that others are happy in the cars that make them happy.
 
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steve e

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Actually you seem to be a good guy after all, are you sure you are a car sales man, only kidding.:D In the begining I took what you were saying wrong, thought you were bashing Vipers.
 

WinstonCupDad

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Actually you seem to be a good guy after all, are you sure you are a car sales man, only kidding.:D In the begining I took what you were saying wrong, thought you were bashing Vipers.

Oh, Lord no. I have been a fan of the Viper since its introduction in the late 1980s, and have been a fan of them ever since they were released in the early 1990s. I still have two 1/16th diecast models of 1996 and 1997 Dodge Viper GTS cars that my son used to play with whenever he was a child. Some of my fondest memories with my son was watching that CHEESY mid-1990's network television show called "Viper". He was really big into Transformers, so he was a major fan of the action scenes in which the Red Viper turned into the silver Viper Defender.

We have both loved Vipers since their inception, and I specifically bought a Viper for my self so that I could attend car shows with my son in the same type of automobile. It is fantastic to have a father-duo to travel with our Vipers together, and it is even better that I was able to secure the ACR Viper for my best friend. We love the Viper, we have studied the Viper, and we have kept up with the Viper story from the beginning.

I have nothing but unadulterated love for the Dodge Viper, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds in store for the Viper considering the fact that it may eventually be built by another company other than Dodge. Who knows, Dodge may keep the name and bring it out again.
 

SAABseanSCANIA

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Honestly, I have no idea. The attacks on my career, the attacks on my friends who they know nothing about, the attacks on my son, and the rampant attacks on the three Vipers that I have discussed in great detail are downright absurd from members of a group that is already so small due to the exclusivity of the Viper in the first place. However, the vendetta against me springs from a subconscious (maybe these users are conscious in reality) desire to put others down simply due to a lack of understanding of what another user has tried to explain; good deals on Vipers are out there, and if I have found three fantastic deals within a single state, then it is very possible that other great finds are available as well if one is willing to put in work, time, and money to purchase vehicles that are repossessed, thefts, and dare I say...floods/salvage titles.

Let me make myself clear to all of the users who are reading this thread due to the desire to purchase a Viper, DO NOT purchase a salvaged/flood title car if your intention is to resell the car at a later date in hopes of selling the car for values of $40,000+. You purchase a salvage or flood vehicle for two reasons:
1. You want to keep the car the rest of your life because you are satisfied with the car, and you do not mind to put in the work and money needed to make the necessary repairs to restore the care back to original condition.
2. You want to repair the car to make a $5,000 to $10,000 profit. For example, I purchased a salvaged C6 ZR1 Corvette that needed a new front bumper and headlights (this Corvette was almost charcoal in color). The car was purchased for $45,000. After spending $1,200 on a front bumper, $500 on brand new factory headlights, and $1,200 for an authentic paint job, I was able to sell the vehicle for $65,000 (with a good title), which is still MUCH LESS than what you can purchase the car from a dealership or someone who is a private owner. The secret to the making money in the car business is not selling lemons and ripping people off by being a snake oil salesman, as my Viper colleagues have so generously labeled me, but is to purchase cars that need a little bit of work and can be flipped for quite a bit more money. If I operate on this theory and others that I know operate on this theory, then I do recommend that others be out on the look out high quality Vipers for a low price. Again, you would not purchase a $25,000 Viper to resell for $50,000. You could, however, purchase a $25,000 Viper, restore it back to factory condition, and sell it for closer to $33,000; you make a considerable profit while also providing someone the opportunity to own a Viper for much less than purchasing one from a private owner or a dealership.

For those interested in where I have purchased the three Vipers that I have discussed, I would like to turn your attention to the following website.

https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/Search.aspx?Keyword=Viper

This is a wonderful place to find Vipers that need work or, if you are lucky, have no issues and that the banks are trying to get rid of as a way to get some of their money back.

Here is an example of a Viper that you SHOULD NOT purchase since the amount of money for repairs would never be made when reselling the car; the repair cost would also be almost as much as buying an equivalent Viper from a private citizen:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?itemID=22513121&RowNumber=0&loadRecent=True

Here is a Viper that is salvaged:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?ItemID=22604596&RowNumber=1&loadRecent=true

Unfortunately, while there appears to be nothing wrong with the body, you cannot tell why the car has been salvaged. The interior looks nice, the exterior looks nice, and the car appears to have no problems. This would seem to be an electrical issue, but it could also be a Viper that an inspector has salvaged even if nothing is wrong with the car (see my post earlier about how "totaling" a vehicle is not as big of a deal as one would believe). Overall, I would not bid on this car since I am not sure what is wrong with the car.

Here is an example of what Free2Go and Terminator02 thinks that I buy from this website:
https://www.iaai.com/Vehicles/VehicleDetails.aspx?itemID=22278878&RowNumber=2&loadRecent=True

I am sure that they are still laughing their asses off at the thought of thinking that this is the type of car I purchase for $22,000. For anyone interested in this wreck of a car, you can probably win the bid at $9,000 if you want a project car to repair. I would not go anywhere near this type of car.

At the moment, there are no Vipers for sale on this website that I would recommend purchasing. However, I make sure to check once per month in case there are newly updated cars place on the lineup.

My son's daily driver is a 2015 Toyota Corolla S (White) that was purchased off of IAAI for $8,500 because it had a salvage title. The reason that it was salvaged is because the bumper had one crack on the passenger's side and the radiator fan had been stolen. After fiber glass work (3 days and $100 including paint and primer) and a new radiator fan, the car's title was returned to normal, and my son is driving a 2015 Corolla (28,000 miles at the time) for less than $10,000. Yeah, call me an idiot all you want for playing this game of fixing cars, but there is no point in purchasing the equivalent car for almost double for what he ended up paying. His girlfriend purchased a 2008 Mini Cooper S (Sidewalk Edition - they only made these cars for two years) for $8,500 with 31,000 miles on it. It needed a completely new driver's side door and a front bumper, but her rare Mini Cooper S was repaired and fixed to the point where she only had less than $11,000 in the entire purchase.

To all serious users who are interested in purchasing a Viper, I do not advocate purchasing wrecks from another owner unless you personally know the owner, nor would I purchase wrecks from places such as Craigslist (I hate to contradict Free2Go, but that is a terrible website to use for business [sellers always want too much for their cars and buyers always want to pay too little for the cars], so please please please stay away from Craigslist unless you are willing to make a purchase on less than the full facts of the car). If you are interested in this method of purchasing a Viper, which is highly looked down upon and judged by those in this Viper community since it "appears" that I am too much of a cheap ass to just pay $20,000 extra for a nonsalvaged/wrecked/flooded/repossessed car, please use a company such as IAAI that provides free Car Fax Reports, all details issues pertaining to the cars, and all proper documentation and paperwork to diagnose the problems with the car. There are MANY deals out there, but you may have to pursue avenues that you thought that you would never think about. If you do think about using IAAI, do not go looking for cars alone if you do not have experience repairing cars or purchasing cars for later resell. You could end up with a garbage vehicle that could completely set you back thousands of dollars that you will never get back. I suggest that you have someone in the car industry (someone who repairs cars and not necessarily someone who just sells cars at a dealership) to give you advice as to the repair cost and extent of damage that will need to be addressed. Stay away from complete wrecks and try to only purchase cars with cracks in the fiber glass, those that have front/back bumper issues, and cars that may have pieces stolen from them. If a car needs electrical work, stay FAR FAR FAR away. The main suggestion that I would have is to be patient; the ACR that I have described came two months before the 2005 SRT-10 that I have described earlier in the post. You may need to wait months for the right Viper to come along.

As usual, I have provided a very informative post that is transparent and helpful to the other users in the Viper community. Folks, I will never laugh at your Vipers, I will never make fun of how you prefer to live with your Vipers, and I would never demean you because you found a Viper for a price that is much lower than what others in this forum are willing to pay for an equivalent car. Please feel free to PM me if you need more advice or resources to look for such cars and other cars, and I will do whatever I can to assist you without an altruistic, condescending, snarky attitude. Unlike Terminator02 and Free2Go, I would be thrilled if everyone in the world had a Viper so that they could share in the joy that we all have whenever we drive ours; those two users most likely vomit at the thought of anyone becoming a Viper owner since it makes their cars that much more less desirable and rare. Give me a damn break, folks.

I love it whenever I see others driving cars in which they are proud, whether it be Vipers, Corvettes, Mustangs, or even pickup trucks. We are now in an era where it is evermore difficult for the younger generation to have as many cars as we did whenever we were growing up. Therefore, I am ALWAYS happy to see anyone in a fantastic car in which they are proud. Honestly. It really does make me smile knowing that others are happy in the cars that make them happy.

Alright, now that we're all meanies.

The above sources are exactly what I was asking for to begin with. I was genuinely interested in where these deals were coming from. Who doesn't love a deal? I had assumed this was the case though, and you didn't disclose that these deals were salvage right away. And yes, I smelled BS when "carbon fiber" was used, but a mistake is a mistake.

The fact of the matter is, in response to the OP, as a recap, your first post said you got 1997 GTS with 30K on it for $25K, a 2005 SRT-10 with 25K on it for $26K, and a friend got a 2000 ACR for $23K. No mention to salvage. No mention to repairs needed (except for the CF on an ACR). You were comparing those to a clean titled good condition Gen I, and by not sharing that the prices mentioned were for damaged vehicles, it was inferred that they were comparable clean titled cars like the OPs. There's nothing wrong with them being salvage cars, but those aren't representative market prices.

On the one car you DID disclose needed repairs right off the bat, it needed body repairs. You seem extremely knowledgeable in what body work and paint costs when you're writing the check and not doing the work. If you had to pay to repair the tail, you're looking at about $5-6K in body shop charges with glass work and paint. Now let's do math. $23K + $5K = $28K for a salvage titled 2000 ACR. A couple grand more buys you clean title. It's fantastic that your friend is a talented body guy with paint skills on top of that, but 99% of the population isn't, so for 99% of people the math previously stated is not a deal.

There's no shame in taking the bad and broken and making them new again. I do it myself. I've made profits, but I've earned all of them by doing most of everything on my own and only writing a check if I REALLY don't know how to do something or don't have the equipment. You can have a great car at a great price if you have the knowledge to do so, but nothing will change that title, and in terms of resale, next to comparable clean title cars, a rebuilt title car (and even some with just a blemished carfax) will never bring the same money; so no need to spout off deals that were got when someone is trying to value their vehicle and looking to their community for input on their price. But, I agree with you, if you want a car "forever", your avenue is a great option.

Consider the information above as you price your Generation I Viper.
This is not an OK thing to consider when the OP isn't trying to sell a marked title vehicle. Do I think the price is high? I do, I agree with you on that; but the lesson here is to compare apples to apples................ not apples to firetrucks because they're both red.
 

Peter K.

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I can only tell you my 2+year experience search for a 93-95. I looked at the production # of each year. Also the pre and post antenna car of the 93 year. I left off the 92 because I did not think I could afford BUT I did wind up with a 92 for a fair price. Now we have 3 1992's and an 01 GTS.

I can tell you this, the cars that were in the 30's were not selling. That is unless they had extremely low miles...under 3000. Over a dozen cars with 20,000 or more struggled to get 25k. There were several antenna 93's, $26k for a 17k mile for example. I missed out on a 93 antenna car for 18k with about 20k for miles. It was just filthy but easily cleaned up. Prices were all over the 20k-30k mark. Very few in the 30's unless sold by dealer that can get the financing for the buyer.

My search was from summer 2013 to the fall of 2015. I do not think the values changed all that much since. The same cars have been lingering on ebay and the like for months or years. A few have sold, most of been kept.

My order in the beginning was an early VIN 93, then later VIN. Then a 95 because of the lower production # but most importantly, the tan interior. 94 was last because it has the highest production #s.

As far a 33-38k, I do not see that yet with those miles. But I would highly recommend holding onto the car. I can tell you this, that value will leap frog the 38k when they do raise. I am guessing the $20-30k cars will be 45k-60k before you know it. I am guessing, from my collecting experience, that a mint car will easily be 80-100k for the 93-95 and 150k for a 92.

It's simple, I've said the same about other marques and it rang true......If you think they are going to be $25,000 car forever, they're not.
 

GRANGER73

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"but most importantly, the tan interior" Are you serious? Tan interior most important?lol. The tan interior requirement would certainly rule out the 93 at the top of your list. I do appreciate the objective and scientific analysis you present supporting your future valuation "guesses." You lost me at your first "I am guessing."
 

steve e

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Oct 23, 1995
Posts
988
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Winstoncup you do have interesting and long posts:D and now that I get that you are not a Viper hater, there cool. You have good posting skills, for me to post stuff that long would take 2 days, but in all honesty 5th grade was the hardest 8 years of my life:crazy2:
 
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