Viper Newbie questions Gen I&II

[Natanelli]

I'm really feeling the viper itch and have been looking for the past two weeks for one. Before I go out and make the plunge I have a couple questions.

1. I've heard a lot of rumors about Gen I cars having a lot of problems, is there any validity to this? and if so what are the most common place problems?

2. When I looked up Vipers they were broken on this one site by 92-94, 95, and then 96-00. Where do 95s fit in the Viper world? Gen I, II?

3. I obviously can't go by the Kelly Blue Book value on these cars. I saw one 95 Viper with 17K miles mint condition and they wanted 40k for it. Where as Kelly Blue book showed the Retail value as being 31,800. I know with other cars the KBB retail value is usually high but I guess Vipers are an exception. Does anyone have a very basic idea of what I would pay for a stock 94, 95, and 96 with 25k or less miles on it?

4. Tell me this thing isn't sweet: Check it out
It looks like they put a newer hood on the car, how expensive of an add-on is that?

Thanks for all the help, I need it.

 

[Gerald Levin]

1. I've heard a lot of rumors about Gen I cars having a lot of problems, is there any validity to this? and if so what are the most common place problems?

I've heard many mention of problems with head gaskets. I've also heard that if it has not had a head gasket problem, it will. But I've never owned one and just seen this mentioned.

2. When I looked up Vipers they were broken on this one site by 92-94, 95, and then 96-00. Where do 95s fit in the Viper world? Gen I, II?

95's are Gen 1. 96 RT's are Gen 1.5. 96 GTS are Gen 2. Go to the home page (check out upper left) and then check out specifications listed on the leftcolumn for all the info you need to know.

3. I obviously can't go by the Kelly Blue Book value on these cars. I saw one 95 Viper with 17K miles mint condition and they wanted 40k for it. Where as Kelly Blue book showed the Retail value as being 31,800. I know with other cars the KBB retail value is usually high but I guess Vipers are an exception. Does anyone have a very basic idea of what I would pay for a stock 94, 95, and 96 with 25k or less miles on it?

Hard to say but expect to pay at least $30k and up. Check ebay and see what the ones are selling for there will give you an idea.

4. Tell me this thing isn't sweet: Check it out
It looks like they put a newer hood on the car, how expensive of an add-on is that?

I love it and would love to own it for 40k. Above that, to me, you are starting to pay retail for the car and I'd prefer to buy this car wholesale (yes, I may be dreaming) then retail. I believe the hood is an elite hood and I'm guessing is worth $5k.

The gen 1's have a ***** fugly softtop that should be outlawed. This hardtop looks very nice compared to the softtop. They also had some fugly 3 spoke wheels which were replaced here with the 19" SRT wheels/tires that probably are worth $4-5k. This guy put a ton of money into this car but it probably won't bring much more than its bid (IMHO). Hope this helps.

 

[Kiaser]

1. I've heard a lot of rumors about Gen I cars having a lot of problems, is there any validity to this? and if so what are the most common place problems?

As long as the car is in good condition and has any recall work done it a Gen I is fine. The original head gaskets would tend to get flaky or crack and this is the only major thing that needs to be fixed. They replace them with better gaskets when the work is done. You should make sure the head gasket work is completed before buying the car or expect to shell out some dough to get it fixed. Gen II car's have some recalls as well, but I don't know the exact issues and/or years effected.

3. I obviously can't go by the Kelly Blue Book value on these cars. I saw one 95 Viper with 17K miles mint condition and they wanted 40k for it. Where as Kelly Blue book showed the Retail value as being 31,800. I know with other cars the KBB retail value is usually high but I guess Vipers are an exception. Does anyone have a very basic idea of what I would pay for a stock 94, 95, and 96 with 25k or less miles on it?

You can find some nice '94's for around $35k in excellent condition and that's what you should expect to pay at the least right now. In fact, anything cheaper then that probably has a reason for being cheaper. Also, take time in buying, don't get set on one car... Shop around, lots of these guys shopped for 6 months through a couple a years before settling. Don't get excited by first impressions, do your research, have us (other viper owners) take a look with you, ask the viper community about the car and it's history, and find a viper tech in the area to take the car to when you're serious about buying as a final check. Stick to those tips and you'll end up happy!

 

[Bonkers]

1. I've heard a lot of rumors about Gen I cars having a lot of problems, is there any validity to this? and if so what are the most common place problems?

No more or less than any other car on the road. Other then the head gasket and power steering pump cap there are no real problems areas. One great thing about the Gen 1s and 2s is that if your handy with a wrench 95%+ of any work needed can be done at home in the garage with basic tools.

2. When I looked up Vipers they were broken on this one site by 92-94, 95, and then 96-00. Where do 95s fit in the Viper world? Gen I, II?

Gen 1s were strictly the RT years, Gen 2s were the GTSs and rear exhaust RTs, Gen 3s are the ones that look like the old camaros.

4. Tell me this thing isn't sweet: Check it out
It looks like they put a newer hood on the car, how expensive of an add-on is that?

Good rule of thumb - every $1000 in mods adds about $100 of value to the car. Exceptions are the tuner packages and they rely heavily on the tuner themselves - example: I'd pay a $15-20k premium for a Heffner TT or Levin SC package, but I'd subtract $10k if Heneassy did an oil change on it.

Most of these mods are simple, easily reversible, so they're value is very subjective. The ceramic headers and engine mods can be pricey to reverse if they end up failing. The elite hood, fascia, wing, and splitter are worthless mods as they come with no guarantees or company support - there is likely $10,000 in parts, paint, and labor in those pieces alone that aren't covered by insurance, and might not be replaceable in the future. Considering they are already painted and formed they don't detract from value either so its personal preference if you want to pay extra for those. The interior mods will destroy the value in the far future. In my strictly personal opinion this car has already meet its market value.

 

[Gerald Levin]

Gen 3s are the ones that look like the old camaros.

but I'd subtract $10k if Heneassy did an oil change on it.

Bonkers, you cracked me up on the above and definitely agree with the following:

In my strictly personal opinion this car has already meet its market value.

Somebody has put in a ton of cash that he'll never recover.