My Very Viper Orange Squeeze The Chronicle Continues

[viperBase1]

http://digitaldexterity.com/images/snake/Image20_small.jpg

I have nothing to add just yet.. but I will.
The exhaust note is AWESOME.

She's an absolute monster.

More words later.

[ACRucrazy]

That's a great Gen IV to have. Enjoy!

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Exciting times! Thanks for the video.

[viperBase1]

K', time for a few words.

Just want to take a moment to heap as much praise as humanly possible on this Forum, SlowHatch (Alex) and ViperExchange (Bernie, Graciela, Morgan, Andy n' anybody else in the VE organization).

Last October I set out on the path to get a BonaFide SuperCar and the 2008 Viper quickly became my first/best choice.
A number of SuperCar gurus recommended getting a 2006 GenIII, but my research and my wallet said the 2008 GenIV was very doable.

Saw the original AutoTrader Ad for this car and followed the bread crumbs to the Reader Ad and then to this Forum.
It didn't take long for me to realize that SlowHatch had put together a very special car AND maintained it impeccably.
I think he should start his own High Performance Auto company.. "SlowHatch SuperCars" or something like that.:D

I had a plan.. and lucky for me..real lucky for me.. SlowHatch was willing to work with the proposed timeline.

Never bought a car remotely before, but having so much information about the car and ViperExchange on this Forum gave me a TON of confidence.

Working with SlowHatch and having ViperExchange facilitate the deal, made it all a complete breeze.
There was never a single ounce of any B.S. n' I'm here to attest to the character and reputations of everyone mentioned above.
Good people.

So THANK YOU! THANK You! Thank You..:orange:

[mattssg]

https://vimeo.com/208620659

Everything about the car has already been painstakenly documented by SlowHatch HERE (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/4157-What-to-replace-a-Viper-with-EJOL-Evil-Jack-o-lantern-Build-thread)& Here (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16278-The-time-has-come-Sneakysnakes-is-for-sale).

I have nothing to add just yet.. but I will. Thus the video.
Captured the exhaust note through the GoPro pretty good.

She's an absolute monster.

More words later.

Congrats on that car you have the sickest lineup I've ever seen.

[1HOTV10]

Congratulations Michael!

Send me a pm and we can talk

Glenn

[slowhatch]

Car couldn't have gone to a better home. I cant tell you how happy it makes me to see you happy with it!

That car has been absolute rock for me, and I'm sure she will be the same for you. Thanks for the kind words, you were a pleasure to deal with.

[Viper Girl]

Hey Michael!

It happened! you got Sneaky Snake! Congrats looking forward to meeting you on a SoCal Cruise!

[viperBase1]

Thanks Glenn. PM'd you.


It happened! you got Sneaky Snake! Congrats looking forward to meeting you on a SoCal Cruise!

Thanks Viper Girl! Looking forward to cruising with you too.
But I gotta come up with a new primary name for my car.

23945

[PaulP]

Alex remember how many brods you told me you hooked up with in that car! Legend !




Car couldn't have gone to a better home. I cant tell you how happy it makes me to see you happy with it!

That car has been absolute rock for me, and I'm sure she will be the same for you. Thanks for the kind words, you were a pleasure to deal with.

[Vprbite]

Some good people around here. Glad to hear it went well for you.

Enjoy and drive safely.

[viperBase1]

Some good people around here. Glad to hear it went well for you.
Enjoy and drive safely.

Thanks Vprbite.
Yea I'm gonna be following your lead on a couple points.

#1 Corsa Catbacks:
I have your post about 'em bookmarked (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/9015-Corsa-Exhaust-14174?p=210101&viewfull=1#post210101), so huge thanks for that.
The part about "I am a musician so..." really hit home. (N' hey that's me on the 12-String Slide guitar at the beginning of the video. :cool:)


#2 Autoform TA Style Spoiler:
I think it's a real nice touch. Certainly works on your car (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16665-Love-my-new-TA-style-Spoiler?p=270833&viewfull=1#post270833), will definitely work with the Orange & Black theme on my car.
I think it gives you something to draw the eye towards as you look down the lines of the car.

[slowhatch]

Alex remember how many brods you told me you hooked up with in that car! Legend !

LOL get the hell out of here Paul! You trying to get me in trouble with the old lady, shes been around as long as the car has!


Thanks Vprbite.
Yea I'm gonna be following your lead on a couple points.

#1 Corsa Catbacks:
I'm absolutely DIGGING the notes from the full Belanger system right now.
N' so is everybody else that gets within 30 feet of the car (even the CEO at work..yea drove it in yesterday :dude3:).
I have your post about 'em bookmarked (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/9015-Corsa-Exhaust-14174?p=210101&viewfull=1#post210101), so huge thanks for that.
The part about "I am a musician so..." really hit home. (N' hey that's me on the 12-String Slide guitar at the beginning of the video. :cool:)

I stopped in front of a neighbors house and revved the engine => set off the alarm in a car parked in the drive way.
So California legal or not, I think it's a bit too loud. N' the drone is significant at certain RPM's. But the sound is so deep and awesome!!


#2 Autoform TA Style Spoiler:
I think it's a real nice touch. Certainly works on your car (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16665-Love-my-new-TA-style-Spoiler?p=270833&viewfull=1#post270833), will definitely work with the Orange & Black theme on my car.
I think it gives you something to draw the eye towards as you look down the lines of the car.

Yeah the Belanger definitely drones at certain rpm, you will be happy with the Corsa, its very quiet at cruising speed.

Very interested to see how the spoiler will look!

[PaulP]

Hahahaha




LOL get the hell out of here Paul! You trying to get me in trouble with the old lady, shes been around as long as the car has!

[Vprbite]

Thanks Vprbite.
Yea I'm gonna be following your lead on a couple points.

#1 Corsa Catbacks:
I'm absolutely DIGGING the notes from the full Belanger system right now.
N' so is everybody else that gets within 30 feet of the car (even the CEO at work..yea drove it in yesterday :dude3:).
I have your post about 'em bookmarked (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/9015-Corsa-Exhaust-14174?p=210101&viewfull=1#post210101), so huge thanks for that.
The part about "I am a musician so..." really hit home. (N' hey that's me on the 12-String Slide guitar at the beginning of the video. :cool:)

I stopped in front of a neighbors house and revved the engine => set off the alarm in a car parked in the drive way.
So California legal or not, I think it's a bit too loud. N' the drone is significant at certain RPM's. But the sound is so deep and awesome!!


#2 Autoform TA Style Spoiler:
I think it's a real nice touch. Certainly works on your car (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/16665-Love-my-new-TA-style-Spoiler?p=270833&viewfull=1#post270833), will definitely work with the Orange & Black theme on my car.
I think it gives you something to draw the eye towards as you look down the lines of the car.


I'm glad I could be of help. I personally think corsa is THE way to go. I love the Belanger headers and high flows but corsa assures me of no drone and that nice note. I've even gotten conpliments from one of our track rats in the club here. It was Jon B who originally advised me to that and I took his word on it, boy was he right. And I'll say we drove to and from New Orleans and my GF and I were able to talk, listen to music, whatever. Drone would be a killer on long drives and corsa is the answer, IMO

Also, I love my TA spoiler (thank you, Autoform Steve) and have been getting more pics taken of my car since putting it on I notice. It really pops. I highly recommend you paint your rear diffuser flat/satin black too. It will look great no matter what and if you do the spoiler it will really tie in nicely together. Let me know if you need pics from rear.


Thanks for the compliments. You got yourself a nice car, enjoy her safely and she'll reward you back. Fail to respect her though, and he'll hath no fury

[viperBase1]

Alex remember how many brods you told me you hooked up with in that car! Legend!

LOL get the hell out of here Paul! You trying to get me in trouble with the old lady, shes been around as long as the car has!
Mixed feelings about this info. Slowhatch. :smilielol:


Fail to respect her though, and hell hath no fury
Thanks! I've heard this from a number of people and I'm listening.

N' Slowhatch gave me the 5 Point Plan of How Not to Die While Driving a Viper.


1. Don't EVER drive it in the rain.
2. Never have any steering angle when you go full throttle.
3. Don't ever get on it on asphalt.
4. Do not shift hard on 1-2 shifts.
5. Always drive easy for 10 minutes before getting on it (let the tires warm up)

I'm gonna reserve "Full throttle" for HPDE on the Track.
A 2-3 shift at 4k RPM is gonna hold me over for a very long time.

I don't wanna hurt the car. I don't wanna hurt anyone else around the car.
N' and I don't wanna die. :orange:

[ACtechOPS]

Should look something like this, courtesy 98intrigue.
24000

[viperBase1]

Should look something like this, courtesy 98intrigue.
24000

NICE!! I knew it'd work.

[viperBase1]

Time to get ready for the California Smog Certification.

Slowhatch provided the stock PCM with the car (thank you very much), so just finished swapping it back in.
That battery cover was a little bitch.. looks like Doug Shelby might have a solution for that too. :cool:

After the swap... Car fired Right UP and NO Lights on the dash! Odo wasn't zero'd out either. Awesome!! :dude3:

What a diff! :eek:
EVERYTHING is smoother. The idle. The sound.. still F'ing awesome..just smoother. 50% less droning. Significantly more quiet..but still Bad-Ass.

I have to confess, with the ACR-X PCM I was having a little difficulty making a smooth 1-2 shift .AND. I was white-knuckling the steering wheel (is that normal for driving a real ACR?)
That's all fixed now. Overall much smoother and more comfortable to drive.


I'll drive it a few more cycles and then check things with my OBD-II tester. It's kind of an old OBD-II..from about 1999. But just ordered a new bluetooth OBD-II unit from Amazon.

Any OBD-II Viper pointers would be appreciated.
Like what side of the dash is OBD-II port located on?
Which software app.? etc...

What a profound diff that ACR-X PCM makes.


<><><> On a completely different note <><><>
On the road, this car garners nothing but respect.
Every gear head that pulls up on me and and hears that Belanger low end power rumble and starts checking it out ..is seriously humbled.

[Steve M]

OBD-II port is in line with the clutch pedal, right about where your shin would hit.

[Vprbite]

You can do full throttle. Just roll it, don't punch it.

And 1/2 shifts have always been fine for me. But again, don't punch it. As I said, respect it. I don't think you need to fear it. It's new so be patient and in no time you'll be comfortable.

Side note...anyone on the fence about the TA spoiler, I say do it. I'm yet to even have someone be luke warm about it. I think it look great. As I said my diffuser is satin black, like 98 intrigues up there, so it ties in with that nicely

[viperBase1]

The obligatory gas up photo.
Not pictured but was getting mobbed by folks appreciating the car.
24190

[Stealth78]

Love this car, congrats again! Kind of surprised to hear you like it better on the stock PCM. Also surprised you have no lights on??? I forget, does this car have any cats?

[viperBase1]

Love this car, congrats again!
Me too! It's awesome. Thanks.


Kind of surprised to hear you like it better on the stock PCM.
For me right now, smoother is better. While we're getting to know each other on the street, smoother is better.

It's pretty much a freakin' race car! It has SO much power in gears 1 - 4, I've barely touched the new ACR 5th gear.
It's tuff to go for 5th when you're white knuckling the steering wheel and fogging up the windshield! :eek::smilielol:

Another gift from the stock PCM is a little kick-back when revving down.
Sounds kinda like a Lambo..only WAY deeper. YES!! :dude3:
But it didn't do that with the ACR-X PCM.

Better news is, the Police don't seem to mind the volume at all. There's been no reaction from them whatsoever..so far.



Also surprised you have no lights on??? I forget, does this car have any cats?
Yea me too.
I was possibly expecting a rough first start and a dash light or two for at least a couple of drive cycles.
But nuthin'. She fired right up and kept on hummin'.

N' last night one of the fine folks from AC Performance hooked it up to a handheld OBD-II reader and said everything checked out.


I'll be exploring the car with my own OBD-II testers this weekend. Got a new fangled blue-tooth unit from Amazon that'll interface to an Android or laptop.
Will be evaluating the different software packages available. (New thread about those later.)

HOWEVER, she does need a little attention to become legal in California from an Emissions Testing perspective.
But I think that deserves a new thread..not enough focused info. about it on the Forum (IMO).

[Steve M]

It will take a few drive cycles, but you'll end up getting a code with the stock PCM, likely for catalyst efficiency. I have high flows on the stock exhaust manifolds, and I think the code showed up after about the 3rd or 4th time driving the car.

[cashcorn]

Great car! Should pass the plug-in no problem. Just need to find a place to let you slide on the visual..

[Stealth78]

It will take a few drive cycles, but you'll end up getting a code with the stock PCM, likely for catalyst efficiency. I have high flows on the stock exhaust manifolds, and I think the code showed up after about the 3rd or 4th time driving the car.

Steve, per our last conversation you already know that I will be doing the same, hi-flo mids and a Corsa. I will indeed throw a code without tuning correct? OP, sorry for the off subject.

[Steve M]

Steve, per our last conversation you already know that I will be doing the same, hi-flo mids and a Corsa. I will indeed throw a code without tuning correct? OP, sorry for the off subject.

I can only share my personal experience, and on mine, it did throw a code for catalyst inefficiency. It didn't do it the first couple times I drove it after the high flow cat install, but it definitely did eventually throw a code. There are two guaranteed ways to eliminate it: either install the Mopar/Arrow PCM, or tune it with HPTuners and turn the codes off. These PCMs are very finicky when it comes to emissions equipment.

[Stealth78]

I can only share my personal experience, and on mine, it did throw a code for catalyst inefficiency. It didn't do it the first couple times I drove it after the high flow cat install, but it definitely did eventually throw a code. There are two guaranteed ways to eliminate it: either install the Mopar/Arrow PCM, or tune it with HPTuners and turn the codes off. These PCMs are very finicky when it comes to emissions equipment.

Thank you! I think I will be going the HP Tuner route but obviously after the exhaust install.

[viperBase1]

It will take a few drive cycles, but you'll end up getting a code with the stock PCM, likely for catalyst efficiency. I have high flows on the stock exhaust manifolds, and I think the code showed up after about the 3rd or 4th time driving the car.
Since last Sunday (date of PCM swap) I've prolly driven it ~15 cycles n' still no dash lights. Fingers still crossed..I think it's clear.
So I'm gonna thank SlowHatch, Morgan and the rest of the fine folks at ViperExchange for all their hard work and attention to detail in maintaining the car.

One other change I made was I put more air in the tires (29psi in front / 31psi in rear). I think SlowHatch had her in a roll racing configuration at 24front/27rear.

The excitement around the SSssinister Orange Squeeze is building.:orange: Got swamped this weekend by family, friends and neighbors wanting to check out the car.
Drove it to a dinner party Saturday night and got tons of attention. When we left, the entire party emptied out into the street just to experience the exhaust note on start up.

Sunday morning..another excuse to take her out, was on a big three lane road. Found myself surrounded by folks checking out the car on both flanks..at about 45mph.
I needed to get over/change lanes so I punched off with more throttle than ever before (not Full Throttle..just more) n' it HOOKED UP. WOW!!:drive:

[viperBase1]

Officially changing the name of the car to The Orange Lure :orange:

The car draws people in and makes 'em go crazy n' drive kinda nutso. Then the cops suddenly appear and ticket the morons.
It's happened three times now:

(1)BMW E46 doing ~100mph.
(2)Suped Up Subie BRZ eggin' for a race
(3)Giant Turbo'd 4X4 Truck eggin' for a race.

So far, I have NOT been pulled over by the Police.
Just cruisin' drivin' along minding my own business..kinda LOUDLY.
No problems.

[slowhatch]

Officially changing the name of the car to The Orange Lure :orange:

The car draws people in and makes 'em go crazy n' drive kinda nutso. Then the cops suddenly appear and ticket the morons.
It's happened three times now:

(1)BMW E46 doing ~100mph.
(2)Suped Up Subie BRZ eggin' for a race
(3)Giant Turbo'd 4X4 Truck eggin' for a race.

So far, I have NOT been pulled over by the Police.
Just cruisin' drivin' along minding my own business..kinda LOUDLY.
No problems.

Haha I like the orange lure, got a good ring to it. Glad you're enjoying it, don't be afraid to swat some flys on the freeway if they get out of line :)

[OneofOneViper]

Maybe I missed this in one of your previous posts, but you changed the wheels between the first pictures and your later pictures?

[Redx]

Maybe I missed this in one of your previous posts, but you changed the wheels between the first pictures and your later pictures?

Are you sure your not mistaking 98intrigues old vert for his car?

[OneofOneViper]

Are you sure your not mistaking 98intrigues old vert for his car?

My apologies, you are correct.

[viperBase1]

Long time no update to my Chronicals thread.
The high profile colorful history of this car continues!

After Slowhatch did all the heavy lifting, I've done my best to simply maintain the car since I took delivery March 2017.

Things I've done:

Replaced the Trunk Latch Switch
Replaced the Wiper Blades
Clutch Fluid Flush & Fill x4
Brake Fluid Replace x3 (no flush.. breaks are INCREDIBLE!)
Oil Changes x3 (drained oil looked GREAT. Replaced every 2K - 3K miles! Currently running 5w-50 Mobile 1)
Transmission Fluid Change x2 (drained fluid looked GREAT)
Diff Fluid Change x1 (drained fluid looked GOOD)
New Tires (Nitto Invo's.. and rotated sided to side whenever removed)
Adjusted ACR KW Coil Overs for sucky California roads
Replaced ACR-X ECU with Stock ECU (and vice-a-versa back again x2.. currently back with the ACR-X ECU)
Performed Throttle Re-Learn procedure (as needed)
Cleaned the K&N Air Filter x3
Added SpeedTactics Fire Extinguisher & Mount
Black Onyx Chrome Treatment to the SWII Wheels
Performed the E-Brake Service (only use the E-Brake when necessary. But not the side-to-side cable swap. Plan to remove the relocation brackets completely.)
Lubed Suspension Front & Rear x2
Added Interior Trim to the Dash (little flare and stopped the vibrating and buzzing)
Replaced gas charged Engine Hood Lift Supports
Replaced the Battery and Terminals
Replaced and Upgraded the Oil Cooler Lines :cool:
Changed the Spark Plugs and Wires (Wow! more about this below)
Added about ~5K miles to the ODO.
Fixed the CarFax Report (man was that a wonky experience)

I can handle a little wrenching.

Spark Plugs & Wires
Recently I've noticed :t1509:she hasn't been running as buttery smooth as usual. So thought it was probably time to replace the Spark Plugs & Wires.
Slowhatch provided a great maintenance history but I couldn't find any evidence of plugs and wires having been replaced.
So I pulled plug #5 for a look and found it to be pretty clean but the center electrode was worn and half of it was gone! => so game on.

Ordered up the new wires from "QualityWires.com" (they arrived the next day!) and then visited two local auto parts stores to collect all ten Champion 3032 plugs
(the RE10PMC5 which was what was in the car). Rockauto.com only woulda saved me $7 and woulda had to wait on shipping.
Did the deed yesterday. Took my time on the passenger side first and finished in ~2 hours. Did the drivers side in ~45min. Done!

Happy to say this job was pretty easy for me n' I'd give it a maximum of 3 wrenches.

:t1509: fired right up. Startup was immediate and she's back to buttery smooth operation. Actually better than ever.. shoulda done this long ago. :dude3:

Now on to the old spark plugs as indicators of engine health. Overall I think they look pretty damn good.
Perhaps some indication of them running a smidgen hot.. but according to the chart (on SteveM's spreadsheet) it's normal for this plug.
The rust and corrosion on the outside of plugs 1 & 2 is odd.. but looks to be very old..maybe from an ancient coolant leak.
I already watch the coolant level like a hawk and there's been no issue, so I don't think it's been a problem for a long while.

35467

She's running rock solid and smoother than ever.

Interior Trim
Since day 1, I've had some buzzing and vibrating sounds coming from the speaker grills and other places in the dash.
Tried a few thing to quite the speaker grills, but at best it only worked intermittently.
Saw this color trim stuff on Amazon and thought I'd give it a try (was available in orange too) .
So far, it's worked really well and I don't find the orange outline too offensive. You can also get it in Black.
35464
35465

More :t15197: to follow..

[viperBase1]

The rust and corrosion on the outside of plugs 1 & 2 is odd.. but looks to be very old..maybe from an ancient coolant leak.
After a holiday Whiskey consult in the garage last night, neighbor friend and I decided the rust and corrosion on plugs 1 & 2 was simply from water coming through the two hood vents that line up with the front of the engine.

I never drive it in the rain and I lay down towels under the vents when I wash it, so this should never happen again.

Mystery solved. :very_drunk:

[JedgeDredd]

Reading your Chronicles got me wanting to fly out and check out all of the Vipers I favorited on Cars.com and Autotrader!!! My wallets engorged and ready to pop but I'm stuck waiting for the right GenIII Blue/White Coupe to show up

Good work on the Chronicles. Had my eye on the Autoform spoiler too. Functional orange interior accents are great (AND functional) 👍

[slowhatch]

It always brings me to joy to pop into this thread and see my old gal being cared for properly :)

[viperBase1]

It always brings me to joy to pop into this thread and see my old gal being cared for properly :)
Cheers Slowhatch n' Happy New Year! :very_drunk:

And the love continues..


Replaced the coolant with Zerex G05
Replaced the Idler Pulley
Installed Tow Hooks Front and Rear


Her favorite spot at the beach. :t15197:
35887

After the coolant flush/fill and the Idler Pulley replacement, baby girl is just humming. Running smoother than ever. Dunno why..
I'm guessing the old Idler Pulley was crusty and decrepit.

It was @Mopar'er no car that recommended replacing (https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/18110-New-Noise-High-Frequency-Chirp-with-an-Air-Decompression-Sound-at-Engine-ShutOff?p=294185&viewfull=1#post294185) the Idler Pulley. Damn if he wasn't right on the money.

Got the IPSCO Tow Hook set from JonB at Partsrack.
Installed the rear hook about a month ago.. it's all tucked up inside in the back.
Just finished installing the Front hook Nose Ring.

From the front can't really notice it much.
35888

But from the side, seems to stick out more than I'd prefer.
35889

I guess it's not too bad. No need for the "Tow" sticker either. If the tow guy can't see it, there's no helping him!
I know I'd rather have it than NOT.. AND it's BLACK, so works with the color theme of the car.
I'm gonna write it off as the Nose Ring phase and hope she doesn't get any more piercings, weird dye jobs or tattoos.


35890

Happy New Year! :very_drunk:

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Big Fan of Orange / Black. [See My Avatar]

[viperBase1]

Sunny San Diego Sunday photo session.
Fresh bath and all dolled up.

Snagged a pic of that rear tow hook.
35967

Here she is lookin' plain bitchin trying to mimic a CopperHead.
35968

I'm trying out a different camera.
VVO is damn hard color to capture accurately.. I need to go to photography school.

[viperBase1]

Gettin' right by the Law.

36809


But before that happens, went out for a quick roll and had a chance encounter with a cam'd Camaro ZL1 1LE.
He was able to keep up pretty good.. he didn't fall that far behind. :devilish:

[Viper4Life]

Sunny San Diego Sunday photo session.
Fresh bath and all dolled up.

Snagged a pic of that rear tow hook.
35967

Here she is lookin' plain bitchin trying to mimic a CopperHead.
35968

I'm trying out a different camera.
VVO is damn hard color to capture accurately.. I need to go to photography school.

Absolutley love this car! Truly done right. Surprisingly like the orange accent trim addition also. Never would have thought it would look that good. Have you had any issues with it coming out? What was the name brand. Just curious because i seen many different types with mixed results. Once again, well done on doing right by this beast!

[viperBase1]

Absolutley love this car! Truly done right. Surprisingly like the orange accent trim addition also. Never would have thought it would look that good. Have you had any issues with it coming out? What was the name brand. Just curious because i seen many different types with mixed results. Once again, well done on doing right by this beast!
Hey thanks man!

Yeah, I'm a little surprised too with the interior orange accents. So far, not too offensive.
Since the pics posted above, I've added orange seat belt pads (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DOMEH1S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a thick steering wheel cover w/orange patches at 3 & 9 oClock (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072BN61D8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).. still not offended.
I'll post more pics of it soon.

No issues with the trim stuff coming out. Seems to hold well.

Bought the trim stuff on Amazon..link here (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y56SHSR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

[viperBase1]

The Chronicles of the Orange Lure continue...

Maybe this'll help other California Viper owners.
Plus, all the other Forum posts I've seen are about installing headers, not rolling back to the Stock Exhaust.

***
So here in California (as of Jan 2019) enforcement of pre-existing noise laws got some legislative teeth.
It was originally intended for the young n' dumb crowd that's been doing really stupid stuff on our streets,
but the chance of getting ensnared in the enforcement effort became real. Although now, it seems to have died down a bit.

The basic rule is a 95 decibel(db) limit under these test conditions:

* Sound Pressure Level (SPL) meter placed 19.5 inches in-line from the tail pipe, 45 degrees off axis.
* SPL Test at Idle => ~700 RPM
* SPL Test at 2500 RPM
* SPL Test at 75% of redline => 4687 RPM (not absolutely certain about this particular test. Details still murky.)

The only good news is, it's been quantified.
I have an SPL meter that's been calibrated (for a recording studio) so I can work within the parameters of a quantified test.
Without spilling all the beans.. my Viper passed at Idle, but failed at 2500 and 4687 RPMs, with either the ACRX or Stock ECU's.
***

Regardless, I wanted to avoid any problem$.
My options were:

Sell the car to someone out of state.. to maintain the rock solid "slowhatch" configuration.
Change the exhaust system and keep her.


After talking with many folks (JonB PartsRack, Todd A&C Performance, and other gear-head friends) the general consensus was that I was over reacting.
Ultimately, I decided the love affair with the car goes too deep and I wasn't ready to let her go.
Also wanted to see what it would take to quite her down to pass the SPL tests and see what that meant for the driving experience.
This wasn't an easy decision. She runs so rock solid and I've grown to absolutely love the notes of the Belanger Exhaust System.
But the drone has kept me from enjoying the car for more than 1.5 hours at a time.

So the goal is to get right by the law and be able to pass any and all of the tests from the state of California.

Started talking with JonB PartsRack about some potential aftermarket solutions with an incremental approach in mind.
The idea was to change one thing at a time (from the muffler working inward) and retest until the car passed all the SPL tests.
We discovered options were VERY limited and there wasn't enough info to make any informed purchase decisions.
Cor$a makes a muffler for the Viper, but it's known to be just as loud as the Belanger minus some drone.
My continuous loop of research and questions was making JonB PartsRack.. a little nuts.

Decided it was time to start the tear down process and get ready for the new exhaust system.. whatever that was gonna be(?).

After swapping in the Stock ECU, from the previous SPL testing, she threw a couple of CEL codes that I couldn't clear.
First time ever, in the 2 years I've had her.


P0037 - O2 SENSOR 1/2 HEATER CIRCUIT LOW
P0057 - O2 SENSOR 2/2 HEATER RESISTANCE


Didn't bother me much as I was about to put my mitts all over the exhaust system n' wasn't gonna be surprised if I saw these later.
After talking with SteveM (who was also VERY helpful in this project), decided that I gunked up these O2 sensors by adding a cleaner additive to her gas tank.
That's all I needed to know. => replaced all four O2 Sensors with NTK's purchased form RockAuto.com

After removing the drivers side-sill/rocker panel learned the Belanger system was one welded unit [J-Pipe > CAT > Muffler].
Posted about it here with some pics: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/23567-Exhaust-P-s-amp-Q-s?p=374232&viewfull=1#post374232
This meant the "incremental transition & test" concept was out the window. So after more hand-wringing and whining to JonB PartsRack,
decided the only thing left to do was go BACK TO STOCK.

The original Stock exhaust manifolds came with the car (thank you very much slowhatch), just needed the CAT assemblies, stock Resonators and stock tail pipes.
Ordered up the stock Resonators and manifold gaskets thru MoparOverStock.com, got the CAT assemblies thru JonB PartsRack and the tail pipes from X2 Builders.

Ordered Medium Flow Ceramic CATs and JonB PartsRack worked with Lou Belanger to fabricate these pieces of art.
Ironic that Belanger was part of the solution.
37315
These blew my freakin' mind. They kept 3 inch pipe all the way down to the 2.5 inch reducer feeding the Resonator.
Also, that's a contemporary CARB Certified Ceramic CAT.. likely is way better at scrubbing the exhaust than the ol'-timey stock CAT setup from 2008.

With all the parts in hand (or on the way), it was time to do the deed.


Removal:
Removing the Belanger side pipe assemblies was pretty easy.
But discovered the Y-Pipe collector flange on the passenger side was missing the top bolt. It was gone.. just wasn't there.
Perhaps this was contributing to the drone and fumes.. who knows. Glad I didn't have to remove it, cuz it woulda been a bitch.
Also discovered the tail pipe hanger on the drivers side had a lower mount bolt that was completely stripped.
37316
All beat up and used. No big.. the replacement Tail Pipes (from X2) came with fresh hangers AND bolts that appeared new. Sweet!!!

Also found some tools tucked up inside the space above the drivers rocker panel.
37317
But Dental tools..? These might explain some rattling sounds and vibrations I thought were coming from the dash that I couldn't get rid of.

The removal of the header(s) on the drivers side was no problem.. with a few twists and turns it was out.
The passenger side was a different story and required removing a bunch of stuff and jacking up the engine (as described in the Service Manual).
After jacking up the engine a little bit (without removing the Strut Tower CrossTie) managed to get the header(s) out.


Stock Exhaust Manifold Install:
Installing the passenger side stock exhaust manifold was challenging. I tried to resist removing the Strut Tower Cross Tie to jack up the Engine further.
But in the end, there was no other way to get it to drop into such a tight space.
The drivers side was a breeze, especially with the engine jacked up like that.

Moral to the story is "just follow the instructions in the Service Manual" from the start n' you'll save some time.


Stock Exhaust Assembly Install:
Here is [PartsRack/Belanger CAT assembly piece of art, just hanging in position.
37318

I'll try to get a good pic of the position of the CAT and the lower O2 Sensor bung "As Installed".
It's totally accessible through the wide hole in the frame under-plating, off the inside edge of the rocker panel.
Truly fantastic placement by JonB Partsrack and Lou Belanger. Easy access plus maximum ventilation for the CAT, O2 Sensor and wire harness.

The PartsRack/Belanger CAT assembly fitted perfectly.
Married up with the 3 inch stock exhaust manifold collector like a glove. Didn't need to spread the pipe or anything. Just slid into place.
The other end slid snuggly into the Resonator. It was perfect.

On the other end of the Resonators, the tail pipes from X2 needed a pipe-spreader to open 'em up a bit so they could be installed.
Borrowed one from Oriellys that worked great.

Had never used a V-Clamp before, so the first one (drivers side) was a bit of a pain and took way too long for me to install.
The one on the passenger side installed in a few minutes. Was a breeze.
Don't know what my issues were with the drivers side V-Clamp, but its over now!


Heat Shielding:
I've never experienced any kind of excessive heat on her rocker panels.. maybe a little heat down in the foot well. So wanted to do something to address the commonly known heat issues associated with the stock exhaust. Also found the passenger side lower O2 Sensor wire heatshield getting burned in one spot.

Wrapped the PartsRack/Belanger CAT assembly with this Titanium Heatshield wrap purchased from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012C5FOLK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
(piece of art pictured above) Just the pipe sections, NOT the CAT itself.

Wrapped the top of the stock Resonators with this shielding purchased from Summit Racing.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/HSP-170105
37319
Addressed all the wire heatshield issues for all four O2 Sensors.

The temps on the side sills are maybe a little warmer than before, but so far haven't encountered anything close to a burning sensation where I place my hand and legs climbing in and out of the car.

Got this infrared digital Thermometer off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DMI62HM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These are the temp readings recorded after driving at operating temp for a good long time. (unfortunately no "before & after" readings, just "after")

Stock exhaust rocker panel temp readings (with heat shielding):

Where I place my hand when exiting. 106 degrees
Where I place my legs on enter/exit. 129 degrees (this seems high cuz it doesn't burn through the pants)
Further towards the front (not where I touch). 157 degrees (this feels kinda hot but doesn't BURN yet)
Rocker Panel at J-Pipe. 143 degrees


So far the places on the rocker panel that I touch getting in and out of the car have not been hot at all.


...Part II in next post.

[viperBase1]

Continued from Part I above..

Valve Covers:
The job required removing the Valve Covers (aka "Cylinder Head Covers"). N' I'm VERY glad I did.

She originally had an ACR-X Oil Catch Can, which I promptly removed when I got her. But there were these AN fitting ports tapped into both Valve Covers.
These doodads.
37320
I just capped 'em off and had been driving her that way ever since.
These needed to be removed and the holes properly plugged.
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Done!

Discovered the baffles inside the Valve Covers had a couple of lose mounting screws. YIKES!
Can't imagine having one of those screws flapping around the top of the valve train. On re-assembly, torqued 'em into place with a bit of LocTite.
Maybe the baffles were rattling a little bit and creating some engine noise.

Tried to buy new Valve Cover gaskets but none were available. Bugged JonB Partsrack about this too, poor man! Had to back-order them until (?) who-knows-when.
Lucky for us, the gaskets were in pretty good shape. One looked better than the other, but niether were brittle or cracking.
Cleaned 'em up real good and soaked 'em in a wetsuit/rubber shampoo which helped to restore the sealing edge shape a lot.
Sealed right up and no oil leaks whatsoever.

Startup w/Stock Exhaust!
After double/triple checking the re-installation of EVERYTHING and re-charging the battery a bit (it had been disconnected for couple of weeks).
She fired right up!!! Running pretty smooth, but a little different. Chalked it up to the changes and new stuff. Still had the CEL lights in the dash.
Wow. Sounded very different and MUCH quiter, especially after the warm-up to 700 RPM.

Quick OBDII Log check and got diagnostic codes for all four new O2 Sensors. No big surprise, expected this.

P0037 - O2 SENSOR 1/2 HEATER CIRCUIT LOW
P0057 - O2 SENSOR 2/2 HEATER RESISTANCE
P0054 - O2 SENSOR 1/2 HEATER RESISTANCE
P0060 - O2 SENSOR 2/2 HEATER RESISTANCE


Cleared these logs, put her in gear and went for a drive.
The instructions with the heatshields said that on first exposure to heat, let everything warm up to normal operating temp and to expect a little smoke.
So drove her around the block a few times and let her come up to temp and enjoyed a little smoke.

Got back to the garage and lifted the hood, heard two noises I hadn't heard before. A sucking sound and an electrical clicking sound.
No new CEL lights yet.. Hmmmm... Upon restart CEL lit up the dash again.
Checked the OBDII and got these diagnostic codes:

P0351 - IGNITION COIL 1 CIRCUIT
P0171 - FUEL SYSTEM 1/1 LEAN
P2195 - O2 SENSOR 1/1 STUCK LEAN


P0351 was easy. I hadn't entirely seated the iginition wire to the coil connector. Ooops. :witless:

P0171 & P2195 were consistent with that sucking sound (vacuum leak) n' was a little more difficult to locate. Was definitely coming from the front/top area of the engine (under the intake manifold) but couldn't see anything obvious. Turned out this little bugger had a vacuum line that got disconnected from the underside of the intake manifold when the Strut Tower Cross Tie got unbolted and the engine was jacked up. I think this is the Power Steering regulator (correct me as needed).
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Buttoned her all back up.. and that was that!

Time for a few glame pics post stock exhaust install.

All lathered up and raring to hit the road.
37323

Post bath in hazy weather / cloudy skies.
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Story ain't over yet..

[viperBase1]

Continued from Part I & II above...

The new driving experience is GREAT n' am very glad I made this change.
She's still running as rock solid as ever, smoother than ever and quieter than ever.
It's really great to be able to hear yourself think while driving.
Would almost say the stereo can be heard OK. (thinking bout upgrading the stereo now..)
There's no rattling in the dash anymore and the sounds from the valve train have definitely been reduced.

The exhaust note is still VERY GOOD and the ever-increasing-ominous-growl is still there as I push into the pedal.
It sounds like the exhaust is behind me now, as opposed to sitting in the middle of it and being surrounded.
Still get the decel-pops too! :dude3:

The noise levels have been dramatically reduced and she now passes the SPL Tests at Idle and 2500 RPM no problem (head room to spare).
She still fails the murky 4.6K test, but only by a small margin. N' hey, she's stock.. what-aya-gonna-do(?).
It's been an interesting experience seeing the ECU going through it's learning procedure. Just keeps getting smoother.

However with the new quite ride, could clearly hear the Diff talking to me when doing the slow-mo-full-lock turn in a parking lot.
=> time to change some fluids!! considering we need to throw down some miles and Drive Cycles to pass the OBDII part of the Smog Test.

Off to GearHeads Garage we go!
37325

She's eager to get inside.. we were the first ones to show up that morning.
Looking sexy in the morning sun. God I love her.
37326

Up on the lift. In order to get her on the tangs of the lift I pump up the tires to 36psi and use a small floor jack.
37327

Draining...
37328

Switched to RedLine 10W40 for the motor oil. Here we are priming the oil filter before installation.
37329
Still had a 5L jug of the Mopar ATF+4 Transmission fluid from last time.

For the Diff Fluid, also went with RedLine 75W140 + Mopar Friction Modifier.. Was able to get everything off of Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006HKN6S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TTEX8W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

She seems to really like the RedLine 10W40.. valve train noises are minimal.
Transmission is buttery smooth with this (4th) fluid change.
Diff noises are GONE. Driving real smooth.

We've added ~200 miles to the ODO trying to get the ECU to complete the Catalyst and O2 Sensor monitors, but it's being stubborn.
Gonna try and find the right time and the right road to run thru the prescribed "Drive Cycle" to get these monitors completed and then go for the Smog test.

When cruising she is running so smooth and quite but growls to life on demand without hesitation.
Butt dyno says there's a small change in power.. nothing that "more pedal" can't resolve.. n' there's plenty of pedal.


And that's all there was to it! :smilielol:

HUGE THANKS to JonB Partsrack, Lou Belanger and SteveM for putting up with me and my 4 kabillion questions.

[Steve M]

You went on quite the adventure with this one. Thanks for taking the time to write this up - there are very few people that contribute anything technical to this board (at least compared to the number of members), so I appreciate how much time and effort you put into these posts. Stuff like this is going to become increasingly important IMO as these cars get older, and parts start getting hard(er) to find.

It is a bit disconcerting to see stuff like tools left behind and bolts missing, but the one that sticks out to me the most are the loose fasteners holding the baffles in place inside the valve covers. If I'm not mistaken, that modification was performed by Arrow racing. Personally, a screw would be the last thing I'd want to see holding those in place...I would have preferred to see them tack welded in place, but I'm not sure how well that would actually work given that they are cast. Still...a loose fastener rattling around in there could have caused catastrophic damage, so it is good timing (and a bit of luck) that you found it. Probably a good reminder to those that have this mod to inspect them...it would be a PITA to remove the valve covers just for that, but still better than the alternative.

It also looks like your exhaust tips might be a bit too far back, but as long as they aren't touching the sills, they are fine. I remember making sure the exhaust was up to full temp before centering them in the holes. Once cooled, they do sit forward in the holes, but not touching. That's just a Steve OCD thing.

[SilverACR]

“It also looks like your exhaust tips might be a bit too far back, but as long as they aren't touching the sills, they are fine. I remember making sure the exhaust was up to full temp before centering them in the holes.”

Was the car hot when the picture was taken? If cool then they are way to far back. If hot then they are probably just a little too far. They should be favoring the front when cold and centered when hot. Steve is correct here, but like he says as long as they don’t touch you will be fine. I may be a little concerned that the heat would be put into the hi temp black paint on the rear most part of the sill, but then again you may be fine. I also have OCD

Hot top/ cold bottom
37345

By the way awesome awesome posts!!!

[wakebum2507]

I think this all could have been solved by selling me the car when I was trying to buy it from ya ����

[viperBase1]

.. but the one that sticks out to me the most are the loose fasteners holding the baffles in place inside the valve covers. If I'm not mistaken, that modification was performed by Arrow racing. Personally, a screw would be the last thing I'd want to see holding those in place...I would have preferred to see them tack welded in place, but I'm not sure how well that would actually work given that they are cast. Still...a loose fastener rattling around in there could have caused catastrophic damage, so it is good timing (and a bit of luck) that you found it. Probably a good reminder to those that have this mod to inspect them...it would be a PITA to remove the valve covers just for that, but still better than the alternative.

Really, that's an Arrow mod? I was ASSuming it was a stock feature. Hmmm.. I shoulda grabbed some pics. Damn.
N' to be clear they're Torx bolts that fasten the baffles to the valve cover. Kinda small.


.
It also looks like your exhaust tips might be a bit too far back, but as long as they aren't touching the sills, they are fine. I remember making sure the exhaust was up to full temp before centering them in the holes. Once cooled, they do sit forward in the holes, but not touching. That's just a Steve OCD thing.


Was the car hot when the picture was taken? If cool then they are way to far back. If hot then they are probably just a little too far. They should be favoring the front when cold and centered when hot. Steve is correct here, but like he says as long as they don’t touch you will be fine. I may be a little concerned that the heat would be put into the hi temp black paint on the rear most part of the sill, but then again you may be fine. I also have OCD

By the way awesome awesome posts!!!
Hey thanks guys.
The tail pipes do not touch the sills at all, hot or cold. But I agree with you now, they're sitting too far back.
I'm pretty sure I sunk 'em in the hangers as far forward as they would go, but next time I have the side-sills off I'll see what's up.
Maybe they shifted with a good heat soak.

I'm OCD too.
Most guys say they do this job in a weekend or a day n' my hats off to 'em. I really took my time.
If I ever do it again, could maybe do it in a weekend.

N' I forgot to give this job a Wrench Rating.
I give this job 7.796 Wrench's. Mostly because of all the stuff that has to be removed so you can jack up the engine.


I think this all could have been solved by selling me the car when I was trying to buy it from ya ����
Very true, very true. :smilielol: I was giving it serious consideration. Almost happened.


Anyway, I'd like to get back to heaping as much praise as we can on JonB Partsrack and Lou Belanger for fabricating such a perfect CAT Assembly.
It's great to know we have them in our corner when it comes to acquiring parts like these.
If you ever need a replacement CAT Assembly, definitely call JonB Partsrack.


Following up with pics of the interior bits.
Check the steering wheel cover.
37360

37361

[TrackAire]

viperbase1,

Can you clarify the cat situation you ended up with? Are you running one small single aftermarket cat or did you go back to the twin stock set up?

In my past experience, I've found that the single aftermarket cat lasted about 2500 miles before check engine lights popped on.

[viperBase1]

Are you running one small single aftermarket cat or did you go back to the twin stock set up?
In my past experience, I've found that the single aftermarket cat lasted about 2500 miles before check engine lights popped on.

Two large 3" CARB Certified Ceramic CATs - one per side.
These are likely far better at scrubbing the exhaust than the stock units.

Will have to wait and see about longevity but thanks for the heads up!

[TrackAire]

As long as the computer and 02 sensors get along with the aftermarket cat, you're cool since in California it is just a plug in test, not run on the rollers and no sniff test. No smog tech is ever going to get into the sills to have a look or you'd fail visual.

In my experience, the stock cats last much, much longer than a single aftermarket unit.

[Steve M]

Really, that's an Arrow mod? I was ASSuming it was a stock feature. Hmmm.. I shoulda grabbed some pics. Damn.
N' to be clear they're Torx bolts that fasten the baffles to the valve cover. Kinda small.

Definitely an Arrow mod...the ACR-X catch can + Arrow modded valve covers has been around since late 2010/early 2011. Here's some reading from the other site:

https://www.viperclub.org/vca/threads/acrx-catch-can.641561/

https://www.viperclub.org/vca/threads/question-on-acr-x-oil-separator.642236/

The Gen 5 Viper valve covers actually come this way from the factory, but it clearly didn't totally address the issue since they also need catch cans.

[viperBase1]

37438
Made a visit to A&C Performance yesterday and put her on the DynoJet.

The report says max pull was 559 WHP => ~647 HP

I'm trying to get a better looking version of the report gen'd from the DynoJet computer.

So a few ponies were lost and got sent to the glue factory.
I'm not a crazy dyno number guy and she still feels super strong with 647 HP.

I think Todd has been in the drivers seat of this Viper 3 or 4 times now.
He always comments on how smooth she runs, "like butter".

I'm absolutely loving how she's running and sounding right now. :orange:

[Steve M]

Meh...if you didn't do a before pull on that same dyno, it doesn't mean much. I didn't see anything going in the tail pipe, so I'm assuming no AFR data was taken?

As long as you are happy with the performance, that's what matters.

[viperBase1]

Meh...if you didn't do a before pull on that same dyno, it doesn't mean much. I didn't see anything going in the tail pipe, so I'm assuming no AFR data was taken?

As long as you are happy with the performance, that's what matters.

But it was the same brand - DynoJet - that slowhatch used when she pulled the 605 WHP! hehehe...

Yeah no AFR on these pulls.
Agreed, meh...

Sure was fun hangin' out at A&C Performance though. :devilish: I always learn tons of stuff every time I go there.
What were the chances of having another orange beast on the rack next to us.
37460
That's a freaking PLYMOUTH RoadRunner!! AWESOME!!

Side shots.
37461

Just plain bitchin.
37462

[Austin]

I liked everything until you did the goofy steering wheel mod. Other than that, all looks good.

[Steve M]

But it was the same brand - JetDyno - that slowhatch used when she pulled the 605 WHP! hehehe...

You'd think that a DynoJet was a DynoJet, but there are still some that read higher than others.

That said, your numbers are probably about right...if I had to guess, my car with almost identical mods would probably put down about the same numbers.

[viperBase1]

I liked everything until you did the goofy steering wheel mod. Other than that, all looks good.
Yeah it's a fine line between cool and goofy. But thanks!

That steering wheel cover actually feels really good. It added a lot of thickness to the wheel.


You'd think that a DynoJet was a DynoJet, but there are still some that read higher than others.

That said, your numbers are probably about right...if I had to guess, my car with almost identical mods would probably put down about the same numbers.
Yea I'm gonna consider it the new measured baseline. Good to have.. Of course when people ask, I'm gonna round it up to 650! :orange:

[viperBase1]

VVO is damn hard color to capture accurately.. I need to go to photography school.
Finally got my new camera!

R. e. a. l. l. y. long story short, ended up with a Nikon D5600.
Its an entry level DSLR, like the Canon T7i, which was also given serious consideration.

Right out of the box, set it to (A)utomatic exposure & focus and took these shots on a hazy San Diego Saturday morning.

The orange is pretty damn close but I'm sure I can do better.
38338
38339

Back at the beach. Some sunshine really woulda helped make things pop, still the color ain't too bad.
Also had so many people stopping to check her out and mess up the shot, had to wrap it up and move on.
38340
38341

Many more to follow.

[commandomatt]

Nice shots. Orange is hard to beat.

As far as lighting, I personally prefer overcast, early morning or late in the day. Mid day with full sun kills the shots. Late afternoon, even worse. Blows everything out and you don’t get the definition
There are a few Viper colors that do look better in the sun like the Stryker ones. I have a Toxic Orange and that car is really hard to get the right lighting on.

[viperBase1]

Viper got a new pit mate to keep her company.
Oh my what a perfect pair!!! :eek:

2015 Porsche Cayman 981 (Base Model w/PDK, Sport button, CPO Warranty and lots-O-features!!). :dancingman:
38404

I applied everything I learned from researching the Viper to this purchase, and made a major score.

Both cars weight about the same at ~3000 lbs. The Viper is maybe 200lbs more.
So far IMHO the handling is very similar. The Viper wins on overall GRIP, but the Cayman is sitting on Pirelli PZero-Grip tires.
Otherwise the Cayman is a completely different car.

Welcome to the Snake Pit!

[viperBase1]

Really nothing new to report about The Orange Lure except that I was feeling a little guilty about not giving her any attention (lately).
I haven't driven her (AT ALL) since I got the Porsche more than six weeks ago.

The new girlfriend (Porsche Cayman) needs a bit of sorting and in that process she's kinda stolen my heart.

So this morning decided I better take the old girlfriend out for a drive and get reacquainted.
At first, it was a little tough reviewing the start up process and remembering all the little quirks about the car (this picky-ooney thing and that picky-ooney thang).
Compared to the new girlfriend, she's just older.. I mean all jokes aside, she literally goes to eleven now (11 years old!).

So as I'm driving her out of the neighborhood on the warm up loop, I pass a few neighbors walking their dogs.
They make a point of waving and giving us the thumbs up.
That doesn't happen with the new girlfriend.

Then we get out on the boulevard and I find my self back in charge (and in complete control) of all the shifting.
Pushing the gas pedal a little bit generates an immediate and significant response.
That doesn't really happen with the new girlfriend. She needs a little more foreplay (revs!) before getting frisky.

As we get on the expressway heading for the beach, some dork in a Camry SE thought to throw down a challenge.
Smoked his ass in second gear in .5 seconds.
That doesn't happen with the new girlfriend. (a) don't really seem to get noticed (b) nobody tries to race us

At the gas station got approached by a couple of folks admiring the car and they asked to take pictures.
That hasn't happened with the new girlfriend (yet). Just had one guy walk by and say "sweet ride man!", but that's all.. n' we've stopped for gas plenty of times.

On the drive back home got in a few 2-3 / 3-4 shifts at 5-6K RPM. Had me going "damn girl, that's what I'm talking about!!"
That doesn't happen with the new girlfriend. Well kinda.. but different.

By the time we pulled into the driveway, the old girlfriend and I were back!
It was very clear she knows exactly how to touch me in places the new girlfriend just can't go.

So she got a bath!
38935

She still got it goin' on! :t1509:
38936

She's special.. AND.. she's a bonafied freakin' race car.

The new girlfriend..
38937
She's real cute and sexy in her own ways. Also plenty fun and ain't afraid to get frisky.

Guess which one I'll be driving on the 4th of the July. :United_States:

[viperBase1]

This morning while out on a spirited run, finally hit 30K miles on the Odo!
Had to pull over and grab a phone pic.

45601


She's still got it goin' on! Still dominating the streets wherever / whenever.

45603

She still makes me hold the steering wheel tighter than <insert favorite *tighter than* joke here>.

The TKO Motorsports ThrottleMax continues to amaze me. Makes for a very smooth and exhilarating drive.

Getting ready for the CA smog test early this cycle. Might take that long to get the O2 sensors to go to a ready state.
Gonna be calling JonB for those right angle spacer doodads. Fingers crossed they help do the trick.
But darn, gonna have to drive her some more.

I'm a lucky man.

[slowhatch]

Literally warms my heart to come in here and see this car still running like a swiss clock and being enjoyed and pampered. :)

[viperBase1]

After seeing the pics of that undercarriage of the $75K BAT '08 Viper (coated in pink stuff) ..was curious to take a fresh look at the state of things under my Viper.
Is also time to change some fluids.

So off to Gearheads Garage we go!

Up on the rack baby doll is looking fine. :t15197:
46660

Favorite angle shot.
46659

Whenever I work on my Viper, I make a point not to rush things and take my time ..make no sudden moves and CLEAN as I go.
I spend a significant amount of time just cleaning.

Pic of the Rear Tow Hook and control arm.
46661

IMO everything is looking real good under the car.

Regardless, she's going up on jack stands in the garage soon for even more TLC.
Then I think it'll be off to A&C Performance for a new OEM clutch ..no doubt its just about time for a new one.

[viperBase1]

Not sure if I'm embarrassed about this or not. :confused: :orange:

Last Saturday, did a 1 year oil change ..FROM the MolyGen 5W40 TO Mobile1 0W40 ..after only 263 miles (prepping for smog test).

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:smilielol:48439

[viperBase1]

Well it was a long hard slog...

But with the help of some of The Masters of the Viper Universe we were finally able to Pass the Californa Smog Test .AND. Inspection.
So a huge thanks to Scot Rickord and Dick Winkles at Prefix, Dan Cragin at SPT and Steve M..

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After all the changes we've been through, I still marvel at the robustness of this amazing car.
She fires up every time and goes and Goes and GOES. :drive:

Next stop, SPT and Dan Cragin for a new clutch! Which I'm pretty sure is close to the end of its current life.

Happy 4th everybody! :United_States:
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[Steve M]

Congrats on passing inspection! It's been quite a journey, but you persevered in the end.

Dan Cragin will have no problem getting you heading in the right direction on a clutch. You already know my recommendation...Dan was great to work with. He can also get you set up with a remote bleeder for the clutch hydraulics...you are already going to be in there, so now is the time to do it if you are so inclined.

If you feel like turning the wrenches yourself on the clutch, I can walk you through that one too. As cars go, the Viper is a breeze to work on...at least when it comes to a clutch swap.

[viperBase1]

She passed again for 2023!
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I AM A CALIFORNIA VIPER TECH. :dude3::orange::United_States:

[viperBase1]

Hey also blacked out the Viper emblem on the rear bumper. It was a weird washed out orange'ish color that was hard to see and read.

"NO! Its not a Corvette.
Its a VIPER".
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[awhit17]

Did you have to do anything special outside of putting the nicer cats on the car and completing a few drive cycles to get the car to pass emissions?

[viperBase1]

K', cuz you asked and I think the Forum doesn't have enough of this info. for the California Vipers.

No nothing special. She's been full stock for a long while.

Just did the standard prep.


* Fresh oil change.
Old oil (Mobil 1 0w-40) was more than a year old but only had ~1200 miles on it.

New oil is Mobil 1 5w-40 and held back ~.5qts on the fill (just for the test).
Not saying going slightly shy on the fill made any difference. Just trying everything I can to get the 8.4L V10 monster to pass.

It probably would've made more sense to stick with 0w-40, but I was feeling lucky and it all worked out in the end.

And YES, after passing the test I topped the oil back up with the .5qts .

* GAS
Shell V-Power Premium in the tank (always).
Never let it go below 1/4 tank because (1)gotta cool the fuel pump and (2)never let the Evap. Monitor go Incomplete.
Also made sure it was slightly above 3/4 full at the time of the actual test.
I think this helps to satisfy the "Evaporative System Test".



The biggest issue this time around was that she hasn't spent enough time on the road.
She's only been driven ~1200 miles in the last 2 years (since the 2021 Smog Test).
As of today she's got 31,500 miles on the Odo.

About July last year I managed to let the battery go dead, so the Monitors got reset.
The bit of cruising we've done since managed to set all the O2 Monitor Tests Complete except for the "Bank2 Sensor 1 Lean to Rich sensor switch time" test.
Here's a screenshot from the TorquePro app.
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And the trace display proved the O2 sensor was funtioning just fine.
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So I knew it was just a matter of hitting the O2 Monitor Drive Cycle.
Just the "O2 Monitor Drive Cycle":

**Driving Procedure
1) Idle vehicle for five minutes (to reach closed loop operation).
2) Drive with a steady vehicle speed above 25 mph for 2 minutes.
3) Stop and idle for 30 seconds.
4) Smoothly accelerate to a speed between 30 and 40 mph.
5) Repeat steps 3 & 4 five (5) times.

Which is easy enough if you can find the right road. During the 2021 Smog Test, I discovered a road very close to home that allowed us to execute the procedure at ~30mph (but still much easier said than done).
Plus a 20 mile run down the freeway at ~60 mph and all Monitors went Complete. Also didn't lug the engine or do any spirited driving during the Drive Cycle period.
And the moment all Monitors went COMPLETE, drove straight to the Smog Test place.
This time it took ~100 miles total.