WTB Interested in Gen 1 new maintenance parts 1992

[Snooker]

Hi there.

I have a 1992, and I am interested in aquiring service parts like new head gaskets, cam cover gaskets, spark plugs, wires, new fuel pressure regulators etc. What/where is my best shot to get these items? My car already had the oil pan gasket changed, so I don't need that for some years.

Btw here is a photo of my son and my car

https://i.imgur.com/mucayM9h.jpg

[Steve-Indy]

Call Chuck Tator for great insights and ALL the parts that you need. Chuck IS a Viper Tech as well as the owner of Tator's Garage. 914 763 3136

[99RT10]

92 rocks!! The head gaskets are the biggie. You can also contact Dan at VSP, he got the ball rolling on the upgraded gaskets. Do you have a service manual for your car? It is a must, great information for any owner.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

PartsRack has an OE parts website which has some of your mentioned items.

www.ViperPartsRackAmerica.com (http://www.ViperPartsRackAmerica.com)

Dan Lesser as noted is "Mr Gasket" for Vipers at http://www.viperspecialtyperformance.com/

[Snooker]

Thanks guys, now I have something to work with.

Regarding head gaskets, what is my best option? Original mopar or aftermarket? Is it the same gaskets on 92 as rest of gen 1? (anything at all different on the 92 vs 93-95?) I see that the whole intake looks to have a lot rougher surface and probably hand painted finish compared to all other model years, is that correct?

[Steve-Indy]

Go with Cometic gaskets for sure on the heads. I would suggest that you CALL one of the above mentioned vendors.

[XSnake]

If you replaced your wires keep the old ones, they are dated coded.

Are your head gaskets leaking currently or just trying to be prepared?

92 intake manifolds DO have a different coating than all the other Gen 1's. They are painted.

You won't find a FPR or a bucket or a level sensor unless you get stuff out of a wrecked car.

I have some extra 92 literature if you want some for yourself. I have all the original factory and dealer literature if you just need some part #'s etc...

[Snooker]

I am just trying to be prepared, there are no leaks for now luckily, but I hear they are prone to age so I just try to find them and research what to go for, so I'm ready the day I need them. Same with wires etc. Belly pan gasket was replaced, the used original one came with the car.

Fuel pressure regulators, I have read they leak with time, resulting in hard starting. My car needs about 5-8 seconds on the starter, and a bit help by throttle, to start. It always starts, but it takes longer than what I would presume is normal. So I guess I have leaking FPRs?

I have all (at least I think I do) documentation and stuff from when the car was new, in the original Viper ring binder. If you have anything else than that I'd be very interested :)

[99RT10]

Before you start next time, turn the key to the "on" position 3 times before cranking(on-off-on-off-on-crank). It should start right up.

[Snooker]

Thanks, will try that :)

[Viper Specialty]

We have a standard Head Gasket Kit that covers 99% of G1 RT/10's typically needing that job.

-Dan

[Viperrt96]

You might find this hard to believe but I have an original set of head gaskets. They are the original Gen 1 paper type. They are new never installed. I acquired them 20+ years ago ?as I was going to make my own MLS. Back in the day and for those who may not know head gaskets for the Gen 1 was only available from Dodge. Your local dealer had no problem charging you somewhere around a 1k for them. Yes 1k for a set of head gaskets. Sadly there were no other options back then. I'm so thankful for manufacturers like Cometic for making them both affordable and better. They're probably the only set in existence but to me they're a piece of Viper hissstory LOL

[Viper Specialty]

You might find this hard to believe but I have an original set of head gaskets. They are the original Gen 1 paper type. They are new never installed. I acquired them 20+ years ago ?as I was going to make my own MLS. Back in the day and for those who may not know head gaskets for the Gen 1 was only available from Dodge. Your local dealer had no problem charging you somewhere around a 1k for them. Yes 1k for a set of head gaskets. Sadly there were no other options back then. I'm so thankful for manufacturers like Cometic for making them both affordable and better. They're probably the only set in existence but to me they're a piece of Viper hissstory LOL

BEEEEEEP. Try again. LOL

Manufacturers like Cometic only make them because *WE* at VSP paid for all of the tooling to make them, told them what to do, and paid for hundreds of sets just to start production.

[Viperrt96]

BEEEEEEP. Try again. LOL

Manufacturers like Cometic only make them because *WE* at VSP paid for all of the tooling to make them, told them what to do, and paid for hundreds of sets just to start production.

Sorry I didn't know my post was stepping on your toes. I was merely stating fact. Well....Actually I lied. I don't have 1 set I actually have 2 original sets

40042
40043

I also have a letter from Cometic back in November of 2006 inquiring the cost of making a set for me (Thus I provide a set of original gaskets) But in my case I didn't "tell them what to do" I mean they are a leader in manufacturing gaskets. Please read ones post before "BEEEEEEEP. Try again. LOL" someone. You must be one of those guys from the alley

[dave6666]

I also have a letter from Cometic back in November of 2006 inquiring the cost of making a set for me

Did they reply back letting you know to buy them from Dan Lesser? I mean, by 2006 he'd moved on from designing head gaskets to developing other exclusive Viper parts.

40049

[Viperrt96]

Wow same people talking about the same thing

https://www.viperclub.org/vca/threads/question-about-head-gasket-replacement-on-a-96.647728/#post-2996378

Funny how that was 2011

so lets go back to 2006

Dodge had proprietary and exclusive rights to it. That's why you could ONLY buy from dodge back then. I'm pretty sure Cometic was already making them but They couldn't sell them to anyone else. If I recall it takes 10 years (last gen 1 was made in 96 in case you need help with the math) after any manufacturer is required to provide parts. After 10 years it opens up to people like Mr Lesser to get his own made after that. Kudos to him for providing what Viper owners need. An affordable and much better designed gasket.

Now back to your statement my letter does not say buy from Dan Lesser LOL

In 2006 you were still getting/buying a Dodge gasket

[Viper Specialty]

Jesus. Christ.

Dude, what I said obviously went way over your head, because you are lost on the topic.

First, you are wrong in many ways. FelPro made the original MLS Gen-1 Gaskets. In the early Late 90's/2000's, Dodge knew for sure they had a major problem with the original composite HG design in Gen-1, so they contracted FelPro to make a Gen-1 MLS version of their Gen-2 MLS gasket design. When they knew they had the market cornered and that all Gen-1's suffered this fate, they put the screws to the G1 owners with a $1300.00 pair of gaskets.

Enter VSP. In 2007, VSP approached Cometic, paid for the tooling to manufacture the Gen-1 versions, and ordered hundreds of gaskets to the tune of TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. Cometic had ZERO interest in manufacturing these gaskets otherwise; and I quote "We simply cannot make a business case for a gasket in a specialized market without a substantial investment from an outsider to cover tooling and a sizable first run." VSP Had an exclusive contract with Cometic, and we have developed damn near every single superior replacement gasket for Gen-1 & 2 with them in the years since. I assure you, that NOBODY in this market does more gasket business than we do, and NOBODY has the gasket selection that we have.

Shortly after this, Dodge stopped ordering and distributing their FelPro version for a while, inventory dwindled, and if I recall, the FelPro version came back some time later with a Price Tape Update at a substantially more reasonable price since we effectively shoved that overpriced FelPro gasket right up their ass.

Now, any questions?

So yeah, I take a burn to it when someone like you comes along and high-praises Cometic for doing... what *I* instructed and paid them to do. Had Cometic not done it, I would have paid another manufacturer to do so. Simple as that.

[SlowPoke McGee]

So yeah, I take a burn to it when someone like you comes along and high-praises Cometic for doing... what *I* instructed and paid them to do. Had Cometic not done it, I would have paid another manufacturer to do so. Simple as that.[/QUOTE]

No doubt I’d be pretty bitter too. Essentially paying someone to build the infrastructure to build a highly sought after specialty niche item with no patent protection on your creation. Imagine if you had chosen a manufacturer and a patent process whereby you owned the exclusive rights. That’s what you should’ve done and you know it. Don’t be mad at Cometic because you didn’t have the business acumen to structure this to your long term advantage.

[Viper Specialty]

No doubt I’d be pretty bitter too. Essentially paying someone to build the infrastructure to build a highly sought after specialty niche item with no patent protection on your creation. Imagine if you had chosen a manufacturer and a patent process whereby you owned the exclusive rights. That’s what you should’ve done and you know it. Don’t be mad at Cometic because you didn’t have the business acumen to structure this to your long term advantage.

I think you might be as lost as the other guy. For starters, I am not "bitter" in this post because of anything to do with sales. The only thing my post implies is that it annoys me when Cometic gets the credit for developing a market that they literally didn't give a crap about until I made it happen and paid the bill. Multiple people "approached them" about this, and nobody but me had the balls to go through with it... yet they seemingly get the credit like they took it upon themselves to do it. THAT is what that post was about, the fact that this market has lost so much information and older owners over the years that there is literally no one left to remember who did what for this market. The new guys are literally clueless... case in point. If it wasn't for guys like me, this market would still be Dodge's overpriced hunting ground on common items of extreme importance, like gaskets.

Nextly, its kinda hard to patent a GASKET. Especially a commonly used type of gasket, made of commonly used materials, for a commonly seen application. You know damn well your thought process does not rise to the level of "patent-able," but its more fun to make a sideways jab that the uninformed might agree with. Your argument is pretty much completely and utterly invalid, but I am sure you knew that.

And lastly, my agreement was with the previous owner of Cometic. When he left, they literally changed everything with regard to who has access to what. Regardless of that fact, I am still a top-tier supplier, get better pricing than virtually anyone, supply pretty much all of the major Viper Vendors, have gaskets that you don't even know exist available, and have made my investment back 25x over by now. So.... who is the one who didn't have any business acumen again?

Could I have made even more money if it was locked up tighter? Sure. Not going to dispute that- but Cometic would not put such an agreement in writing, it was a handshake agreement based on "as long as you promise not to corner the market and pull a Dodge, we will sell only to you". So what are my choices... waste time, or make it happen for as long as possible with the available options. Seems rather simple to me. Technically there was nothing that would have stopped a competing gasket manufacturer from doing to me exactly what I did to Dodge and FelPro other than an additional business case, and someone else willing to foot the bill for even less of a return in a really small market... hence why it never happened, and why I never bothered to waste money locking it up tighter than it already was at the time.

[XSnake]

I have all (at least I think I do) documentation and stuff from when the car was new, in the original Viper ring binder. If you have anything else than that I'd be very interested :)

The paperwork that came with the car is the Owners manual, Michelin Insert, Arbitration Insert, Owners Manual Addendum, Owner Address Change Forum, and the Warranty Book
There is the Service Manual, Parts Catalog and the Owners manual that was available to Owners to purchase separately along with the leather Viper binder. (Have the Order form)
They also broke the Service manual down into 6 separate manuals in the Chrysler training literature.
Sales Brochure in soft and hard backs were made.
There's also the Technical Highlights bulletin and the VHS tape.

I dont have a lot of spares of the 92 stuff as it's hard to find.

[RedTanRT/10]

Hey Dan Lesser, thanks for the G1 gasket history.

Question for you, Arrow rebuilt my motor in the summer of '99 for head gasket leak. Luckily Eddie Martin got in covered for me under my extended Chrysler service contract. As usual, motor came back with another 20 hp.

What gaskets did they use? A version #2 of the original or? I ask as Dan Cragin told me a couple of years ago I have the old gaskets.

thanks and I hope business in good for you in FL!! Mike

[lane_viper]

I'll give Kudos where it's due.

Thanks Dan for going through the trouble of getting the upgraded gaskets out to the market.

After installing the ones I got from you, I have had no issues. The quality of the Mopar ones compared to the ones you developed are not even close.

Lets me sleep at night know one less thing to worry about.