1993 OE Top

[Viperenvy]

I am helping a VOA member who is the original owner of 1993. He needs a new top. If you know of one in good to great condition, then please PM me with the details. He is not an internet user so I am the helping hand ;)

[99RT10]

The 92-93 tops were vinyl, extremely rare. I believe they went to canvas in 94.

[GTS Dean]

My midyear '93 came with a canvas top. Build date was June IIRC.

[Lalmeida617]

I am helping a VOA member who is the original owner of 1993. He needs a new top. If you know of one in good to great condition, then please PM me with the details. He is not an internet user so I am the helping hand ;)


A new top is expensive, but they do sell just the cloth. If his frame is good maybe a good auto upholstery shop can handle the switch over?



https://theviperstore.com/Viper2_Products_Parts&Upgrades_Replacement_Parts%20-%20Soft_Tops.htm

[Rand1993]

I have an early ‘93 antenna car. It came with a canvas top.

[SHELBYVIPER]

My early 93 also came with a canvas top.

[Viper Red]

I am missing my canvas top and windows on my 93.

[XSnake]

There is a nice one on Ebay, probably won't like the price though. The Vinyl Tops are hard to find.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

There were approximately 200 Running Design Changes between 1992 and mid 1994.

Many / Most Flea-Bay sellers have little or no idea what their used top offerings actually came off of. Use Caution.

Late 93 tops were canvas, and had unique front hardware for 1993.

If this is a '93 antennae car' it most likely would have included a VINYL top. No antennae? Probably a canvas top.

[Viperenvy]

There were approximately 200 Running Design Changes between 1992 and mid 1994.

Many / Most Flea-Bay sellers have little or no idea what their used top offerings actually came off of. Use Caution.

Late 93 tops were canvas, and had unique front hardware for 1993.

If this is a '93 antennae car' it most likely would have included a VINYL top. No antennae? Probably a canvas top.


Par for the course - JonB adds value. Yes, it is an antenna Viper. Vinyl it will be......

[Viper Red]

Thank you Jon
Mine is an antenna car too.

Good info as always

[MuRCieLaGo]

I didn't even know about Gen 1 OEM hard top... Someone has a picture?

[Viperenvy]

All - Thank you. The individual that needed the help has found what he was looking for. When he receives his top and installs it, I will give an update on his experience :)

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

I didn't even know about Gen 1 OEM hard top... Someone has a picture?

If OE = Original Equipment, then NO G1 Viper had a 'Factory" hard top as an order-option on their Monroni.

Beginning in 1995. Dodge Dealers did offer a "Factory" hard-top 1992-1996 accessory option from Mopar, Part # 82202567 was first. They came in 5 Viper G1 colors. $2575 MSRP.

In fact, if you attended VOI-2 In Monterrey, Dodge GAVE YOU A $2575 MOPAR HARD TOP...... for FREE!!!!

[viperman4125]

A new top is expensive, but they do sell just the cloth. If his frame is good maybe a good auto upholstery shop can handle the switch over?



https://theviperstore.com/Viper2_Products_Parts&Upgrades_Replacement_Parts%20-%20Soft_Tops.htm

Some was just selling the Canvas top for 600, The The parts store is outrageous, for anything!! Stay away

[Viperenvy]

Some was just selling the Canvas top for 600, The The parts store is outrageous, for anything!! Stay away


On the face of it, I would agree. Then I learned that the vinyl top (if I understand it correctly) was made only for the 1992 models and the antenna 1993. I then added 285 and 93 for a total of 377 productions cars that had a vinyl top. Knowing the parts side makes around 25% more for replacement of non-consumable parts, that means roughly 93 extra tops could have been made. Then I learned that many owners had problems with the locking mechanism failing from metal fatigue caused by the air pressures of driving. I thought to myself, "wow, a lot of those probably popped right off and were destroyed by the traffic behind them." I was then amazed to find one at all.......

JonB, any insight on how many may have been made and how extensive the problem was?

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

There were a LOT of early complaints about "LAUNCHED" tops at speed, and many, many anecdotes posted of exactly that. Traffic Disasters, frisbeed tops being hit by multiple cars. The FRONT latches were the presumed culprit. But truly it was owner ignorance.

Owners failed to engage the pins when turning the L-handle. You had to PUSH DOWN the front corners as you turned the handle. If sitting inside you could PULL Down, but it was more difficult to feel the positive engagement. Dodge modified the early "Pin Style" front latches twice, settling on the "Spade Style" latch-lug thru 2002.

The 2 rear scissor-clips could actually float, so long as fronts were engaged. But if Fronts came loose while rears were engaged, it would be a nightmare as the top lifted like a drawbridge, often damaging the sport bar as well as destroying the top. Not to mention traffic liabilities. Many insurance claims too. There were a lot of other-brand and media jokes aimed at Team Viper about the "170 mph car with the 70 mph top."

I owned 5 G-1 Vipers, and had soft tops to 120-150mph frequently. ONE L-FRONT CORNER popped up (my fault) once on track, with a horrible and frightening roar. It took me about 1.5 seconds to determine the issue, my heart rate was probably 180....

The 'rules of thumb' for service-parts overbuild did NOT apply to most Viper parts. That is exactly why PartsRack came into being... Lots of unbearable back-orders spurred demand for used parts. Dodge Ownership changes [Chrysler; Daimler; Cerberus; FCA} made it worse:

They all had different, prejudicial ideas against small-batch cars and parts.

[Bill W]

Jon, have you ever considered writing a book about your experiences with Vipers? Seriously, I think you'd have a best seller.

[MuRCieLaGo]

Agreed, thanks JonB, interest read!

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Thanks

I used to write articles for many Viper Quarterly mags way-back-when, [before the banning era]

I have helped other authors with input, and just did a lot for a UK All-Viper coffee-table book due out in a few months.

Neat book on Team Viper due out soon too, has some of my fingerprints....

[Bill W]

You definitely have a way with words, and that is a gift.