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James
06-12-2020, 08:24 AM
Hello all,

I am a new VOA member from Switzerland. Even though I did register on here quite a while ago, I've been more of a quiet reader. That is until I finally took delivery of my dream car last Saturday and thought it's about time to participate regularly and actively :)

I first laid eyes on a Viper RT/10 in a magazine as an 11-year old kid around spring 1994. In case you ask yourself why not sooner: don't forget this is Switzerland, I was a kid and the internet wasn't around for peasants yet - so news of this gorgeous car didn't reach me that quickly :witless: Kidding aside, soon thereafter came the GTS and I was blown away! Ever since then I dreamed of one day owning such a machine. It wasn't until the day before my 18th birthday in the year 2000 that I actually got to sit in one and the owner took me for a drive. By the way, 18 is the legal age to start driving and being considered an "adult" over here, so think of a combination of becoming 16 and 21 in the States on the same day :) Anyway, that special car was a 1998 GTS in red, no stripes, imported from Canada by a friend of my dad. This ride left lasting marks! WOW! I was blown away, again. Next time I got a ride was in San Diego in 2001, and again in 2007 when I used to live there for a year (Auto-X events at Qualcomm Stadium). No more rides thereafter, and I haven't driven one myself until three years ago, when the first RT/10 (a 1994) became somewhat payable for me. I went to have a look at it and it was AWFUL. By now I'm pretty sure this car had a few more issues than the cracked paint everywhere and an interior that's seen too much sun. It drove about as good as it looked and I was reminded of that saying that one should never meet it's poster car heroes... :/ Skip forward to a few months ago when I found myself in that position of desperately wanting a fun car for summer again, and still dreaming of a Viper. I found out where that Canadian 1998 GTS from went, as I still knew the owners and was able to trace it. Turned out it lives in the next village and I haven't seen it in years, as the owner takes it out twice or three times a year, if at all. I went there three times and tried to buy it; he was willing to sell, at least he said so, but in the end I never got that promised phone call. So about four weeks ago, on a Friday, a buddy of mine sent me a photo. A red GTS, no stripes, from 1998. He owns a small garage and knew I was looking for one. I was there the next day, we went for a test drive (my second time driving a Viper myself) and I was blown away. AGAIN. I knew I had to have it. Went back home, talked to my wife and bought it! So, here I am, the fresh owner of a red 1998 Chrysler Viper GTS :o (It's an official "EU" car, and as Dodge was never officially sold here, they were rebadged as Chrysler for European markets).

But it gets even better from here. As a teenager, I had a poster of a red GTS (no stripes) on my bedroom wall. I liked that poster so much, I even had it framed. I moved around a few times since, but that poster always made the move, even though it sat in the basement the last decade or so. After I bought the Viper, I reminded myself of that poster and went to grab it in the basement. I put it in my "model room" (room where my model car collection sits with a few airplane models, car books and so on). In the evening, brushing my teeth, I walked towards the poster and noticed a decal underneath the "Viper GTS" lettering on the side of the hood. It was this exact moment the toothbrush fell out of my hand!! It was the decal of a Swiss garage. But not any garage; the exact same garage where my Viper was delivered first back in 2000, which I knew out of documents I saw when I was at my buddy's garage to look at it. Was it possible, that the Viper I had just bought, was the EXACT SAME CAR as the one on my poster, which I had hanging in my room as a teenager? So not just any red GTS, but MY red GTS? I had to find out... So in the beginning of this week I sent an email to the garage the car was originally sold at. Lucky me, it turned out the owner remembered, as they owned the Viper in their family first before it was sold of. And he rememberd the poster, as they had it made... He asked for my VIN to check his records. Half an hour later I had my answer; I am the very proud owner of the Viper on that poster!!!

As you can imagine, I'm not only a huge Viper fan for the better part of my life, but this story made this new ownership even more special to me. Alas, I'm here to learn more about my favorite car, maybe meet some folks every now and then (I still frequently visit the US, even though not as much as I used to) and hopefully have a great time sharing knowledge and stories with like-minded people.

And here she is:

43982

My Viper is lowered with KW coilovers and wears a set of 1999+ Viper GTS wheels. I do have the original set to my car, though. I'm not sure of the correct term in English, but I do have "steel braided brake lines (?)", too.

Herrsss
06-12-2020, 09:33 AM
Welcome to the greatest car club on the planet! Oh yes, gorgeous car too!!!

RT SERPENT
06-12-2020, 01:07 PM
Congratulations on getting "the" Viper of your dreams!
... and what an awesome story to make it even more special!
Beautiful:dude3:

capevettes
06-12-2020, 01:20 PM
Congratulations on finally realizing your dream. Your Viper looks great. You must be an instant celebrity wherever you drive that car over there. Enjoy it and welcome aboard.

LATAMUD
06-12-2020, 01:35 PM
Awesome story, welcome to the family!

Loud
06-12-2020, 02:34 PM
Congrats and welcome!

Bill Pemberton
06-12-2020, 05:07 PM
Congratulations and my first Viper was a twin to yours. You obviously were meant to own this car , and what a remarkable, interesting and heartfelt story of your dreams and final acquisition. There are quite a few Vipers in your Country ( in fact more in Switzerland than any other European Country regardless of population) and I hope you have had the opportunity to visit Edwin Stucky's Swiss Viper Museum ( Givisiez )? It is by appt. but a must see pilgrimage for any Viper Afficianado in Europe. Do post shots of your Viper as you travel around the Swiss Countryside and I am sure many of the Swiss VOA members will be reaching out to you in the very near future.

You are proof that " Dreams" do come true!!

outnumbered
06-12-2020, 07:54 PM
Welcome, and great looking car!

James
06-15-2020, 01:45 AM
Thank you all very much for the warm welcome.


Congratulations on getting "the" Viper of your dreams!
... and what an awesome story to make it even more special!
Beautiful:dude3:
Thanks a lot. Yeah it's really incredible that I ended up with the exact same car I was admiring as a teenager already...


Congratulations on finally realizing your dream. Your Viper looks great. You must be an instant celebrity wherever you drive that car over there. Enjoy it and welcome aboard.
Haha the funny thing is, hardly anybody knows this car. Or they might think it's a Ferrari or something, but I assume it might be similar in the States?


Congratulations and my first Viper was a twin to yours. You obviously were meant to own this car , and what a remarkable, interesting and heartfelt story of your dreams and final acquisition. There are quite a few Vipers in your Country ( in fact more in Switzerland than any other European Country regardless of population) and I hope you have had the opportunity to visit Edwin Stucky's Swiss Viper Museum ( Givisiez )? It is by appt. but a must see pilgrimage for any Viper Afficianado in Europe. Do post shots of your Viper as you travel around the Swiss Countryside and I am sure many of the Swiss VOA members will be reaching out to you in the very near future.

You are proof that " Dreams" do come true!!
Bill, thank you very much for your kind words. Oh really, you had a twin to mine? Yes, when I think of how it all came to be, I guess this car was just waiting for me to be ready to finally being able to purchase it :-)

I actually did hear that, too. Even though we are a little country, there seem to be quite a few Vipers in Switzerland compared to the countries surrounding us. However, even though I am constantly looking at cars around me, if I see two or three Vipers in a year on the road, I used to call it "a good year". Also at the American car shows, you're lucky if a Viper shows up.

A visit to Edwin Stucky's Viper Museum is very high on my priority list. I almost made it last year already, but I was sick on the weekend the local Viper chapter went (I was a passive member until I got my Viper).

I'll give my best to post photos of the tours I'll be doing in the Swiss countryside.

Many thanks again, your post actually moved me quite a bit. Hard work and patience did work out and I feel very lucky.

Furiousduke
06-16-2020, 04:49 AM
Hi James ! Congrats, it's a beautiful car !
I'm in Switzerland too, from where are you ?

James
06-16-2020, 04:52 AM
Thanks a lot ;-) I live near St. Gallen in the East. What part are you from?

Furiousduke
06-16-2020, 06:04 AM
Thanks a lot ;-) I live near St. Gallen in the East. What part are you from?

I'm near to Lausanne, in Wallis :)

James
06-16-2020, 07:04 AM
Not quite close then :-( Are you a member of the Swiss Viper Club?

Furiousduke
06-16-2020, 07:27 AM
Not quite close then :-( Are you a member of the Swiss Viper Club?

Not for the moment.

Bill W
06-16-2020, 03:58 PM
Hi James. I enjoyed your story about how you ended up with the same car as seen on your poster. Looking forward to more photos with the beautiful Swiss countryside in the background. Beautiful car...red is my favorite too.

James
06-17-2020, 08:06 AM
Thanks a lot Bill, I will gladly do so :)

Fatboy 18
06-17-2020, 12:44 PM
Hello James, welcome to the VOA forums.
I am the UK president.
2020 started well, but sadly due to the Covid 19 Virus as you can understand things in UK and Europe have changed for a few months.

I am in regular contact with the Swiss, German, Dutch and French Viper clubs and we were due to have a Euro weekend meet in France earlier this year. This event has been postponed for 12 months.
I can't wait to get back to European mainland, and as soon as restrictions are lifted I will be taking full advantage of it. :)
Last year 3 vipers from the UK visited the Swiss Viper Museum, it's a fantastic place to visit.
We will likely have some European meets later this year, but not sure what these trips are likely to be just yet.
You would be welcome to join us.
Stay safe
Mark UK.

James
06-18-2020, 02:04 AM
Mark, thanks a lot for your nice words. I am a member of the Swiss Viper Club since last year. We would have almost met at the Swiss Viper Museum then, as I booked the hotel and everything, but unfortunately got sick with the flu and had to cancel last minute :-( Still bummed, haven't made the trip to the museum yet. You probably met one of my best friends at the museum, from the German Viper club (he came with his daily, though).

I'm sure we get the chance to meet soon. I plan on keeping my Viper forever ;-)

Fatboy 18
06-18-2020, 01:14 PM
Perfect :dude3:

blackbeast99
06-18-2020, 09:49 PM
Welcome!

James
06-19-2020, 02:24 AM
Thanks a lot!