Picking up my first Viper the day after tomorow deposit sent SIGHT UNSEEN

[1Willy1]

hey guys

long time corvette owner getting my first viper in 2 days.

I sent the deposit sight unseen, the car is apparently owned by an older guy who rarely drives it, im dealing with his son now.

Car is a rebuilt status, repaired close to ten years ago

30 000 miles or so

2005 convertible

Frist basic questions are what should the oil pressure be on idle when its hot?

Do these engines make any signature type of clicks or knocks inherintly? In the corvette world some of the older Ls engines, and some of the newer ones, have alot of chatter when cold, are the viper engines the same?

Il be going for a very nice test drive, listening closely , going through all the gears, buttons and checking the gauges for abnormalities.

i can check paint work quite well so no worries there, just mechanically, anything in particular i should be looking for?

Thanks

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Congrats.

G3 Oil Pressure is very high, 80-90+ on cold start. Can be 50-60 while running / cruising.

Pushrod V-10 mild vlave clatter when cold idle

Rear-End Clunk common during roll-off especially backing up.

Hot sills can frighten or even scorch bare legs!

Shifting 1 - 4 is like Vettes. Tranny is virtually identical

Check your tire date codes. 05 came with Run-Crap hockey pucks.

Your TPMS are probably bad / dead

Good Luck

[sonicbloo]

Good info from JonB

Also check leaks from oil cooler pipes

Make sure windows go up/down with no noises

Check fan motor works on all speeds

The 3 things I listed are the only issues I've had in 6 years. All were DIY fixes costing a total of approx $500

Glad to hear the clunks and rattles are 'normal' as mine has those!

[Fuel_Junkie]

It’s like JonB was right in the cockpit of my car. To the “T”, haha.

Congrats man. Enjoy the ride.

[1Willy1]

Thanks alot guys appreciate it

I'll listen for the rear end and any abnormal engine noises, windows and watch the oil temps

How would I know if the fans are on ir not ? Can I hear it from the cockpit?

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Thanks alot guys appreciate it

I'll listen for the rear end and any abnormal engine noises, windows and watch the oil temps

How would I know if the fans are on ir not ? Can I hear it from the cockpit?
It will cycle in your driveway on a warm day

[sonicbloo]

Thanks alot guys appreciate it

How would I know if the fans are on ir not ? Can I hear it from the cockpit?

Sorry, I meant the fan that works the heater / air con inside the car, my fan motor (blower motor?) siezed up due to water ingress

[Fuel_Junkie]

My blower motor had to be fixed in my car before I would take delivery. I had a reputable mechanic fix it for $150.
I’m not sure what caused it to malfunction but it was an easy fix.

[1Willy1]

Thanks guys ..had the dealer check out the car

It has a check engine light on, throwing O2 sensor codes for both sides , examination showed no cats , no 02 sensors and headers installed.

The fan blower motor as me toned earlier is seized

Wheel bearing and some bushings have play.

One rear strut is leaking as is the two oil cooler lines

Going to try and knock off a few grand for these repairs

Anything I should be concerned with here?

Thanks :)

[sonicbloo]

Thanks guys ..had the dealer check out the car

It has a check engine light on, throwing O2 sensor codes for both sides , examination showed no cats , no 02 sensors and headers installed.

The fan blower motor as me toned earlier is seized

Wheel bearing and some bushings have play.

One rear strut is leaking as is the two oil cooler lines

Going to try and knock off a few grand for these repairs

Anything I should be concerned with here?

Thanks :)

Sounds like minor issues to me, so nothing too serious, but good haggling points for getting the price down

On my car, the fan/blower motor seized a few weeks into ownership. When getting to the motor, remove the plastic cowl carefully as the ends near the doors break off. Check if the motor is actually seized (mine was rusted due to water getting in) it is likely you may need a new resistor too, as this goes pop at the same time. Part No's are 5093248AB and 5014212AA. I stopped future problems by creating a safe path using silicone sealer, for any water coming off the windshield, so it doesn’t end up in the motor.

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Oil cooler lines had to be replaced on mine, I got OEM replacements as the modified ones were on back order, and 6 years on they are still ok

As I said earlier, these issues cost me less than $500 for the parts

The hole where the motor sits above the passengers legs, water easily finds its way into this hole!

47939

[1Willy1]

Thanks sonic appreciate the detailed response alot of good info there

Good news is I now own the car and driving it 22 hours back home after flying to pick it up.

This is definitely a car that needs some loving care , but for the price I'm super happy to own it

Thd engine runs like a swiss watch , gauges all where they shouid be, fires up cold immediately no hesitation.

The main issue it has is the return spring on the shifter doesn't go back to neutral.

I heard many have dealt with this, some have fixed it with springs or alignment , new fluid or anti venom mod. Also it struggles going into 6th gear , I have to go from 5th to neutral and then to 6th, hoping I dont need a rebuild but preparing fit the worst.

I got $3000 more off the price for this issue , $18 000 total off the asking price.

I did well considering how the process have skyrocketed here.

Anyone have any luck repairing these shifters without a rebuild?

Thanks alot guys, cant tell you how happy I am with this car so far !!

[AZTVR]

The main issue it has is the return spring on the shifter doesn't go back to neutral.

I heard many have dealt with this, some have fixed it with springs or alignment , new fluid or anti venom mod.

Anyone have any luck repairing these shifters without a rebuild?

The first thing to determine is whether it is an OEM shifter or aftermarket and which aftermarket it is. Replacing the shifter is a very common modification. It was easy to disassemble the aftermarket B&M shifter I had and change to a stronger spring. I do not know about the others.

[1Willy1]

Thanks Jim

Saw a few threads on that, it's definitely NOT a short shifter

Ideally I'd like to get an MGW so I'll start looking for that and ask for stiffer springs hope that helps

Thanks

[sonicbloo]

We're still eagerly awaiting pictures Willy!!!!!

[1Willy1]

Lol Sonic

Just arrived home last night, today I plan to start my restoration

I will document with PHOTOS

[1Willy1]

I'm.a member of lexus, vette, jaguar and many other forums

This is the only one with no option to upload photos , is it just me or is this how it is?

[Fatboy 18]

I'm.a member of lexus, vette, jaguar and many other forums

This is the only one with no option to upload photos , is it just me or is this how it is?

Along the tool bar when posting, at the far end of it 3rd icon from the end is a picture frame. Click on that and then it gives you two options, "from computer" or URL. Choose computer (which can be laptop, Ipad or phone) "Choose File" Select picture and it will convert it with a code to post, then press Upload file. Then you should see a number

If you press go advanced you can see you post configured before actually posting it ;)

48012
This pic just uploaded from my laptop for demo :)

[1Willy1]

Thanks fatboy

I had to log in a different way now I finally have the ability to upload

Anyways just to update my car is a rebuilt and the paint was slightly orange peeled and overall the car needs alit of love

I started wetsanding the panels with 1500, thrm 2000 then a 3 stage compound and polish , I will then ceramic coated whole car afterwards

Car neededca thorough detailing and lots of little things

Curious, my car came with two keys but only one fob

If I lose the fob is it possible to still get in and out , and use the car? If so where is the door key lock ?

Thanks

[sonicbloo]

Curious, my car came with two keys but only one fob

If I lose the fob is it possible to still get in and out , and use the car? If so where is the door key lock ?

Thanks

I'll send you a private message regarding getting into the car without a fob

[1Willy1]

Thanks sonic ������������������

[labtec]

To manually unlock with key, look under drivers door along the inset forward edge. There is a key lock to unlock the door. Because it is never used, when you find it try unlocking door and lubricate if required so it is functional should you ever need it.

[1Willy1]

Appreciate that labtec, found it

Now I'm not so worried if I ever lost my fob lol

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

We have Fobs and Keys at www.ViperPartsRackAmerica.com.

And MGW or IPS shifters too. at www.ViperPartsRack.com

TIRES TOO, fresh and new

Congrats,and Thanks

[1Willy1]

Hi Jon

You have mgw in stock ?

Can I also get the strongest springs ?

Pls pm me if they are actually in stock now thanks ������������������

[1Willy1]

And sorry for all the questions guys, wondering how to check the Tpms pressures? I dont see any way to do it on the dash which is the whole point of having them lol

[Steve M]

And sorry for all the questions guys, wondering how to check the Tpms pressures? I dont see any way to do it on the dash which is the whole point of having them lol

The Gen 3/4 TPMS system is a very simple one.

TPMS Light = low tire pressure, but it doesn't tell you which one(s), or what the pressures are.

The information is reported by each of the sensors to the TPMS module, but the car can't display it on the dash. There's nothing you can do to fix that, short of adding a third party display of some sort that does.

[1Willy1]

Thanks for the info

I have the low pressure light but it's because two tpms sensors are shot , dealer dudjt say which ones

[Steve M]

Might want to read through this thread: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/26973-New-TPMS

[1Willy1]

Thanks steve

Makimg good progress on the paint

Wet sanding the panels 1 by 1, with 1000-1500-2000 then polishing out to high gloss

[Fatboy 18]

One thing not been talked about yet is Viper Batteries, Vipers have a tendency to eat batteries, pcm memory, alarm radio memory eem all drain the battery. Its good practice to keep your Viper battery plugged into a good trickle charger when returning home from a drive out.

Get yourself a good smart charger like a Battery Tender, fit the small extension leads supplied so you can quickly plug your battery into the charger and keep the battery in good condition. All sorts of electrical gremlins rear their heads with a low power battery, from door locks not operating to error codes or alarm issues and fault codes.

I have owned my car since 2008 and only swapped out 1 Battery in all that time because I keep it on a smart charger. :)

[1Willy1]

One thing not been talked about yet is Viper Batteries, Vipers have a tendency to eat batteries, pcm memory, alarm radio memory eem all drain the battery. Its good practice to keep your Viper battery plugged into a good trickle charger when returning home from a drive out.

Get yourself a good smart charger like a Battery Tender, fit the small extension leads supplied so you can quickly plug your battery into the charger and keep the battery in good condition. All sorts of electrical gremlins rear their heads with a low power battery, from door locks not operating to error codes or alarm issues and fault codes.

I have owned my car since 2008 and only swapped out 1 Battery in all that time because I keep it on a smart charger. :)


Thanks for the advice, it's really weird, side by side comparison my vette is better then the viper in every way..... yet I drive the viper daily and haven't touched the vette in weeks

I was actually thinking of getting a trickle charger for the vette lol

Speaking of batteries thr dealer said my battery clamp might not be original and It was loose.

Is there a good aftermarket strap I could use to hold this down ?

Do you track guys upgrade it or just keep it stock ?

[1Willy1]

Almost finished my paint correction, took a break and did the door panels

They were faded, worn out and looking real tired.

Fixed a cigarette burn on passenger side , sanded them down, redyed them in a nice black, then resprayed them in a matte clear .

Also polished the handles and resprayed the speaker covers in a satin black finish

In photos I'm not sure how drastic the change is, but in person its night and day, brought them right back to life

I'll be doing my shifter knob and steering wheel next , as well as the whole back splash area

[1Willy1]

Just finished my steering wheel

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[1Willy1]

After shots of the wheel4890848909

[sonicbloo]

Great work so far :) blue may have brightened things up a bit so there's not too much black, I really like the blue accents on my 2006 first edition

48975

[1Willy1]

Thanks sonic

I agree the blue accents do look good forsure

I might mix in some high gloss black with matte black for mine

I'm going to respray the dash and radio/shifter panels a nice high gloss polished black

Once I figure out how to get them on and off

[1Willy1]

Finally made some good progress , my BC coilovers arrived after a 2 month wait

Love it, huge improvement in ride quality and the adjustable height is exactly what I needed4906449065

[Brian E]

Finally made some good progress , my BC coilovers arrived after a 2 month wait

Love it, huge improvement in ride quality and the adjustable height is exactly what I needed4906449065

Looks great!
Did you upgrade to the Swift springs? What spring rates did you go with?

[1Willy1]

Looks great!
Did you upgrade to the Swift springs? What spring rates did you go with?

Thanks Brian

No I didn't actually, I wasn't sure if they are worth it or not

I went with 12k and 14k , after a 2 month wait they told me it will be another 4 to 6 weeks so I scrapped that and went with 10k abd 12k, which are the regular springs they come with ,and they arrived the following week.

It's a huge step up from.the stock units , I'm dialed in at 4 clicks to hard , will go a few more clicks in a couple days

I can always upgrade to Swift springs in the future so no rush

[Steve M]

That looks really, really nice. That color is awesome, and the stance is perfect.

[ViperJon]

Looks great and so nice to see it brought back to life and glory. Great work!

[viperBase1]

49065
Great job on the paint restore. Car looks great. :t15197:

Now maybe time for a little added protection ..ceramic coat and/or PPF?

My Viper has CQuartz ceramic coat everywhere and Expel PPF on the front. It's worked great.

On the Porsche I've been running a grand experiment routinely using P&S Beadmaker over the entire car.
The shine is every bit as good as the Viper, but the protection to the front is definitely lacking.

True confession: Am also using P&S Beadmaker on the Viper ..over the PPF and the ceramic coat and the shine is amazing.
Garage looks like a damn show room.

Congrats and keep up the good work.
:fpopcorn:

[1Willy1]

That looks really, really nice. That color is awesome, and the stance is perfect.

Thanks Steve , appreciate it

The coilovers have now "settled" and it's even lower now, love the look, gotta be very careful on bumps as it does scrape


Looks great and so nice to see it brought back to life and glory. Great work!
Thanks viperjon, still some work to do but it's coming along


Great job on the paint restore. Car looks great. :t15197:

Now maybe time for a little added protection ..ceramic coat and/or PPF?

My Viper has CQuartz ceramic coat everywhere and Expel PPF on the front. It's worked great.

On the Porsche I've been running a grand experiment routinely using P&S Beadmaker over the entire car.
The shine is every bit as good as the Viper, but the protection to the front is definitely lacking.

True confession: Am also using P&S Beadmaker on the Viper ..over the PPF and the ceramic coat and the shine is amazing.
Garage looks like a damn show room.

Congrats and keep up the good work.
:fpopcorn:

Thanks viperbase , only reason the car hasn't been ceramic coated yet is because I'm getting two white racing stripes put on , the shop told me to ceramic coat AFTER they are installed.

Got PPF on my vette and it does do a great job , might give expel a call

Never heard of p&s beadmaker I'll look into it

[1Willy1]

For some reason the foot pedals on my car looked like trash

Went to town on them, they turned out great

Might do my gas pedal next49195491964919749198

[1Willy1]

After shots

I also did the stems , sanded them down, painted them black and clear coated them

Not sure why the site spun the photos sideways .....

4919949200492024920349204

[1Willy1]

Trying to replace all the weathered screws nuts and bolts

Started with the wheel wells and rear license plate

Screws for the wheel wells are 10x 3/4 , metal screws

The license plate ones are metric M6x20 hex head screws

49256492574925849259

[1Willy1]

On a side note my car is so low I already ripped off the bolts on the passenger side rocker panel, I bieve the fenake end is stripped , does anyone know what clips I need to buy or what the part number might be?

I'll check the dealer but they are usually useless

[1Willy1]

Also picked up some brand new lug nuts and oem Mopar leather shift boots

I have two extra leather shift boots brand new in bag if anyone needs one, $75 shipped to your door

Also have 1 extra pack of bolts , $45 shipped

Thanks


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[Steve M]

After shots

I also did the stems , sanded them down, painted them black and clear coated them

Not sure why the site spun the photos sideways .....

I'm sure it'll be fine, but those pedals are textured for a reason. The last thing you want is your foot slipping off of either. Doesn't matter quite so much for the gas pedal.

[1Willy1]

Yep its something I was concerned about too, Dry it will be fine, it's when your feet are wet , if it's raining it could be an issue.

Originally I was just going to clean them with a wire wheel but it still looked horrible

I'm going to customize something in the holes of the pedals


Edit- if anyone has a link for a good aftermarket set of pedals I'd be interested to see it

[Steve M]

Only ones I know of: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/27246-2008-2017-Gen-IV-V-Lightweight-Aluminum-Pedals

[1Willy1]

Thanks for the link Steve

On a side note I got a few more things done over the past couple days

My battery died completely without warning , started fine everyday, then after driving to a friend's place , turned car off to get out abd open the garage , when I got back in everything just died , no lights, no crank, nothing

Got new battery with a 3 year warrantee qnd all Is good now thank God

Also installed a new Kenwood radio deck , has Bluetooth music and phone with a microphone , super happy with the price and Installation, shops name is Sids audio here near toronto

Also installed a a new leather shift boot and refinished the shift knob.4926649267492684926949270

[1Willy1]

Polished up the VIPER panels on both sides

The screws I showed earlier are also a match here if yours are looking weathered like mine were4927649277492794928049281

[1Willy1]

Also noticed the rubber boot in the shifter is torn to shreds, gonna order a new one and install I when I do a short shifter

Was rally nasty and filthy under there, I'm probably the first one to open it up

Other then that I'm really happy with the progress and how's its coming along

Also got my new air and heating blower with register, hope to gave that installed soon

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[Mike Goddard]

Hi Guys, after 6yrs of driving corvette convertible. Finally jump to an 04 Viper Convertible, Mamba edition. What a beautiful machine.

[1Willy1]

Hi Guys, after 6yrs of driving corvette convertible. Finally jump to an 04 Viper Convertible, Mamba edition. What a beautiful machine.

nice mike, post some photos

what part of ontario are you from?

toronto area here

[Mike Goddard]

Blackstock Ontario, close to Port Perry. 1/2 hour north of Oshawa.

[1Willy1]

Blackstock Ontario, close to Port Perry. 1/2 hour north of Oshawa.

Looks amazing, really like the paint scheme on it

[1Willy1]

Can you guys tell me if my battery set up looks right ?

The dealer said in the report the battery holder is not correct

I also noticed the clp down bolt is either stripped or not the right fit

Lastly anyway to remove the whole battery tray ,? I need to refinish it , it's rusted a bit

Thanks

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[Viper GTS-R]

Blackstock Ontario, close to Port Perry. 1/2 hour north of Oshawa.

I’m 1/2 hour from you, just north of Uxbridge.

[Mike Goddard]

We should catch up somewhere, like to meet a few Viper owners.

[Mike Goddard]

Thank you. I will get a few interior pics

[Mike Goddard]

Interior pics

[J TNT]

Awesome looking Ride Mike and Welcome aboard !
We have a Fall Cruise this Saturday starting out your way , Hoping you can join us !

[Steve M]

Can you guys tell me if my battery set up looks right ?

The dealer said in the report the battery holder is not correct

I also noticed the clp down bolt is either stripped or not the right fit

Lastly anyway to remove the whole battery tray ,? I need to refinish it , it's rusted a bit

Thanks



Battery tray looks the same as what's on mine. Hold down is definitely the same. If the nut/bolt holding it in place isn't doing its job, that'll need to be addressed. Not sure if the whole tray comes out or not...never tried. If it were mine, I'd sure try to find a way to get it out to get it properly prepped and repainted.

Not sure what the OEM battery cables and terminals look like, but those look nothing like what came stock on my Gen 4. Mine were top post, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with side post.

Here's an idea of what you could do if you wanted something different: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/24708-Mil-Spec-Battery-Terminals

But if what you have works, probably just best to leave it.

[efnfast]

Battery tray looks the same as what's on mine. Hold down is definitely the same. If the nut/bolt holding it in place isn't doing its job, that'll need to be addressed. Not sure if the whole tray comes out or not...never tried. If it were mine, I'd sure try to find a way to get it out to get it properly prepped and repainted.

Not sure what the OEM battery cables and terminals look like, but those look nothing like what came stock on my Gen 4. Mine were top post, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with side post.

Here's an idea of what you could do if you wanted something different: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/24708-Mil-Spec-Battery-Terminals

But if what you have works, probably just best to leave it.

I think those are OEM cables but last owner just got rid of the top-post mounting ends

Side-post probably makes more sense given how close it is to the top of the trunk lid anyways

I couldn't figure out how to remove my battery tray so I just wire-brushed it in the car and then POR-15'd it. Good enough!

[Steve M]

Side-post probably makes more sense given how close it is to the top of the trunk lid anyways

My thoughts exactly.

[Viper4Life]

She’s a beauty! Love everything about it.

[Mike Goddard]

Thank you, look forward to meeting you Saturday morning

[1Willy1]

Battery tray looks the same as what's on mine. Hold down is definitely the same. If the nut/bolt holding it in place isn't doing its job, that'll need to be addressed. Not sure if the whole tray comes out or not...never tried. If it were mine, I'd sure try to find a way to get it out to get it properly prepped and repainted.

Not sure what the OEM battery cables and terminals look like, but those look nothing like what came stock on my Gen 4. Mine were top post, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with side post.

Here's an idea of what you could do if you wanted something different: https://driveviper.com/forums/threads/24708-Mil-Spec-Battery-Terminals

But if what you have works, probably just best to leave it.


I think those are OEM cables but last owner just got rid of the top-post mounting ends

Side-post probably makes more sense given how close it is to the top of the trunk lid anyways

I couldn't figure out how to remove my battery tray so I just wire-brushed it in the car and then POR-15'd it. Good enough!

Good to know Thanks guys

I used a wire wheels and sandpaper to remove the rust, then brushed on a rust paint, looks alot better but I would prefer getting the whole tray out to do it properly

Anyways made some more progress

Installed a new air blower and resistor, both were finished

Blower was rusted abd would barely spin, resistor visibly failed as well.

Still won't blow AC gotta deal with that in the spring

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[efnfast]

while you're there make sure the negative cable attachment to the frame is tight.

I just spent 4weeks chasing electrical gremlin - sometimes my car would start fine, sometimes the starter would just click, and other times I'd randomly lose power. I replaced the battery and it worked for a little while before my problems returned. Then I replaced the starter and it worked for a little while before the problems came back. Then I found that the negative/frame connection had became loose and was causing all my problems, grrrrrr.

[blankline9]

not sure if mentioned but you should pull the rear wheels and check the e-brake pads. the ebrake is known to not disengage all the way and can cause the pads to drag. If you use the e-brake a lot, this can become an issue very quickly. If you don't catch it in time and the pads wear through, you'll be looking at new rotors instead of just replacing the ebrake pads. someone who knows more about it than i do will probably chime in. When i bought my viper and started reading about it i pulled the wheels and checked my pads and thankfully did so because i was probably not too long off from damaging the rotors. i put new ebrake pads on and now i just leave the car in gear when i park and don't use the e-brake. living in florida where virtually everything is flat is a big plus to not having to use that e-brake.

[1Willy1]

while you're there make sure the negative cable attachment to the frame is tight.

I just spent 4weeks chasing electrical gremlin - sometimes my car would start fine, sometimes the starter would just click, and other times I'd randomly lose power. I replaced the battery and it worked for a little while before my problems returned. Then I replaced the starter and it worked for a little while before the problems came back. Then I found that the negative/frame connection had became loose and was causing all my problems, grrrrrr.

Thanks for the heads up, this was an issue on my vette as well

I will take a closer look , one of the wires looks somewhat frayed as well near where it meets the battery


not sure if mentioned but you should pull the rear wheels and check the e-brake pads. the ebrake is known to not disengage all the way and can cause the pads to drag. If you use the e-brake a lot, this can become an issue very quickly. If you don't catch it in time and the pads wear through, you'll be looking at new rotors instead of just replacing the ebrake pads. someone who knows more about it than i do will probably chime in. When i bought my viper and started reading about it i pulled the wheels and checked my pads and thankfully did so because i was probably not too long off from damaging the rotors. i put new ebrake pads on and now i just leave the car in gear when i park and don't use the e-brake. living in florida where virtually everything is flat is a big plus to not having to use that e-brake.

Thanks I'll look into it , I use mine 100% of the time even when parked flat, just a habit I guess

[1Willy1]

Hey guys , would like to do some maintenance over the winter months

Plugs forsure , possibly wires as well, although I know it's a big job I'll have to have a shop do it for me

Does anyone know the exact spark plug and wire I should use ? I tend to prefer stock

Thanks

[1Willy1]

Ordered NGK 3459

The wires I want to make sure are done right the first time, are NGK blue wires any good? Should I just go stock ?

Any advice would be appreciated

Car boggs slightly in low RPM once in a while


Thanks guy

[Johnny ViperBro]

You can expect a few things if they haven't already been fixed.
I had a few squeaky bearings that needed to be replaced (Not a big deal, they are cheap, about $400 a piece)
My car had older tires that needed to be replaced (About $1,700 and a 3-4 month wait these days)
My Harmonic Balancer fell off (Literally), So I had the shaft sliced, a new belt, and a supercharger pin prep kit installed ($1200-1300)
My Cata-Convert went bad (Clogged?) and it had to be replaced (About $2,200)
And I changed all the fluids (About $700)
And my steering rack and pinion was fouled, it needed to be replaced (About $1,300)
And a new battery (About $200)

I know that sounds a little scary, and for a broke college kid working nights and weekends, believe me it was.
I should get 15 years out of the car.

I also had to replace the seats with 2 inch drop kits because the car was designed for 5'5" 140lb men. ($700)

Other than that the stories are true. The cars are a little shaky, so you need to tighten your body panel bolts fairly regularly.

And my disk changer broke and the speakers were garbage. So I replaced those with all Alpine and it's MUCH nicer.
Plus I managed to cut like 60-70lb out of the car doing this.

Check your lines and hoses and try to get those replaced, order the new ones, and tighten up the ones on there.

These are big, strong cars with a lot of horsepower and they need some more TLC then the average daily driver economy car. But it's fun to tinker on them and check stuff like that. It doesn't take any time at all really if you like doing stuff like that.

Welcome to the club!

You are gonna break so many necks cruising around!

Everyone LOVES the Dodge Viper.

[1Willy1]

You can expect a few things if they haven't already been fixed.
I had a few squeaky bearings that needed to be replaced (Not a big deal, they are cheap, about $400 a piece)
My car had older tires that needed to be replaced (About $1,700 and a 3-4 month wait these days)
My Harmonic Balancer fell off (Literally), So I had the shaft sliced, a new belt, and a supercharger pin prep kit installed ($1200-1300)
My Cata-Convert went bad (Clogged?) and it had to be replaced (About $2,200)
And I changed all the fluids (About $700)
And my steering rack and pinion was fouled, it needed to be replaced (About $1,300)
And a new battery (About $200)

I know that sounds a little scary, and for a broke college kid working nights and weekends, believe me it was.
I should get 15 years out of the car.

I also had to replace the seats with 2 inch drop kits because the car was designed for 5'5" 140lb men. ($700)

Other than that the stories are true. The cars are a little shaky, so you need to tighten your body panel bolts fairly regularly.

And my disk changer broke and the speakers were garbage. So I replaced those with all Alpine and it's MUCH nicer.
Plus I managed to cut like 60-70lb out of the car doing this.

Check your lines and hoses and try to get those replaced, order the new ones, and tighten up the ones on there.

These are big, strong cars with a lot of horsepower and they need some more TLC then the average daily driver economy car. But it's fun to tinker on them and check stuff like that. It doesn't take any time at all really if you like doing stuff like that.

Welcome to the club!

You are gonna break so many necks cruising around!

Everyone LOVES the Dodge Viper.

Thanks man really appreciate it

I'm actually orfering two new hubs now, mine are failing

I notice screws do fall out on their own , interior and wheel wells mostly

P.O installed headers with deleted cats so that save's me the trouble

Tranny and diff fluid are next, I've done the ranger method for the clutch fluid about 10 times and its still turning black , I'll keep at it

Anyways I'm really ashamed to of waited this long to change the air filters, I was told by the dealer who inspected this car they were still good so I took my time looking fur replacements.

Anyways got the K AND N installed and I'm really happy.

Install was not bad , the rubber gasket for the temp sensor was hard to push in place other then that was good4976149762497634976449765

[1Willy1]

Does anyone know if something is supposed to attach to this???


I'm having bogging and hesitation coming from the passenger side of the engine. Going to the shop for diagnosis later this week49816

[Steve M]

That’s the bleeder for the cooling system.

[1Willy1]

That’s the bleeder for the cooling system.

Really appreciate your help Steve

Thanks

[1Willy1]

NGK plugs
NGK wires
MOPAR coils

No reviews on the NGK wires but they are a decent brand well reviewed on other platforms so I'll take a chance49968

[1Willy1]

Not sure if anyone has any ideas ....the car was bogging on LOW rpm once in a while, let off the gas or pump it a few times it went away

Just replaced coils, wires and plugs, and it still does it

When the car is idling i can tell the passenger side has less exhaust pressure coming out of the pipe, and i can hear the misfire occasionally on pasenger side

My next guess would be injectors? its not throwing any codes , any ideas would be appreciated

[jpmst3]

Not sure if anyone has any ideas ....the car was bogging on LOW rpm once in a while, let off the gas or pump it a few times it went away

Just replaced coils, wires and plugs, and it still does it

When the car is idling i can tell the passenger side has less exhaust pressure coming out of the pipe, and i can hear the misfire occasionally on pasenger side

My next guess would be injectors? its not throwing any codes , any ideas would be appreciated

What about something really basic, like some fuel system additives to clean the injectors? I know it is a long shot and it is almost never that easy. But, for less than $10 it is worth a shot to run a couple of treatments through....certainly cannot hurt anything.

[1Willy1]

I'm actually running my second bottle now , REGANE GUMOUT

The shop said if cleaners don't improve the issue to bring it back for a more in depth diagnosis

Thanks

[jpmst3]

I sure hope it helps and the issue improves. It sounds like you covered all of the common sources of the issue.

Other than injector(s) or related electrical connections is one the only things I could imagine.

[ICPREY]

Not sure if anyone has any ideas ....the car was bogging on LOW rpm once in a while, let off the gas or pump it a few times it went away

Just replaced coils, wires and plugs, and it still does it

When the car is idling i can tell the passenger side has less exhaust pressure coming out of the pipe, and i can hear the misfire occasionally on pasenger side

My next guess would be injectors? its not throwing any codes , any ideas would be appreciated

Possible upstream 02 sensor being lazy, if they are original I would go ahead and change them.

[jpmst3]

Possible upstream 02 sensor being lazy, if they are original I would go ahead and change them.

Definitely! I thought he said he had changed them. But, I could have read the wrong thread.

[1Willy1]

Possible upstream 02 sensor being lazy, if they are original I would go ahead and change them.


Definitely! I thought he said he had changed them. But, I could have read the wrong thread.

Interesting I wouldn't of guessed an 02 sensor could cause misfires , I am throwing 02 sensor codes since I bought the car , the car has headers and a cat delete, and no secondary 02's

Just ordered 2 DENSO upstreams should arrive in a couple days

Thanks guys

[1Willy1]

I'm removing my Interior trim to do a swap, I notice the electrical tape over my ignition wires has slightly burned near where it meets the clip

Is this something I should be extremely worried about ,?

Should I just remove the old tape, clean it up and restart it with new ?

I'd like to resolve it now while I have things apart, appreciate any advice , thanks501115011250113

[1Willy1]

The wires underneath were perfectly fine, wrapped new tape and continued on ...

Traded my stock interior panels for these hydro dipped ones

Was filthy as hell underneath 50114501155011650117

[jpmst3]

Man, that was filthy! I can barely imagine how it possible to get that much dirt under those panels.
I can't tell if the tape was actually melted/burned or just chaffed from a prior removal. At least the wires are fine.

Regardless, it is looking good now! That is a nice upgrade! :dude3:

[1Willy1]

Man, that was filthy! I can barely imagine how it possible to get that much dirt under those panels.
I can't tell if the tape was actually melted/burned or just chaffed from a prior removal. At least the wires are fine.

Regardless, it is looking good now! That is a nice upgrade! :dude3:

Thanks buddy , I think this car literally sat collecting dust for Years.

I'm.really enjoying fixing it up though , the price was more then fair and it's pretty rock solid now other then a few minor issues.

[1Willy1]

Possible upstream 02 sensor being lazy, if they are original I would go ahead and change them.


Definitely! I thought he said he had changed them. But, I could have read the wrong thread.

I owe you guys a few cold ones , my upstream 02 sensors were burned

Long story short the dealer Inspected my car before purchase, told me the engine light was on because the cats were deleted and there was no downstream 02 sensors, so for the past 6 months or so I've been driving it that way.

Turns out the code was for the UPSTREAM sensors , so now the car is running GREAT and I no longer have the MISFIRING or the CEL that I would of had to pay to get tuned out anyways.

So with that said now I think the car was previously Tuned in order to delete the secondary 02s ( unless the secondary sensors don't throw codes which is unlikely )

Shop says the car is running a bit rich though, I'm guessing from the previous tune , so I'm going to have it returned properly In the next week or two.

Hopefully I can squeeze 1-2 mpg out of it as well along with a few HP

Thanks again guys

[jpmst3]

Sweet! I am glad you are getting it sorted out! Happy times ahead!

I'll be curious to see what comes out of the new tune. :car-smiley-003:

[jpmst3]

Ya, I have to admit, it is fun having a project. It can be frustrating at times working on any vehicle, but it is rewarding and always seems to be a learning experince.

Keep up the good work!

[1Willy1]

Sweet! I am glad you are getting it sorted out! Happy times ahead!

I'll be curious to see what comes out of the new tune. :car-smiley-003:


Ya, I have to admit, it is fun having a project. It can be frustrating at times working on any vehicle, but it is rewarding and always seems to be a learning experince.

Keep up the good work!

Super rewarding ,I have zero mechanical skills but learning more every year

I forgot to mention the worst part, the engine developed a noticeable ticking from the drivers side of the engine , I thought valve springs or seats etc.... prepared myself for a pretty large bill.... bit once the 02 was installed it went away

Shop said the fuel trims were off causing the sounds , amazing what can go wrong from a simple 02

On a side note the CEL is back , so I'll get the secondary 02s tuned out when I go back to the shop

I'll let you know wyat numbers it puts down , abd if there's any improvements

[RedDogOhio]

@1Willy1...sure others are just as impressed by your restoration and detailing skills...WOW.

Would you be able to post or PM to discuss (in detail...and for the somewhat mechanically uninclined) how you restored these pedals to the gleaming jewels that they are?

Would this process be able or be done -without- taking off the circular ridges (read a bit further down and noticed this safety concern).

Simply cannot believe what was underneath, and curious how you arrived to THIS! Was hoping to avoid having to get a whole new assembly, if wanted better / OEM pedals

Hope a great start to the new year.

[2quik6]

Wow! Great job on the restore of the paint and the interior pieces! I do all kinds of mechanical work, but have never been very successful at paint correction like that! I recently re-dyed/painted a lot of interior trim on an original '79 10th Anniv Trans Am..took forever to get the process down for the paint to look correct and then be durable for use...took redoing several parts more than 3 times and a few extra hundred dollars in paint and trim pieces, but finally did it!
I have a '17 Vette also, the 2 cars are night and day and I much rather drive the Viper. Currently adding a Paxton kits to the Viper so it can catch up to the hp of the vette :)
Enjoy and keep up the great work and keep us posted!

[1Willy1]

@1Willy1...sure others are just as impressed by your restoration and detailing skills...WOW.

Would you be able to post or PM to discuss (in detail...and for the somewhat mechanically uninclined) how you restored these pedals to the gleaming jewels that they are?

Would this process be able or be done -without- taking off the circular ridges (read a bit further down and noticed this safety concern).

Simply cannot believe what was underneath, and curious how you arrived to THIS! Was hoping to avoid having to get a whole new assembly, if wanted better / OEM pedals

Hope a great start to the new year.

Hey reddog, thanks man I appreciate it

It's been a super fun journey and still more to do.

I don't think you can polish them.without taking down the circle ridges unfortunately, it wouid be a brutal time consuming process

I used an angle ginger to take down the ridges and the top layer of the pedals

I then wet sanded them from 220 grit to 2000 grit in stages ( 220, 400,600,800,1000,1500,2000 ) then I used a polishing wheel with mother's metal polish

You could be creative and find a decent looking set of chrome bolts to screw into the holes for grip and appearance

But so far they have been fine , gotta be careful on rainy days as your feet can slip off the clutch pedal , but dry is perfectly fine

I will do the gas pedal soon to finish it off

Feel free to pm me if u have any questions

[1Willy1]

Wow! Great job on the restore of the paint and the interior pieces! I do all kinds of mechanical work, but have never been very successful at paint correction like that! I recently re-dyed/painted a lot of interior trim on an original '79 10th Anniv Trans Am..took forever to get the process down for the paint to look correct and then be durable for use...took redoing several parts more than 3 times and a few extra hundred dollars in paint and trim pieces, but finally did it!
I have a '17 Vette also, the 2 cars are night and day and I much rather drive the Viper. Currently adding a Paxton kits to the Viper so it can catch up to the hp of the vette :)
Enjoy and keep up the great work and keep us posted!


Thanks 2quik, I use SEM sure coat system, I have all colors as well as the color matching chart so I can pretty much do any color except for some bright reds

Bit of a learning curve at first but once you get it, it's pretty easy

Regarding the paint polishing the key is having the right machine abd polish , I'm using a griots boss 6 inch and 3 inch polisher and a combination of meguirs 105/205 and sonic polishing liquids

I will ceramic coat the whole car in the spring before I get my white stripes

I still need to go over the whole car as some of the 2000grit sanding marks still show

But huge improvement over what I started with

[1Willy1]

Hey guys

my reverse lockout is starting to go ..... its hard to go Into reverse sometimes and now I thiink it failed completely

Im assuming its the reverse lockout solenoid? Has anyone dealt wth this before?

Hoping the tranny doesnt need to be dropped?

Thanks

[Steve-Indy]

First step would be to unplug it, look at contacts, clean if dirty, replace it and see effect. If you need to replace it..."easy job".

P.S. Check your text messages.

[1Willy1]

Thanks Steve I appreciate iit, il try to have the shop clean it fiirst and and see iif that helps

roads are bad here maybe its been knocked loose or something

[Brian E]

Hey guys

my reverse lockout is starting to go ..... its hard to go Into reverse sometimes and now I thiink it failed completely

Im assuming its the reverse lockout solenoid? Has anyone dealt wth this before?

Hoping the tranny doesnt need to be dropped?

Thanks

By chance you didn't recently install a skip shift eliminator did you? Several years ago a buddy of mine installed one incorrectly on the reverse lock out solenoid and it wouldn't go into reverse.

[1Willy1]

no i did not, but the car does have a skip shift (or its been tuned out) but was fine for 6-7 months before this happened

[Steve-Indy]

Excellent tip, Brian !!