Is This 1996 Viper GTS Special

I Work For A Dealership And We Recently Bought A 1996 Viper GTS. It Came With Several Papers From The Factory Build. One Stating Sold To As A Preffered Order? Another Showing Issues...In Issues It Says Tempreture Control Functions...Ours Does not Show Ac...It Has A black Nub Sticking Up Where The Snow Flake Is? Also Found A Factory Part Tag For A 97 AC Unit In The Car...There Are Other Funny Things We Are Finding Like Both Valve Covers Having Extruded Curcles On The Valve Covers? There Is Also Black/Blue Viper Bag In The Back Deck Area. There Is Also A Chrysler Emblem Under The GTS Badge On The Hood...Looks Like There A Long Time? There Is Also Simpson Seatbelts On The Drivers Side? Lastly It Came With Pace Car Decals In Dodge Mopar Boxes Not Aftermarket...Is This Car Special? Here Is the Vin# 1B3ER69E9TV200185 And Some Pictures.

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This would be a great car question to refer to JonB at Viper Parts Rack.

Very early 96 for sure. I gotta admit, it definitely has several odd features....I know tv1 cars are unique, tv2 not very sure....

I thought some were sold in Europe as Chrysler Vipers?

The preferential order coupons were provided to everyone that purchased a 1992-1995 Viper. I believe most of not all 1996 coupes were purchased with a coupon (same as with 2003). The pace car decal set was an option. Must of had an AC delete option (which I wasn’t sure existed in 1996). Don’t understand the rest. May be owner installed.

AFAIK, all '96 GTS cars came standard with AC. That climate control panel looks to be from a non-AC Gen1. A snapshot of the driver's door tag (below the latch) listing the MDH would be instructive.

All GTS' are special.

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Originally Posted by Slithr

I thought some were sold in Europe as Chrysler Vipers?

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I read somewhere on this forum that
All European bound Vipers were Chrysler.
If bought in Europe it might be the owner was in a temperate climate and didn’t need/want AC. The plug looks like it is the AC delete plug.
If it went overseas is it possible someone wanted to race it? Maybe that’s why the safety belts are different?
If I remember, correctly, the decals were supplied with the car in the back. Owner could have applied if wanted.
Aren’t the bumps on the valve covers where Dodge was moving around the boss for the oil cap/filler? Some were on the front passenger, some on drivers side rear, etc?
The bag may be an aftermarket purchase from the Viperstore, etc.
And I thinkin the chrome on valve covers is aftermarket.

The only Viper that came with bags from the factory was the ‘92 RT.**

Don’t know the other stuff.

**Info: VQ15 winter 2018. Page 14.

Very early 96's came with the oil cap on the left rear valve cover. I'm VIN #33 and that's where mine is. I am not sure at what point they moved to the passenger side. Your VIN 185 and I thought it was moved over to the passengers side well before that..

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Originally Posted by daveg

Very early 96's came with the oil cap on the left rear valve cover. I'm VIN #33 and that's where mine is. I am not sure at what point they moved to the passenger side. Your VIN 185 and I thought it was moved over to the passengers side well before that..

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If I remember correctly, ive seen vins in the 500s with it still on the left hand side.

Could be but when I look at 96's, the first thing I look at is the oil fill and I have never seen them on a car that late.. It was typically under 100.. Anything is possible I guess.

Also, those valve covers have a wide font and totally different than mine so now I am really confused.

How many miles on this car?

Lot's of documentation (saw your ad too) and if you look it all over it had a bunch of quality issues when built.

The A/C plug is interesting. That Pentastar logo came on most Chrysler products back then (except viper), and like the smooth intake tubes and the chrome viper logo's on the valve covers, I'm sure one of the prior owners added all that. Never seen that bag, didn't come with that bag either. GLWS!!

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Originally Posted by daveg

How many miles on this car?

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Google the vin?????

https://www.nabauto.com/1996-Dodge-V...4x8O6u2IeQA%3D

These are period-correct valve covers for an early '96 GTS. The ones shown in the OP's exhibits appear to have a much deeper relief on the Sneaky Pete, and one on the driver's side that isn't supposed to be there. Valve covers are easy to swap out. Attachment 35362Attachment 35363

Dean they look like chrome add-ons on the covers. I recall someone selling the chrome overlays long ago.

I'm talking about this one:Attachment 35367

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Originally Posted by daveg

How many miles on this car?

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34,000 miles

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RedTanRT/10

Google the vin?????

https://www.nabauto.com/1996-Dodge-V...4x8O6u2IeQA%3D

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yup thats ours!

tag on doorAttachment 35370

Here ya go Hummer:

Digit Position Interpretation Code - Description
1 Country of Origin 1 - United States
2 Make B - Dodge
3 Vehicle Type 3 - Passenger Car
4 Pass. Safety B - Manual seat belts ('92-'96 RT/10)
E - active driver and passenger air bags ('96-'02)
J - Restraint system air bsgs front next generation multistage ('03-current)
5 Car Line R - Viper
6 Series 6 - Performance/Image
7 Body Style 5 - open body, two-door convertible
9 - specialty coupe
8 Engine E - 8.0 Liter V-10 ('92-'02)
Z - 8.3 Liter V-10 ('03-current)
9 Check Digit (0 through 9 or X)
10 Model Year N - 1992
P - 1993
R - 1994
S - 1995
T - 1996
V - 1997
W - 1998
X - 1999
Y - 2000
1 - 2001
2 - 2002
3 - 2003
4 - 2004
5 - 2005
6 - 2006
8 - 2008
9 - 2009
A - 2010
11 Assembly Plant V - New Mack Avenue Assembly Plant, (Mack Ave.,'92-'95 RT/10)
V - Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, (CAAP, '96-current)
12-17 Sequence Number

It’s birthday is:

July 02 1:00pm 1996

If it were a Chrysler Viper I think it would say Chrysler or the left rear bumper area. I also believe (and am not sure) it would have the rear fog light. The center console mystery switch. Good luck buddy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GTS Dean

These are period-correct valve covers for an early '96 GTS. The ones shown in the OP's exhibits appear to have a much deeper relief on the Sneaky Pete, and one on the driver's side that isn't supposed to be there. Valve covers are easy to swap out. Attachment 35362Attachment 35363

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How early is the VIN?

#98 built in late May.

Lots of good, accurate answers in here already, thanks Steve Fess for the point. Sorry for my late reply.

July 96 build date, vin 185...... at a time when the Vins were only 'loosely' still in sequence.

I've got 159 and my valve cover/oil fill look like yours.