help with buying my first viper

[blownrunner]

Modified cars concern me a little because not knowing how things were installed and aftermarket support for the modifications. If the vehicle is stock then it is easy to troubleshoot the vehicle using factory service manuals for example. Any advice on modified cars?



Thanks everyone.

[ViperRT98]

I know the the excitement of looking for your first Viper. The very first advice that we give you is finding which generation you really want. I chose to have the second generation because I personally believe they can become a more of a collectible vehicle in 10 to 15 more years and number two this Viper growing up was a viper I've always wanted. However my budget was not nearly as large, my max was 38k. My Viper is not going to be a daily driver it's basically a toy for me. My Viper is a 98 with now 21,000 miles.. Not too low that would concern me with bad seal and other issues But not a high mileage Viper either..

There are a lot of pros to buying the first ACR you showed extremely low mileage so even if this seal were bad you could replace them and have basically a brand new car. The Viper in Tampa seems a little pricey.. I like the 2009 Viper that you showed however it was the most expensive... the other major question is are you planning to finance this vehicle? financing a generation 2 can be difficult... I have recently heard that Pentagon Federal Credit Union just sent people a blank check to buy any car without them verifying the VIN and the equity of the car... I don't know how true that really is but it is something you may want to check into.. good luck on your search and let us know if we can all help you.

[01sapphirebob]

It sounds like you want an ACR since those are the cars you listed. Theres a few things to consider before pulling the trigger. I don't know what your budget is but here we go...

The first two cars you listed have ABS which is a big plus. This was a must have for me when I was shopping for my first Viper.
Second...Which look do you like better? The classic lines of the GEN II cars or the more angular look of the GEN IV
Performance? The '09 ACR ypou listed is going to have the better performance of the three cars. Bigger/better brakes, more HP, more TQ, better A/C.

All things to take into consideration without knowing your budget. Good luck with the hunt.

[ViperRT98]

When I first started looking for a vipers ABS was extremely high on my must have list... so the only two years for this and the second generation was 2001 And 2002.. however it seemed that the 98 and 99 vipers were in higher demand because of the Forged Motor and more aggressive cam.. I ended up passing up on a few 2002 vipers for the 98... Looking back on my decision I am happy but I would be happy either way...

I totally agree he need to pick which generation he likes best far as looks... It was a very very tough decision for me... if this car was strictly for performance with no modifications and keep the car all original you will want a gen 4... The best thing about owning a Viper is that we all love all the generations of vipers. This ownership is unlike owning a Corvette or other sports cars because the Viper is very limited production vehicle that we all stick together for the most part.

[Vprbite]

I had my 02 GTS. I was going to keep that car forever and would still have it had I not been in an unfortunate wreck. That's life though. So I went with a GenIII cause I found a great one and I figured after the accident, time for a change. Now, ideally, I would like a Gen II again now, or soon because they will always be sexy and desired. But, I am finding so is the Gen III. Even non car people compliment me on the sexiness of my car and they don't think its a corvette. People who think they know about cars cause they sat in a corvette once is who I hear the vette questions from. So I wouldn't let that stop you.

Also, I bought both my cars sight unseen. The first came from a well respected dealer (not Viper exchange but someone as well respected) and you will pay a smidge more for those cars. But you are buying peace of mind. THat deal of a car is less of a deal when you find it has cooling problems or whatever. My second car came from a member here so I knew the car was real, and he lived near Viper exchange and when I asked him to take it ere for a PPI, he did t hesitate and had it there within the hour. They poured over the car for a day at my cost (300 bucks I think) and gave me a full report. Both of those options are cheaper and more reliable than me flying out there to look at it and make a decision then (think of the pressure) plus you may be tempted to skip the PPI and trust your own eye. How good is your eye on mechanics or Vipers?

So that's my advise with who and how to buy. As far as price, I think it is stupid to look for the lowest priced one you can find or to see what the last one sold for and decide you will pay one k less just to prove a point. There are people like that on here. I think, there is something to be said for getting THE car you want, not just a viper. These cars can handle miles, but if you want an ultra low mileage car because you want to put the miles on it like you did when you were 16 and first saw the car, that's worth a few bucks too. If you buy and sell cars all the time and will only have this car for a year, totally different issue.
So don't think of the word "overpay." Put it out of your vocabulary. Find the car you like, get the price fair. If someone posts they bought a similar car 4 months ago for 4 grand less, who gives a S! It's not the same person, time or car. You gothe car you wanted, at a price you could afford. And dammit that's great now get out and enjoy it. Occasionally people get lucky and find a dealer that can't afford to keep one on the lot or a woman who got one in a Devore settlememt and just wants it gone. But for the most part, get the car you want and be happy. Don't get too tied up in who paid what. Who knows If those people who are bragging about how they got a gen V for half of sticker are even twlling the truth. That's what I mean by don't worry about it. Find one you like, work a deal, be happy.

Best of luck

Let us know what you go with

.

[BlackSnake99]

I would be investigating that Roe car if it was me. Why?

1) Roe cars are fun.
2) It's local to you.
3) It's a Gen 2.
4) Roe cars are really fun.

I would check it out and see. If it is well done, it should be bulletproof. I certainly wouldn't pay 17k over market for a car with low miles if you want to actually drive it.

EDIT- Just saw the Roe car was built by ART. They did good work.

[blownrunner]

Thanks for all the reply's everyone. I like to assume that people on this forum know more about these cars than non owners. While I like vipers in general, I want something unique that you generally don't see, hence the ACR. Something cool, btw, the wife is assisting me in looking around Florida classified's and found this 2002 ACR: http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto/5170805298.html it has a paxton supercharger on it, cool yellow with black stripes. It's kind of cool when the wife helps out looking.

[drewsss]

Thanks for all the reply's everyone. I like to assume that people on this forum know more about these cars than non owners. While I like vipers in general, I want something unique that you generally don't see, hence the ACR. Something cool, btw, the wife is assisting me in looking around Florida classified's and found this 2002 ACR: http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto/5170805298.html it has a paxton supercharger on it, cool yellow with black stripes. It's kind of cool when the wife helps out looking.

Have to agree that yellow, black stripes and a Paxton is undeniably cool.

[Vipes]

Thanks for all the reply's everyone. I like to assume that people on this forum know more about these cars than non owners. While I like vipers in general, I want something unique that you generally don't see, hence the ACR. Something cool, btw, the wife is assisting me in looking around Florida classified's and found this 2002 ACR: http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/cto/5170805298.html it has a paxton supercharger on it, cool yellow with black stripes. It's kind of cool when the wife helps out looking.

I'm confused by your post. Do you generally see so many vipers driving around that you want an ACR to seperate yourself from the non-acr's? I've seen 3 gen II's driving around my entire life and have never seen a gen 3, 4 or 5 on the road....ever.

[dave6666]

I would be investigating that Roe car if it was me. Why?

1) Roe cars are fun.
2) It's local to you.
3) It's a Gen 2.
4) Roe cars are really fun.

I would check it out and see. If it is well done, it should be bulletproof. I certainly wouldn't pay 17k over market for a car with low miles if you want to actually drive it.

EDIT- Just saw the Roe car was built by ART. They did good work.

Oh my word. Roe cars are fun? Maybe I should buy a 3rd one

[Luisv]

As has been said.... Pick a gen you like. Once there, as Vprbite said, find the car you like. Then negotiate the deal that works best for you.

If you are looking for rarity, then the ACR's are the way to go. The Final Edition ACR in Tampa is even more desireable since the FE cars are limited to begin with (360 made) and only about 10% of them were ACR's. Having said that, from a performance standpoint, the only difference between and ACR an non-ACR on a Gen II is adjustable coil overs (all Vipers have coil overs).

On modified vs. stock. This is a personal decision. If the rarity of the car is important, then you might want to avoid modified cars. If performance is more important then you have the choice of a prebuilt or a stock that you can modify. On the latter of those two, the ideal would be a mid-mileage car that can save you some money and then you put in the modifications. If you have a car with 30K miles and are planning on doing upgrades, replacing a worn seal or clutch would be done anyway, usually.

On ABS vs. non-ABS. Personally, go with the ABS. Two reasons, for one they are inherently safer braking and second they are easier to upgrade because f/r bias adjustment is not needed. You can easily upgrade a Gen 2 Viper to Gen 3/4/5 level braking so don't worry too much about that.

Power modifications on a Viper are not that tough either. They may not be as cheap and as abundant as they are for a 350 Chevy, but they are not impossible either. There are plenty of folks driving 600HP normally aspirated Gen 2's. Many boosted solutions as well. It all depends on what you want to do.

As for your search... what I would suggest, being in Florida as well.... try to look for a local car. You should be able to find one that fits your bill. The reason I say that is b/c you can inspect the car and/or have a good tech check it out for you. If you are going to invest $30, $40 or $50K in a car, spending $200 to $500 bucks on a tech to inspect it well. Also, there are plenty of folks willing to help here. If you have a car that you like a bit out of your "drive zone", reach out and somebody will almost certainly be willing to help and at least put eyeballs on it.

Having said that, the car in Broward that you put up.... let me know if you'd like for me to go and see it. I live in western Miami and heading over to see it is not a big deal as I am up in the area visiting clients from time to time. A great deal easier than a 4 hour drive for you. Making a trip to see a Viper.... not a problem. I also have a tech that lives in Broward. You are more than welcome to give him a call if you'd like.

[ViperRT98]

As has been said.... Pick a gen you like. Once there, as Vprbite said, find the car you like. Then negotiate the deal that works best for you.

If you are looking for rarity, then the ACR's are the way to go. The Final Edition ACR in Tampa is even more desireable since the FE cars are limited to begin with (360 made) and only about 10% of them were ACR's. Having said that, from a performance standpoint, the only difference between and ACR an non-ACR on a Gen II is adjustable coil overs (all Vipers have coil overs).

On modified vs. stock. This is a personal decision. If the rarity of the car is important, then you might want to avoid modified cars. If performance is more important then you have the choice of a prebuilt or a stock that you can modify. On the latter of those two, the ideal would be a mid-mileage car that can save you some money and then you put in the modifications. If you have a car with 30K miles and are planning on doing upgrades, replacing a worn seal or clutch would be done anyway, usually.

On ABS vs. non-ABS. Personally, go with the ABS. Two reasons, for one they are inherently safer braking and second they are easier to upgrade because f/r bias adjustment is not needed. You can easily upgrade a Gen 2 Viper to Gen 3/4/5 level braking so don't worry too much about that.

Power modifications on a Viper are not that tough either. They may not be as cheap and as abundant as they are for a 350 Chevy, but they are not impossible either. There are plenty of folks driving 600HP normally aspirated Gen 2's. Many boosted solutions as well. It all depends on what you want to do.

As for your search... what I would suggest, being in Florida as well.... try to look for a local car. You should be able to find one that fits your bill. The reason I say that is b/c you can inspect the car and/or have a good tech check it out for you. If you are going to invest $30, $40 or $50K in a car, spending $200 to $500 bucks on a tech to inspect it well. Also, there are plenty of folks willing to help here. If you have a car that you like a bit out of your "drive zone", reach out and somebody will almost certainly be willing to help and at least put eyeballs on it.

Having said that, the car in Broward that you put up.... let me know if you'd like for me to go and see it. I live in western Miami and heading over to see it is not a big deal as I am up in the area visiting clients from time to time. A great deal easier than a 4 hour drive for you. Making a trip to see a Viper.... not a problem. I also have a tech that lives in Broward. You are more than welcome to give him a call if you'd like.

See that right there is the difference between Viper owners and some others...

[drewsss]

Luis - another difference between the Gen 2 ACR versus non-ACR was that the stock ACR had an additional 10 HP (460 versus 450), correct?

[Vprbite]

Luis - another difference between the Gen 2 ACR versus non-ACR was that the stock ACR had an additional 10 HP (460 versus 450), correct?

Due to the smooth tubes. 40 bucks from partsrack.

[drewsss]

Due to the smooth tubes. 40 bucks from partsrack.

My point was that there more than just adjustable coil overs on an ACR vs. non-ACR. Luis didn't point out that ACRs also came stock with smooth tubes as well.

Jeff, if you'd like to keep up with me, you should definitely check out Partsrack

[sparkrn]

Luis - another difference between the Gen 2 ACR versus non-ACR was that the stock ACR had an additional 10 HP (460 versus 450), correct?

ACR = larger oil pan, different oil filter mount, 5 pt harness, smooth tubes, fog light delete, k&n air filter, bbs wheels, adjustable shocks, badging. There were 34 FE 2002 viper acr' built and they all ride like crap. There is 1 2002 acr in blue color. If u find that one, buy it! There are other 2002 acr cars that are non FE cars. But my point is, there is more than 1 thing different from a regular GTS to a ACR.

[XSnake]

I have driven the yellow ACR and the 02 Final Edition at Viper Exchange. Both cars are perfect. I also drove the Voodoo ACR they have, I love that car.

[shnickerlaus]

interesting you picked the acr at black horse motors to post a link to, i almost bought this car when i was hunting for a gen 4 acr. at the time he was asking $82,500 i believe and i offered him 70k assuming we could meet somewhere in between, he was not willing to let it go for less than 79. now he has it for 75 or best offer, if you really want a acr that is limited production and will hold value if not appreciate i would like you have seen look at the fe acr that is sure to rise.

i ended up buying a voodoo off an owner on here in the classifieds, couldn't be happier with the deal i made and with the way Sean helped me out so much with the shipping and export of the car to the uk. over here a viper is rare enough regardless of srt, gts or acr, so to have a voodoo 1 off 31 cars is probably 1 of only a handful for Europe but you never know.

I imported a 02 fe about 18 months ago and that is a beautiful car and already growing in value from the time i purchased, i truly think the gen 2 was the best looking of all the vipers and a huge presence on the road, mine has a few mods but that didn't put me off actually a bit of a bonus really as they enhance the car and give you more performance. if you are looking at gen 2 cars i would not be put off by mods, most are done very well and i have found that the majority of viper owners are knowledgeable about the car and what they put into to it.

[ellowviper]

I'm biased...I'd definitely take a long look at the ROE supercharged Bumblebee. Very clean with great upgrades (Headers, Big Brake Kit, Stereo, etcetera). If you could get into that ride for the mid 40's...sweet.

[PittsburghRT]

A Roe car is so much more fun than a stock n/a car. I have had both.

[dave6666]

An FE at 360 produced is hardly "limited production" in Viper terms. And plus, the only one that cares about how many of your car they made is you.

Get the blown Bee.

[BlackSnake99]

ACR also has a unique oil filter mount.

[Sybil TF]

Keep looking, no need to rush...

[ViperRT98]

Congratulations....

[HKViper]

I'm completely jealous. I can't seem to find what I want for the right price within a decent distance. I need all three pieces of the puzzle to line up. Congrats man, hope you enjoy it!