1992 Viper RT/10 for sale not mine with Tan Leather Interior

[Coloviper]

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...32587190&Log=0

Okay so is this a super rare car or a fixer upper? Never seen Tan Leather in a 1992 Viper RT/10 before.

[RedTanRT/10]

Your post caught my eye Colo as I've been a red/tan owner since '96.

Interesting car. the carfax starts with sold at auction in 10/94 with 32,500 miles. So its gone 1,500 miles in the last 12 years. also shows to be local to that dealer and they've serviced it many, many times. Maybe its been dealer owned since sold in 10/94??

IVR says that viper doesn't exist, no Red/Tan, or any tan's till '94. But it looks correct; seats carpet, back dash and bulkhead just like mine.

Maybe the dealer knows the interior story. Also, since the carfax starts at 10/94 with a very high 32k miles, maybe it was factory owned and they swapped the interior before they sold it???

[Matt M, Pa]

I've never seen (or heard of) a tan interior until 1994...

[Coloviper]

I haven't either which is why this is very, very interesting!

[ssgsnake]

Has a black dash as well, I would think some one took a 92 and changed the interior and painted the dash that what it looks like, If not very rare.

[Granger73]

Error

[Coloviper]

Those early 92s each have unique items as they tried some things on individual cars back then. Would be interesting to know if Dodge did this or owner after the fact.

[XSnake]

Interesting car. the carfax starts with sold at auction in 10/94 with 32,500 miles. So its gone 1,500 miles in the last 12 years. also shows to be local to that dealer and they've serviced it many, many times. Maybe its been dealer owned since sold in 10/94??

How many owners?

[nautoncall]

Ask JonB. I think he is a Viper Encyclopedia. I certainly don't think thats factory as I thought all 92's had the ugly gray dash and gray seats. I own one so I can say it's ugly. So changed interior and not orginal makes it worth WAY less than that ask of 42K. Also, I never trust what the DVM puts as miles as I have a car where an obvious typo was made so carfax/autocheck shows crazy discrepancies.

[Granger73]

VIN#123 was one of 21 engineering test cars from MY 1992. It could very easily been used to evaluate the tan interior. I'm the proud owner of VIN#122 also an engineering test car. It has the prototype hard top and a "throatier" sounding exhaust system. Very cool cars.

[RedTanRT/10]

How many owners?

Car Fax says 1 owner since 10/94, but 10/94 shows sold at auction w/32,500 miles. No history before that.

Also, when I looked yesterday, the seller was Humes Dodge near Erie, PA. Now the listing shows to be a private owner. Maybe on consignment?

How about someone calling the seller and posting what you find out about the interior??


http://www.carfax.com/VehicleHistory...BR65E8NV100123

[Coloviper]

Just got off the phone and it belongs to the owner of the Humes Dodge dealership, Robert Humes. Just waiting on a call back for more details when he has time. Being a production-engineering test car, it makes absolute sense that there is zero history prior to dumping the car at auction by Dodge when they were done with it. If it is a factory tan interior by Dodge to evaluate that future option, this could be a very, very neat collector car to grab on to as it may be the only one like it made. 1 of 1 in an already crazy 1992 unique build year. Everything else looks very good with it. Price looks good too. I hope this is not one of those "kicking myself in the ass" moments in the future for even posting it for all to see beforehand.

[Granger73]

I know what you're saying, but I don't believe that an interior color evaluation ads a lot of value to the car. Any increased value would stem from the fact that it is 1 of 21 engineering test cars for MY 1992. Further, only 8 of those 21 cars have ever been released for public sale.

[FLATOUT]

I know what you're saying, but I don't believe that an interior color evaluation ads a lot of value to the car. Any increased value would stem from the fact that it is 1 of 21 engineering test cars for MY 1992. Further, only 8 of those 21 cars have ever been released for public sale.

I had the opportunity to see quite a few of the other ones that were not released to the public, last year. Very cool to see those cars.

Andy

[Coloviper]

Okay, boys and girls! I have the scoop on this and will let everyone know after the holiday weekend when things are finalized. My Dad was just getting ready to order a new Hellcat Challenger for himself, but that has instantaneously changed and he is currently talking with the owner on this car. All I can say is wow, wow, wow, wow what a story with all backing documentation!

[Viper Girl]

Okay, boys and girls! I have the scoop on this and will let everyone know after the holiday weekend when things are finalized. My Dad was just getting ready to order a new Hellcat Challenger for himself, but that has instantaneously changed and he is currently talking with the owner on this car. All I can say is wow, wow, wow, wow what a story with all backing documentation!

It'll be interesting to hear what the story on the car is...

I spoke this morning with a Member of Team Viper from the beginning who said the tan interior wasn't even thought of until MY '93...

Let us know whats up with it Colo!

[Stretch]

I have no affiliation with this car, but managed to meet the owner on accident about a year ago. I was out driving my 05 and ran into him taking this beauty for a spin. We were able to pull over and talk for a few minutes. Very nice guy and he is the owner of that dealership (he gave me his card). He told me the story about the auction where he picked it up years ago. I didn't have time to ask about the seats at that time because he had to keep moving and I didn't want to talk his ear off all day.

It does go to show you just never know where a 92 might be hiding. This one was under a mile from me.

[Drummerviper]

No tan interior on any 92 from factory.

[nautoncall]

Okay, boys and girls! I have the scoop on this and will let everyone know after the holiday weekend when things are finalized. My Dad was just getting ready to order a new Hellcat Challenger for himself, but that has instantaneously changed and he is currently talking with the owner on this car. All I can say is wow, wow, wow, wow what a story with all backing documentation!

That's great!!! I guess the later in the production run were "test" models. What an awesome find!! May not be as fast as a Hellcat, but way cooler!!!

[Coloviper]

No tan interior on any 92 from factory.

You are right Drummer in the as delivered 1992s were all identical and grey however being an in-house Dodge engineering car inside of Dodge, they changed many things on these cars in their possession and the color was......................can't give it out for a little longer.

[nautoncall]

No tan interior on any 92 from factory.

This is coming from a guy with Bob Lutz's personal car so I would value this opinion highly.

[Dan Cragin]

If that was a true 1992 it would have the gloss red paint on the engine, thats a 1993. It has many features like a 92, rear antenna and 4 rib intake manifold, but it has the 93 engine paint. Could be the motor was replaced?

Dan

[Granger73]

This is coming from a guy with Bob Lutz's personal car so I would value this opinion highly.

This statement is so ridiculous its funny. How does owning the Lutz car automatically qualify someone as an expert on the 92's? You become an expert on certain cars by researching and collecting and analyzing info on them. Not by buying them. This car is an engineering test car that was very likely taken from the production line to be used for performance and evaluation purposes which may have included some type of interior evaluation. Hell. my 92 has a hard top. How can that be? The car was loaned to Heinz Pretcher, the CEO of American Sunroof to be used for the development of a hard top for the Viper. I'll bet Bob Lutz didn't even know that.

[Granger73]

If that was a true 1992 it would have the gloss red paint on the engine, thats a 1993. It has many features like a 92, rear antenna and 4 rib intake manifold, but it has the 93 engine paint. Could be the motor was replaced?

Dan

Dan,the VIN is a 92 VIN

[Coloviper]

Okay before it gets too out of hand and everyone starts fighting. I have a number of wheels in motion behind the scenes here with my Dad, the dealer and someone helping inside Team Viper (Original Team Viper).

Pulled the original build sheet inside Dodge and it has two extra line items in "Test Vehicle" and "Company Car Tracking".

Car was acquired by the original owner (who we are dealing with) at a Chrysler Dealer Auction in 1994 by the Dodge Dealership he owns. So car came directly from Dodge (Viper Engineering) to this owner. He says it came with that interior and is digging up auction pictures to prove it. Auction paperwork states Tan Interior on the paperwork.

Hence it is looking like the interior was changed by Viper Engineering (inside of Dodge) during the Test Period they owned it. Who knows what other changes they made until, you go through the car in every detail. Since they had it 1992 to late 1994, there is a good chance there are some 1993 and maybe even some 1994 parts on the car which Viper Engineering installed themselves. Then original owner has only done regular maintenance and preserved what he received from Dodge in the auction. Hell he put a whopping 1,500 miles on the car total in 22 years.

All in all, it is a pretty interesting piece of Viper automotive history. Being one of only 8 documented test cars to get out of Dodge, it is a rarity to say the least. With the Viper crushing program in full effect, no more will get out. We are trying to see if we can get the internal file on this car but with the liability Viper crushing issues in full effect, that is looking very, very impossible. Sad from that aspect. But with the information that has been pulled together, there is no denying who made what changes to this car. It is a working Dodge Viper thought process vehicle.