Newbe

[Dsiddons]

Hello and good morning. My name is David and I’m a car guy. Last several years into building traditional Hot Rods. Have owned several old cars and Corvette’s. While a senior in HS I skipped school to be at the track during the month of May and personally witnessed the first Gen Viper being shown due to the Dodge Steath being scrapped as a Pace Car for the Indy 500. Always had a special place in my heart and about to pull the trigger! I do know I rarely see a Viper at all. Corvette’s are everywhere. Been watching some YouTube videos and reading a bit online about these beautiful cars. Timeless car by far. Looking at a 28K mike car as of now. What do I need to look for during my general walk around? Anything I need to really be aware of? Thanks for any input

[98RedGTS]

Welcome to the search. Things to look for can be very dependent on the year of the car so post up that info and more info can be provided. Some general guides outside of the everyday used car checks:

-Tires - No the thread of them but how old are they. Old tires and a Viper lead to accidents all the time. It's extremely critical to check the date code of the tire and if more than 4 years old plan on getting new ones.
- Recalls - Have they been done and if so where they done right. Some were done wrong (frame supports)
- Accidents? - Just because a car was in an accident isn't a reason to ditch it all together (unless your are in it as an investment, which is a whole other conversation) but these cars aren't exactly easy to put back together without experience. If you see any signs of this get it professionally inspect for sure.
- Early Gen2 or Gen1... - Has the timing cover gasket been changed? These are prone to failure and if left unnoticed can lead to engine damage (coolant mixing with oil)
- Early Gen2 - Is the hatch glue still holding? 97 and 98 cars had a bad batch of adhesive so some come unglued. It's a PITA to fix but is doable with some time and patience
- Later Gen2 - Does the gas tank leak? Some were prone to cracking at the filler neck. Easy way to tell is fill the tank full and look for drips under the car or smell of gas. Fixable with a new tank but is also a PITA to do.
- 96/97 cars - is the dash "rubbery"? The early dashes had a tendency to have issue with the adhesion of the material used on the dash.
- Lower control arms - Check for cracking. Not to common but some (especially tracked) cars have had issues there.
- Power steering pulley - Is it metal or plastic. If this hasn't been updated to a metal one it needs to be done. The factory plastic ones do fail and will leave you stranded
- Looking at an ACR - Does it have the 5 point harness and are the shocks factory. The factory shocks (especially early ACR's) tended to leak.
- Get the car on a lift. You should do this with any used car but especially important on the Viper. Much easier to tell if things need attention. Like the engine mounts. If factory, the are going to need to be changed (not hard with a lift but can be a PITA if the bolts are seized up).
- Do both windows roll up and down without issue? Not uncommon for the plastic piece that guides the window to break.
- Hows the stanction? These are hard to find and $$$ if you need a new one. The weatherstripping on them is not available on it's own, yet, thus where this is important.
- How old is the battery and when not driven is it on a tender? I don't care if it starts easy now or not. Vipers are VERY finicky with battery voltage to the point that a struggling one can cause the car to not run right even when already started. If it's not on a tender when not driven for more than a week and/or it's older than 2-3 years I would consider a replacement.
- Brake and clutch fluid - Should be clean and clear. If not a sign of an owner that is just doing the min. For some reason people change the engine oil religiously and even the coolant but often neglect the brake and clutch fluid. Both when bad can lead to poor performance and issues with the seals.
- Quick way to tell if the owner even has a clue. Check the reservoir in the bumper for coolant fluid and it's level. Some owners still think the overflow under the hood is the reservoir. If it is empty chance are likly the current owner doesn't know the car well and their maintenance may be a bit sketchy.
- Do you have budget for repairs? Sounds like a dumb question but some people go into buying their first Viper spending their whole budget and if something goes wrong they can't afford it anymore. Some parts are readily available and cheap (shared from other cars) but their are several Viper specific parts that are hard to find and can be very expensive. Overall the Viper is very reliable if taken care of but stuff does happen.
- Windshield - no cracks or pitting from rocks? New windshields are become harder and harder to find and when found are pretty expensive.
- Hood cracks especially around the NADA duct on GEN2? If not closed/opened properly they can develop spider cracking.
- Where are you located? Getting a Viper tech or at min another Viper owner to help check it over is a very smart move.

I'm sure others will chime in with things I've missed. This is just off the top of my head.


MODS - Maybe we should create a "buyers guide" and make it a sticky. This question seems to be asked a couple times a month and could help for the new members.

[City]

MODS - Maybe we should create a "buyers guide" and make it a sticky. This question seems to be asked a couple times a month and could help for the new members.

As simple search would also do the trick. Thanks for that effort regardless!

[Fatboy 18]

Carfax. The Suspension wishbones can fracture crack where the rubber bush goes through them, only way you will be able to look is by getting the car up on a ramp. Its worth checking also if the 998 Steering rack to frame and rear diff recall has been done.
A quick google search will bring up what to look for, (Again easier to see if the cars on a ramp).

Check also for cracked or worn engine mounts. Heat plays a big factor to the condition of them.

Build sticker on Drivers door will tell you when the car was built
Lots of info here on specifications
http://www.theviperregistry.com/mdh.php

Driver and Passenger seats have lumbar supports, at the lower part of the front seat base you should find a rubber oval bladder with a chrome air release screw attached, Sit in seat and pump the bladder a few times to feel the lumbar support inflate, then release pressure bu undoing the release valve. Both seats back also tilt forward with a pocket behind the seats, there is a small flat plastic tab on the base of the seats at the front by the cargo netting. Press it down and pull back of seat forward.

Rear hatchback Gas struts are another thing to check, Open the rear glass (GTS) and make sure it glass stays up by itself
Check centre console for cracking, this is very common. Check electric window switches to make sure glass goes up and down (GTS).

Also check Hood hinges, hood should stay open by itself, Not a big deal if it does not. Don't recommend lubricating hinges as this often causes hood to drop.

Usual stuff, Oil, fluids, When was the car last serviced and who did it.

AND Tires! HOW OLD? Always worth budgeting for new rubber.

[BrianACR]

What they said. I got my car and it had 28k on the clock. I did the power steering pulley right away. Fairly easy to do.
Good luck with your search!