Sold my R8 bought a Gen 1 love it but have a few questions

[TrexRhymes]

I recently sold my audi r8 and was looking for a fun replacement . I ended up picking a gen 1 up and now have a few questions.

- Im missing my top side windows and rear windows. Is the soft top even worth tracking down? From research I have seen the autoform setup would probably be best. Is that true? and also if anyone has personal experience or one for sale reach out

- I purchased it with some aftermarket seats , I plan to replace them has anyone installed fixed back seats in there gen 1's ? If so how is your overall cabin feel and any pictures . Im a shorter guy so not to worried about the height but mainly seat position in reference to the wheel and pedals for track days. Also has anyone installed race harnesses with aftermarket seats ? If so what was your method ?

- Im on stock ride height , is it worth coilovers , or should i just go lowering springs ? Also what is the recommended drop to not bottom out on speed bumps and driveways?

- Exhaust is stock I believe , what has been the best setup for you other gen 1 owners ? I even thought about gutting the stock cats rather then replacing with a aftermarket system im not sold on yet

- Hydro Handbrake , has anyone done this ? If so please reach out would love to get my gen 1 setup with a hydro

-Steering angle , has anyone slide there viper enough to need to modify the stock angle? If so reach out please

-Are there any good shops in south florida that work with vipers a lot ? Im in the miami/fort lauderdale area .

thanks in advance guys ! happy to be a gen 1 owner , I can never forget the iconic style of the gen 1 . Any other points I should consider let me know , keep those tires SMOKING !

[99RT10]

I almost bid on that car. It was a damn good deal. I have a soft top and windows, they will come in handy if you get stuck in a pop-up thunderstorms you guys get in South FL. Can't go wrong with Autoform, but it won't fit in the trunk. If you can find a 3 piece top, even better. They go for a premium.

- I purchased it with some aftermarket seats , I plan to replace them has anyone installed fixed back seats in there gen 1's ? If so how is your overall cabin feel and any pictures . Im a shorter guy so not to worried about the height but mainly seat position in reference to the wheel and pedals for track days. Also has anyone installed race harnesses with aftermarket seats ? If so what was your method ?

I have a set of stock seats, need to be recovered. $500 for the set, race harness can be bought from any of the site supporters.

- Im on stock ride height , is it worth coilovers , or should i just go lowering springs ? Also what is the recommended drop to not bottom out on speed bumps and driveways?

BC Coilovers.

- Exhaust is stock I believe , what has been the best setup for you other gen 1 owners ? I even thought about gutting the stock cats rather then replacing with a aftermarket system im not sold on yet

Balengers, or make your own. Not hard to do

- Hydro Handbrake , has anyone done this ? If so please reach out would love to get my gen 1 setup with a hydro

Never heard of this, so maybe someone else can chime in.

-Steering angle , has anyone slide there viper enough to need to modify the stock angle? If so reach out please

-Are there any good shops in south florida that work with vipers a lot ? Im in the miami/fort lauderdale area

The one and only, Doug Levin. DLM is in that exact area
.

[1BADV10]

I bought a Autoform hard top for my gen 2, well worth the wait and the money!! If I had your car I would buy the soft top and windows that 99rt10 has and keep in trunk for emergencies. Then contact Steve at Autoform and order a pro tour hardtop, it changes the entire look of the car (for the better). I put mine on for a test fit 2 years ago, I like it so much its never been off since then. I have black gen 2 seats I would sell cheap they look great but driver side has 2" tear and not sure if they are same as gen 1.

[SNKEBIT]

M&M Performance headers.

[Black94rt10]

I love my autoform hardtop and windows. Huge improvement in looks and quality over stock stuff. Def gut your cats as they will eventually clog and cause lots of heat from the rocker panels. I would also check the rocker panels for corrosion bubbles. This happens with the incompatibility between the aluminum rocker panels and the steel hardware. Can be a pain in the ass to correct if this has happened already. I did the roe racing exhaust which bypasses the cats. Much better sound over stock. Headers will add to this also but I have yet to purchase them so cant advise further

[Dan Cragin]

I came across some new Gen 1 soft tops, side windows, etc...

PM me with a list if needed. I will see what I can do.

[TrexRhymes]

hey guys thanks for the great responses Ill definitely check it out and shoot a couple of you guys pm's . I registered with the 3 main viper forums I could find does anyone recommend one over the other . Im a thread browser and classified searcher so really the most active gen 1 discussion and classified section is most important . Just trying to save whoever else is on the same ones me reposting there haha

[TrexRhymes]

I almost bid on that car. It was a damn good deal. I have a soft top and windows, they will come in handy if you get stuck in a pop-up thunderstorms you guys get in South FL. Can't go wrong with Autoform, but it won't fit in the trunk. If you can find a 3 piece top, even better. They go for a premium.

Yea man I was relaxing a little under the influence on ebay and next thing I know I was a viper owner . I had an appointment to view a 911 I was 90% sure on purchasing the next day . When the guy called to see where I was I shamefully switched the ring to silent haha didn't want to admit I randomly bought a car on ebay right before hahaha

[Matt Dillon]

Congrats & Welcome, Very NICE! Dan Cragin can definitely get you most anything you need or need to know about a Viper!

[TrexRhymes]

Congrats & Welcome, Very NICE! Dan Cragin can definitely get you most anything you need or need to know about a Viper!

awesome sent him a pm waiting to hear back

[drewsss]

Yea man I was relaxing a little under the influence on ebay and next thing I know I was a viper owner . I had an appointment to view a 911 I was 90% sure on purchasing the next day . When the guy called to see where I was I shamefully switched the ring to silent haha didn't want to admit I randomly bought a car on ebay right before hahaha

Too funny! That’s exactly how I bought my Gen 3. Bid on eBay and was expecting someone to outbid me but it never came. Poof... won the auction, pay now...lol.

Congrats on that yellow beast!

[jdeft1]

Holy crap!!! Trex, you may feel the G1 Viper is a step down from the R8.... Don't be discouraged! That old viper is exactly what a sports car should be. Drive the snot out of it.

[Goatman]

I recently sold my audi r8 and was looking for a fun replacement . I ended up picking a gen 1 up and now have a few questions.

- Im missing my top side windows and rear windows. Is the soft top even worth tracking down? From research I have seen the autoform setup would probably be best. Is that true? and also if anyone has personal experience or one for sale reach out

It is definitely worth picking up windows and a soft top. On long drives, the side windows help with the wind. The soft top is great for surprise showers if you get caught in the rain, or provide shade on the days when it's hot as hell. The rear window, I feel is optional. I rarely run my rear window.

- I purchased it with some aftermarket seats , I plan to replace them has anyone installed fixed back seats in there gen 1's ? If so how is your overall cabin feel and any pictures . Im a shorter guy so not to worried about the height but mainly seat position in reference to the wheel and pedals for track days. Also has anyone installed race harnesses with aftermarket seats ? If so what was your method ?

- Im on stock ride height , is it worth coilovers , or should i just go lowering springs ? Also what is the recommended drop to not bottom out on speed bumps and driveways?

As 99RT said, BC's are a great option.

- Exhaust is stock I believe , what has been the best setup for you other gen 1 owners ? I even thought about gutting the stock cats rather then replacing with a aftermarket system im not sold on yet

As far as exhaust, you should get rid of the cast iron exhaust manifolds. They are super restrictive and create immense heat in the floorboard. I loved my full Belanger set up on my old Gen 1. Gained about 30whp and over 30wtq as well as cooled down the cabin. It's a must in my opinion. But Headers sell for a premium, any brand (Besides Ebay Chineseium) would be a huge improvement over stock.

As far as header back, it's up to you. Create your own with bullet mufflers, or buy Belanger (Muscle car sound) Corsa (exotic no drone).

- Hydro Handbrake , has anyone done this ? If so please reach out would love to get my gen 1 setup with a hydro

Not that I am aware of, but there is a lot of options for better brake upgrades, Most require larger wheels to fit larger calipers and rotors.

-Steering angle , has anyone slide there viper enough to need to modify the stock angle? If so reach out please

Not that I know of, but a kick of the clutch and you will be facing the other direction, so there is that

-Are there any good shops in south florida that work with vipers a lot ? Im in the miami/fort lauderdale area .

Doug Levin and soon Dan Lesser (Viper Specialty) will be your best bet.

thanks in advance guys ! happy to be a gen 1 owner , I can never forget the iconic style of the gen 1 . Any other points I should consider let me know , keep those tires SMOKING !

Change out all the fluids! You never know how old they are, most vipers sit for long periods.
If your Head Gaskets have not been swapped from the original paper gaskets, get with Dan Lesser and get you a new set.
Look over everything that was rubber for deterioration, hoses, serpentine belt, bushings, ect.
Swap out your engine and motor mounts with Poly mounts, it will greatly improve shifting under power.
Get you some "Quality Wires"( That's the name brand) and replace your old spark plug wires
Check your brake lines, SS lines, EBC pads, and a good set of rotors make a HUGE difference in stopping for the Gen 1's
If you are going to track it, get the Roe racing Power steering overflow tube. Lots of older Vipers have burned to the ground due to the PS fluid hitting the Headers and igniting.
New Tires! Make sure your Rubber is in perfect order.

[Goatman]

Oh, congrats on getting the best Gen and gorgeous color, I am biased though

[TrexRhymes]

haha thanks man , i agree this is my favorite gen .Reminds me of a real life hot wheels hahaha. So far first and foremost going to call a shop here in davie that was recommended have them check a possible power steering leak I can't seem to find , and also replace all fluids . First parts im picking up will have to be a top , windows, back window, seats , and then Ill move to the exhaust . Hoping to source some used parts as im finding some gen 1 parts seem to be a little pricey.

[Goatman]

Gen 1 parts can be the hardest to find. It's kind of a bastard. Hit Dan Craigin up and see what his offer is above.

I would also suggest adding a rear diff drain plug, it makes life so much easier, that is, if you do the work yourself. Lifesgood has a great write up on the "How To" section here. You cant go wrong. I would also suggest getting a manual. It will save your ass.

[Granger73]

I almost bid on that car. It was a damn good deal. I have a soft top and windows, they will come in handy if you get stuck in a pop-up thunderstorms you guys get in South FL. Can't go wrong with Autoform, but it won't fit in the trunk. If you can find a 3 piece top, even better. They go for a premium.

I have a Lemke top with windows for sale and it’s already painted Dandelion yellow. PM if interested.

[Pauler85]

Congrats on the find. I removed my stock cats and ran thrush bullets. I was just at Don Scharf Recycle yard last week up in Eagle River WI. They have a lot of Gen 1 parts. Try them out.

[Pauler85]

I had just cut and welded on. Cost effective and sounds great. 20180501_135059.jpg20180501_160710.jpg20180501_164423.jpg20180501_164432.jpg

[BrianACR]

Congrats on becoming a Viper owner! Great color choice too
Those R8's are nice cars! I bet you'll get more attention in your Viper though than in that R8!

[TrexRhymes]

thanks for all the replies guys found a local awesome shop that deals with vipers so taking the car there wednesday to have the fluids changed out and try to source some of the missing parts I've been looking for , ill definitely post more pics as I progress with the car. First decision stripes or no stripes

[Viper Specialty]

Make sure you check to see which gaskets you have installed- the longer the old ones are installed, the more damage they allow.