New ACR Owner

[TitleMine]

Hey everyone, I'm a new ACR owner in Eastern PA and very happy to be here. I already introduced myself in the new user section, but I wanted to drop in and say hi in the appropriate forum too. It's supposed to be 54 here next week after several days of rain to clear the salt, which means I could do something really awesome-actually drive it.


Anyway, here's my car:



And here's a short video I made of it (it has a full exhaust system from Belanger):



Now, I have a technical question. When I got the car, I also got a set of the BBS ACR wheels. One of them is very slightly scuffed in two places, no digs into the metal anything, it almost looks like it might have been allowed to tip over on a flat concrete slab or something. I want to get it refinished because I'm pedantic and the rest of the car, in and out, is absolutely without flaw.

Is the best way to do that to get someone to do a media blast and then powder coat in the original color, or is a paint used? Anybody have any experience with this?

[RedTanRT/10]

Your ACR looks great!!! I had a solid red '99 and with headers, roller rockers and the old cam was the best sounding viper I've ever owned.

Those ACR BBS wheels are valuable and getting harder to find. Ask someone in your area on a recommendation on a good wheel restorer. I had a couple curbed and they can fix and match paint in your driveway (if their a good tech).

The wheels on your viper are a little easier to clean than the BBS versions, which take longer to clean then the rest of the car! Best wishes, Mike

[ACRucrazy]

Sounds awesome!

[TitleMine]

Ask someone in your area on a recommendation on a good wheel restorer. I had a couple curbed and they can fix and match paint in your driveway (if their a good tech).

There's one that has a solid portfolio of work on GTIs and WRXs, but honestly, this looks like it'll be the first car of this caliber he's done, and knowing that the ACR wheels are worth like $3500 in good condition is filling me with some trepidation. I'm also wondering if I should just have all four refinished to guarantee a 100% match all the way around with the fresh color.

[Back In Black]

Congrats and welcome! Beautiful snake. Great choice!

That's a tough one on the wheels. You might try and find a complete mint set and sell yours or replace just the one's that need it and sell the others. Unless you pay a ridiculous price, you should always be able to get your money out of them. I guess it depends on how important it is to you to have the original finish on the wheels.

[Fuoss484]

Really nice car you have there, and neat video. Car looks immaculate. Congratulations!

[Bill Pemberton]

Not a bad idea to do all four , so they do match, and since you have different rims on the car no hurry, so check around for someone who has done BBS rims. Likely easier than trying to find a pristine set, as most find those were likely already redone. Good luck and enjoy from a Gen IV ACR owner to a Gen II ACR owner!

[Late Apex]

Very very nice and you will love the Gen 2. Partial to that color too. Well done!

[Coloviper]

Had lots of luck over the years from Ye Ole Wheel Shop in Elkridge, MD. Use to send our Magnesium Saleen SR rims to them for repair and refinish as they were one of the only shops around to work with that material and they came recommended from Saleen in California. They can also powdercoat! Been many years since we used them but never had a bad experience. You can find them at:

http://www.yeolewheelshop.net

You might want to check them out.

[TitleMine]

My Grandma lives in that area of MD. Thanks for the tip, might be worth a shot. Also, LateApex, is that your yellow and black ACR? Looks absolutely wicked.

[gage]

Fastest Color, awesome! I'm in western PA so not at all nearby ;>

[Indy]

Nice introduction I guess we're all sort of new to this forum.

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

TitleMine

I mis-read your name as 'Title Nine' [ a rare program at VOA to encourage female viper ownrship! ]

If the only reason you might be keeping your wheels with (those gorgeous HREs on {Forgelines? ) is originality, and you dont intend to drove or show them, I would leave them as-is. Stock. Only 1 is scuffed-dinged. Leave it! Or just do a touch-up vs refinish.

Some 'investor' in 20+ years may prefer to see them in OE condition versus repaired-restored. Let the next owner decide.

If YOU return it to stock, you could have the one wheel done, and see how it matches. If GOOD, then DONE. If not, then do the other 3.

PS what year ACR? THE YEAR MATTERS There are some major differences between 1999 and 2002...and 3 Fed recalls in early cars. CONGRATS!

[Ron]

Sound advice Jon!

[Loud]

Welcome and enjoy the new to you ACR. If you didn't read/hear about it yet, check out the TOTD thread. Would be a great trip to enjoy the car. Some folks will be driving down the blue ridge parkway into TN.

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Nice.....

[TitleMine]

TOTD thread

What's that?

Also, the car is a 2001. If you guys really think refinishing the wheels will hurt the value, or really, even be noticeable, I'll leave them as is. I do love the wheels that are on there now. Objectively, they're way better looking than the stock ones, which look a little more dated.

[Back In Black]

Tail Of The Dragon

[TitleMine]

Isn't ToD in California? That's aheckuva drive.

[Derek Short]

Sweet ACR. And welcome! very few chicks out there with Vipers, I think thats awesome!
Enjoy it.

And TOD is not in CA, I forget where but the popular road here in CA is Mulholland Hwy. Jay leno seems to travel that road quite a bit with one of his many sweet rides.

[ICPREY]

TOD is in Tennessee and North Carolina. Wheel Collision Center is in Bath, PA and it might be worth stopping by and checking out their operations. I haven't used them, but they came recommended to me for my DD Rims.

[ICPREY]

TOD is in Tennessee and North Carolina. Wheel Collision Center is in Bath, PA and it might be worth stopping by and checking out their operations. I haven't used them, but they came recommended to me for my DD Rims.

Figured I would update the thread with my first hand experience of the shop I recommended (Wheel Collision Center) since you're pretty close to them. I had a vibration around 60mph on my DD wheels (19in aftermarket rims on 3000gt) and figured I had a bent rim or two. Ended up I needed hub spacers. The shop was very thorough and professional. The tech told me how they were going to investigate the issue and showed the issues I had. If I was going to have the rims refinished I would let them do it.

[Rosie]

Congratulations on becoming a viper owner,an ACR no less; you won't be disappointed. Check the age of the tires ,month and year on the side wall; shouldn't be older than 5 years or so I'm told. Snakes like warmth and so do their tires; no cold road surfaces and let the tires warm up a bit; Please join the VOA, you will have a great time. My wife and I purchased "Rosie",a 97 red gts almost a year ago and the "viper experience ",(should have been a hendrix song) ,has been great to say the least;its a great club with great people.
welcome rusty, and rosie.