New member looking to become a new owner

[Gootz]

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! The Viper and I have some history...

I fell in love when I first saw the prototype in 1992 at an NHRA drag race my mom took me to. The Dodge guy manning the Viper exhibit gave me a Viper hat that I still covet to this day.

On my 16th birthday, my parents got me a 1/18th scale model of a 1996 GTS, blue with white strips. On my 21st birthday, my parents rented me that very same '96 GTS, blue with white stripes, to drive for 24 hours. While I wish I could've kept it forever, those 24 hours were magical.

From that fateful day back in '92, I knew one day I would own a Viper and that day is coming near. I'm sharing my story in hopes that some of you knowledgeable vets would be willing to share your thoughts and experience with Vipers, specific things I should look for in my Viper hunt, any must read threads on here, etc.

I have my eyes on a Gen 1 or Gen 2 just because of the nostalgia factor as well as budget limitations. I'm not looking to modify it too heavily, but definitely will be putting in some elbow grease. I have experience with fast cars as I've owned an '06 GTO that I highly modified as well as a mildly modified '11 CTS-V sedan. I would greatly appreciate any insights and knowledge you are willing to share.

Thanks in advance!
Gootz