It’s rare when you find a seller that is willing to overcompensate for his car’s flaws, but that seems to be what we have here in the case of the owner of this project-grade 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10. The listing notes a variety of issues that all seem fairly manageable, and while the seller contends he is selling this Viper fairly quickly due to another project arriving unexpectedly, it could also be this car has a few too many warts for the seller’s liking. Regardless, it’s offered here on eBay with no reserve and bids sitting at $21,000, so there could be a potential bargain in the works for someone looking for a first-generation Viper.
The first-generation Viper RT/10 was by far the most raw and unpolished version of the modern Dodge muscle car, a vehicle that was unapologetic in its fast transition from the show circuit to the showroom. You’d burn your legs, your feet couldn’t fit in the pedal box, and the roof would leak, but who cares? You were in one of the meanest machines to roll out of Detroit since the heyday of the muscle car era in the 1960s. I always associate the Viper with some of the best years in Chrysler’s history, as it seemed to open the floodgates of highly engaging driver’s cars that ranged from the Neon ACR to the original Stratus sedan.
The seller believes that the combo of black over gray with chrome wheels is somewhat rare, and it very well may be; however, this gets into some of the semantics we chide Corvette owners for, who are known to call their car 1 of 1 or 1 of 5 based on the color of the floor mats and what day of the week it was produced on. The color scheme is definitely more unusual than the conventional red we often see the early Vipers in, and despite some of the issues the seller has listed, it’s a very good looking car. The leather seats are in good condition overall, so one could assume this Viper wasn’t left outside for an extended period and exposed to the sun.
The seller notes that the biggest concern is a fast idle, and it sounds like it’s pronounced enough that he hasn’t driven the car very far; in fact, it sounds like it hasn’t even reached highway speeds in his ownership, which presents some risk for the next owner in terms of unknowns. There are some paint issues, the reverse lights don’t work, and the V10 occasionally pops off a check-engine light. These seem like mild concerns overall, and nothing that would prevent me from taking a run at purchasing this no-reserve Viper. If the engine runs cool despite running fast, it seems like the risk to reward ratio is pretty ideal. What would you bid for it?
Nothing like the unapologetic, raw experience the early Viper gives. It has quirks you need to learn to live with, and I would love the opportunity to own one someday. Just can’t do it today. Working on these when new, or doing new vehicle prep was a treat. Only a few people that worked the dealer experienced it. Always loved that there was no door glass, just “curtains”. If you really were going for a ride, put on your big boy pants.
It will never replace the Corvette as America’s sport car but the Viper has become world renown.
A terrifying machine! They had a test track at Barratt-Jackson auction, and gave rides in these. You needed asbestos chaps to get in and out of these things, from the exposed exhaust system.
Talk about raw power. I drove a Henessy 550 that was traded in for a new BMW. THAT was a ride! I even went home to pick up my son so he could experience it. I have driven later edition and yes they are more civilized. But still impressive. 80 mph in second gear and you still have 4 more gears to go. Still not a car to drive a long time. Better than the original but still not comfortable. Pretty color combo.
SOLD for $26,750.