Here’s a car that makes me question a lot of vehicle decisions I’ve made in the past few years. A 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10, sporting a color combo other than red over gray, with a few simple issues that can likely be fixed over a weekend of wrenching for a disturbingly low price. The first-generation Dodge Viper remains one of the best deals in the world of affordable supercars, and this example is listed here on eBay for the stupid cheap price of $32,000 – but that’s the Buy-It-Now, and with bids opening at $26,000, there’s a chance you could snag it for even less.
There’s obviously a few things to sort out on this Viper to make it a world-class example, but if the seller’s list is accurate, they are all incredibly manageable. There’s an oil leak that is undiagnosed in terms of origin; there are some paint cracks (perhaps this means portions of the body have been resprayed); there’s a tear or two in the leather seating surfaces; the passenger side mirror is loose in its base; and one of the hood latches does not fully pop. Now, I suspect there’s a few other things to sort out, and I can see some modifications that aren’t entirely correct: the wheels are from a later Viper and the spoiler doesn’t strike me as OEM correct.
However, those are small gripes, and if you were able to source the correct wheels and clean up the mounting holes from the rear spoiler without too much headache, this RT/10 would look light-years better. Modifications tend to spook collectors and it’s easy to see why, as they are usually value-killers, even if sourced from the OEM parts bin. The interior is in fine shape overall, and given how cheaply the cabin and other areas of the Viper were originally constructed, no one should be offended by panel gaps here. I do agree with the seller that black-on-tan is a color combo you don’t typically see in this era of Viper.
And really, at the end of the day, all you care about is the monster of an engine that will scare you straight and the side-exit exhausts that will seer your thighs. The 8.0-liter V10 is good for 400 b.h.p., channeled through a robust Tremec six-speed manual gearbox. 1995 models didn’t come with ABS, so hold on tight if the road starts disappearing in your rear view (personally, I loathe ABS – it really can’t save your ass past a certain point anyway.) This Viper looks like a bargain to me, especially if you can clear the reserve for under $30,000.
Like this. Black and tan great color combo but priced too high for me. If you weren’t concerned about it’s status as a collectible keep the wheels. I always wondered how smart it was to mount all those gauges in the center of the dash. Can they even be read without taking your eyes off the road?
The only two “gauges” that matter are right in front of the driver. :)
Just keep in mind that this and many Ferrari’s share the same trait: wonderful to drive in terms of power and going fast, terrible in terms of noise and comfort. I have known two guys, one with a mid-engine Ferrari, one with an early Viper, and both had the same complaint, and neither drove their “dream car” very much.
I have never been able to afford a car like this, but I have had the opportunity to drive a few over the years. I found them to be cramped, often poor ergonomics for people my size, loud enough to get on your nerves after a short while (certainly not good for a long trip). I still remember trying to shift a 308 with that tiny foot well and my size 14 feet! Cars like this are beautiful to look at, amazing on paper, plus will attract a certain type of girl; but they have too many compromises besides price. If you are not looking at an investment or status symbol, then buy a modern Mustang GT. Roomy, easy to get in and out of, plus much more power then I could ever use. The kind of car you could take for a high speed cross country run (and have plenty of room for luggage) The singer Richard Carpenter has his car collection online, everyone should take a look, awesome stuff. Anyway, read there about his trials trying to get a Ferrari across country. Spent more time being towed then on the road. A Mustang can be serviced almost anywhere, and is going to be much more reliable. Just my two cents worth.
Looks like the seller has adjusted the ask considering some needs but it’s definitely a decent buy. I would definitely do a thorough inspection though.
Beautiful work of art. The deal breaker for me is no door glass. Visibility is bad enough. Side curtains compounds it.
I have had the privilege to drive several of these. One of the things that amazed me the most was because of the torque there is no real sense of acceleration, but when watching the tach and time to shift from second to third and the speedo already says 80mph. You then realize that the car really accelerated very hard/fast. EXCEPT for the Hennessy version I drove. It was the first time I experienced the feeling of my eyeballs getting pushed back in their sockets! These are not comfortable cars to spend any time in. Unless you are thin and have small feet. (I don’t come close to either one of those measurements.)
It appears weathered enough and priced low enough to buy it and run it without worrying about every little nick and scratch … but I didn’t see any history on how it was used or any info on big issues that it may have. This thing might end up costing more than expected
The condition must be scaring the bidders away – no action yet.
SOLD for $26,400.
Could be one he’ll of a track day car!