The days of unearthing a Shelby Cobra with a bargain price are pretty much gone. The latest dusty barn find Cobra discovery sold at the Gooding Amelia Island Auction this month for a cool $1,045,000. Not exactly pocket change. However, the good old days are still here for anyone who wants to put the Cobra’s spiritual blood brother in their garage for relative peanuts. Take a look at this 1994 Dodge Viper, which is for sale here on craigslist in Chattahoochee, Florida for a fairly attainable $22,500. Since Chattahoochee is the home of Florida’s most prominent mental hospital, I guess it is a sign that we would all be crazy not to consider adding this brute to our fleet at this price.
Starting out as a show car, the Viper design was a 1990s interpretation of the Cobra concept and a showcase for the revolutionary Dodge V-10 engine. To make a long story short, the car was green-lighted for production, and production models began to hit the streets in late 1992. The first generation models soldiered on until 1996, when a number of enhancements were made to “civilize” the car a bit. Some called the first generation Vipers “glorified kit cars.” Compared to other sports cars in their price range, they were crude and brutish. Customers and enthusiasts didn’t let that stop them. 6,709 of the first generation cars were built. Of those, 3,083 of those were 1994 models.
The 1994 Viper we see here has been around the block. 102,000 miles are currently on the odometer. You would never guess it by looking at the pictures. Whoever owned this Viper enjoyed it, but kept it pristine inside and out. The paint is still vibrant, and the irreplaceable wheels appear to be free of scuffs and scrapes. The owner claims in the ad that the car needs nothing.
The profile shot above does a good job of emphasizing the iron fist in a velvet glove beauty of first-generation Vipers. Still looking like a show car, touches like the soft targa top with side curtains instead of windows and the massive side pipes are throwbacks to the legendary sports cars of the past. Corvette gave up on side curtains after 1955, and the ones on most original Shelby Cobras likely never left their cases. As for the side pipes, I believe the last previous use of them by a domestic sports car was on the Corvette in 1969. We could probably live without the side curtains today, but I would love to see side pipes make a comeback. Nothing makes an engine sound better.
The interior shot above gives us a glimpse into the rather cramped and plastic-laden interior these cars were known for. People who bought Vipers weren’t looking for Mercedes-Benz level refinement, and they certainly didn’t get it. They wanted their money to go toward speed, and they got a good return on their investment. Despite the owner’s claims of perfection, the bolster on the driver’s seat nearest the door looks like it may have been stitched back together. Other than that nitpick, the interior looks to be a good detailing away from being very presentable. The only option available for Viper buyers in 1994 was air conditioning. Unfortunately, the seller doesn’t tell us if it is so equipped.
Under the hood is where the party is going on. With a V-10 packing 488 cubic inches and producing 400 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed manual transmission, the Viper is, shall we say, blessed with “spirited” acceleration. Considering that the car weighed around 3,400 lbs, these were some of the fastest cars produced in the 1990s. One of Chrysler’s design goals was for the car to be able to go from 0-100mph and back to 0 mph in under 15 seconds. Pretty heady stuff in the early 1990s.
We all have our “woulda, coulda, shoulda” moments. I remember looking at Auto Trader’s Classic and Sportscar Trader as a teen and marveling at the low cost of some of the great sports cars pictured inside. My teenage eyes naively overlooked the condition of these once glorious warriors and what it would take to bring them back from the dead. It didn’t make a difference anyway. I painfully couldn’t afford even the roughest ones at that time. However, it was obvious to me even then that these legends would grow in value some day. On nearly all of them, I was right. The market forces are clear enough to see that sports cars with big engines, limited production, and enough fame to be immortalized as posters on the walls of legions of teenage boys will always be collectible.
This car is money in the bank.
1995 ZR-1 Corvette. 405 HP, air-conditioned, makes more sense to me.
@ Pa Tina Because with cars such as these it’s all about what makes sense.
I would park it in my garage.
Don’t know if I would have it parked in my garage. I would be too busy driving it.
I am not a fan of post 70’s cars but this one is as good as they get. Raw power and looks to go with it. Wasn’t built to be comfortable. If only I could!!!!
why is it on here when it comes to mother mopar every body can find some thing wrong with it eh! viper were never meant to be joe blows every day car they were fast affordable cars then nobody talks about corvette frames rusting out behind the doors or mustags rust do they I have got to a point that the car shows on tv are nothing but gm and mustang the rare exception to this is phantom works! the rest are a waste of time!
One of my dream cars. One of the best cars on barn finds in a long time!
What about this one?
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/ctd/d/1994-dodge-viper-sports-car/6527633322.html
About 30k, that’s what
There aren’t too any of these first generation cars around.
A lot of people that didn’t know how to drive them bought them.
Every one I saw at the salvage auctions was torn in half.
That sight removed any desire I had to ever buy or drive a Viper.
My aunt wanted one of these but she couldn’t afford one instead she got a Dodge Stealth and all of this was before my time I was born in 1998 and she was talking to my mom about that before I as an thought in her mind.
What did she think of the Stealth? As one who wants, but will most likely never be able to have a Viper, I’ve often considered a Stealth as a more attainable alternative but never known anyone who had one.
Completely different cars of course. The Stealth to have is the RT Twin Turbo version, (AKA Mitsubishi 3000 VR4) with AWD. Naturally, maintenance/repairs can be very costly, whether Stealth or Viper.
I like Vipers but the V10’s sound like a diesel to me. Always thought they should have done a V-8 version
I Agree. I’m not sure I’d call it over engineered, but 10 cylinders seems to have been avoided by all others. A V8 or a V12 would have made this car iconic. Can you imagine the engineering costs of a special and different engine. Throwing money around is OK as long as you throw it in the right direction.
They are more tractor like sounding since these engines actually fire 2 cylinders at the same time. But you are right they have a distinct sound. I had a 97 Viper for a little while. It was a dark blue/teal color GTS and I bought it as a repo for less than 17k. Wish I still had it. Made some money on it though.
I vividly remember seeing one of these in person for the first time. It was at the Louisville Auto Show in a dank fairgrounds exhibition building, off by itself on a raised platform with no special display fixtures around it. None were needed. It took my breath away.
Cobras look cute by comparison. Miuras are the epitome of elegance. Vipers are just f-ing brutal. I’ve never had such a visceral reaction to just looking at a car.
I’ve never driven one and all the stories I’ve heard of neophytes getting sideways certainly give one pause. Still it would be a worthy bucket list item, even if I was forced to get a Members Only jacket and gold chain to qualify for driver status.
Bburago, maker of 1:18 scale die-cast models, sold more of the 1994 edition than any other they produced.
Great find. Make mine the blue coupe with the white stripes.
Had “custody” of a black 93 or 94 for about six months back in 95. Noisy, cramped, no A/C, the most ridiculous canvas/plastic joke of a top that did less to keep any sudden rain shower off your head than a baseball cap would. Burned the bejesus out of my leg on the sidepipes several times getting out of the car but….what a ride when you stomped on it. Definitely a stab-and-steer proposition.
My then-6-year-old stepson thought I was a god when his mom was dumb enough to leave him alone with me and the car. Neither of us stopped grinning for a couple hours after we went riding around which is how she figured out what was going on, every time.
I owned a 94 exactly like this one. The seller never bothered to tell me that it was equipped for Canadian emissions and I never even thought to ask him. When I went to sell it at auction, the car was flagged for this which is an automatic 5K reduction in price. Make sure you know what you are buying.
I could rack up daily speeding tickets with the give me a ticket red color and engine power🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🏎🚔🚔🚔🚔🚨🚔🚔🚔🚨🚔🚔🚔🚔🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓🚓
I hear red cars go five mile faster in police 👀
Niche market special, built for speed and only speed. I agree with an early comment about the lousy exhaust note, reminded me of a UPS truck more than a performance car, but when it’s this fast that is just a passing side note.
Not a bad deal at all if the need for speed is your cravings.
Remember seeing the concept version of this car at the auto show before they put it into production. Always liked this generation the best. Had the most fun driving a 98 Viper Gts.
Big Viper fan here.More than I am of the Cobra that inspired it.
I hope DCH (or whatever they call themselves these days) finds a way to bring it back.
Not a Mopar guy in general, but I could definitely shred some tires in one of these. Not at all practical but who the hell cares? If you can keep from burning your legs off on those side pipes getting out of it, it’s all good.
I’ve been lucky enough to have driven several vipers over the years, but at autocross type venues and a test track, instead of the street. Unfortunately, the last, most refined version is not included in that history.
To be sure, pushing one of these anywhere near the car’s limits for cornering and acceleration, particularly if closely linked, will require a great deal of skill. Fun to cruise, and an attention-getter for sure. Going fast brings danger more than many can handle. Understand that the Viper development team had yet to add in sophistications such as traction and stability controls. This first generation did not even have antilock brakes. The suspension was less than state-of-the-art for the time, nevermind today. Huge fresh tires help a lot.
The grin factor is of course off of the charts. I think that the comments regarding the financial aspect of these cars is spot-on. My graduate-school son would absolutely want this car, pretty much his number one dream ride. Forget practicality…. Stand on it, and hope that you are up to the task!
I grew up with a poster of a viper on my bedroom wall and I couldn’t believe it when I saw a picture of the GTS driving around Paris when they first came out! I thought that car was pure beauty!!! It reminded me of the Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupes that I loved so much.
Unfortunately I can’t afford one right now (still working on my 68 Toro) but I hope I can buy one in the near future. I’ve wanted a 98-99 since I saw the GTS-Rs from Team Oreca back in the day racing and winning. I’ve never driven one but one day… :-)
Virtually useless automobile.
You stand next to one of these and you can feel the ground shake.You gotta hand it to mopar for building these monsters. go fast.
Good luck to the new owner!!
I got to have a fun race with one of these on a local Kansas City road that has a nice combination of curves and straights with no cross road so fun could be had. On the straights he would run away and on the corners my Lotus Esprit Turbo would haul him back in. When we were finished we both were laughing and stopped to talk to each other about our respective machines.
Very early dawn on a cool clear crisp fall day. I totally recommend such foolishness if you are very very careful, you know the road and you are not stupid. One of the best ways to put a smile on your face.
I personally tend to fine handling but I understand the other side. The details of construction of the Viper I found not up to what I expected and this coming from a Lotus owner is saying something, and not something good. This car has been babied to be in as nice condition as it is. I suspect the owner just got too old which happens to us all. I hope it finds a good home.
I bet liability insurance for this car is sky high. Seriously, I’d like to know how much for simple minimum state coverage for someone with a great driving record.
I worked at a BMW dealership when we took a Henessy 550 on trade. Being the only manager with “high performance ” experience. I was allowed to drive the car for a week. It pulled like a freight train and I received a lot of attention ( it was 1998 I think) wherever I went. But after 30 minutes of driving. I was ready to get out. ( I was not that old then, come on guys) The driving position with your feet angled out to the left was the worst. I was lucky to drive one of the later ones. And it was nicer to drive. (80mph in second gear and you have 4 more gears to go! Wahoo!)
Always wanted a Viper. Prefer it to the Corvette any day.
You can get a cheap thrill finding a V10 truck.
They can be found dirt cheap.
That’s a pretty good deal on this car. But I think I found a better deal for just a few thousand more. I hope the photo shows up.
Now this makes sense. The top doesn’t blow off. It’s OK if you get caught in the rain, and most important- your significant other doesn’t get burned by the side pipes. Winner!
I drove one of these back in 95. My cousin was a salesman at the local Chrysler dealership & I was in the middle of buying a Cherokee. The Viper had been traded in on a new one & I remember it had less than 10k miles on it. While they were getting all the paperwork together on the Jeep, we took the Viper to grab some lunch. After eating, I jumped in the driver’s seat. When I stomped it, I nearly lost it, let off, hit second, & stomped it again. Fish tailed till I hit third, looked down & I was over 80, & that was enough for me. It reminded me of a 68 427 Vette, horrible ride, questionable handling, horrible noise, rattles & hot, totally unrefined, but had raw brutal power on tap not for the faint of heart. Cars like the Camaro ZL1, CTS-V, & the Dodge Hellcat will run circles around these early Vipers, & out perform them in just about every way, but without this car, I’m not sure that second wave of muscle cars would have come about.
I still wanted one up till a few years ago, now the knees & back would prevent me from enjoying one very much. Still, I think these are gonna have an investment upside in another 10 years or so. In doubt they will ever bring Shelby, COPO or Hemi money, but they will never be as cheap again as they are right now.