Do mere mufflers make a car iconic? In the case of the Dodge Viper, some enthusiasts may consider the side pipes to be one of the more sought-after features of Mopar’s modern muscle car. That’s not to say other versions of the Viper didn’t also have memorable muffler designs, such as the GTS coupe with its center-exit pipes. But the first generation Viper does stand out for the meaty mufflers that always burnt your calves if you weren’t careful, and this 1995 Viper listed here on craigslist is also a standout for its gorgeous Emerald Green over tan color combo.
The seller is asking $37,500 for this Viper. Now, when he claims it’s the last of the side pipe-equipped models, what he’s actually pointing to is how this is one of the last 300 made of the initial production run. That may be splitting hairs to some extent, but the Corvette guys do it all the time, and to an occasionally exhausting (see what I did there?) degree. The color combo is honestly the bigger story to my eyes, as most of these first-batch Vipers were painted red or black, so seeing a deep forest green color is a delightful change of pace.
The Viper was a stark affair in terms of equipment and creature comforts, but that was part of the appeal. Dodge wasn’t going to waste time with lots of luxury and sound deadening; after all, that would defeat the purpose of the concept car design and make the Viper heavier / more costly to manufacture. You signed up for a raw, unfiltered driving experience when you bought a Viper, and that’s what makes it wonderful. Modifications of note include an MGW short throw shifter, 18″ rims, and smooth inlet tubes. The latter helps improve airflow and generates an additional 10-14 horsepower, along with improving the intake noise.
The restrained approach to modifications is what you want to see in car like this, along with holding onto original parts like the iconic wheels that sell for a small fortune on the used parts market. In 1995, the Viper produced a monstrous 400 b.h.p. and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. While still impressive today, it was absolutely bananas in the mid-90s. The Viper still looks like nothing else on the road today, and I don’t believe there’s been a clearer connection between a model’s name and what it ultimately looked like in production form. You can’t get this level of performance and exclusivity for under $40,000. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Barney for the tip.
Vipers look wonderful in green, which as, as Jeff noted, a nice alternative to the usual red or black.
I can’t imagine why anyone would need to add another 10 or so horsepower. Vipers were — and are — brutal, and would sink their fangs into an inattentive driver. If the mileage is really under 30K as stated, I can well understand why. A total lack of any electronic nannies left control entirely up to the driver. I drove a few, and fortunately escaped with a few lurid slides and long black stripes on the pavement. But I enjoyed every minute!
I do have to wonder about the price, though. Seems awfully low, and thus close inspection is necessary to make sure the seller is being reasonable, not trying to offload a car with dodgy history. Having the original wheels is a real “plus” in my book, and if I bought, they’d go back on first thing.
Friday afternoon, the listing has been removed. Maybe the low price was due to a scam?
Got to drool all over the first car at it’s introduction at the early ’90s Indy 500. Love the looks. Nice one here.
Driving one of these early Vipers was like trying to hold a tiger by the tail and mistakes were rarely forgiven but boy what fun they are.
The first one I drove was a Henessy 550 model. I took my then 7 year old son for a drive. It was the first car that I had driven to date where on acceleration I could feel my eye balls forced back into their sockets! All my son said was WOW! The later/newer cars I drove were more comfortable (comfortable a n d Viper are technically a mutual exclusive terms) it didn’t have the animal acceleration feel. Maybe they were geared differently. BUT, the torque was uncanny on the newer cars. But red line in second gear (80 mph) came up in a hurry! Fun cars to drive particularly on the twisties with good stick in the corners and great brakes to haul you down. You just don’t want to it in the drivers seat for more than 2 hours at a time. (At least in my case with a bad back.) Different discomfort than a Pantera of C1 Corvette. More of a twisting pain than spinal compression like the Pantera or C1.
You know you’re in your 50s when your description of cars (throw in motorcycles for me too) includes a review of the specific type of back pain you’re going to experience. Stuff nobody tells you when you’re young…
Got to sit in and check out one of these when they first came out. No accessories were available…
I remember seeing these at the California Mille.Chrysler was a
sponsor,& they had the new Vipers along for the press to drive.I thought
that it was ironic – with all of these rare older sports cars,the Vipers drew
people away from them.
I would love to have a Viper but I would never be caught with that top on it. Always looked like a bad toupee to me. The coupe version would be my first choice.
Ha! I was just going to say the same thing
Seems cheap. I think of these fetching big dollars. In the days of early 70s A bodys easily bringing 30s. Sorry I take the viper
Way back in the early 90’s, I was a latter-carrier. Had three guys on my route(s) that had Vipers. One guy had a 92 red one, another had a 94 red one and the third had one of the first green Vipers in New England. This green is gorgeous! The guy with the green one also had a 97 Pace Car one (blue with white stripes). Loved looking at these cars. The guy with the 92? Never really drove it. I’d see him back it out of the garage, wash it, dry it and pull it back into the garage. The guy with the 94 red one drove it regularly–had the right mindset (why own a car if you don’t enjoy it). The green one drove it occasionally and sold the blue one after a year because he didn’t drive it.
Everything you say is true, Jeff. These were and are an outrageously cool car.
Apparently somebody already picked it up because the listing was deleted by the author, so that somebody got a really fun car.
never seena vert.
Thanks for the link, Jeff.
I’m just too late to C it (if they had the top dwn on CL).
Didnt even no they were available so thnx 2 U, I’ll keep my eyes open now.