Combining a high degree of preservation with desirable modifications is a difficult line to walk, but this supercharged 1996 Dodge Viper V10 seems to do a fine job of striking that balance. With just over 50,000 original miles, it’s not a time capsule but it’s also a car that’s been driven. The seller notes this Viper is considered an ROE Racing supercharged model that cranks out an impressive 600 horsepower with other upgrades to the chassis noted beyond the Whipple 2.3L supercharger kit. The Viper is listed here on craigslist near Denver for $57,000.
The combination of white paint with blue stripes is about as classic as it gets for a Viper RT/10, but that’s where the tradition ends. In addition to the supercharger kit, the Viper also comes with sharp CCW 19″ wheels with Pirelli P Zero tires that the seller notes are “Lambo wide.” The suspension has been upgraded with Eibach lowering springs and KYB shocks, which truthfully seems like a cheap choice when I’m sure Bilstein or Koni makes fully-adjustable shocks designed for this era of the Viper. Regardless, the stance looks good and I’m sure the meaty tires keep it suitably glued to the road.
I don’t love how the blue theme continues to the interior, where the two-tone leather, emergency brake handle, and steering wheel all do their best to form a connection with the stripes on the hood. The cockpit is in very nice shape, and the dash is said to sport a custom carbon fiber panel. The stereo has been modified to some sort of an aftermarket unit with a flip-out screen, and there is also a color-coordinated three-piece hardtop that will be included. The good news is the seller has retained all of the stock parts, so it will be easy to switch back if you’re not a fan of the blue accents.
The engine really does look like a work of art, and incredibly, the seller contends that it still drives around like a fairly mundane car when it is in sixth gear and just cruising. Of course, you’re never mundane in something like this, but the point is a fair one that despite the added horsepower, you don’t feel like the Viper is surging at every opportunity to lay some patch. The engine build also incorporates custom-built intakes, headers and a Billy Boat exhaust system, short shifter kit, and an upgraded clutch. The work looks to have been done to a high level, and while the modifications don’t add much in the way of value, it’s always refreshing to see someone who clearly enjoyed using their collector car.
While the car is a fantastic piece of engineering, I’m more interested in that bad boy behind it, the locomotive. This was taken at the Pueblo Railway Museum, and the engine is the ATSF 2912. It was a 4-8-4 and was the largest locomotive the company built in 1944, weighing in at a mere 974,850lbs. fully loaded,,,and that’s just the engine and tender!! These were converted to run on fuel oil, and the tender held 7,000 gallons. Before diesel electrics, these were the work horses of the fleet, retired in 1954. Locomotives are awesome machines, fuel oil takes the zing out of it. Did you know, steam locomotives used an incredible amount of water, like 2,000 gallons every 30 miles, plus, they had to be greased every 50 miles, no wonder Charley Pratt was so greasy. Fuel oil was a welcome change. I never knew that, these ran on fuel oil. I guess no stack would be a clue.
https://pueblorailway.org/roster/atsf-2912/
Howard A Have you ever seen a Big Boy in person ?
Absolutely a Giant of a locomotive. I would have loved to see
it in action in it’s day. Must have been quite a sight.
Hi Big Al, I don’t want to “DERAIL” Jeffs post too much, the “Big Boy” is a monster. A restored one made a trip to Colorado last year, but I missed it.
Big Al and Howard,
I’ve never driven a Viper [yet], but in 1964 I did get to “drive” the Union Pacific Big Boy #4012. My family was in New England on vacation, and we went to a big railroad museum at Steamtown, in Bellows Falls, VT.
They were firing up their own Big Boy to move it onto a different track, don’t remember why, but as I’m standing there with my jaw hanging open, the engineer way up in the cab says “Hey kid, want to help me move this thing?” I was 12 years old, so of course I said yep!
Dad hoists me up onto the small ladder and I clambered on up like a monkey. The guy shows me a big red ratcheting lever and tells me when he says so, I should squeeze the lever handle and move it forward. I do it, and the whole locomotive shudders and chuffs once as it begins moving forward. He then grabs the handle and moves it back again as the whole thing glides forward.
Dad helped me back down onto the ground, and for years he would tell friends and family I moved the largest locomotive ever built! Dad said the engineer was a man named Nelson. There are many important parts of my life that have gone forgotten, but every second of that experience is embedded in my brain like it was yesterday, and I really don’t remember anything else about that 1964 museum visit today!
About 20 years ago I spoke about this visit with an historian at the Strasburg Railroad in Lancaster, PA, and he knew the locomotive well, and said that was probably the last time it was ever fired up and moved under it’s own power. He said today it’s at a museum in Scranton, PA.
This has brought back memories that have me thinking about finding the photo of me with #4012 back in 1964, and perhaps the girls and I will have to make a weekend trip to Scranton for another photo!
Seems to me, the railroad museum in Green Bay, WI has a big boy, not to mention a bunch of other great stuff. They even have Ike’s WWII Europe train used during that war. Green Bay has so much to offer besides that silly team, what was their name again? Bay Beach, the Heritage Museum, and botanical gardens to name a few. As far as this Viper, I think the supercharger is a bit of over kill. They were dangerous enough. Looks to me that this was built just to resell at profit, not for personal use.
Steam locomotives spent 70 percent of their life in a roundhouse. High wear machines. Always wanted to be an engineer. 1st graders in my little town of twin valley got to ride a passenger car north 16 miles to the next town. In 64 my brother got to ride. Discontinued passenger service in 65. I never got the ride. The rail ran thru my dad’s farm in a valley. layed in bed at night and listened to the whistle before it went over the trestle. Better times. Never to return. Sigh.
How much for the locomotive? WOO WOO!
I am more interested in the Viper than a train, just me. Don’t have a lot of first hand knowledge about the Vipers, but my guess this one would be a great way, to get acquainted.
Joe speaking of knowledge, that is a engine or locomotive, with cars it would be a train.
I drove one of these on a track about six years ago. A bone stock one with a few suspension mods. That car was a handful and scary to drive. I am trying to imagine what a super charged motor in one of these would do. Talk about pucker factor! Tempting, tempting.
Just what I was thinking, you take a car that actively tries to kill you and add a whole bunch more power. Sounds like fun!
The Viper or the Locomotive on the track?
A new website, Roundhouse Finds! I have loved trains my whole life, at least as much as cars. Remember traveling in them as a young man. The dining car food was great. Observation lounges! Standing outside in the fresh air between cars, awesome. Even got to go upscale once with a young woman, we rented a sleeper! Enough about that, but let me tell ya, it was a memorable night. The young people today have no idea what they missed out on. We had an awesome country with so much goodness about it. Everyone (almost) was sublime with happiness, well employed yet not over worked. Kids were well adjusted, families intact, and the churches were full. Utopia.
You can still ride. Take the Amtrak Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle. You can experience everything you said except for standing outside between cars. Went from Seattle to Fargo ND. Large seats, legroom. Lots of free luggage. No security screening lines. The ride rocks you to sleep.
The 4014 BIG BOY was restored by UNION PACIFIC a few years ago and has been traveling the country since restoration and it is a site to see.
Awesome! Is there info on the web as to its schedule? I have only seen one sitting static, never in action.
Go to the union pacific website to see the BIG BOY running schedule
Go to the union pacific railroad website to see the running schedule for the BIG BOY.
Rigor mortis go to the union pacific railroad website to see the running schedule for the 4014 BIG BOY.
Is the train for sale here or the car?
Wow!! Posted11 days ago.
This is the nicest looking Viper I have ever seen.
Good Luck to ever purchases it and Drive Carefully.
Love Vipers… I worked for 41 years at The BRC in Chicago. Freight RR. Loved it. Retired and bought a 2012 Infiniti G37S. Convertible. 50,000 miles. Pristine. Lookin’ for one of my favorite cars of all time, 65′ Chevelle SS.