I'm really not a fan of the new intro music, the old tune was WAY better not ragging on buddy who composed it. that riff just isn't intro material in my opinion
Growing up, we lived just to the north of the plant where the Vipers were built, and I remember one day I saw a convoy of about 10 them going down the road. It was pretty amazing to hear.
That reminds me a few years ago I was sitting outside my mother in law’s house( God rest her soul) and about a hundred Vipers went by on their way to the Conner plant.
I still think the 1st generation Viper is the best design. The newer ones still look cool, but the way the bonnet flows into the doors on the 1st gen is truly a work of art.
@@PoopaChallupa 2nd gen Viper GTS coupe was peak Viper. Even Dodge themselves knew it, when they obviously echoed the design for the 5th and final gen Viper. At least they went out on a high note!
David, appreciate how you always say good things about your mechs, like Daniel-son.... A lot of supervisors could take lessons on how to motivate their employees from you
@Mck Idyl I’ve known bosses like the type you mention. They simply don’t understand that being a prick is the best way to ruin morale, take all ambition away from their employees, and make an all around crappy work environment. Luckily my current boss is nothing like that. He’s a good guy to work for and no one is hesitant to approach him when they need something or have a problem.
So true. What is a supervisor/boss without their employees, & what is a business without its customers? Respect & appreciation trickling down from the top makes for a good business all around!
The first generation Viper is such a gorgeous car. Was one of the first cars I had as poster above my bed and to this day I absolutely adore it. Although I love the GTS version even more.
@@fecundloin2780 I've never been inside a Viper as they're even more rare here in Germany as they are in the States. But the the interior as shown by Mrs. Wizard really is underwhelming to say the least.
Funny that you mention the mirrors being hard to get. They're actually the same mirrors that are on the 3000gt/Stealth and are easy to find. The viper was a parts bin car. Shame they didn't steal the interior from the 3S platform as well.
Adding power to a gen 1 viper.... hope the owner has solid life-insurance. Those cars sometimes demand a blood sacrifice, part of the reason why parts are unobtanium.
My uncle was one of the powertrain engineers. He once brought a pre production car to our house (we lived a couple miles from Chrysler). I was 10. He took me for a ride and it felt like a batmobile.
I remember a few years ago looking at one that came up for $29k and wishing I had a place for it. Really cool cars, but I needed a more usable car. They remind me of the Countach. Bombastic and beautiful design, big power, theater and noise to spare, with no consideration to ergonomics or practicality. Also surprisingly reliable, all things considered. So long as you aren't going full throttle on a cold engine all the time.
I'm 6'0 exactly and I summer daily a gen 2 coupe. Biggest complaint was the footwell, which forced your right knee in an awkward position by otherwise, had plenty of space all around
I'm 6'2, so it's always been tight in a Viper for me, and the lack of storage would be an occasional issue. Also, parking on the street with no windows or door locks is just asking for trouble. I didn't buy a Corvette, either, ended up with a Kleemann tuned CL600 instead, and with its 625hp, it was probably a bit quicker than the other two, and it had a big trunk and technically usable backseat. So, I still found a way to be an idiot, but a very comfortable and fast idiot.
@@Jack_S_ the first gen was the only viper that didn't have windows. Second gen had the same body style but had hardtops, windows, airbags and AC. But do hear similar complaints from tall people and the pedals are at a weird angle so I totally understand that lol
Can't believe it's been 29 years since Carroll Shelby got this thing past the bean counters in Auburn Hills. John and Horace Dodge certainly approved. Mopar to ya!
@@Beer_Dad1975 That also fit the Carroll Shelby mood. Original Cobra is a brute force car. Windows and leather? Ha. It was all about massive power and wide tires. Certainly the bean counters loved the interior ... but hated everything else about it.
@@atodaso1668 yeah my neighbor had a C4 for a while - it was awful inside too. They are super rare in New Zealand, though the Viper is far rarer still, I think I've seen maybe 2 on the road in my whole life.
I fell in love with this car the first moment I saw one in real life almost 30 years ago and it's just as good looking today. One of these days, as the great Wayne Campbell once said; _"It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine."_
Jup. Red cars 25+ years old. Red paint fades and go weird. There's a reason why it's the most expensive. I wish someone explained why red paint is so special.
@@abdullahbouhamdan9666 it is awesome. I think the “scariest” thing you’ll find with these cars is a lot of people, for whatever reason, do not replace their tires on these cars for “originality”. That’s what really makes these cars death traps. I have 3rd Gen wheels (like the Viper in this video) with some good Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires and it makes for a really confidence inspiring ride.
@@98SST Good tires really help any car, specially sports cars. Even a bicicle is dangerous with old tires. Those sport tires ride very nice on the track!
Was never a big Viper lover, even knew someone how's son in law was severely hurt in one as a passenger and the driver didn't make it. Very fast and you need to know what you are doing if you give it the beans. Over the years I have grown to appreciate the Vipers for what they are. Special cars from a N/A car company that went to town on a style and engineering that were and are fantastic. Treated with respect I think these are some of the most impressive cars you can get to drive,
@@ghoulbuster1 That's the problem... If they have new tires they will hook no problem. Old hard tires though because the owner only put 2000 miles in the last 10 years? There you've got your "just a bit on the pedal will spin the tires" situation and people get hurt or die.
I use to have neighbor when i was in middle school and my family moved to highlands ranch in Colorado in early 2003, who had I believe was a 95’ yellow viper. It was amazing. I loved watching it. It was rough power!!
Nice how he takes the hood off and protects it. My last mechanic dented my fender, then pretended it was like that when I brought my car in to the shop. Protecting the body prevents such disputes.
Back in 09 the brother of my long time friend bought a brand new Viper. Got about 2500 miles on it and the radiator started seeping from the side tanks and needed replaced. No Dealer within 300 miles would do it because as they put it, "The hood needs removed and cost 16k and didn't want that liability". Ended up having to drive it to Texas (lived in Kansas) to get it done.
Not many people know that if you leave you viper outside and it gets a light frost or snow cover on it, when you start it up the heat from the engine melts the viper logo into the center of the hood.
This video reminds us that there's always new technology out there that we are always going to spend our money on, I wonder how many people are financially capable to keep up with the waves of new technology coming up
Reading about people grabbing multi-figures monthly as incomes in investments even in this crazy days in the market, any pointers on how to make substantial progress in earning? I would appreciate
@@stayingalive646 I agree with you and I believe that the secret to financial stability is having the right investment ideas to enable you earn more money, I don’t know who agrees with me but either way I recommend either real estate or crypto and stocks
@@nkpapi989 I don't trade, I invest with a professional assigned by a crypto company that trades for people and returns profits on weekly basis for me and you can invest your capital and get weekly Returns of investment (ROI) without any extra fees attached
If I remember correctly, that Viper actually should have window inserts that you can place into the slots on the door sill. Jay Leno spoke about those when going over his 1st gen Viper. Not really water tight, but just to avoid incoming rain on wet track days I guess.
VIPERS are always fun to drive, I like how they only made them with manual We got 97 coupe and 05 convertible both since new It is nice to see VIPER engine taken apart like that
You guys are so awesome... I worked @ a local Casino, I walk into a Big box Warehouse store. And there this gentleman standing @ the door. I was wearing a mask & all. But on the way out once he got a good look @ me. We shook hands & he asked me how I was doing. I said I'm doing well, but I didn't want to show him how much pain I was in.
Some of these Gen I Viper V10's have issues with sleeves shifting. Under warranty the solution was to install a new type of sleeve that was counter bored and installed by ARRO(sp).
As a former owner of 3 vipers, my fav was my 96 GTS finding parts was a pain in the ass, especially plastic pieces which get brittle over time. The v10 puts out a lot of heat!!
I was a computer repair tech in the Detroit area. One of cool things about that job was I was inside most of the auto and supplier plants, headquarters, engineering labs and other facilities of GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC from the late 70's to the early 2000's. I was inside the original Viper plant in Detroit several times fixing equipment. Very cool seeing those cars in various stages of being built.
I feel that the 1st gen Viper ...especially in coupe form....is one of the best looking cars ever made. The design is timeless and I bet that it turns heads in 2022, just as much as it did in 1993.
The exterior is classic, but the interior is cheap grey plastic and it will do its best to kill you thanks to Dodge not putting a dime into safety either
@@Noah_E I hear ya on that one....Generally speaking ALL American cars from the 90's, even more spendy ones....just the worst interiors ever. Like they didn't even try.
I have been trying to decide between 360 Modena and Dodge Viper for sometime now. And… seems the Dodge all those temperamental will cost me 1/3rd price of Rari ownership! Thoughts? 🧙♂️ 💭
Daniel seems like a super great find. You've got Magic Mike for the euro stuff, Dan seems like an exotics master and Dave is an all round master tech. Unlikely to ever need work done, since I only have bikes and live in the UK, but it's so cool to see the quality of work you guys do.
Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, I think that y'all should do a video highlighting you guys getting in & out of the Viper!!! I bet lots of people would like to see that. I know that if I got into a Viper I'd never get out on my own, you'd need to bring in a crane!!! 👍🙂
Policy Genius Insurance one they all sell your data to! I asked my Farm Bureau agent for a quote and she just blocked my info into policy genius I’ve never been so harassed or received so many unwanted emails calls text voicemails it was a nightmare it took forever to start. On top of that I never actually got sick accurate quote.
Heads and gasket job on a '93 Viper with under 10k miles? I purchased a 3k mile '94 Viper in '97, used it as my DD in Florida for eight years. Sold it in 2005 with over 100k miles on it. Never had any head gasket issues, even spraying it with a 120 shot of nitrous. Had Hennessy headers and straight pipes into Moroso spiral-flow race mufflers, then sidepipe turnouts. Would set off car alarms driving on the St Pete Pier.
Nice video. VIper was a brave effort by Chrysler and I really like the gen 2 coupe but being built in such small numbers compared to Corvettes everything is expensive. It is good that the Wizard is taking such care with the hood--a new one retails for $15,000.
I am pretty sure the people running Chrysler now are not the people that were running Chrysler thirty years ago. The cheapskates running Chrysler now would not have produced a car like this today in the world of 35 MPG Corporate Average Fuel Economy. That V10 was designed for one thing only: brutal, savage horsepower and neck snapping torque; fuel economy be damned. Congrats to the bonafide lunatics that engineered this car.
Might want to check the play on those roller-rockers when fitting them. Bought some for a Porsche 911 and, although they looked very pretty, the needle-roller bearings in them were garbage and allowed for about 20 thou' of "float" in lift and about 10 thou' of lateral play. Contacted the manufacturer about it and was told that the needle-rollers would seat reliably in use but, in practice, it was impossible to adjust the clearances accurately. In the end I "did a Hoovie" and decided against selling them on because I didn't want anybody else to suffer as a result of trying to "bling" their 911 so they just sat in a cupboard for years, until after I sold the 911, and then I binned them.
The CD player makes the car lower in value. The cassette player is stock as is the leather shift knob. The rims are also 2nd gen so I suspect the 9k odometer was disconnected. Ive seen it more than a few times. I love my gen 1 Viper :)
When I was a teen the gasket company that my mother worked for had an open house. They had a Gen 1 Dodge Viper parked out front, I remember my mother telling me that they were making the head gaskets for the Viper. I wonder if it was the failure was caused by the materials usef or is it due to the production of the head gaskets. Either way my mother didn't work on that line. As old as it is only 9000 miles from new after 31 years I can understand why the head gaskets failed.
Well on this particular car they didn’t fail, but rather the owner is just doing them for precautionary reasons, which is way better. He knows that they are a liability
if you plan to keep the car as a collectible and head gaskets are hard to find. Might want to buy an extra set. Just in case. There isn’t an expiration date
I love Rt/10. Needs the original wheels for me though. There are plastic windows for the Viper. Kinda like Jeep Wrangler windows. I've seen em. They look super cheap.
I couldn’t believe that’s how you get into the car. And no windows! Seems like you’d never want to park one of these out in the open. I can’t imagine it having an alarm, how would it know whose actually opened the door?
@@fucuszullanti7877 I assume you thought I meant it was garbage. (?) Ok, let me explain it a practical way; Insurance is pricey, tires are pricey, aftermarket performance and appearance parts are pricey. Dealer-only replacement parts are pricey. The allure of continual improvement and upgrade made it a money pit. I sold it in 2012 after driving it only FOURTEEN miles in 2011.
I went to policy genius solely because of the way Wizard talked through that whole ad. Had me sold. They couldn't get me cheap insurance, but I was so reassured by the Wiz, I had to give it a go.
I worked at a major auto dealer wholesaler in PA. One winter there was an ice storm and I had to move a 1st gen Viper. 14.5 wide summer tires, no traction control, hair trigger clutch, it was a challenge. Finally any got it moving and did 360’s getting it to its next spot 100 yards away. Bumper cars have more traction than that Viper had…
I believe it’s 109,000 miles. I wouldn’t worry about head gaskets at 9,000 miles…. But I could be wrong. Gonna have to see the car fax to actually see.
That's what I thought too. That or it's 9,000 but sat in a garage without moving for 20 years. Engine bay and interior had the wear of a 109,000 mile car to me.
I friend has a 3rd gen Viper and loves it. It replaced a SL 55 AMG that a shop dropped off a lift. Literally the downfall the the SL 55, it was constantly in the shop costing thousands and met its doom there. The Viper has needed little on the other hand - gas, oil, brakes and tires. They were priced good back when he bought it -$45k for a 3,000 mile car.
As per a comment I made under another CW video a few weeks ago, it might cost $000's in occasional replacements and renovations, but at 28+ years old a well maintained Viper isn't depreciating _at all._ If you paid $100k+ for a new sports car then you're looking at $10k+ depreciation a year for at least the first three years - so think about that before complaining about your 90's car being "a money pit".
That's one rusty 10k mile car especially since it must have sat inside all these years. Not only that but there's overspray from paint all over the enginebay. This car has some history.
Some of the interior pieces looked a bit worn for the mileage and the exterior panels looked good with the exception of the front cover. Mileage be damned!
I had the pleasure of test driving a first gen when I was looking at Vettes. Great raw fun (actually too much for me) but I found the side exhaust a bit weird, maybe because I heard one side far more, so I'm listening to five(?) cylinders........a great buy at the time.....
So rad. I was too young to test drive a new Viper, but some idiot at the Dodge Dealership gave me the key to test drive a '18 Challenger 392Hemi scat pack. And HOOOLLLLYYYYY SHIIIIIT! That car is scary fast. And the sound 🤤🤤🤤, and traction control was on so I wouldn't kill myself and the salesman.
There is no crossover on a gen1 so you only hear 5 cylinders per side. Gen 2 has rear exhaust which sounds much better, but not typical v10 sound. Gen 3 and 4 have a crossover pipe and side exhaust. Not sure on the gen 5 as I didn't really shop for one.
@@lawrencebmarshall I've got crossover in my gen 1. Off course this is custom build one of a kind exaust. 😜Left header has end in right side and right header on left side of the car. Pipes are crrosing just in dif area.
I'm a Brit so I know very little about US cars. But I can see that the hood frame is badly corroded. This seems at odds with the apparently superb condition of the rest of the car. Are the body panels GRP (fibreglass)?
It’s kinda endearing. lol this car was a crazy experiment by dodge. I can’t like the interior design, but materials definitely could be better, but they wanted to keep the costs down.
Viper's are very solid cars. I had mine for 7 years and it only needed a few very minor repairs. body parts can be expensive but much of it is a parts bin car.
Vipers did come with door windows, they just had to be self installed into the plastic grooves on the door panel. First ones were plastic and zippered. Second versions were glass and sliding. Still not practical but useful on a wet day.
Interesting looking at the deck it looks similar to the Hemi blocks. I just did a cam, lifter and timing chain on 5.7 Hemi. RockAuto has head gaskets for the V10 Wizard
@@m0rb1d43 there was an SRT 10 Ram that had a viper V10. but the old crappy magnum v10 in the 94-02 ram is not the same, lower HP, lower compression, no interchangeable parts nothing. Only commonality was that they were both 8L
Dear Car Wizard. I enjoy your videos and I love seeing your channel take-off, but 1.5 minute ad is a bit too much. I don't mind, because I'm your loyal fan (and know how timeline scrubbing works), but I'm affraid it may put some new viewers off :( I don't want you and Mrs. Wizard to work for free, but maybe should split it at both ends of the video. Just a suggestion, you'll do whatever you see fit.
@@markm0000 I'm not too sure Hellcats would be too much cheaper when it comes down to engine work compared to the viper. Too many electronics on Hellcats as well...not many electronics to worry about these vipers.
@@markm0000 Own a 99 rt/10 and an 85 Ferrari Mondial. I do my own work. The ferrari is easily more expensive. The quality of the parts is also lower. There are a number of things on a viper that are not well made. The gauges are not accurate, but compared to the ferrari might as well be scientific instruments. My ferrari is ancient compared to the viper though, but if you want to move up to say a 355 the number of things that can and will fail on the ferrari are higher. The cost to buy the parts are enormously higher. Both cars are going up in value. Gated shifter cars are not made anymore. Large displacement v10 manual cars are not made either.
@@richardbaumgart2454 depends on what breaks. The viper is a simple motor, but it is bespoke. The hellcat engine is an upgraded hemi. It is sold across six different models. There is a greater aftermarket for it.
Head to policygenius.com/WIZARD to get your free home and auto insurance quotes and see how much you could save.
nice reading Wizard 🤣
The first time someone has sponsored you on RUclips. How do you feel?
car chainging colors🤣🤣😂
I'm really not a fan of the new intro music, the old tune was WAY better not ragging on buddy who composed it. that riff just isn't intro material in my opinion
30 million people just like me...what a depressing thought.
Growing up, we lived just to the north of the plant where the Vipers were built, and I remember one day I saw a convoy of about 10 them going down the road. It was pretty amazing to hear.
That reminds me a few years ago I was sitting outside my mother in law’s house( God rest her soul) and about a hundred Vipers went by on their way to the Conner plant.
I can only imagine. 🤤
Every viper I’ve ever witnessed on the road, that’s the one thing I remember. These cars sound every bit as scary fast as they are.
The only Dodge product of the last 50 years I’d be proud to own
@@robertives973 they sound like a truck. Don't like the sound of American muscle cars. Prefer European sports car sounds.
I still think the 1st generation Viper is the best design. The newer ones still look cool, but the way the bonnet flows into the doors on the 1st gen is truly a work of art.
I agree, but, I never liked the
R/T. The rear end looks ugly.
@@PoopaChallupa 2nd gen Viper GTS coupe was peak Viper.
Even Dodge themselves knew it, when they obviously echoed the design for the 5th and final gen Viper. At least they went out on a high note!
David, appreciate how you always say good things about your mechs, like Daniel-son.... A lot of supervisors could take lessons on how to motivate their employees from you
i'm sure they feel great being acknowledged too
@Mck Idyl I’ve known bosses like the type you mention. They simply don’t understand that being a prick is the best way to ruin morale, take all ambition away from their employees, and make an all around crappy work environment. Luckily my current boss is nothing like that. He’s a good guy to work for and no one is hesitant to approach him when they need something or have a problem.
So true. What is a supervisor/boss without their employees, & what is a business without its customers?
Respect & appreciation trickling down from the top makes for a good business all around!
The first generation Viper is such a gorgeous car. Was one of the first cars I had as poster above my bed and to this day I absolutely adore it. Although I love the GTS version even more.
Weren’t the 1992 Vipers hand built? I was 16 when I first saw one back then and I desperately wanted one. I too had a poster on my wall.
Once you sit in it the feeling of depression as you view the cheapest interior that even the Soviet block in the 80's would have gone 'nyet' to
@@cl7510 they were all hand built from 1992 to 2017
@@fecundloin2780 I've never been inside a Viper as they're even more rare here in Germany as they are in the States. But the the interior as shown by Mrs. Wizard really is underwhelming to say the least.
Funny that you mention the mirrors being hard to get. They're actually the same mirrors that are on the 3000gt/Stealth and are easy to find. The viper was a parts bin car. Shame they didn't steal the interior from the 3S platform as well.
Yeah, try getting a front windshield.
yep thats were i found mine
@@beakerwsw The windshield is the problem. Everything else is available.
as a parts person. its often just how you put the search parameters in.
@@sunsweetsuitable593 a few months back I bought a new old stock intake manifold for $200 just to have it.
Adding power to a gen 1 viper.... hope the owner has solid life-insurance. Those cars sometimes demand a blood sacrifice, part of the reason why parts are unobtanium.
My uncle was one of the powertrain engineers. He once brought a pre production car to our house (we lived a couple miles from Chrysler). I was 10. He took me for a ride and it felt like a batmobile.
Hood Loft Tavern.
We are open Tuesday thru Saturday.
Happy hour 5pm-7pm.
I remember a few years ago looking at one that came up for $29k and wishing I had a place for it. Really cool cars, but I needed a more usable car. They remind me of the Countach. Bombastic and beautiful design, big power, theater and noise to spare, with no consideration to ergonomics or practicality. Also surprisingly reliable, all things considered. So long as you aren't going full throttle on a cold engine all the time.
Lol I’m not terribly tall at 6 feet and I feel so crammed in there. I’m blessed not to have Tyler Hoover’s height or Ed Bolian!
I'm 6'0 exactly and I summer daily a gen 2 coupe. Biggest complaint was the footwell, which forced your right knee in an awkward position by otherwise, had plenty of space all around
I daily drove mine. They're not any worse for daily driving than a vette.
I'm 6'2, so it's always been tight in a Viper for me, and the lack of storage would be an occasional issue. Also, parking on the street with no windows or door locks is just asking for trouble. I didn't buy a Corvette, either, ended up with a Kleemann tuned CL600 instead, and with its 625hp, it was probably a bit quicker than the other two, and it had a big trunk and technically usable backseat. So, I still found a way to be an idiot, but a very comfortable and fast idiot.
@@Jack_S_ the first gen was the only viper that didn't have windows. Second gen had the same body style but had hardtops, windows, airbags and AC. But do hear similar complaints from tall people and the pedals are at a weird angle so I totally understand that lol
Can't believe it's been 29 years since Carroll Shelby got this thing past the bean counters in Auburn Hills. John and Horace Dodge certainly approved. Mopar to ya!
Looks like the bean counters had a party on the interior though, not a single cost left uncut.
@@Beer_Dad1975 That also fit the Carroll Shelby mood. Original Cobra is a brute force car. Windows and leather? Ha. It was all about massive power and wide tires. Certainly the bean counters loved the interior ... but hated everything else about it.
It was actually Bob Lutz , some ex Shelby engineers worked on it and Mr.Shelby promoted it though.
@@Beer_Dad1975 have you seen corvettes of that era?
@@atodaso1668 yeah my neighbor had a C4 for a while - it was awful inside too. They are super rare in New Zealand, though the Viper is far rarer still, I think I've seen maybe 2 on the road in my whole life.
I fell in love with this car the first moment I saw one in real life almost 30 years ago and it's just as good looking today. One of these days, as the great Wayne Campbell once said; _"It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine."_
I would have been honored to have you work on my gen 1 1993 Viper. I hope you consider opening a shop here in Huntington Beach. You would kill it.
Judging by the overspray and dust on the engine, the reason the paintwork looks so good is because it's been resprayed.
My buddy bought a 96 GTS in 2006ish and the paint had shrank and split in several places exposing the primer.
Nevermind the random corrosion EVERYWHERE, which would hint that it was stored somewhere humid
It's a possibility but those first gen vipers weren't really given the attention to quality from the factory that the later ones got either.
Jup. Red cars 25+ years old. Red paint fades and go weird. There's a reason why it's the most expensive. I wish someone explained why red paint is so special.
@@ForcesNL Red Wavelengths have more energy than other colors (think infrared heating) so it breaks down that color of pigment faster.
I got laid off on 11/01/2021 and I am in the IT industry but if I lived closer, I would love to work at this shop.
I replaced the head gaskets myself on my 1995 Viper this past year. I’m so glad I did it myself, it was a really fun learning experience.
how fun/scary drving that car is
Which head gaskets did you use? I am looking for the correct set for my 95.
@@abdullahbouhamdan9666 it is awesome. I think the “scariest” thing you’ll find with these cars is a lot of people, for whatever reason, do not replace their tires on these cars for “originality”. That’s what really makes these cars death traps.
I have 3rd Gen wheels (like the Viper in this video) with some good Continental Extreme Contact Sport tires and it makes for a really confidence inspiring ride.
@@thorshammer5166 I bought the entire “Upper Gasket Set” off of Viper Specialty Performance. They are MLS gaskets.
@@98SST Good tires really help any car, specially sports cars.
Even a bicicle is dangerous with old tires. Those sport tires ride very nice on the track!
I love your content, thank you for sharing, congrats on 1 milli + members bossman. 🙏
Was never a big Viper lover, even knew someone how's son in law was severely hurt in one as a passenger and the driver didn't make it. Very fast and you need to know what you are doing if you give it the beans. Over the years I have grown to appreciate the Vipers for what they are. Special cars from a N/A car company that went to town on a style and engineering that were and are fantastic. Treated with respect I think these are some of the most impressive cars you can get to drive,
Viper was one of the last cars you had to respect before the days of ABS and Stability Control.
its a modern AC cobra, and many drive them with old tires and get killed.
The Viper produces a massive amount of torque, just a bit on the pedal will spin the tires.
The 1st gen Vipers look nice, but I personally don't like the newer models. They're kind of too generic for my liking.
@@ghoulbuster1 That's the problem... If they have new tires they will hook no problem. Old hard tires though because the owner only put 2000 miles in the last 10 years? There you've got your "just a bit on the pedal will spin the tires" situation and people get hurt or die.
I use to have neighbor when i was in middle school and my family moved to highlands ranch in Colorado in early 2003, who had I believe was a 95’ yellow viper. It was amazing. I loved watching it. It was rough power!!
Nice how he takes the hood off and protects it. My last mechanic dented my fender, then pretended it was like that when I brought my car in to the shop. Protecting the body prevents such disputes.
It's crazy how shops can't own up to their mistakes.
They will have to fix it. Unless the shop notes damage before they take possession of the car, the damage is on them.
This is also why Wizard does a video walk around of cars he brings in I bet
Back in 09 the brother of my long time friend bought a brand new Viper. Got about 2500 miles on it and the radiator started seeping from the side tanks and needed replaced. No Dealer within 300 miles would do it because as they put it, "The hood needs removed and cost 16k and didn't want that liability". Ended up having to drive it to Texas (lived in Kansas) to get it done.
Not many people know that if you leave you viper outside and it gets a light frost or snow cover on it, when you start it up the heat from the engine melts the viper logo into the center of the hood.
This video reminds us that there's always new technology out there that we are always going to spend our money on, I wonder how many people are financially capable to keep up with the waves of new technology coming up
Reading about people grabbing multi-figures monthly as incomes in investments even in this crazy days in the market, any pointers on how to make substantial progress in earning? I would appreciate
@@stayingalive646 I agree with you and I believe that the secret to financial stability is having the right investment ideas to enable you earn more money, I don’t know who agrees with me but either way I recommend either real estate or crypto and stocks
@@nkpapi989 I don't trade, I invest with a professional assigned by a crypto company that trades for people and returns profits on weekly basis for me and you can invest your capital and get weekly Returns of investment (ROI) without any extra fees attached
@@nkpapi989 The professional is Ms Jennifer Fortune 🔥
Ms Jennifer Fortune has been managing my trading account for months and I keep making profits every week, I made $9,250 last week
If I remember correctly, that Viper actually should have window inserts that you can place into the slots on the door sill. Jay Leno spoke about those when going over his 1st gen Viper. Not really water tight, but just to avoid incoming rain on wet track days I guess.
Love this car. Im very close to buying a gen 1 Viper and Im very excited :)
I absolutely love this channel, I've been a car fanatic my whole life and every episode of the car wizard that I watch I learn something new.
He's a good dude... meticulous anal retentive, exactly what ya want in a mechanic 😁👍
If I could work on the Dodge Viper at The Car Wizards I would drink the shot of whiskey and roll up the Number and get all schmoked up.
VIPERS are always fun to drive, I like how they only made them with manual
We got 97 coupe and 05 convertible both since new It is nice to see VIPER engine taken apart like that
You guys are so awesome... I worked @ a local Casino, I walk into a Big box Warehouse store. And there this gentleman standing @ the door. I was wearing a mask & all. But on the way out once he got a good look @ me. We shook hands & he asked me how I was doing. I said I'm doing well, but I didn't want to show him how much pain I was in.
Sad to know that there will never be another car as basic and amazing as the viper. I may never get to drive one, but I will always love the viper.
If you ever do the 1st time you hit the accelerator, your first word is guaranteed to have four letters.
@@LordPrometheous wooo?
Some of these Gen I Viper V10's have issues with sleeves shifting. Under warranty the solution was to install a new type of sleeve that was counter bored and installed by ARRO(sp).
As a former owner of 3 vipers, my fav was my 96 GTS finding parts was a pain in the ass, especially plastic pieces which get brittle over time. The v10 puts out a lot of heat!!
I was a computer repair tech in the Detroit area. One of cool things about that job was I was inside most of the auto and supplier plants, headquarters, engineering labs and other facilities of GM, Ford, Chrysler and AMC from the late 70's to the early 2000's. I was inside the original Viper plant in Detroit several times fixing equipment. Very cool seeing those cars in various stages of being built.
I feel that the 1st gen Viper ...especially in coupe form....is one of the best looking cars ever made. The design is timeless and I bet that it turns heads in 2022, just as much as it did in 1993.
The exterior is classic, but the interior is cheap grey plastic and it will do its best to kill you thanks to Dodge not putting a dime into safety either
@@Noah_E I hear ya on that one....Generally speaking ALL American cars from the 90's, even more spendy ones....just the worst interiors ever. Like they didn't even try.
I can confirm this. Everyone takes their cellphone out and starts recording everytime I'm on the road with my GTS. :)
Love the viper and remember when it came out. I wanted a blue with white stripes.
You are awesome Wizard. I knew the popping was something like a valve. Wish I could of worked for someone like you. Thank you for your honesty.
I have been trying to decide between 360 Modena and Dodge Viper for sometime now. And… seems the Dodge all those temperamental will cost me 1/3rd price of Rari ownership! Thoughts? 🧙♂️ 💭
Daniel seems like a super great find. You've got Magic Mike for the euro stuff, Dan seems like an exotics master and Dave is an all round master tech. Unlikely to ever need work done, since I only have bikes and live in the UK, but it's so cool to see the quality of work you guys do.
Skip to 2:02 to skip the insurance crap
Hey Wizard & Mrs Wizard, I think that y'all should do a video highlighting you guys getting in & out of the Viper!!! I bet lots of people would like to see that. I know that if I got into a Viper I'd never get out on my own, you'd need to bring in a crane!!! 👍🙂
Policy Genius Insurance one they all sell your data to! I asked my Farm Bureau agent for a quote and she just blocked my info into policy genius I’ve never been so harassed or received so many unwanted emails calls text voicemails it was a nightmare it took forever to start. On top of that I never actually got sick accurate quote.
A bent pushrod after 9k miles...yea that's some scary costs.
Heads and gasket job on a '93 Viper with under 10k miles?
I purchased a 3k mile '94 Viper in '97, used it as my DD in Florida for eight years. Sold it in 2005 with over 100k miles on it. Never had any head gasket issues, even spraying it with a 120 shot of nitrous.
Had Hennessy headers and straight pipes into Moroso spiral-flow race mufflers, then sidepipe turnouts.
Would set off car alarms driving on the St Pete Pier.
yeah something is not right with this car, either the odometer was moved back or they stored it outside and ran the shit out of it.
Nice video. VIper was a brave effort by Chrysler and I really like the gen 2 coupe but being built in such small numbers compared to Corvettes everything is expensive. It is good that the Wizard is taking such care with the hood--a new one retails for $15,000.
Mrs. Wizard has really come into her stride with these interior presentations! Extra gold stars for the teacher!
I just saw a vid on the history of Viper yesterday. Them folks at Dodge are crazy! Awesome, but crazy
You can thank Carol Shelby for the Viper
@@arrgorndenethor Lol it's only named Viper because it couldn't be named Cobra.
@@arrgorndenethor 100%. A/C cobra and Cobra coupe are my dream cars. And a Roadrunner lol
I remember them saying something like, “ we put 50 people and $50 million in a room and this is what they came up with “. Viper is still awesome
I am pretty sure the people running Chrysler now are not the people that were running Chrysler thirty years ago. The cheapskates running Chrysler now would not have produced a car like this today in the world of 35 MPG Corporate Average Fuel Economy. That V10 was designed for one thing only: brutal, savage horsepower and neck snapping torque; fuel economy be damned. Congrats to the bonafide lunatics that engineered this car.
i like you calling it a bonnet, not heard that since i moved to canada from the uk.
Might want to check the play on those roller-rockers when fitting them.
Bought some for a Porsche 911 and, although they looked very pretty, the needle-roller bearings in them were garbage and allowed for about 20 thou' of "float" in lift and about 10 thou' of lateral play.
Contacted the manufacturer about it and was told that the needle-rollers would seat reliably in use but, in practice, it was impossible to adjust the clearances accurately.
In the end I "did a Hoovie" and decided against selling them on because I didn't want anybody else to suffer as a result of trying to "bling" their 911 so they just sat in a cupboard for years, until after I sold the 911, and then I binned them.
So many classic American cars have interiors with a real ‘Wow!’ factor - then there’s this.
The opposite of pride designed that interior 😂
The CD player makes the car lower in value. The cassette player is stock as is the leather shift knob. The rims are also 2nd gen so I suspect the 9k odometer was disconnected. Ive seen it more than a few times. I love my gen 1 Viper :)
9k miles and a bent rod? Sounds like the usual fantastic Dodge Chrysler engineering to me lol
Exactly, Chrysler quality is an oxymoron
that is super rare, they are very reliable engines.
Or they turned back the miles on the odo? 🤔
@@atodaso1668 of course it's super rare, only 1,043 were built in 1993 😆
@@Mike__P Some one 2-3-2'd it for that to happen.
it just clicked to me....not having side windows and roof was a safety feature
When I was a teen the gasket company that my mother worked for had an open house. They had a Gen 1 Dodge Viper parked out front, I remember my mother telling me that they were making the head gaskets for the Viper. I wonder if it was the failure was caused by the materials usef or is it due to the production of the head gaskets. Either way my mother didn't work on that line. As old as it is only 9000 miles from new after 31 years I can understand why the head gaskets failed.
Well on this particular car they didn’t fail, but rather the owner is just doing them for precautionary reasons, which is way better. He knows that they are a liability
if you plan to keep the car as a collectible and head gaskets are hard to find. Might want to buy an extra set. Just in case. There isn’t an expiration date
pretty sure you can get custom gaskets made if they ever completely ran out. probably expensive though.
I love Rt/10. Needs the original wheels for me though. There are plastic windows for the Viper. Kinda like Jeep Wrangler windows. I've seen em. They look super cheap.
Wizard even said "beatiful black wheels"...never had my heart skip a beat before!
I kept my original grey 17 inch wheels on my ‘95. NEEDS to have the original wheels. Feels so 90s.
Keep the wheels but please change the tires, never use old rubber.
@@lukelaputka7164 Those stock wheels are a staple for the OG Viper.
@@ghoulbuster1 you bet! Tire rack just stocked the Michelin Pilot Sport a couple months ago. Goodbye $1,600. Hello fresh rubber!
I couldn’t believe that’s how you get into the car. And no windows! Seems like you’d never want to park one of these out in the open. I can’t imagine it having an alarm, how would it know whose actually opened the door?
I miss my Viper (2005) but it was definitely a money pit. There's a never ending list of improvements, upkeep, and maintenance.
Does that make it a pit viper? 😉
@@rpavlik1
I don't often make comments on a comment but when I do it's because it's a solid one.
Ty for the smile.
How was your viper a money pit? Did you buy it from a mexican
@@fucuszullanti7877 I assume you thought I meant it was garbage. (?) Ok, let me explain it a practical way; Insurance is pricey, tires are pricey, aftermarket performance and appearance parts are pricey. Dealer-only replacement parts are pricey. The allure of continual improvement and upgrade made it a money pit. I sold it in 2012 after driving it only FOURTEEN miles in 2011.
@@_BAD_MERC_ Sounds like you bought a project car, dumped money into it to only drive 14 miles and sold at a loss… Not smart
I was in a roll over in a 93 dodge viper in March of 93. I was 9. I've been absolutely in love with vipers ever since then. One of my dream cars.
I'm jealous. When I was a 9 year old farm boy. They only let me drive a 9N ford tractor.
Those hoods on the vipers a couple years ago were going for 10gs. I can just imagine what price they are going for now.
15 gs
I went to policy genius solely because of the way Wizard talked through that whole ad. Had me sold. They couldn't get me cheap insurance, but I was so reassured by the Wiz, I had to give it a go.
Looks like the Wizard has lost some weight.
I worked at a major auto dealer wholesaler in PA. One winter there was an ice storm and I had to move a 1st gen Viper. 14.5 wide summer tires, no traction control, hair trigger clutch, it was a challenge. Finally any got it moving and did 360’s getting it to its next spot 100 yards away. Bumper cars have more traction than that Viper had…
Those heads are beautiful that viper is going to run great 👍
Really enjoy your Videos man , They are No nonsense and You learn a bit from them
I believe it’s 109,000 miles. I wouldn’t worry about head gaskets at 9,000 miles…. But I could be wrong. Gonna have to see the car fax to actually see.
A nearly 30 year old composite gasket though? If it was 9k I’d still swap it 🤣
All Gen 1 Vipers had problems with the head gaskets, just like the Car Wizard said. They know its gonna break, they just don't know when.
That's what I thought too. That or it's 9,000 but sat in a garage without moving for 20 years. Engine bay and interior had the wear of a 109,000 mile car to me.
@@acebragg5559 yeah this car looks loved and driven, not a garage queen
Passenger seat wear looked like 100,000
Have you seen the Alan Millyard Viper Bike? Viper Engine and hits 200mph and built in a domestic garage!
He makes wrenching on bikes look easy
Owner is treating that car well. I can appreciate that. Beautiful car and deserves good care.
I friend has a 3rd gen Viper and loves it. It replaced a SL 55 AMG that a shop dropped off a lift. Literally the downfall the the SL 55, it was constantly in the shop costing thousands and met its doom there. The Viper has needed little on the other hand - gas, oil, brakes and tires. They were priced good back when he bought it -$45k for a 3,000 mile car.
I worked at SRT on the Viper engine for several years before I retired. Good times for sure but hard work.
I love the updates on how Danielson is doing! Glad to hear you found a trustworthy thru and thru addition to your team at Omega!
As per a comment I made under another CW video a few weeks ago, it might cost $000's in occasional replacements and renovations, but at 28+ years old a well maintained Viper isn't depreciating _at all._ If you paid $100k+ for a new sports car then you're looking at $10k+ depreciation a year for at least the first three years - so think about that before complaining about your 90's car being "a money pit".
THIS! 250%
Who cares what it'll be worth if one intends on keeping it.
I remember seeing it Viper at the Autoshow in Ft.Lauderdale when I was kid! I grew up and worked on a few of them and my son had the same smile I did!
That vehicle is going to be a lot faster after all that head work. Looking forward to more videos on it.
No body does it like the car wizard!!!!!
I'm a 90s kid, born in 88, and I ALWAYS wanted a Dodge Viper. it was, and still is, 100% my DREAM CAR.
I got the video game Viper Racing in 1998 and played it sooo much on PC
nobody actually realizes or will admit that this is the hardest core car produced in the last 50 years
Doesn't this gen Viper have the plastic removable windows?
That'd be the first time I've NOT skipped through an ad read. Nice look around of the Viper Wiz.
That red paint on the cable means it has been painted without taking parts off
Smells like those were the only plastic bits that survived what looks like an enginebay fire.
One of the best videos I’ve seen. Extremely interesting and informative
That's one rusty 10k mile car especially since it must have sat inside all these years. Not only that but there's overspray from paint all over the enginebay. This car has some history.
Too rusty to be safe. Should have taken a sledgehammer to the windshield.
Your video was posted on the American Viper Owners FB page. Always happy to see your channel promoted outside of YT! ☺️
That ad at the start is a real turn off
Thank you Mr and Mrs Wizard, from Ireland 🇮🇪👍🇮🇪❤️
Man, for a car with less than 10,000 miles on the clock (supposedly) it sure looks beat on. Montana must be hard on cars.
Some of the interior pieces looked a bit worn for the mileage and the exterior panels looked good with the exception of the front cover. Mileage be damned!
The old gts with the rear exit exhaust was absolutely the best looking viper ever made.
I had the pleasure of test driving a first gen when I was looking at Vettes. Great raw fun (actually too much for me) but I found the side exhaust a bit weird, maybe because I heard one side far more, so I'm listening to five(?) cylinders........a great buy at the time.....
Yes, hearing only 5 is a weird farty noise.
So rad. I was too young to test drive a new Viper, but some idiot at the Dodge Dealership gave me the key to test drive a '18 Challenger 392Hemi scat pack. And HOOOLLLLYYYYY SHIIIIIT! That car is scary fast. And the sound 🤤🤤🤤, and traction control was on so I wouldn't kill myself and the salesman.
There is no crossover on a gen1 so you only hear 5 cylinders per side. Gen 2 has rear exhaust which sounds much better, but not typical v10 sound. Gen 3 and 4 have a crossover pipe and side exhaust. Not sure on the gen 5 as I didn't really shop for one.
@@lawrencebmarshall I've got crossover in my gen 1. Off course this is custom build one of a kind exaust. 😜Left header has end in right side and right header on left side of the car. Pipes are crrosing just in dif area.
I just want to say - we LOVE Mrs. Wizard's interior tours!!!
I'm a Brit so I know very little about US cars. But I can see that the hood frame is badly corroded. This seems at odds with the apparently superb condition of the rest of the car. Are the body panels GRP (fibreglass)?
Yes.
It's had a front end collision, look at all the overspray on the engine wiring harness.
They have composite bodies like Corvettes do.
I’ve worked on quite a few Vipers and SRT-10s and I’ve got to say it never gets old test driving them.
looks amazing until you sit in the drivers seat, YIKES! what a vile cheap interior
It’s kinda endearing. lol this car was a crazy experiment by dodge. I can’t like the interior design, but materials definitely could be better, but they wanted to keep the costs down.
The history of the building of the viper was a good read!
Like when Shelby drove it and said the brakes are fine know.
I love money more than cars. As far as I am concern, my Impala is a supercar. Gets me where I need to go comfortably and is cheap to insure.
Viper's are very solid cars. I had mine for 7 years and it only needed a few very minor repairs. body parts can be expensive but much of it is a parts bin car.
im looking to buy a 1993 with 3,600 miles, are the gaskets really that big of a problem?
@@steveharper5368 I think the early Gen 1 head gaskets were an issue
@@EnthusiastsGarage i haven't heard much on that except on here, from what ive heard gen ones are some of the most desired
9,000 Miles? What's all the paint over spray in the engine electrical harness? Has that thing been rebuilt at some point in time?
probably roll backed miles
Owner probably tried to spray paint the valve covers.
Vipers did come with door windows, they just had to be self installed into the plastic grooves on the door panel. First ones were plastic and zippered. Second versions were glass and sliding. Still not practical but useful on a wet day.
Interesting looking at the deck it looks similar to the Hemi blocks. I just did a cam, lifter and timing chain on 5.7 Hemi.
RockAuto has head gaskets for the V10 Wizard
They might have parts for the V10 used in the ram trucks, but they don't have much for the viper V10
@@TakeTurnsGaming Wasn't the whole marketing thing behind the v10 RAM that it had the viper engine?
@@m0rb1d43 there was an SRT 10 Ram that had a viper V10. but the old crappy magnum v10 in the 94-02 ram is not the same, lower HP, lower compression, no interchangeable parts nothing. Only commonality was that they were both 8L
RockAuto has cats for almost any car, CARB legal for here in Nazifornia, there cheap too.
@@TakeTurnsGaming ahhhh, I thought all V10 RAM's had the same engine's
The viper is such a cool car.
Dear Car Wizard. I enjoy your videos and I love seeing your channel take-off, but 1.5 minute ad is a bit too much. I don't mind, because I'm your loyal fan (and know how timeline scrubbing works), but I'm affraid it may put some new viewers off :( I don't want you and Mrs. Wizard to work for free, but maybe should split it at both ends of the video. Just a suggestion, you'll do whatever you see fit.
Just fast forward through it
It’s really not that big a deal. If possible put them at the end instead.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! But why would that Chrysler/Dodge need new lifters after only 10k miles??
Yeah but at the end of the day you still got a Viper that is constantly going up in value.
And is cheaper to own than supercars from other countries from what I've seen/heard.
@@richardbaumgart2454 Yea even though it’s crazy expensive compared to your everyday Dodge cars it’s still a lot cheaper than a Audi or Ferrari.
@@markm0000 I'm not too sure Hellcats would be too much cheaper when it comes down to engine work compared to the viper. Too many electronics on Hellcats as well...not many electronics to worry about these vipers.
@@markm0000 Own a 99 rt/10 and an 85 Ferrari Mondial. I do my own work. The ferrari is easily more expensive. The quality of the parts is also lower. There are a number of things on a viper that are not well made. The gauges are not accurate, but compared to the ferrari might as well be scientific instruments.
My ferrari is ancient compared to the viper though, but if you want to move up to say a 355 the number of things that can and will fail on the ferrari are higher. The cost to buy the parts are enormously higher.
Both cars are going up in value. Gated shifter cars are not made anymore. Large displacement v10 manual cars are not made either.
@@richardbaumgart2454 depends on what breaks. The viper is a simple motor, but it is bespoke. The hellcat engine is an upgraded hemi. It is sold across six different models. There is a greater aftermarket for it.