TonyCool

I'll start by saying I'm a car guy and I don't quite get the rivalry between corvette and viper owners and I don't want to start a non-sense discussion on which is better and why. I think they both are awesome cars for very different reasons.

I've been planing to buy a corvette for a really long time. But I never found the right corvette for me. About a year ago I found an amazing 2005 viper and a few weeks ago the car was put for sale so I went for it.





My wife fell in love with this car just as much as I did.


The car has some performance mods. It has mottons that radically change the ride on the viper and are adjustable for both height and stiffness. Right now it's lowered quite a bit so the car stance is extremely low. It also has a mopar (borla) exhaust system +1 cat delete (which improves the sound quite a bit although not as good as corvette sound), K&N Intake, X-Metal Throttle Body, DC Performance Computer, Woodhouse Motor Mounts, and New Pilot Super Sport II tires (as the gen4 vipers) instead of the runflats that come stock with the gen3. With this mods the car has only 40hp less than a stock gen4. And since it's a gen3, it has a throttle cable as opposed to a drive by wire. So there is no response lag and the acceleration in the lower RPM range feels stronger as the torque force comes in faster. A gen4 or c6 z06/zr1 will still kill this car on the strip but it has more performance than I need, it was considerably cheaper than a 08 viper, and I think it looks outstanding. Plus being a gen3 it's easier to work on the engine in case I ever want more power.

In case it escaped your notice the car body is not stock. It has the street serpent body by Jeff Lemke. The street serpent conversion replaces all of the body panels except for the doors and the trunk. The rear end of the convertible is replaced by the coupe rear end. The hood is gen4 inspired. And both rear and front fenders are 1 inch wider than stock. So the Street Serpent body is 2 inches wider than a stock viper. The body is based on the Viper VRL Competition Coupe. The conversion cost around 22,000.00

I really like it as the changes are subtle enough that most people wouldn't ever realize about them. I think this is good because even I said What??? when I learned somebody would put a body kit on a viper.

It's not easy to see it on pictures but the car has a radically different presence compared to a stock srt10. Kind of like a C6 Z06 vs a base C6.

These are the best pictures I've seen that is able to capture the difference:





Standard convertible rear vs street serpent rear:



Actual VRL Competition Coupe:







Also I'll be getting a hartop for this car so it will look like this when the sun is not out:




So what do you fellow corvette enthusiast think?

PS. I will probably wave at every corvette I see on the road so if you live near me (Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue) in WA and you see this car feel free to wave at me. I'll probably be thinking that corvette was pretty sweet.

Tony

The_Dude

Where's the "I like Pie" option?

TonyCool

I'm not a native English speaker so I din't think of it. I actually had to look it up:

I like pie:
Phrase used to politely decline to engage in discussion, with the implication that the original speaker is deliberately trying to upset you and/or posting flamebait.

"So what does everybody think of these illegals coming across the border?"

"I like pie."

Silverback51

I'm like you, in that I love most performace cars regardless of brand. Being blinded by brand loyalty is only causing you to miss out on some great things.

Congratulations on a beautiful car, and if you see a yellow and black Cobra waving at you, that would be me.

And drop by this site to register your Viper. The guy is trying to locate and register as many as he can.

http://www.viperregistry.com/forum/f...splay.php?f=56

McGirk94LT1

I noticed right away. I thought it was a Hennessy front bumper before I read what you wrote. Is the side exhaust rocker panel slightly different as well?

Honestly, that >>> 2013 Viper. Obviously they'd need to take it a step further to make it an "all new" production car, but that body kit takes the few soft angles of the Viper, and turns them all as mean looking as the rest of the car. That coupe is honestly a really, really mean looking car.

WAwatchnut

Beautiful car Tony! Personally, I've never been much of a gen3 fan, but with this body kit, my viewpoints completely changed. Too bad you never picked up a Vette, because the local owners are a great bunch, and get togethers are a huge part of the experience... Not quite the same for Viper owners, but I'm sure you'll love it.

I'll give you a wave if I see ya! I'd love to see it in person - maybe at Exotics at RTC?

Never-Enough

If anyone says you made a bad buy they are retarded.

The_Dude

Not really the case here. It's expected in most polls.

FU

Real nice car !

TonyCool

Thanks, I'd visit viperregistry. By cobra are you talking about a stang or a Shelby cobra?

TonyCool

You have a good eye. Yes the rocker panel is slightly different. Here is how the stock one looks like:



I agree with you looks wise I like this better than the new 2013 but I'm parcial to the srt10 design over the gts, unlike most viper guys who prefer the gts and think the srt looks to much like a corvette (like that's a bad thing). And the new viper design has lots of gts on it. Having said that I'm sure the new viper will be a monster performance wise, the interiors are real nice much better than the old ones, and I pretty sure it looks real good in person. Not that it matters I perfectly happy with my new toy and that new viper is out of my price range by a long shoot.

I completely agree the coupe street serpent in dark colors look sinister. Here are a few more pictures of it:

TonyCool

Thanks. I'm sure the local corvette guys are great. Don't count me out so fast I might still get a magnetic red C5 vert or a c6 grand sport later on.

I was planning to go to Exotics at RTC during the summer I'll send you a PM and we will arrange something for you to see the car. It will take a few weeks for the car to be here as it's been shipped here from Iowa and Intercity Lines hasn't picked it up yet. The anticipation is killing me.

TonyCool

Thanks, I hope you are right on this been a good buy. I was waiting for the c7 to come out but I've been waiting for it since 2009 so I got tired of waiting and to be honest the renderings and spy shoots don't look too promising so far.

TonyCool

Thanks

Silverback51

It's a Superformance Shelby replica.

TonyCool

Awesomenesss! I need to get one of those in Kandy red with white stripes before I die.

gilly6993

Awesone!...Congrats on the new ride and great color....

MVR 155

That is a beautiful car I also agree that some people are blinded by brand.... I am an enthusiast who appreciates any performance car regardless of brand.

Congrats on your purchase.... Enjoy!!!

gsxrguy84

I like it a lot.

Nimrod

Very Nice!