The first-generation Dodge Viper is the most brutal, un-refined car you could ever find. When today’s Nice Price or No Dice second-gen car hit the streets, however, many of the rough corners had been sanded down. Let’s see if this one’s price makes it worth picking up.
Toyota sells a lot of RAV4s every year. Last year, in fact, it was the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. that wasn’t a pick-em-up truck. Being something that a lot of people seemingly want, it plays in a contentious field, with competitors like Honda’s similarly sized CR-V racking up almost as many sales as the RAV4.
It’s not just new RAV4s that are popular; the same holds true for earlier models. The 2003 five-speed manual-equipped five-door we looked at yesterday came out a winner, too. And that was despite it’s having a ton of miles under its belt—over 200K! Those were described as “highway miles,” and the car didn’t show any sign of them other than on the odometer. A $5,950 price tag sealed the deal, earning the RAV4 a solid 58% Nice Price win.
Boys Town
In our discussion yesterday, I noted a 2004 study that showed buyers of Toyota’s RAV4 to be predominantly women. That seems logical, as the RAV4 is a fairly sensible vehicle, and, in my experience, women tend to be more sensible than men on average. What vehicle did the study say had the highest percentage of male buyers? I’m glad you asked. If you were thinking of the Ford F-150, then think again. Those have pretty universal appeal. No, the most male-dominated car, the study said, was the Dodge Viper, with more than 91% of that model’s buyers funneling into the sausage party. In case you’re curious, BMW’s M5 and the Porsche 911 came in at numbers two and three on the list.
That, of course, means that the 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 we’re looking at today might have limited appeal to over half the population. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should give it the short shrift. It does, after all, look pretty appealing.
Champion
Chrysler conceived the Viper in the 1980s as a plaything for the Dodge brand, with the singular goal of “creating a modern Shelby Cobra.” The first few years of production were assembled at Chrysler’s New Mack plant, but by the 1995 model change-over, the line was moved to the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant. That factory was originally built for spark plug maker Champion but was sold to Chrysler in 1990. Not only was it home to the Viper for the remainder of its production run, but it also produced the low-volume Plymouth Prowler and took on engine assembly for the Viper’s big V10.
The original Vipers that pre-date the Conner Avenue move were unflinchingly raw and are generally considered to be hair-shirt sort of cars. Those have their fans, but with their twitchy nature and rudimentary comfort features, none could be considered daily drivers by anyone other than the clinically crazy. The third-generation cars, like this one, however, show a lot more maturity in design and, with a larger motor and lighter chassis, offer even more brutal power when the right pedal is called upon.
Snakes alive!
From the factory, the SRT-10 made 500 horsepower and a stonking 525 pound-feet of torque out of its 8.3-liter OHV V10. That’s handled by a six-speed Tremec manual, which sends the power to the monstrously wide rear wheels. This car, however, is not completely stock, so it probably bests those numbers by a bit.
According to its ad, both the intake and exhaust sides of the engine have benefitted from breathing improvements, with the latter happily keeping clean with high-flow cats between its headers and side-exiting Magnaflow exhaust. The engine also has a performance tune so a trip to the dyno should prove interesting.
Other work done includes the replacement of the oil pan gasket, new oil cooler lines, and, for showing off, a custom Viper-logo hood pad above the engine. Humorously, the seller notes that the Pirelli tires are “New” with only 3,000 miles on them, despite having been installed in 2017 and hence are ready for replacement owing to age. Overall, the car has just 37,000 miles on the clock and looks to be in fantastic condition, save for some minor curbing on a couple of its chrome-plated factory wheels. Nothing else seems to be amiss, and the seller says the car has seen regular maintenance over the years.
Would you bite?
Per the ad, this clean-title Viper is “a lot of fun, sounds great and is not for the faint of heart!” It also looks great, although there is the question of just exactly when the ad’s pictures were taken since it’s unlikely that anyone could find such amazing fall colors on the trees in the background at this time of year. Regardless, we’ll now need to decide whether or not this Viper’s $49,000 asking price makes it, as the seller claims, “no better value out there for what this car is and what this car is capable of.”
What do you say, is $49,000 a fair price for such a nice Viper? Or does that make you think it’s a total pain in the asp?
You decide!
Nice Price or No Dice:
Portland, Oregon, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at [email protected] and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your commenter handle.
