Here’s a car that makes me question a lot of vehicle decisions I’ve made in the past few years. A 1995 Dodge Viper RT/10, sporting a color combo other than red over gray, with a few simple issues that can likely be fixed over a weekend of wrenching for a disturbingly low price. The first-generation Dodge Viper remains one of the best deals in the world of affordable supercars, and this example is listed here on eBay for the stupid cheap price of $32,000 – but that’s the Buy-It-Now, and with bids opening at $26,000, there’s a chance you could snag it for even less.
There’s obviously a few things to sort out on this Viper to make it a world-class example, but if the seller’s list is accurate, they are all incredibly manageable. There’s an oil leak that is undiagnosed in terms of origin; there are some paint cracks (perhaps this means portions of the body have been resprayed); there’s a tear or two in the leather seating surfaces; the passenger side mirror is loose in its base; and one of the hood latches does not fully pop. Now, I suspect there’s a few other things to sort out, and I can see some modifications that aren’t entirely correct: the wheels are from a later Viper and the spoiler doesn’t strike me as OEM correct.
However, those are small gripes, and if you were able to source the correct wheels and clean up the mounting holes from the rear spoiler without too much headache, this RT/10 would look light-years better. Modifications tend to spook collectors and it’s easy to see why, as they are usually value-killers, even if sourced from the OEM parts bin. The interior is in fine shape overall, and given how cheaply the cabin and other areas of the Viper were originally constructed, no one should be offended by panel gaps here. I do agree with the seller that black-on-tan is a color combo you don’t typically see in this era of Viper.
And really, at the end of the day, all you care about is the monster of an engine that will scare you straight and the side-exit exhausts that will seer your thighs. The 8.0-liter V10 is good for 400 b.h.p., channeled through a robust Tremec six-speed manual gearbox. 1995 models didn’t come with ABS, so hold on tight if the road starts disappearing in your rear view (personally, I loathe ABS – it really can’t save your ass past a certain point anyway.) This Viper looks like a bargain to me, especially if you can clear the reserve for under $30,000.
