Pics below are from the original/NEW Troncalli listing/web site ad:
Known to me before I bought the car was that the motor had been replaced under warranty....common on the 2013/2014 cars due to blocks containing metal slag/sand/etc. so a washing station was introduced to clean the blocks prior to assembly- no worries, I would much rather have a 2015 motor- Viper tech at Ed Voyles Dodge did the warranty work involving engine and oil cooler replacement at 5280 miles:
Also, come to find out, this car was listed at Music City Motor Sports in TN before Luxury Autohaus acquired it.
Why a Viper? It was one of those cars I had always thought about but never had a great desire for.....until the SRT drive event I attended with a friend back in November 2013. This was when SRT woke up and thought touring the country with Vipers and providing test drives might kick start Gen V sales....but then marketing dropped the ball again.
This event is what put the Viper on my bucket list, and surprisingly the white SRT is the one I drove at this event. After this event I wondered why more people weren't talking about this car, it was so different from prior generations yet still had much of the character of the earlier generations that made it great.
Very few people attended, some current and past Viper owners and some other enthusiasts like me anxious to see what the new Viper was like. The instructors were SRT team drivers or instructors.....GREAT event, too bad that they could not find a marketing team to carry that momentum forward.....it looks like they killed the SRT All Access drive event as well.
The headlights are set a little low from the factory, I adjusted mine up using the vertical adjustment- see pic below.
I found a forum thread later with some more details HERE.
You know you are driving an enthusiast focused car when they have the foresight to install a 12v auxiliary plug in the mirror wiring AND provide a harness (in a bag in the glovebox) that your radar detector wiring can be spliced to- AWESOME, no hack job to hard wire the radar detector. Pics below detail what is involved, some information on the V1 plug pinout can be found HERE (archived in pdf format HERE).
Trustworthy Valentine 1 radar detector should help keep me out of trouble, manual HERE (archived HERE).
Factory floor mats left something to be desired so.....ordered Lloyds Velourtex Floor and Cargo Mats (Black) from AutoAnything as they were the cheapest by a good bit- use a coupon code for best deal. These will be used, but when they wear out I will order the Luxe mats in charcoal which should be a better match for the factory carpet.
Sidewinder wheels look great and are light but they are a $%#&* to clean. Since I don't plan to track this car I started looking for some low-dust, ceramic pads and found Hawk Performance Ceramic Brake Pads (P/N HB193Z.670)- one set required for front and one set required for rear, purchased from Amazon. This part number does not show up for the Gen V Viper application but I confirmed the part number on this VOA forum thread. I used the front jack point and was able to do both front and rear pads on the same side, R&R detailed in pics below- be sure to use jack stands under frame and not just jack. The Brembo brakes are a pretty easy pad swap, two pressure fit pins and a spring retain the pads and keep pressure on them so they don't make noise....the pins have an integrated compression fitting at the head that locks them into the caliper, this is why a punch and hammer are required to remove them.
*IMPORTANT* - Follow the Hawk Bed-In/Burnishing instructions after installation, video HERE.
Also, a good time to replace the factory lug nuts. Why? The OE lug nuts are just a steel nut with a shiny cap that will eventually show marks from a wrench. Replaced with Gorilla Automotive "The System" Acorn Wheel Locks (1/2" Thread Size) - For 6 Lug Wheels (P/N 71684N) from Amazon to improve aesthetic longevity and security.
YES, car and calipers ARE dirty, it has rained the few days I have been at home- it will get cleaned
First oil change (for me) with the Viper- factory maintenance schedule is every 6000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. Went with factory recommended Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0w40 Synthetic Oil from Amazon and a Mopar SRT Oil Filter (P/N 5038041AA) also from Amazon- note the very specific installation instructions on the filter, a sharpie mark with a fixed reference point will help you know when a full turn has been achieved.
This oil was co-developed with SRT engineers and meets the Chrysler MS-12633 requirement, press release HERE (archived HERE) and technical data sheet HERE (archived HERE). I am going to try the Amsoil 0w40 Signature Series with the next change and compare oil analysis results, it also meets the MS-12633 specifications (Data Sheet HERE)....and with dealer/preferred customer pricing is about the same cost as the Pennzoil or cheaper.
Also a good time to install the No Spill Systems Compact Oil Drainer. I had originally looked at the Fumoto valve I had used on other cars but felt it posed one more thing to snap off on obstacles given the chance, the low profile of the NSS oil drainer offers the same pros without the cons....And I have liked how they worked on the Jeeps. Video of how it works HERE.
Resetting the oil monitor cycle and clearing the "Oil Change Required" message is detailed in this video. I personally have not seen this message or had to do this in the Viper so I'm not sure it applies even though it seems to be an SRT video.....
My friend "Bob", the same guy that bought a new Viper and pushed me over the edge, modified some splash/rock guards for his Viper and was nice enough to share his source and templates (THANKS BOB!! ). The splash guards used as a base are universal fit size B, available at Advance Auto Parts or Amazon for under $10. Made of hard plastic, they should work well enough and are almost disposable for the price.
The flaps can be cut with snips or a Dremel tool, and a drill and 1/4 (or larger) drill bit are used for the two mounting holes- total time to make and install was under an hour. The outside mounting hole uses an existing fender liner bolt, the inside mouting hole can be a self tapping screw or plastic push-rivet style retainer. Cheap, quick, unobtrusive, and should keep the rocks off the sill paint.
I did make some variations from the pattern, holes in slightly different places and also added some cooling holes at the bottom (I guess that is why they left the gap at the bottom- so air could get in and flow around the side pipes?). Removing the wheels and then turning the steering to one side allows some room to drill/Dremel the inside mounting hole; I used Toyota Splash Shield Clips from Amazon for this (MiCoche brand, ASIN B0040CW0PM). You may want to make the holes slightly larger than required to allow positioning and alignment.
Not a fan of the cheap looking shift knob I went in search of better options. The FIRST step was to call Mark Johnson at IPSCO to order his shifter knob adaptor which would allow me to use any knob with a 1/2"-20 female thread. Mark even went out to his car to compare to the OE shifter so I would know how much lower the shifter would sit (between 1/2" to 1" lower than OE with the 2" adapter)- very customer service oriented. I ended up going with the 2" option, the IPS139-2.
Next was choosing a knob (or knobs ). Initially I went with No.19 Products (aka Twisted Shifterz) to custom build/create my own knob- white knob with rally style inlaid shift pattern and 1/2"-20 thread size. But then I stumbled on to a black Tremec shift knob (6BL-SX) which was a little smaller but did not come with the correct size adapter- I ended up sourcing American Shifter ASCAD20 Custom Shift Knob Adapter (1/2 20 to 16mm x 1.5) from Amazon to make it work.
So, two knobs was not enough.....I also ended up buying the MGW barrel style shift knob. MGW no longer produces any Viper products to sell direct to consumers, their remaining stock was sold to The Viper Store where I had to source mine from.....with an added Viper TAX.
Still deciding which knob I prefer.....I think the white ball is my favorite so far.
Update: The white knob WAS my favorite but it started buzzing....so it was replaced with the MGW Race Knob. Shifts are much shorter with more feel, I think this is IT. No adapter needed...an old installation doc is HERE that may be applicable in part.
Looking to improve the heel/toe operation by getting the brake and accelerator pedal close to being on the same plane, another call to Mark Johnson at IPSCO to order his gas pedal extension kit (P/N IPS164) to get the pedal closer an additional 3/4". Installation instructions HERE. Always a pleasure to deal with and GREAT, reasonably priced products
I did have to use a file and dremel to slightly adjust the arm and extension, the stamping of the arm probably varies with these cars and even after fitting it was a tight fit- just the way you want it to be.....may not be required for all cars out there, one of the joys of low production, hand built cars What a GREAT value mod, pedals are perfect now, ability to heel and toe much improved.
Another option might be THIS, but no personal experience.
Dodge SRT Viper Door Sill Guards (P/N 82208805AC) installed (installation instructions HERE). Wipe down sill area with brake cleaner to strip wax off paint, peel backing off three tape strips on sill guard, carefully put in place and apply pressure to bond tape to sill- repeat on next side. Mine did not come with new screws but the old ones worked fine, one of the reasons I guess it was half what the dealer sells them for.
Windows Tinted 35% by Mr. Tint (aka Barry Wood, C:(404)392-8007), still the best tint job in town He did a strip across the front to make the radar detector mount less noticeable.
Also got my new tag 1NCBITN (Once Bitten)
First trip to the mountains with the Viper- it was great!
Second trip to the mountains with the Viper- car was great, weather was horrible. It was as if the forest had eaten all of the leaves, tree bark, soil, and small plants......washed it all down with dirty rainwater.....and then threw up on the roads and car. Still fun but a LONG cleanup.
Petit Le Mans 2015 at Road Atlanta, no more SRT Viper team but Viper Exchange (Ben Keating), TI Automotive, and Riley Motorsports partnered to assemble a private, 2-car Viper team after SRT bailed. Very nice guys and great to see them in action at the track. Out of the four Petit Le Mans races we have attended, this was the wettest- no stop in rain for the two days we were there. Of course the rain also caused the drivers to have issues, lots of yellow flags and a red flag before the race was finally called two hours early: #93 in third place and #33 in last place. IMSA Race Summary HERE.
Fall 2015 mountain drive around Dahlonega/N. GA mountains, not many good driving weeks left once it starts to get cold. Stopped along the way in Houschton and Murrayville for some photo ops.
After reading these forum threads (HERE and HERE) I decided to order the speaker upgrade (P/N 82213535) from AllThingsMopar. Installation and dealer programming instructions HERE, with some pics I took to supplement the instructions below. Since my car came with the 12-speaker system, I now have a center speaker and one subwoofer to save as spares. Door speakers work after installation, dealer has to recode car for the subs to work. One thing this setup does not come with are the enclosures/baffles for the subs, P/N 05035339AA - purchased from MoparDealerParts.com. Audio Parts Diagram with Part Numbers HERE.
If you already have the 12 speaker stereo and don't want the spare parts, I would just order the speakers and hardware needed.
Door panels are easy enough to remove, two screws and some snaps (NOTE: some GEN Vs also have an additional screw behind the plastic airbag emblem, I did not have this so not in pictures below). Make sure all fasteners snap securely into place when reinstalling or you will have some new rattles. Remove plastic barrier in speaker position, feel around for foam covered plug, remove foam, install clip nuts, plug in speaker, install screws. Contrary to the factory provided instructions, the door trim does NOT have to be removed to install subs behind the seat, by untucking the rear speaker cover from surrounding carpet and pulling down/forward this panel can be slid out from the top piece and console. Remove speaker blank panel in speaker position (save nuts, they will be reused), feel around for foam covered plug, remove foam, fish speaker connector through baffle/enclosure hole, plug in speaker, place assembly in position, reinstall nuts removed in first step. ALL detailed in below pics.
Individual P/Ns can be found in this thread for upgrading the ACR 3-speaker system thanks to TitanSnake: 06101736 qty 6 (screws for door woofers), 05035254AA qty 2 (door woofers), 05035253AB qty 1 (6x9 sub), 05035308A qty 1 (unity speaker to add in addition to premium kit to use as rear most 3.5"), 82213535 qty 1 (this is the 12 to 18 speaker upgrade), 05035339AA qty 4 (buckets for 6x9's, needed as once you remove delete cover it goes to the outside), 68224519AD qty 1 (amp). Additional installation/programming info can be found HERE in 2doorrocket's thread. Word of caution, may not be simple plug and play according to this thread, plugging in the amp might fry the radio due to wiring differences? This thread seems to have resolved that concern.
More information on the 18-Speaker stereo can be found HERE.
No issues with re-coding at dealership, Pretty substantial improvement, worth the $$$ to upgrade IMO.
Dodge Viper R28/R29 Campaigns- analyze the oil filter for debris (FREE oil change) and replacement of driver side valve cover with newer 2016 part number to alleviate possibility of oil being evacuated to the air filter.
When replacing the rear tires, I decided to do the TA Alignment (alignment specs HERE) and then thought, why not go ahead and order the sway bars as well? TA/ACR sway bars puchased from Mopar America who had the best shipped price and outstanding service (no financial incentive or interest, just a satisfied customer), P/Ns Front 5181444AA and Rear 5181438AA. As it turns out, I bought the last front bar in the US until the next run.....lucky me. These threads (HERE and HERE) are informative, and there are a few others out there as well on the same forum. When the bars were released, the front was significantly more expensive and the rear was a bit cheaper, price adjustments I guess? Anywho, the savings over the earlier price was ~ $120 for the pair.
The TA/ACR sway bars are the same size but solid instead of hollow as they come on the SRT/GT/GTS, so bushings are re-used, only the bars are required for this upgrade. I did not remove the tunnel pan underneath so that made the rear a little harder than the front to access but I was still able to install both bars in my garage with jacks/jack stands in a little over an hour. You will need a ball joint tool, I used the OTC tool I have had for some time- careful not to pinch or rip the boot. 15mm sockets and various ratchets/extensions were used for the endlink nut and bushing mount bolts. Pretty simple DIY, remove ball joint nut, use ball joint tool to seperate bar and link joint, remove two bolts for bushing mount, repeat on other side, carefully maneuver old bar out to one side, remove bushings, reinstall on new bar, installation is reverse of removal- do front and rear. Some pics below to help clarify process.
Car was great before but is brilliant now, these bars with a TA alignment extract the most from the OE suspension
Random Technology HFC replacement pipes from Viper Parts Rack (Jon B)- thread where things got started and some install tips from the early adopter HERE. This was the last RT set and the set used by Belanger to make their jigs as the new supplier. I thought it might also be beneficial to O2 sensor life and function to go ahead and install some spacers, sourced from Amazon.
And the dominoes start to fall, decided I did not want to go through the labor involved without also replacing the exhaust.....so Corsa Xtreme (P/N 14416) was sourced from Amazon- installation instructions HERE.
And then I start thinking about the Arrow RACE Control Module (P/N ARR-50956AA for my 2014) detailed in this thread and at Nine Ball Garage....may need to call Mark Jorgensen at Woodhouse Motorsports.... Installation instructions HERE (the tech will be prompted that an update is available- DON'T INSTALL IT or any future PCM updates on the Arrow PCM per this post by Mark). Another thought may be HP Tuners, comparison in this thread HERE.....but the Arrow tune may be more conservative/safe.
Short side to side comparson video between OE and HFC/Corsa combo HERE. Pics I took to supplement existing instructions and guides are below:
SO, I usually dump all the fluids around 1k and replace to get rid of break in material on new cars....and try to do it right away on pre-owned purchases. Dodge specifies ATF+4 for the transmission (I chose to stick with Castrol Transmax ATF+4 (MSDS) which is on the licensed list) and Castrol SAF-XJ 75w140 for the differential, this has been superseded by Castrol Syntrax 75w140. The Castrol Transmax ATF+4 was purchased from Advance Auto Parts, the Castrol Syntrax 75w140 was a little harder to track down but was ordered from CarPartsDiscount.
The Tremec FAQ answers the question about why automatic transmission fluid has been specified for the TR6060 manual transmission in the Viper, and there is some informative discussion on the differential fluid in this VOA forum thread. This thread discusses the need for friction modifier if you use the older OE fluid or another brand that lacks it. .
A 3/8 ratchet is used for the transmission fill/drain bolts. For the differential fill bolt I found that 9mm hex was a little loose and a 3/8 hex was a little tight so I used a 3/8, use whichever you feel comfortable with.
You will not use all but will need 4 quarts of fluid for the transmission and 2 quarts, or liters as the case may be, of differential fluid.
BIG THANKS to my friend Bob for the use of his lift, made this a MUCH easier job
Viper in action at Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen 2016 at Watkins Glen International- final results HERE.
Great weather, great friends, upstate New York is beautiful - GREAT way to celebrate July 4th
Philips 921LED bulbs purchased from Amazon to replace the ONLY non-LED bulbs on the car, the reverse lights. Definitely an improvement and car was washed after .
Doug Shelby Engineering (DSE) Air Intake Heat Shield installed (Installation Instructions HERE, Test Data HERE). Comes with the new thumb screws, hardware, and the drain cap for the airbox- mine did not have the drain cap from the factory so this was GREAT!
I also installed DYNAMAT Dynaliner (P/N 11101- 1/8" THICK 32" x 54") from Amazon to further reduce the heat. This is sticky stuff so make sure you have plenty of new/sharp razor blades, I found it easiest to place the shield on the dynaliner and trace the side to be cut leaving a little extra that could be trimmed off. There might not be perfection here, but most cannot be seen once installed so no worries. Be sure to leave room at the drain holes for water in the heat shield to drain. I may go back and double up since there appears to be some room left for more.
This combination should reduce the effects of pulled timing due to IAT- see this VOA thread HERE (table HERE).
Some forum threads HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.
After some time driving since installation, I would say my experience mirrors the test data- about 10 to 15 degrees over ambient at highway speeds which is MUCH cooler
Doug Shelby Engineering (DSE) Single Sealed Catch Can installed- Installation Instructions HERE.
Some forum threads HERE and HERE.
After mounting the can: I removed the elbow from the PCV valve and twisted it towards the can, inserted the provided connector in to the elbow, pushed the hose on to the connector, and cut the hose to fit for the "out" side of the can. I then pushed the hose on to the PCV valve and cut the hose to fit for the "in" side of the can. I could not push the hose on to the PCV valve past the first 2-3 ribs, but after consulting with Doug this is expected and fine that it is not flush....
Viper in action at Petit Le Mans 2016 at Road Atlanta.
Great race, great weather, great friends - and Viper placed 1st for the race and 2nd in GTD overall, great way to go out on top since this was the last IMSA race for Viper.
I saw Ben Keating in the pits after practice on Friday and inquired about old wheels for sale, I had seen this on their Facebook at VIR and was just curious. He stopped what he was doing and worked with the team manager, Greg Jones, to dig one up and sold me one of the wheels off the Viper race car with the Titanium center lock, wheel autographed by Ben Keating and Jereoen Bleekemolen. BIG THANKS to some of the nicest guys in racing, made my weekend! Now my office entrance display.
One other cool first for us was doing the hot pit experience.....a friend won tickets at the Corvette corral and had done it last year so she shared the tickets she won with us (THANKS! ).
The new for 2017 rear hatch pop-up kit (PN 68334530AA- for ACR Wing, PN 05043098AA- no wing) from Mopar America installed....no more pressing button while lifting hatch, completely one-handed operation Facebook posts discussing this new for 2017 part are HERE and HERE. YouTube video HERE details the installation.
The new stopper was too big for the hole in my 2014 so a Dremel and grinding bit were used to slowly/carefully enlarge the hole a bit at a time until the new spring stopper would fit. I found a 20mm wrench worked to snug the stoppers down. The hatch does require a bit more force to close now but is so nice when released.
[EDIT] Originally installed ACR wing part since it was all that showed available but changed out to no-wing part which requires less force to close but still pops up enough.
After reading THIS forum thread and others on the same subject, I decided to order this to upgrade the sub-standard OE hardware to DSE latest creation: Gen V Window Boss Kit, installation instructions HERE. I did not get around to installing before trading the car in, but it was nice to know I had it in storage as insurance.
Conclusion to this car chapter- The Viper was probably my favorite car, but time for the next one.
Viper looked sad at the dealer it was traded in at :
After 25 years of Viper, the Conner Street plant was scheduled for closure as the last Vipers rolled off the assembly line. FCA organized a 25 year celebration and CAAP farewell event so all could come together for one last tour at the factory, the Viper 25th Celebration. Details were not forthcoming at first, just rumors and speculation on the forum but I finally received my invitation - Thanks Viper Concierge!
I was initially planning to drive up and was fortunate enough to get lawn parking tickets but when my work schedule interfered I rescinded my lawn tickets for general parking tickets after deciding to fly in.
Too many pics to post here- My photo album for this event can be found HERE.
My video of the convoy leaving CAAP for RoadKill Nights is HERE.
). The splash guards used as a base are universal fit size B, available at 
:
(Motor Trend, Jan 2016)
