At $40,000, Is This 1995 Dodge Viper R/T10 A Raw Deal

Few cars are as uncompromisingly brutal as the original Dodge Viper, a factor that has led to a number of them earning salvage titles. Today’s Nice Price or No Dice R/T10 has a clean title and a clean bill of health from the smog tester. Let’s see if it will also clean up in our voting.

Jalopinions: Dodge Viper SRT-10

When Lucille Ball got pregnant during the second season of I Love Lucy, she, Desi, and the writers decided to have her character get pregnant as well. At the time, the TV censors and advertisers freaked out at the idea since it implied that these two TV characters were bumping uglies. Hell, these broomstick butts wouldn’t even let Lucy and Ricky sleep in the same bed so one had to wonder how Little Ricky came to be in the first place. The compromise was that Lucy’s character could be pregnant, but no one on the show could ever say the word pregnant. Ahh, what simpler, dumber times those were.

Having a baby these days means carting around a lot of stuff — diaper bags, strollers, car seats, the list goes on. That makes a commodious car like yesterday’s 2001 Acura MDX Touring a great choice for any new parent. And, with a third row of seating, it can transition to a kid-hauler when the rug rats get older. Of course, having kids is expensive, so it’s of equal importance for a car to be affordable. At $4,250, yesterday’s Acura came through on that account as well, earning a solid and kid-friendly 83 percent Nice Price win.

It’s fair to state that not everybody needs to or wants to have kids. Or maybe they are someone whose kids are grown and are looking for a little “me time” car for some uniquely personal and decadent enjoyment. Cue this 1995 Dodge Viper R/T10 for all those folks.

The first-generation Viper is and always will be an uncompromising car. It’s funny to think that the Viper’s 400 horsepower was once considered over the top and an extravagance when today we see mainstream muscle cars with well over 700 horses and some electric cars bringing over 1,000 ponies to the party.

The OG Viper is unique, however, in that it offers no driver aids nor carries a get-out-of-jail-free card in its wallet. The lack of traction control, ABS, and basic decorum is what makes the Viper’s 400 horsepower so compelling a prospect even today.

That comes, of course, from Dodge’s 8.0 liter V10 mill. Based on a truck motor but cast in alloy and developed with then-partner Lamborghini, the Viper V10 became an integral part of the car’s outlandish presentation. Rightfully, a Borg-Warner T-56 six-speed manual is the only transmission to be found in the car. That sends the ponies to the enormous rear tires as one would expect of such a beast.

Considering the over-the-top drivetrain and the Viper’s lack of safety measures for getting less talented drivers out of trouble after getting in over their heads, it’s not surprising to find that a lot of Vipers on the market today come with salvage titles. That makes this clean-title car all the more of interest.

The color scheme might help with that too. Black with a biscuit interior and wearing olive drab racing stripes and smoked lenses on both ends, it certainly strikes a pose. All the paintwork and trim look to be in excellent shape, as well. One might expect that to be the case since, according to the ad, the car’s only ever done 30,000 miles. The aftermarket wheels are less of a thrill than would be the factory alloys, but they at least look clean and un-scuffed.

The interior looks up to snuff as well, with everything appearing stock save for an aftermarket Alpine head unit in the dash. Per the picture of the trunk, the original stereo comes with the car too, along with the owner’s manual and what looks to be a car cover and some extra parts. The surrey top and side curtains are also included but are not shown in the ad.

Another potential benefit of this particular Viper is all the work that has apparently gone into it of late. That includes a coolant system update, a new clutch, brakes, and all four tires which alone probably cost as much as a small house in the boonies. A fresh smog certificate and current tags also weigh in this Viper’s favor. We’ll have to see, though, if the seller’s set $40,000 also does.

We should preface the consideration of this Viper and that price with the acknowledgment that at some point in time, these cars will likely get a lot more expensive. It may take a few more years but, just as was once the case with cars like the DeTomaso Pantera, the Viper’s days as a reasonably affordable exotic are numbered.

With that in mind, what’s your take on this Dodge and that $40,000 asking price? Does that seem like a deal to get in while the getting is still good? Or, is that still too much of a bite for this particular Viper?

You decide!

Los Angeles, California, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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