Car is here!
5-15-15
'06 First Edition Coupe should be here 5/20 - 5/21!
1-20-15
Viper was totaled. We had several people contact me buying about the wreck if we do a buyback, so it looks like we are going that route to make a little extra money. I've been looking for a few specific Gen III colors schemes as well as a good deal on a Gen IV. I'm getting married in August, something needs to come along to force my hand!
I've been offered a 2009 red coupe with brand new tires and service for 56k. <10k miles
An 03' silver vert for 38k, 15k miles.
I need a reasonably priced 2006 blue with white stripes coupe.
1-8-15 Update:
Viper is pretty much confirmed totaled. A Gen IV sold for <50k and another is on ebay for <50 as well....very interesting!
1-5-15 Update:
The car has been at a body shop for a week or so, we had to wait to get into Chuck Tator's referred body shop. The guys there seem to think it will get totaled, but we should know for sure this week as they get an adjuster out. It seems like my dad wants to get back into an older car again, he seems to like them more. As a result I've started looking at another Gen III for myself. I've got 2006 Blue / White Coupe on the brain. I know that I would really enjoy us each having our own car to take to the shows together.
These coupes sure do seem to command a premium. I just saw a sub 10k mileage Gen III red convertible go for 39k in comparison. Sheesh.
OP:
I am currently in the middle of dealing with this very upsetting process. Essentially mine and my father's Viper caught fire with me driving it. This happened Columbus Day and was a great way to spend the day.
Basically I took the car out for a quick spin, because I went to the movie theater with my fiance and it lost power so I had nothing better to do. The car felt like it was misfiring or something similar at mid range RPMs so I turned back for home. I was maybe a mile away. I turned a corner and a bit later I was getting pulled over by an unmarked trooper(he saw the car catch). As I slowed down the smell/smoke started to catch up with me. I popped the door open, saw the left exhaust port area on fire and got out. It was a small fire at this point and I thought about taking my hoodie off to try and smother the fire quickly, but I just walked away.
Of course the guy didn't have an extinguisher in his car, which my EMT trained buddy says is pretty awful as all emergency personnel should have such equipment in ALL of their vehicles. Something about the oath to protect and all that.
So I just sat there and watched my beautiful copperhead Viper burn slowly. As people came to investigate and jam up the road some guy in a truck ran over with his own extinguisher and put it out. He left quickly and I never really got to thank the guy as I was talking with emergency people and freaking out.
The damage wasn't actually THAT bad considering it was burning for a good few minutes. The rear left QP is gone, convertible top is torched, rocker panel is cooked, tire melted, wheel well melted. Otherwise in mint shape hah.
So now given that the car didn't just burn to the ground we are dealing with insurance and it sucks. The car may not be totaled and they want us to take it to the local dodge dealership for repair....no not happening. I gave Chuck Tator a call and he referred me to the viper specialty shop right by him. The insurance folks don't want to pay his rate and want us to take it to the place I wouldn't trust to change the oil.
The adjuster came by and asked such lovely questions as, "why is the battery disconnected?" And "Why is the car only burnt here?" Clown...he gave us an 8.5k estimate lol. I sent pictures to the Viper shop and he estimates about 30k worth of damage just from pictures. So now we need to switch the claim to another state, drive the car up there and let this guy rip it apart to get a realistic estimate. If they don't total it we will of course need to cover the difference in the insurance payout and his labor rate.
This doesn't even take into account WHY the car just caught on fire and what caused it and that problem. Regardless if it isn't totaled we have a car that would probably be worth a ton less given that it was on fire and it is forever marked. Also the paint is very tough to match, especially that beautiful orange.
The only part I really care about is that this was our car together. My dad had his '65 Corvette Stingray burn down in a barn fire about 20 years ago and hasn't had a nice car since. I vowed to get another car with him and we did that ~3 years ago with this Viper. I didn't really get upset until I had to call him and let him know that our car was burning 25 ft away.
Now it is weeks later, yea I am fine which is the important thing but it is still really bothering me. The car brought a lot of joy and I loved tooling around in it with my dad hitting up car shows and seeing him enjoy a nice car again. Yes we may get it back or get a fat stack but it all still feels so awful. Something about driving a car that feels special to me, especially with my dad, is one of few things that brings me joy. So while I know something will work out in time right now it just blows.
To the future:
Are there any insurance companies that don't suck?? Nationwide didn't mind charging us Viper premiums but wants to pay a $48 labor rate and have it repaired at Joe Blow's amateur body shop emporium.
Now I am considering, if it gets totaled, what to do with the money. I just paid off my '10 WRX. We can simply just buy another car, maybe go after a Gen IV Viper instead or something else entirely. Or I thought maybe we could each buy a car and hit the show circuit with 2 cars. I would love to have my own higher end car so that I don't feel bad taking it out heh, but I would only like to do that if I know he gets another car too.
There's just too much floating in my head right now and even weeks later I'm still very upset by the whole thing. It isn't like I crashed the car, it just lit up with me putting around the neighborhood.
/vent
5-15-15
'06 First Edition Coupe should be here 5/20 - 5/21!
1-20-15
Viper was totaled. We had several people contact me buying about the wreck if we do a buyback, so it looks like we are going that route to make a little extra money. I've been looking for a few specific Gen III colors schemes as well as a good deal on a Gen IV. I'm getting married in August, something needs to come along to force my hand!
I've been offered a 2009 red coupe with brand new tires and service for 56k. <10k miles
An 03' silver vert for 38k, 15k miles.
I need a reasonably priced 2006 blue with white stripes coupe.
1-8-15 Update:
Viper is pretty much confirmed totaled. A Gen IV sold for <50k and another is on ebay for <50 as well....very interesting!
1-5-15 Update:
The car has been at a body shop for a week or so, we had to wait to get into Chuck Tator's referred body shop. The guys there seem to think it will get totaled, but we should know for sure this week as they get an adjuster out. It seems like my dad wants to get back into an older car again, he seems to like them more. As a result I've started looking at another Gen III for myself. I've got 2006 Blue / White Coupe on the brain. I know that I would really enjoy us each having our own car to take to the shows together.
These coupes sure do seem to command a premium. I just saw a sub 10k mileage Gen III red convertible go for 39k in comparison. Sheesh.
OP:
I am currently in the middle of dealing with this very upsetting process. Essentially mine and my father's Viper caught fire with me driving it. This happened Columbus Day and was a great way to spend the day.
Basically I took the car out for a quick spin, because I went to the movie theater with my fiance and it lost power so I had nothing better to do. The car felt like it was misfiring or something similar at mid range RPMs so I turned back for home. I was maybe a mile away. I turned a corner and a bit later I was getting pulled over by an unmarked trooper(he saw the car catch). As I slowed down the smell/smoke started to catch up with me. I popped the door open, saw the left exhaust port area on fire and got out. It was a small fire at this point and I thought about taking my hoodie off to try and smother the fire quickly, but I just walked away.
Of course the guy didn't have an extinguisher in his car, which my EMT trained buddy says is pretty awful as all emergency personnel should have such equipment in ALL of their vehicles. Something about the oath to protect and all that.
So I just sat there and watched my beautiful copperhead Viper burn slowly. As people came to investigate and jam up the road some guy in a truck ran over with his own extinguisher and put it out. He left quickly and I never really got to thank the guy as I was talking with emergency people and freaking out.
The damage wasn't actually THAT bad considering it was burning for a good few minutes. The rear left QP is gone, convertible top is torched, rocker panel is cooked, tire melted, wheel well melted. Otherwise in mint shape hah.
So now given that the car didn't just burn to the ground we are dealing with insurance and it sucks. The car may not be totaled and they want us to take it to the local dodge dealership for repair....no not happening. I gave Chuck Tator a call and he referred me to the viper specialty shop right by him. The insurance folks don't want to pay his rate and want us to take it to the place I wouldn't trust to change the oil.
The adjuster came by and asked such lovely questions as, "why is the battery disconnected?" And "Why is the car only burnt here?" Clown...he gave us an 8.5k estimate lol. I sent pictures to the Viper shop and he estimates about 30k worth of damage just from pictures. So now we need to switch the claim to another state, drive the car up there and let this guy rip it apart to get a realistic estimate. If they don't total it we will of course need to cover the difference in the insurance payout and his labor rate.
This doesn't even take into account WHY the car just caught on fire and what caused it and that problem. Regardless if it isn't totaled we have a car that would probably be worth a ton less given that it was on fire and it is forever marked. Also the paint is very tough to match, especially that beautiful orange.
The only part I really care about is that this was our car together. My dad had his '65 Corvette Stingray burn down in a barn fire about 20 years ago and hasn't had a nice car since. I vowed to get another car with him and we did that ~3 years ago with this Viper. I didn't really get upset until I had to call him and let him know that our car was burning 25 ft away.
Now it is weeks later, yea I am fine which is the important thing but it is still really bothering me. The car brought a lot of joy and I loved tooling around in it with my dad hitting up car shows and seeing him enjoy a nice car again. Yes we may get it back or get a fat stack but it all still feels so awful. Something about driving a car that feels special to me, especially with my dad, is one of few things that brings me joy. So while I know something will work out in time right now it just blows.
To the future:
Are there any insurance companies that don't suck?? Nationwide didn't mind charging us Viper premiums but wants to pay a $48 labor rate and have it repaired at Joe Blow's amateur body shop emporium.
Now I am considering, if it gets totaled, what to do with the money. I just paid off my '10 WRX. We can simply just buy another car, maybe go after a Gen IV Viper instead or something else entirely. Or I thought maybe we could each buy a car and hit the show circuit with 2 cars. I would love to have my own higher end car so that I don't feel bad taking it out heh, but I would only like to do that if I know he gets another car too.
There's just too much floating in my head right now and even weeks later I'm still very upset by the whole thing. It isn't like I crashed the car, it just lit up with me putting around the neighborhood.
/vent
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