Just bought a 2006 VOI.9 Viper (Rare Arrow car!)

[Boris]

Happy wife, happy life! The Vipers will still be out there...

Maybe the craziest thing about the Viper is how few were made (especially when compared to its main competition, the Corvette). From 1992-2017, ~32,000 Vipers were built. Over that same time, ~500,000 Corvettes were sold. That's a Corvette to Viper ratio of over 15:1

WowJustWow

https://vette-vues.com/total-corvette-production-numbers-model-years/

I always thought the Viper should have had a Hemi version as a base and maybe even with a Chrysler badge to offset development costs. Then again, Ralph said he had basically no budget for the 5th gen the way it was.

And its obvious Tim K never cared for them as he cut prices just to get units moving but you never really saw anything marketing wise. Imagine a marketing campaign that the Demon had to move Vipers?!

Id love a red 5th gen with the track pack and sidewinder wheels.

Rumors keep floating around that a Viper may come back (likely EV) but im curious to see what Dodge rolls out. I think they could eat at some of those Corvette sales if they wanted.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

I always thought the Viper should have had a Hemi version as a base and maybe even with a Chrysler badge to offset development costs. Then again, Ralph said he had basically no budget for the 5th gen the way it was.

And its obvious Tim K never cared for them as he cut prices just to get units moving but you never really saw anything marketing wise. Imagine a marketing campaign that the Demon had to move Vipers?!

Id love a red 5th gen with the track pack and sidewinder wheels.

Rumors keep floating around that a Viper may come back (likely EV) but im curious to see what Dodge rolls out. I think they could eat at some of those Corvette sales if they wanted.

Great points. As performance-oriented as Tim K was/is, I always thought it was odd that he showed so little love to the Viper platform. Almost felt like some sort of "internal battle/competition" might have been going on with others running the Viper show. And clearly, the Viper side lost (if only temporarily!)

 

[DGatzby]

Congrats, great score! It is beautiful, thanks for the story on it and posting.

 

[16GoManGoHC2]

Man that things CLEAN inside out and underneath!! NUCE score!! Congrats!! 🎉

 

[Hayabusa]

Congrats! A beautiful color combo and I remember waiting to see what each year VOI car would turn out to be. I was not aware of the Arrow upgrade option on the VOI (or I might have forgotten when Hellcats took over my limited brain space )

Was heavy into Vipers during their mid Gen timeframe. I purchased new: 2004 Black Mamba (1 of 200), 2008 red w/white stripes vert, 2009 ACR Hardcore. The Hardcore is one car I sooooo regret giving up. Went Euro for a bit (911 GTS and V10 Audi R8 in the early 20teens) and still kick myself in the ass for it.

The Vipers need to be driven with respect. Nanny-tech? ABS is it. Got my drivers license in 1973. Driving Vipers takes you back to the days of the raw cars from the 60's. I loved my Vipers and miss the "100% focus or you die" driving experience that left you exhausted but exhilarated after exercising the car.

The press made fun of the "hot dog cart" suspension, burned calves from exhaust heat, heat in general, "UPS truck" exhaust note. and "burnt popcorn smell" of the interior. Viper Forum members spoke of the smell these cars would leave permeating your garage after a spirited run (snake stank is what I called it and my wife hated it). I'd be interested in knowing if the Arrow upgrade eliminated that distinct funk that was especially pungent in hot weather . F all of that...these cars are the shiznit.

After buying my Vipers with deep discounts it is hard to consider them with the prices they are commanding (and I'm retired now ). You did well on this one and will enjoy rowing the gears on that V10. Those cars and the Redeye rank with a built 1969 Camaro SS I had back in the day as the most fun of all cars I've owned.

Pro tip...get PPF on the rockers. Research the latest options as the exhaust heat can yellow the film on a white Viper (ask me how I know). I believe it was the 3M product of the time that yellowed quickly. I switched to Xpel and no issues.

Keep us updated as I live vicariously through your ownership experience. Man, you've energized me to go through the Viper memorabilia I collected and to look through the Viper parts section of my garage! Cheers and Enjoy!!!

 

[ChargerChallenger]

Congrats and beautiful car and I always have had a Viper on my list to buy but never have but have come so close 2 different times. Question is she a forever keep her purchase or have some fun and cash out?

 

[Smitty]

Congrats @Illegal_Demon . Beautiful car! Sounds like you did great on the price. What a low mileage find! Happy for ya.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

Congrats @Illegal_Demon . Beautiful car! Sounds like you did great on the price. What a low mileage find! Happy for ya.

Thanks, brother! I have been waiting for one of the Arrow VOI.9s to pop up for about a decade now. Very elusive car. The low mileage and good price were big bonuses for sure!

 

[Illegal_Demon]

Congrats! A beautiful color combo and I remember waiting to see what each year VOI car would turn out to be. I was not aware of the Arrow upgrade option on the VOI (or I might have forgotten when Hellcats took over my limited brain space )

Was heavy into Vipers during their mid Gen timeframe. I purchased new: 2004 Black Mamba (1 of 200), 2008 red w/white stripes vert, 2009 ACR Hardcore. The Hardcore is one car I sooooo regret giving up. Went Euro for a bit (911 GTS and V10 Audi R8 in the early 20teens) and still kick myself in the ass for it.

The Vipers need to be driven with respect. Nanny-tech? ABS is it. Got my drivers license in 1973. Driving Vipers takes you back to the days of the raw cars from the 60's. I loved my Vipers and miss the "100% focus or you die" driving experience that left you exhausted but exhilarated after exercising the car.

The press made fun of the "hot dog cart" suspension, burned calves from exhaust heat, heat in general, "UPS truck" exhaust note. and "burnt popcorn smell" of the interior. Viper Forum members spoke of the smell these cars would leave permeating your garage after a spirited run (snake stank is what I called it and my wife hated it). I'd be interested in knowing if the Arrow upgrade eliminated that distinct funk that was especially pungent in hot weather . F all of that...these cars are the shiznit.

After buying my Vipers with deep discounts it is hard to consider them with the prices they are commanding (and I'm retired now ). You did well on this one and will enjoy rowing the gears on that V10. Those cars and the Redeye rank with a built 1969 Camaro SS I had back in the day as the most fun of all cars I've owned.

Pro tip...get PPF on the rockers. Research the latest options as the exhaust heat can yellow the film on a white Viper (ask me how I know). I believe it was the 3M product of the time that yellowed quickly. I switched to Xpel and no issues.

Keep us updated as I live vicariously through your ownership experience. Man, you've energized me to go through the Viper memorabilia I collected and to look through the Viper parts section of my garage! Cheers and Enjoy!!!

Great suggestions @Hayabusa, especially on the film. I have a great product on my Demon so I will likely use that (and will make sure it is heat resistant/won't yellow). There are a few scrapes under the front valence due to the Viper's super-low clearance so I was thinking of touching up then putting film there too. Would you go front fenders valence and hood? The smells are interesting (save for the odor of burnt flesh)! I will definitely let you know if my garage gets a similar snake stink! I don't think I've ever experienced that but I've only been in/driven other people's Vipers before this one.

@ChargerChallenger, As for it being a forever keeper, well, forever is a long time lol, but I definitely have no intention of flipping or selling her anytime soon, especially since it took me this long to find this one!

Bigger picture, with EV cars taking over, I'm thinking about amassing a select collection of truly rare, unique all ICE HP cars over the coming 5 years or so. This VOI9 Arrow car absolutely fits well in that crowd. With the pending EV HP takeover, something people are not talking about is the loss of manual HP cars in general! That's a big loss imo and something I didn't see coming 5 years ago. As much as I love the King Kong Demon, it is a tad sad it only has 2 pedals. Along those lines, another car that might be worth looking at is a WB 717hp Hellcat M6 car. No, it's not a RE, Demon, or an SS but it does have a clutch! Might be the highest HP (non-exotic) OEM manual car ever built?

Anyhow, with these two kicking off my goal of a focussed, HP all-ICE collection, I think I'm off to a good start with a straight line monster sitting next to a gorgeous and super rare track/street/strip "nanny-free" brawler.

Life is good!

 

[thetalonguy]

Anyhow, with these two kicking off my goal of a focussed, HP all-ICE collection, I think I'm off to a good start with a straight line monster sitting next to a gorgeous and super rare track/street/strip "nanny-free" brawler.

Life is good!

Congrats Illegal! I was always a Viper coupe guy, so I wasn’t much of a fan of the Gen 1’s or much of the Gen 3/4’s; except for those coupes. And a beautiful color combo on that edition; among the best standard type schemes available.

I was sort of backwards and enjoyed the cartoonish look of the Gen2 Viper GTS and had to have one. Probably due to my age since when those came out I was a teenager.

That was my bucket list of cars and was the ultimate end all, be all for me. Anything else was just gravy after that. I worked very hard to get my 2002 GTS and will never, willingly, give it up. I was looking to add a used Gen 5 a few years back when prices dipped down to the low 70’s, but was just shy of being able to make it work financially at that time. I would’ve had to sell my Gen2; but I couldn’t.

Anyway, I’m the President of the NY/CT Viper Owners Association Chapter. Next year we’re supposed to have our bi-annual National Viper Event Mecca in Colorado Springs. Let me know if you’re interested in any more info. Not trying to sell by any means…only if you wanted to meet up with others in your area. When I bought mine I was trying to find others…and didn’t for a bit until I found the club. Let me know if you have any Viper specific questions; maybe I can help.

Once again, Congrats on the purchase!
Edit…didn’t even mention the part that I quoted you on.

Same here…I want all ICE at the Zenith…exactly why I bought the Hellcat earlier this year.

 

[Demoniccat]

Congrats on a determined mission to find what you want. Very Very nice addition to your collection. Wished I had taken the plunge before prices went into orbit, I may still yet. Agree with others it’s a great color combo, Enjoy it man.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

Congrats Illegal! I was always a Viper coupe guy, so I wasn’t much of a fan of the Gen 1’s or much of the Gen 3/4’s; except for those coupes. And a beautiful color combo on that edition; among the best standard type schemes available.

I was sort of backwards and enjoyed the cartoonish look of the Gen2 Viper GTS and had to have one. Probably due to my age since when those came out I was a teenager.

That was my bucket list of cars and was the ultimate end all, be all for me. Anything else was just gravy after that. I worked very hard to get my 2002 GTS and will never, willingly, give it up. I was looking to add a used Gen 5 a few years back when prices dipped down to the low 70’s, but was just shy of being able to make it work financially at that time. I would’ve had to sell my Gen2; but I couldn’t.

Anyway, I’m the President of the NY/CT Viper Owners Association Chapter. Next year we’re supposed to have our bi-annual National Viper Event Mecca in Colorado Springs. Let me know if you’re interested in any more info. Not trying to sell by any means…only if you wanted to meet up with others in your area. When I bought mine I was trying to find others…and didn’t for a bit until I found the club. Let me know if you have any Viper specific questions; maybe I can help.

Once again, Congrats on the purchase!
Edit…didn’t even mention the part that I quoted you on.

Same here…I want all ICE at the Zenith…exactly why I bought the Hellcat earlier this year.

Thanks for the info and offer to help. I am definitely interested in the Colorado Springs event next year. I sent you a DM.

 

[Illegal_Demon]

Congrats on a determined mission to find what you want. Very Very nice addition to your collection. Wished I had taken the plunge before prices went into orbit, I may still yet. Agree with others it’s a great color combo, Enjoy it man.

Thanks I will.

Interesting tidbit on this car. As low as the miles are right now, it's even crazier once u see the carfax. It was on MSO until November 2019....with 100 miles!

A 78-year-old guy bought it in November of 2019 and finally broke her in over the past 2 years. Good for him. You only live once! He didn't know (or really care) that it was an Arrow car. He just knew he loved the colors, the nasty '60s exhaust/idle, and that it "drove like a bat out of hell!"

 

[Illegal_Demon]

Congrats on a determined mission to find what you want. Very Very nice addition to your collection. Wished I had taken the plunge before prices went into orbit, I may still yet. Agree with others it’s a great color combo, Enjoy it man.

Thanks, Demoniccat, I definitely am doing my best to enjoy it. The best thing about all of our cars is that even when we are not in the act of driving them, they still bring joy. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I take many visits into the garage just to admire the lines and sometimes sit in them. My wife just shakes her head when she spots me, but I see that small smile on her face even if she won't admit it's there!

 

[1971demon]

Thanks I will.

Interesting tidbit on this car. As low as the miles are right now, it's even crazier once u see the carfax. It was on MSO until November 2019....with 100 miles!

A 78-year-old guy bought it in November of 2019 and finally broke her in over the past 2 years. Good for him. You only live once! He had no idea what it was and honestly didn't really care after he found out. He just knew he liked the nasty '60s exhaust/idle and that it "drove like a bat out of hell!"

Wow..some history..imagine not knowing..(or caring) what you bought..so just how did you stumble across this gem?

 

[1971demon]

Thanks, Demoniccat, I definitely am doing my best to enjoy it. The best thing about all of our cars is that even when we are not in the act of driving them, they still bring joy. I'm not too ashamed to admit that I take multiple short visits a week into the garage just to admire the lines and sometimes sit in them. My wife just shakes her head when she spots me, but I see that small smile on her face even if she won't admit it's there!

I am in my garage daily...(it never gets old)...on more than one occasion I've heard her mutter..I wish you looked @ me the way you look @ those cars...

 

[Mean Cat]

Congrats @Illegal_Demon, sweet snag & very cool !

 

[Matt someone with an SRT]

That Viper is dope, I think I like that combo better than blue with white stripes. Just gorgeous.. I remember I eyed some of those generation vipers up before the price got crazy I saw some decent ones in the 30’s and 40’s. Now they’re probably to the moon.. I also remember looking at the 2019 ZR1S in the low 100s.. how that’s changed significantly..

 

[Illegal_Demon]

By the way, from your experience what would you expect the HP increase to be for the Mopar Performance Optional upgrade this car received? It seems similar to some of the aftermarket packages Hennessey offered back in the day. My guess is +100-125hp? I plan to dyno it when the weather gets nice again this spring and will report back. For now, I wanted to see what you all think? Stock 2006's had 510hp/535tq at the crank. The winner with the best guess gets a free ride (and maybe even drive).

From the documentation I've found, here's what you got. What do you think?

1. Longer duration camshaft
2. Full Belanger header and exhaust system
3. Competition oil pan with swing arm*
4. Special pushrods
5. Special prv valve
6. Unique valve spring shims
7. Select-fit main bearings
8. High-performance oil filter
9. Uprated fuel/spark ECU calibration/tune

*Look at the oil pan pic I included above. You can see the dogleg tell-tale weld!

 

[BULL]

510hp + 135hp = 645hp

645hp * .85(drivetrain) *.85(altitude) = 466bhp