Take a look at my collection [ViperArry]

[ViperArry]

Hello all!

In the last few years I frequently visited this site, and often peeked at this forum.
I thought it was only for the lucky ones... owning their own Viper. So I couldn't register.... But yesterday I found out my collection was enough to register here
So I thought, lets post my collection here, and tell a story about how it started.

Something about myself.
I'm Arjen Berends, a Civil Engineer, working at the a local office from the Dutch Ministry of Waterways... I try to help the Dutch keeping their feet dry I'm almost 26 years old and collecting Vipers for some 10 years now.

How it all started.
Ever since I saw a glimpse of a Dodge Viper, back in the '90's.......... it happened.



Venom began to flow.

I started with buying one scale model in a local store..... just a plain normal scale model.
After some 8 years of collecting my showcase was about to break.....

(Here you can see it, allmost empty. Six movingboxes are allready taken out.)

2 Years ago, I bought my own house and went to live there with my girlfriend.
The Vipercollection stayed at my parents, and I had to find a solution to get them into my house.
Where could I find a proper showcase, I couldn't find a show wich would sell me a decent one.... Only small ones.

In the end, I got lucky and found a wonderful showcase.
It was a custom made piece in an office... on the second floor (in the US you call this the third I think).
Here you can see it with the previous' owners collection of Ferrari's in it.


The perfect thing...
But... there were some minor problems.
- The height was wrong. (30 cm!) (You could also say, my ceiling was too low)
- The color wasn't right (turquoise)

But, if you really want something, you can make it happen.

So I had to take the circlesaw and shorten this thing.... This was a very dusty day.
After sawing... it was time for a new color...... the turkoise was perfect for the 60's diner at the office it came from... but now I had to get something wich fitted in my house.....
Next step, replacing the turqoise, I ordered a new layer of HPL (High Pressure Laminate) and glue it on the old layer.

Final step, trimming all edges so it would look proper as well.


Last but not least putting it together..... (From buying this showcase till construction allmost a year passed.)



The Vipers were ready to roll back in(finally I got the oppertunaty to toake some pictures of them.)















Closeup of a few racers.


Now I'm collection almost 10 years... thinking I was allmost complete.
But after you're finished with the "normal" stuff the limited editions are the ones missing.
Recently luck visited me again
I got the oppertunity to buy a SMS 1:18 Le Mans 1994 Viper! A unique model, of wich only 100 worldwide were made.....Originally sold by ABC Brianza.
From that moment it is standing in my collection as well..... so now I'm looking for the other half.



Well, that's my story so far..... As a collector, I'm always looking for the last ones to complete my collection....
What is on my wishlist...
- The 1:18 Ketchup and Mustard Bburago
- 4 of the 1:12 Vipers
- Some Autoart Vipers

[Sellshomesdrivesviper]

wow, impressive collection.

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Very nice display! Welcome to the site

[ViperArry]

Thanks!

After I rebuilded it, it was allready full..... Since then I purchased some 5 new Vipers.... wich don't fit at this time.
So the next step is purchasing new 8mm glass to make more space. The SMS Viper has to fit in it.... same goes for the expected Competition Coupe in race livery.

[red98RT10]

Nice collection! You know....sell all of those and you could probably get yourself a 1:1 scale Viper!

[ViperArry]

If someone here offers me something like that...
I would definitly consider selling... but only for that kind of trade.

[2001ViperGTS]

Nice collection, welcome to the site!

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Nice collection! You know....sell all of those and you could probably get yourself a 1:1 scale Viper!

Ive often wondered if I sold all my Vipers (300+) how much $$ could I make. I dont think itd be anywhere near enough for another 1:1 Viper, so Im gonna hang onto them

[ViperArry]

The same goes for me... but if anyone wants to make a trade...

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Awsome model!!!! you got the one i need to go with my orange one...

[V10SpeedLuvr]

What is on my wishlist...
- The 1:18 Ketchup and Mustard Bburago
- 4 of the 1:12 Vipers
- Some Autoart Vipers

GOOD LUCK on the 1:18 red/yellow Bburago. It took me over a year to find one. Anytime someone new posted on here, my 1st comment was always something like "Welcome. Do you have a 1:18 Bburago McViper that you'll sell/trade?" I finally bought one off Ebay about 2 months ago for $61 (+$11 s&h) w/no box. I had found a few (maybe 5) before that one, but their owners never wanted to give them up

[ViperArry]

Baz,
It took me 5 years to find the SMS Viper... and recently
bought it for € 150,- in dollars: $ 187,50
Now I have it, I'm not going to sell it anymore... just have to find an orange one. (Didn't know you collected the models as well... another hobby we have in common)

Every morning is scout through the European section of Ebay, but I havent seen 1 "McViper" in 10 years!

The white RT/10 with the gen II white rims and the silver with the gen II rims was almost the same story..... It took me years to find them.
But that's the sport of it... searching every part of internet to find these last models....
I even tried to get manufacturers like IXO-Models to produce the last Le Mans cars wich weren't produced.... but unfortunatly I couldn't find a complete livery of it.

With the new Competition Coupe I tried again, and this time it worked..... So now I'm waiting to see the first AutoArt Competition Coupe in a race livery!

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Took me a long time to get the 1/18 white with blue and black with silver as well...

After the 1/18 Mc Viper then i will have the 3 1996 cars.
And the yellow 1/18 sms 94 race car

[InjectTheVenom]

Zooo dan, en ik dacht nog wel dat ik een leuke collectie had Haha zo te zien loop ik nog een paar jaar achter
Arnhem is maar een uurtje rijden bij mij vandaan ongeveer

Hellooo then, and I thought that I had a nice collection myself Haha apparently I am a few years behind.
Arnhem is only about one hour away from me

[ViperArry]

Yesterday, a few new Vipers were added to my collection....

A custom paintjob was applied to both a GTS and a RT/10.... aint it hot?






Venomgreen!




I´m thinking about removing the colored windshieldholder and replacing it for the original one. What do you think about it?

[V10SpeedLuvr]

Awesome paint jobs! As for the windshield holder, I agree with you. swap it back to the original

[Motor City Mad Man]

Where did you get the neon looking Viper sign? I bought one similar on E-bay a year ago but they only had it with red light. Unfortunately when I plugged it in the red looked more pink than red. Arrrggghh.

[ViperArry]

Sean,

I picked it up on Ebay also.....

The seller is named: koma-laserdesign and is placed in Germany.
Possibly I can order something at them and send it to you.

Yesterday I took my sign apart, because I wanted the electrical plug from the right to the left side. It was built with quality!

I found out that the lenght of the cable makes or breaks the amount of light produced by the kathodic light. Maybe you can shorten the cable?

[ViperArry]

I just bought 4 more AutoArt models....






I ran lucky somehow, buying all of them for 100 Euro.... that's 130 Dollar....
Now I only have to go and get them, driving some 150 miles to get them (no boxes), but at $ 130 they are well worth it I think.

[InjectTheVenom]

100 euros ? I guess I need to start looking beyond Ebay to find these kind of deals

[ViperArry]

I found it through Speurders.nl.... a local marketplace

Sometimes you get lucky.....

[DodgeViper01]

First off let me say, that is one amazing collection. I can not believe you even have the SMS Viper as well. Baz, looks like someone has the other half and I still have zero!! LOL! I will still continue my search and mark my words, I will have another set!!

[ViperArry]

Currently I´m negotiating with someone to almost complete my collection....
Possibly adding another SMS Viper.......

If this works out, I found the set within 2 months, so finding them isn´t impossible.

[DodgeViper01]

Took me 5 years or so. LOL!

[ViperArry]

Me also... but after 5 years I found them in a few months.
(Not thinking it would happen..... I thought it would at least cost me another 5 years of scavenging the internet.)

[DodgeViper01]

Sometimes we get lucky. Now BAZ owns my red one and the yellow one, that is somewhere in Europe. Maybe yours LOL!

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Still on the hunt for the yellow one.......

Will i beat Kieth to the full set MMmmmmmmm the race is on.LOL

[VIPER BAZ UK]

Just noticed you have a 1/18 yellow RT with soft top......

[ViperArry]

Baz,

You've got mail.... (again )

[DodgeViper01]

Still on the hunt for the yellow one.......

Will i beat Kieth to the full set MMmmmmmmm the race is on.LOL

Yes it is. I will keep you updated.