G'Day from Australia

Blue Beast II

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Well G'day

Obviously from the title, I am from the land down under. Unfortunately, I am not a Viper owner. I Certanly will be one day. I couldnt find a new forum member introduction sub forum, So I posted here, If its in the wrong section mods, please feel free to move .

The love affair started from my early childhood. My dad bought my "first" viper for my birthday. We both saw it in the toy shop with its box to the side of the model.

"Wow! that looks mean. What is it?"

*Looks to the side of the model. Reads side of box*

"Its Called a viper. HEY ITS A DODGE!"

Being Dodge fans & model collectors, we were (and still are to a lessor degree) always on the lookout for dodge models, everytime we find Mopar Parafinalia, or model. We Bought it. Since buying that model for my birthday we have amassed a HUGE collection of Viper Models. From tons of Hotwheels cars, a number of 1:64 & 1:18 scale models. In the mid 90's the number was 62 vipers in total. We havent bothered to count since! But every time we see one, we buy it. The only one to escape our grasp was a 1:10 model that sat in the Toyworld shop at our weekly shopping centre trip. For two years we would look at it to see if its there. For two years it sat there, with its $299 pricetag on it & the day we finally walked in to buy it, it was gone. Been bought 2 days before. Needless to say we were ropeable! We have 3 collections of Hotwheels cars. One for the "main" collection, seperate boxes for the Dodge stuff & another for the Viper Collection. I reckon if we sold them all, we'd be able to buy real one. But then we'd have to build the collection again! Plus we have no where to put it at the moment.......

The Viper has a big place in our family. Even when my step mother came into the family she wasnt a car person & initially thought the Dodge Viper was some kind of food proccessor. Now she is the first one to point out a Viper should we be luck enough to see on driving. Whenever someone does, the whole family heads twist on our shoulders harder than a Viper chassis coming off the line.

In 98 I got to see a Viper in the flesh. It was at the Brisbane Motorshow. We had actually seen a Plymouth Prowler a few weeks before hand. We chased it down on the highway & stopped when it did at a rest area. We found out it was actually a Chrysler Marketing Manager who was driving the car to Brisbane for the motorshow. So eventhough we always went to the motorshow, we were certainly going that year! Both the Purple Prowler & the Red GTS were on display. I remember staring up at its plinth display & two older teenagers talking:

"Wonder what engine is in it"

"Probably a supercharged V8"

I pipe up.

"No, its a V10 naturally aspirated"

Needless to say the looks on their faces were quite a shock when this younger 13 year old is telling them what kind of engine is in this car! I had my photo taken in front of it & the prowler shaking hands with the Marking Bloke. Quite impressionable for a young 13 year old. Every year At the Queensland Chrysler Show, there is always a red one there. Sometimes a 93 model. Sometimes a 98 Both RT/10's. Each year from 2007 there has been both a silver 97 GTS & a red RT/10 at the "Mopar Sunday". There was also a Blue & white GTS the first year. Havent seen it since though. Mopar Sunday is a yearly event held at the world famous Willowbank Raceway (where the biggest dragracing event outside the USA, The Winternationals, is held each year. This weekend if I remember correctly). ITs a day to celebrate everything Mopar. From Challengers & Chargers to 'Cudas & Desoto's not to mention the Australian Valiants! Its quite a big event & drag racing is on all day. Mostly DYO times with a few exhibition passes from the Austalian Pro-Stock Mopar Team. The silver one is actually owned by the organiser of the event who owns a Plum Crazy Challenger, an AAC 'Cuda, a 68 or 69 superbee and a few others. It gets bigger every year.

Last night I finished watching the National Geographic Ultimate Factory episode on the viper & was crying at the end of it when I found out that production had ceased. So I went on the net to find out why & get some credible information. But no real luck. So I decided to come to the probably the most credible source of information on the net: The VOCA forum. Everything else I could find was very vague on information that I was after. So that promted a visit to here. After having a quick browse, I have decided to stay.

It has always been a dream to own a viper. & The fire in the belly re-ignited when my Dad & Step-mother got a ride a ride in one around the Willowbank Raceway parking lot in '08 but I didnt. The biggest Viper fan in the family & I didnt get a ride in it. So they taunted me "Haha, I got a ride in a Viper". & I though "RIGHT! thats it. You might be the first to have a ride in one. But I'll be the first to drive one." & I dont like driving other peoples cars. So that only means one thing....... I have to own it too. What a bugger :(:(:(. Oh no. Ill have to own it too AWWWWWWWW.

They are a expensive here in OZ. Ranging from $105k aus for a 95 RT/10 to $195k aus for 02 GTS. Its funny because the are all listed as RT/10's but you can clearly see they are GTS's not just RT/10's with the hard-top roof! Just goes to show that the major car-listing website in Austrailia Doesnt have a clue on late model muscle cars......

Anyway I suppose thats a big enough introduction. See you round the threads!

Blue Beast II
 
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rw99

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A great intro. You're not alone; many of us have had our eye on owning a Viper since we first saw them almost 20 years ago. And the car has remained so true to its heritage through the first four generations that it really becomes a question of "when" and not "if" we buy one. Hopefully sooner rather than later, for you...

Welcome to the board; I'm pretty new here myself, but I'm really impressed with the members here and their input has been very helpful.

The $$AUS you've quoted are... whew... prohibitive. Are there tariffs in place that make it unreasonable to buy one here in the USA and ship it home?
 
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Blue Beast II

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G'day again,

Yes the costs are high, not that I have actively looked into it, as im not directly in the market yet, I believe there are Taxes & Tariffs that make people shine away from importing a car. However, I know of two people who have just imported a 69 Dodge Charger & A DMC DeLorean from California. I think they paid 18k for the Charger & 16k for the DMC. I might make a few enquiries to just keep in mind. However, I think that by the time I get it converted to right hand drive, after importing it might be a case of half-a-dozen one way, 6 the other. Some purists may be against converting from LH to RH. But the thought of having to change gears with my right hand on the left hand side of the car. Seriously makes me shudder & cringe. I would certainly look into importing one right now with the US-AUS exchange rate is so good, but I am not genuinely in the market. Might not be for 3-5 years. There abouts. maybe sooner if I can get a break with one of my business ventures. That'd be awesome.

Cheers,
BBII
 

chiefchad

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Good to hear from you. I belong to an Aussie car forum and its great to see you guys over there have a musclecar passion as well. I have talked with a few of your mates and am hoping to get over there in the next couple of years to check out the big land and get to a few car shows. I have a soft spot for the older Holdens and Falcons. My dream is to get an early 70's Falcon here in Canada and get it painted up like the "Interceptor" in the Mad Max movie. Soooooooo....... if we can get some GTS's here for 40grand and ship 'em there and sell for over a 100grand, the tariffs and taxes can't be 60grand can they? I sense a lucrative business opportunity here - lol.
 

rw99

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If you do import a "left-driver", you should give "right-shifting" a chance! Outside of the expense involved in switching sides, you'd have also found a way to make a rare car even MORE rare in Australia!

I'd shudder at having to "left-shift" myself... but mainly because I'm right handed. While steering one-handed seems normal with either right or left, I feel like my "off hand" would be more likely to screw up when asked to shift.
 

viper_itch

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I have a Dihatsu HiJet that is "right-driver" It is a simple transition and you really will get used to it quickly. Besides, the extra effort to shift with will keep you focus on your driving and hopefully not getting over confident.

I have to admin I flip on the wipers every time I want to signal a turn in the HiJet. Oh, and sometimes I get in the wrong side.
 

happy56

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when I was stationewd in Okinawa ,my wife and I had both side cars. You get real used to it and it comes natural
 
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