Most people I know grew up a love, most likely an obsession, with one particular car or car brand. I certainly did! Well to be honest I’ve just had an addiction to any kind of car ever since I can remember.
But with the release of the Viper in 1992 I was hooked! The Viper was pure, raw, race ready power for the street. I mean the first models didn’t even have side windows! But as if that wasn’t enough, in 1996 the first GTS coupe was revealed. Drawing on design cues from Carroll Shelby and the Daytona, right down to the “double bubble” roof. This immediately became the car of my dreams!
Now, admittedly for almost all of us, our dream cars remain just that……DREAMS. I thought that there was absolutely no way I could ever get my hands on, let alone afford, a Viper GTS. But that’s where the fun comes in.
Over the next 2 decades, I worked my butt off. Started a family, moved to a couple different houses, and owned some really cool cars in between. But, no other car new or old, could take the spot of #1 in my mind.
With the exception of a couple odd jobs as a kid, I’ve never done anything outside of the car business. It’s in my blood. This allowed me to make a lot of key connections, as well as the skills needed to spot a good car and determine values. At one point, I even travelled to auctions and bought tons of cars using other people’s money (lotto)!!!!! These connections and skills turned out to be the ticket to turn my dream into a reality.
I constantly studied the market. Just like stocks, collectible cars have peaks and valleys. You’ve got to know your stuff, or else you could end up costing yourself thousands. And, at the same time I put the word out to all of my trusted car buddies across the country. I had guys from Florida to California looking for the right GTS.
When I say “right GTS” I mean just that. You can’t be wishy-washy when it comes to buying your dream car. I could have easily moved on the first Viper I saw. But as I’ve learned over the years, I wouldn’t have been satisfied. I would have always wished I would’ve gotten a different color, different year, different….. and the list goes on and on. Get specific!!!! Write down the year, color combo, features, and specs. You need to be able to close your eyes and virtually get into the car inside of your own head.
For me I wanted a blue and white GTS, with black interior. Based on the specific color and the years this was available, this meant I needed to go with a 96 or 97. All of those also had black interior. Only 1163 were built in 96, and 965 in 97. I also wanted little to no aftermarket modifications. I’m a purist when it comes to a car that I consider a collector. If any mods are going to be done, I want to be the one doing it. I also want to keep all the stock components so that I can put the car back to original at any point. I also insisted on low miles. This car would be a virtual unicorn to find.
So you’ve got all that you need right? A perfectly clear mental picture in mind, and a constant understanding of the market… Not quite you’ve also got to be willing to move quick when opportunity strikes. If you hesitate at all, everything is out the window. Someone else with bigger grapes than you is going to be parking your dream in THEIR garage.
For me, it happened when my phone rang. The voice on the other end of the line asked me “you said a blue and white GTS right?” My heart pounded out of my chest. I took off as fast as I could so that I didn’t miss my window of opportunity. It was exactly what I wanted. 97, Blue and white, black interior, 37,000 miles, and the only modification was a muffler delete. The car could use a good cleaning and buffing, but other than that it checked all the boxes. The market was just at the bottom of what I was guessing would be a sharp climb into higher values, and at the asking price on this one (keeping that to myself) I was getting one hell of a deal. So like a true Viper, I coiled up and struck! The rest as they say, is history. I plan on posting more on my obsession with this car in future posts, along with driving videos, and some of the reactions that this car gets on the road. This thing is a beast.
So finally, if your thinking about making a move on buying your dream car, even if you do nothing else do these few things:
- Have a crystal clear image of the exact car you want (color, year, options, etc)
- Know the market values. Without this you can’t confidently move when opportunity strikes. Otherwise you will have to hesitate to do your research and the moment has passed
- Spread the word. Tell everyone you know to be on the lookout and call you immediately. Make sure they know your serious. Otherwise you will get that buddy who tells you he “just saw one last week”
- Be willing to pull the trigger when the time is right. Don’t wait!
- By the nicest one you can afford.
