Home » I Found A Daily-Driven Dodge Viper In Worse Shape Than A Typical 20 Year-Old Camry

I Found A Daily-Driven Dodge Viper In Worse Shape Than A Typical 20 Year-Old Camry

Daily Driven Dodge Viper Ts
ADVERTISEMENT

Have you ever seen a daily-driven Dodge Viper? I hadn’t either until yesterday when, in Santa Monica, California, I stumbled upon the roughest roadworthy supercar I’ve ever seen. Here’s a look at this beat-to-hell first-generation Dodge Viper, whose owner I have a deep respect for.

A major downside of supercars is that they’re typically too impractical and valuable to drive each day, which is a shame because they’re such a joy to whip around. The owner of this Dodge Viper that I spotted last night, though, clearly lives by their own rules, as the rough shape of the supercar makes it clear that this thing is a daily driver and not a garage queen.

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

I actually spotted this Viper shortly after seeing a mint condition 20-year-old Honda CR-V, leading me to wonder if I’m living in some kind of alternate universe. And an amazing alternate universe, because for years I have lamented how important, high-volume cars for the masses are rarely preserved while less culturally important sports cars that are awesome to drive are rarely driven.

The owner of this Viper gets it:

Viper 7474979 1278526013566029 7195905118157329347 N

ADVERTISEMENT

It’s a first-gen Viper that I spotted in a Santa Monica parking garage, and right away I noticed a bit of a “cateye” — the fiberglass hood had cracked in such a way that it appeared to add a little taper to the outside of one of the Viper’s headlights.

Viper 2562948 874112294873037 1653019758856676705 N

Those headlights, by the way, are thoroughly faded, and they don’t seem to fit quite right in their housings (which by the way, are surrounded by plenty of just-not-quite-right touch-up paint):

Viper 7481660 1341485783871726 7602560912478741786 N

There was quite a bit of this not-quite-a-color-match touch-up paint, in part, because this Viper is covered in scrapes and bruises and cracks. And I mean covered:

ADVERTISEMENT

Viper 2557762 492388483119078 1885144911viper 7543497 N

The passenger’s side of the front bumper has been through some stuff, and much of the turn signal lens just isn’t present:

Viper 5684012 892085955viper Viper 257 745375373976881160 N

Here’s some not-quite-right touch-up paint on the front right “fender”:

Viper 2577816 1726903934816564 271viper 95259021726279 N

ADVERTISEMENT

Here are some scuffs that appear to be either from a black car’s bumper or from a tire:

Viper 2557038 1238905viper 7204286 1421740177053412290 N

The mirrors are thoroughly scratched:

Viper 2568887 1118708636311525 571266viper 61411079458 N

The rear trunk lid has a big touched-up crack in it:

ADVERTISEMENT

Viper 2557040 581579814350810 7362699viper 8301094156 N

The passenger’s side exhaust appears to have hit something, with the surrounding black paint thoroughly scuffed:

Viper 2570514 824907499630158 809707080133961684 N

And I’m not entirely sure what’s going on near the front of the driver’s side exhaust pipe — did it melt the surrounding trim? Is that what’s going on here? Why is all this white?

Viper 7411242 1151169947016408 735160155576245818 N

ADVERTISEMENT

The paint’s clearcoat is peeling:

Viper 2540924 829055092529419 8263679745314759viper 5 N

And each rather filthy wheel has had its fair share of curb run-ins:

Viper 2562130 1105425867829094 3656491412852031456 N

Viper 25viper 340 2060259171077677 8047257651805698421 N

ADVERTISEMENT

Then there’s the interior, whose seats are covered in duct tape and whose speakers are missing their grilles:

Viper 6437826 1302960594190522 8888017709425781817 N

This Viper, outfitted with dealer plates, is possibly the most amazing Viper I’ve ever seen. It’s actually being driven, like the car-gods intended. Is this owner probably having to make major compromises just to get around? Sure. There’s not a lot of room in a Viper. Is the vehicle worth a lot less than if it had been stored in a garage? Definitely.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Autopian (@theautopian)

But a garage queen is just artwork, and a daily driver is an actual car. Much respect to whoever this is who has decided they want their supercar to be an actual car.

ADVERTISEMENT

467474979 1278526013566029 7195905118157329347 N

Viper 2582056 1621432948477574 5490265069366012535 N Viper 7479556 902264968347884 9133899143840454770 N  Viper 2579245 8892299217554187 5057656634311958008 N

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
137 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
BenCars
BenCars
12 days ago

I mean, you could daily drive a car and still take care of it.

Zwill
Zwill
12 days ago

This is the same viper Jalopnik posted about years ago as “This Is The Grossest Grimiest Dodge Viper Ever“!

The pictures are gone from that article, but looks like some of the pics still live in this youtube video. Notice the folder on the center console here too! Wonder how many miles it’s rocking now, it was at 190k back then.

https://youtu.be/X5UKAAXwLCs?si=s4tOT2hoG62XJ8_y

Last edited 12 days ago by Zwill
TheWombatQueen
TheWombatQueen
12 days ago

Unbelievably based to daily this, mega cringe for not taking better care of it

Fourtitude
Fourtitude
12 days ago

Oh what a small world! I thought this looked familiar. This is the same viper Matt Farrah found 6 years ago that used to be street parked in his old neighborhood.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj2R-jBFy-d/?igsh=MWY3anB6NzNvODFpeQ==

Acrimonious Mofo
Acrimonious Mofo
13 days ago

There’s no need to wonder, with a little editing the truth is right there: “When, in Santa Monica, California. . .I’m living in some kind of alternate universe.”

Commercial Cook
Commercial Cook
13 days ago

Wonder if he is the one who bought that “ordered by mistake” viper v10 engine on BaT yesterday

Last edited 13 days ago by Commercial Cook
J Money
J Money
13 days ago

And those shitty side windows are the reminder that the first-gen didn’t have real windows.

I sincerely hope you left a note asking the owner to call you so you could get the full story.

The World of Vee
The World of Vee
13 days ago

I’ve had a daily all my driving life and none of them have gotten this bad. Don’t neglect your vipers like this, it’s tantamount to abuse.

Mr E
Mr E
13 days ago

Have I got an engine for you!

Ana Osato
Ana Osato
13 days ago

Interesting how “daily driven” means “crashed and neglected” in the US.
Makes no sense for this Viper to be so totally f**ked up while similarly aged cars with similar usage are not.

Nick Fortes
Nick Fortes
13 days ago

As I said on Insta, that looks worse than the one they pulled down from the dealership sign which was filled with bird nests and bird shit

Dogisbadob
Dogisbadob
13 days ago

I like this more than I should

Cayde-6
Cayde-6
13 days ago

It’s not just a matter of being daily driven, it’s being daily driven in a place with arguably the WORST traffic in North America…

BexleySpeed
BexleySpeed
13 days ago

How are there no Joe Dirt references here?

Aprtur
Aprtur
13 days ago
Reply to  BexleySpeed

Hank Moody’s 964 Porsche in Californication came to mind for me

137
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x