Dodge Viper replica
I have decided to sell my Dodge Viper replica due to time
and work commitments as well as having too many projects. This is an
outstanding car, it is amazing how much time and work has gone into creating
this machine. The car was originally built by a chap called Colin Herd who was
based in Fife Scotland. He was a true Viper enthusiast who wanted one so bad
that he created not 1 but 3. The 2 other cars he built to sell as he started
his own replica building company for the viper (I have a old magazine advert
with the actual car on the cover) he also built and sold a few kits. This one
was his own personal car, he built them as scale replicas so they are 1:1 with
the real thing, very wide and long with many genuine Dodge Viper parts used to
get them as close to the real thing as possible.
A stated these were built with a true enthusiasts engineers
mind, the chassis copies the same design of the original viper as does the body
of the car which he calved from foam and made moulds from. The engine even sits
behind the front axle technically making it a mid engine car just like the original
vipers which means better weight distribution! This is classed as a replica not
a kit car as it was not based off of a doner car but was bespoke built, it even
states VPR on the logbook! The chassis is built from box section aluminium so
it is very light (which is better than being made from steel as per the genuine
vipers), the body is fibre glass just like a genuine viper. The car has Ford
Sierra Cosworth brakes (upgraded to Willwood callipers) and rear 7.5 inch Cosworth
limited slip differential so it has been built to look good and with
performance in mind. The engine is a crate 350 chevy V8 with a manual gearbox
and a stainless steel exhaust system so it goes well and sounds good too! The
car also has genuine generation 1 / 2 Dodge viper front and rear lights which
if you know vipers the front headlights for an undamaged pair are fetching up
to $10,000 USD, which just makes this car even more special! The rear lights
are worth approximately $1000 USD for the set! The car also uses a genuine Dodge
Viper generation 1 / 2 windscreen which again really makes it difficult to
detect that this car is a replica. I have also imported a pair of genuine dodge
viper bonnet vents which I was going to install to make the car look more
aggressive and genuine but I have not had the time to install these but they
can be included in the sale. The car has solenoid valve entry so you have to
push a button similar to a TVR. The car also has a targa roof so you can unbolt
the roof and enjoy the benefits of having a convertible with the coupe looks.
The only reason Colin sold the car was to fund a purchase of
a genuine viper which he bought crash damaged from an auction. He sold it to
his friend Derek who had a soft bump in the car and because it is a 1 of 1 the
insurance company classed it as a category D (cosmetic damage). After this a
guy called Ronnie Wigg bought it and repaired it with Colin which required re
moulding the front bumper.
The car is running and driving and has a new MOT but it does
require some attention here and there. The seats are from a mini R53 cooper S
and work well and the clutch cable is from a CF Bedford which are all good, the
switches and wiring are ford based. The speedo does not work however there is a
digital heads up display fitted. The doors both require some attention, the
drivers door sags a bit so the hinge needs looking at and the solenoid opening
system needs some adjustment as the drivers door can be temperamental and the
passenger side does not open from the outside. The car needs some tidying up
here and there but it is all there and all works. The interior needs some addressing
but even on the real vipers the interior isn’t the main focus point. The fuel
gauge wires are back to front so it is reading in reverse at the moment but if
I get some time I will sort it and any other issues I can. I did plan on
getting the car re painted as it would benefit from it but does not look
terrible as it is a fibre glass body. Despite these minor issues the car is
ready to be driven and enjoyed and the new owner can add their own touches
whilst being able to use it and tidy up the niggly bits in their own time. I
have rebuilt the carburettor but the exhaust also needs some attention as some
fumes leak into the car whilst driving which I will try and fix before the next
owner.
There is some of Colin Herds posts on pistonheads as VPRMAN
that can still be found relating to the builds / kits he made. I was fortunate
enough to be able to buy this car from the previous owner who had it for over
10 years, although unfortunately he did not have the time to get it on the road
and enjoy this beast, he only sold it due to life circumstances. I planned to
keep this car for a long time whilst restoring and enjoying it, but with a
newborn baby and a new business venture it not realistic for me to keep it as I
do not have any time for it and it deserves to be driven, enjoyed and taken to
shows.
This car is one truly amazing machine with incredible
history to go with it, at a fraction of the price of an original viper! It
certainly turns heads wherever it goes! In parts alone this is worth over £15k,
and the number plate M111 VPR is also considered to be worth a bit as it is cherished
number plate which other viper owners desire. It weighs around a ton so it
really is like a custom built race car. With Dodge Viper prices constantly
increasing this is your chance to own an iconic piece of automotive history at
an affordable price.