Here's the picture that Payton wanted to have posted. That's a damn nice car...

I totally agree with Steve. Since I look at everything as an investment, I would have to let the Viper bottom out before I buy one. But I don't have deep pockets either. Here is idea, own both!

Mike

Camaro. :thumbsup:

That Viper does look hot, but I'd still have to go with the Camaro.

Well look at a 1994 Viper today.. it's old news.. still sorta cool but mostly outdated. When I see someone driving one I think "that guy used to have money" or "that guy bought an old used viper because he couldn't afford a new one.."..

I know it is bad but that is the first thought I get.. :shrug:

In 20 years it will be cooler again because it has survived.. in the mean time it is just a used sports car. Now how will a new Viper be viewed in 10 years? Will it look dated because designs have moved on? In 30 years will people be trying to restore them? Right now it is a great car but some of the love is because it is "the new kid on the block".. Remember how PT Cruisers were all the rage when they came out. Now they are old news.

The Viper is a hot performing car but I doubt it will have the staying power of a '69 Camaro..

Just my .02

my thoughts
 

I agree with what most have said on the debate...and I will add that I can stuff, just barely, my 2 boys in the back seat. Of coarse they will have to crawl through the roll cage like monkey bars at the park, but hey they are only 5 and 3 and they would enjoy the adventure.

Will a Viper depreciate, yes. How about a Camaro, I think so too. Pro-touring style early iron is really hot right now. Kind of like Pro-street in the 80's. Cars that were selling at the peak of that movement brought money that was unheard of at the time. Fast forward till now...you can get a deal on a pro-street car and the pro-tour style is out of sight. Will history repeat itself? Only time will tell. Barret-Jackson has really pushed the value of classics, in general, up pretty high. I realize the cars that they sell are exceptional, but every Joe Blow with a (insert your classic here) thinks his car is worth the $200,000 the car brought on TV. Is there a bubble on values like Corvettes in the early 80's? Is it going to pop?

Obviously I am not building my car as an investment, but I would not want to spend $50,000 modifying a Yugo either. So you are wondering why I have rambled for so long and posed the question. My wife will be 40 in 4.5 years and yes I know that I robbed the cradle. Her favorite car is a Viper so I started looking just to see for maybe a 40th birthday gift...one of the old depreciated ones. Anyway I got to thinking, I am building my car way nicer than I had planned. Would I have been better served to have built more of a track day car that I could drive on the street? One more suited to abuse than a polishing cloth? I really won;t know the answer to that question until it is done. However, it did get me thinking. Sell the one I have when completed...after enjoying the car. Buy my wife a mid-life crisis car and start my next 69 camaro project. I have an insured that has a real nice 69 driver with a 327/power glide that would make a nice track car or there is the guy that lives around the corner that has a numbers matching 69 big block SS/RS 4 speed car that has not seen the light of day in 15 years.

Oh the options. It makes my head hurt.

Truth be known...they will probably burry me in the car.

Now don't get me wrong when I say this. Remember I love 69 Camaro, and Love Pro-touring. But lets think Farther than 10 years.

The Viper is also an Investment. Imagine 50 years from now, a Pro-touring 69 Camaro vs an 03 Viper (If its a venom or optioned, even better) at the auction block of Barrat-Jackson. I honestly think the Viper would bring more!

I am completely just playing devils advocate...but I think thats a good point.

Tim

The reason pro-street car values have gone down is that people figured out that they are no fun to drive more than a few miles. ;)

There will always be a demand for well done classic cars that contain modern road manners and comforts. As long as pro-touring does not make the same mistakes as pro-street it should continue for a long time (evolving further along the way)

I have a couple of Gen2 Vipers and I really like them alot. I bought a new '03 and hated it, looks like a S2000 and didn't have the "feel" of my Gen2. I have a new Viper Coupe on order, but I am going to sell it when I get it. I was really looking forward to seeing the new Coupe last year, but when they showed it at last years Viper Invitational, I was dissapointed. I really don't think Vipers will ever go up in value, atleast not in my lifetime, because they have made too many.. Camaro would be my pick..

SW

I think the new ones look awful as a coupe whereas the Gen2's look great in coupe form..

I agree that new coupes just look "wrong"..