By Darren Jacobs

Get ready to be knocked off your feet. We’re not kidding. You might need to sit down for this one. For though VCA members are accustomed to the grandiose and the spectacular, well, they ain’t seen nothing until they’ve seen this.

Meet Wayne and D’Ann Rauh, both in their early fifties and both members of the Mid-South VCA. The couple owns a 28-acre spread in the small town of Arp, Texas. And on that spread sits an astonishing 29 Vipers—with two more ordered and on the way! All belong to the Rauhs, proud owners of the largest personal collection of Vipers in the world, proving the old saying true—everything is bigger in Texas!

Exactly how big is the Rauhs’ collection? Big enough they actually lose track of the number of Vipers in their possession! Wayne first numbers the collection at 27, until D’Ann corrects her husband with the exact roll call of 29.

“Yeah, he was wrong,” D’Ann says. “Good thing you talked to me.”

So how does one (or two, in this case) build such an enormous den of Vipers? By slowly adding Vipers, painstakingly piecing together the collection over many, many years, right? Nah! The Rauhs snapped up their Viper haul in a little less than three years, beginning in late 2006. The rapid proliferation of their mini “Viper Nation” is nothing short of remarkable.

“When the Viper first came out, I saw one and always wanted one,” Wayne recalls. “I started looking at buying one real hard in 2002, but I never did. Then in 2006 I bought my first Viper. We’ve gathered them up since then. I really fell in love with them.” Wayne, prodded by D’Ann, overcame his initial reluctance—with a vengeance.

“I encouraged Wayne to buy one,” says D’Ann, who was actually an avid car collector long before her husband caught the fever. In fact, D’Ann currently parks 15 Vipers in her garage, compared to Wayne’s 14.

“He always wants mine,” D’Ann says, with a laugh. “He always tries to copy off me, and I tell him no. He’s got his Vipers; I’ve got mine. We don’t share!”

“I’ve been trying to play catch up for awhile,” says Wayne of matching his wife’s Viper total. “I haven’t caught up yet. She likes being ahead, so I think I’ll let her stay ahead. We each have our own garage for our Vipers. My garage is smaller.”

The Rauhs’ first Viper was a VOI.9 Special Edition white-with-blue-stripes purchased from John Gastman’s Roanoke Dodge in Illinois. In fact, almost all of the Rauhs’ Vipers have been purchased from Gastman (that’s got to be one happy Dodge dealer), who the couple cited as a friend and a big help in assembling their collection. Wayne also purchased a yellow-with-black stripes Viper for his wife during his first Roanoke visit. After the couple sold their personal business and retired in April 2007, their pursuit of Vipers kicked into hyper drive.

“We were very fortunate. We were able to sell our business for a substantial amount of money a few years ago,” says Wayne. “We’ve just put it in cars. We’re full time about cars now.”

Wayne begins to reel off just a few of the Vipers the couple owns: “We just got two new yellow ’09s with silver stripes. We just picked them up last week. We’ve got several ’08s. I don’t know the exact number. The oldest Viper we have is a ’95. We have one of the Spiderman promotional Vipers from ’02. We’ve got about every color combination. D’Ann has an ’09 ACR, I’ve got an ’08 ACR.” The Rauhs sing the praises of Scott Miller at Fifth Dimension for the body work on their Vipers and of Tony Venzano for handling duties on the interior. The Rauhs make sure their collection sees plenty of action. “There are days where I will drive three or four of them,” says D’Ann.

The Rauhs’ Brobdingnagian-like stable of Vipers draws eye-popping, incredulous reactions from VCA members—an impressive fact, considering many own multi-Viper car collections themselves. But they can’t match the Rauhs, who collect Vipers like Imelda Marcos collected shoes.

“Most of them can’t believe it,” admits Wayne, with a chuckle. “It’s just really hard to believe. Unless someone asks, I never say how many we have. People are really shocked. Twenty Vipers from the Mid-South club came down in May to the house to check out the collection and they were amazed. As hard as it was to get me to buy the first one, if someone would have told me I would have this many, I wouldn’t have believed them.”

Will the collection keep expanding? Does the sun set in the West?

“I don’t know if we’ve got a sickness for them, or what it is,” states a perplexed sounding Wayne. “But we’re addicted to them. We’re planning a building that will hold another 23 cars. I don’t know if we’re going to buy that many, but I know we already have two more Vipers coming, and we have another at our lake home in Oklahoma. We’re so full on room here.”

D’Ann has the final word on when the collecting might end: “I don’t know. When they stop building them?”

Story by Maurice Q. Liang

Hood vents. Those six large openings in the hood are the quickest way to identify a 2008+ Viper, especially in miniature form, where the details are often lost. Five years after the introduction of the 2003 Gen III Viper, the introduction of new Viper toys had dwindled to a trickle. But with the release of the ’08 Viper coupe, a rush of new collectibles have hit the market. If you think the ’08 is a vintage year, you’re in luck when it comes to miniature versions.

MEDIUM SIZE

Starting at the top of the photo is the 1/18 scale RidemakerZ Viper coupe. Similar to the Build-A-Bear teddy bears, these cars can be customized with various wheels, tires, hood scoops, exhausts, wings, and other accessories. They can be built as a “roller” model or as a remote control car. Either way, they are battery-operated with lights and sounds. Right now, they come in Snakeskin Green with black stripes, Venom Red with silver stripes, or flat black. Prices run from $30 to $70, depending on how many accessories you want to load it up with. Visit www.ridemakerz.com to build your own online.

Next is the red metal diecast coupe from JADA in 1/24 scale. JADA makes the coupe in two versions—race-ready—like the one shown, or street. Interestingly, the race version has the stock “H”-wheels, while the street version has custom, deep-dish wheels. The race version also comes with the huge ACR-like wing and racing decals. Race versions are available in red, blue, silver, or black. Street versions are available in red, blue, silver, and yellow. Around $12 each at Kmart and hobby stores.

One of my favorites is the Snakeskin Green 1/20 scale remote control car from Radical Racer. This plastic-bodied car is simple, but fairly accurately proportioned, and available in Snakeskin Green with black stripes or Venom Red with white stripes. Only $13 at discount stores.

At the bottom of the photo is the 1/24 scale blue remote control car from Megatoys. It’s a great first Viper toy for a young Viperholic. This plastic car comes in blue with white stripes or red with white stripes, and is only $6 at Walmart stores.

GIANT SIZE

Blue with white stripes, though not an officially available color scheme on the real ’08 coupe, is still a popular paint scheme in toy form. Both the Megatoys 1/24 scale R/C car mentioned above and the large, 1/10 scale remote control car from Fastlane come in this color scheme. Though it’s a standard plastic-body R/C car, the Fastlane model makes a great display model, with its Razor wheels. I painted one to mock-up the paint scheme on my real one-of-one Viper. Available at Toys “R” Us.

MINI SIZE

Though most of the smaller, 1/64 scale Viper coupe models are of the 2006 version, two companies offer the ’08 version in diecast form. Tracksters makes one in GTS blue with white stripes. The car comes with a code so you can race others online. Available for $14 from hobby stores. JADA also offers the 2008 Viper coupe in GTS blue (no stripes) and bright red (no stripes) in their “nex-gen muscle” series. They’re nicely detailed and only $3 at Walmart and
Target stores.

LIGHTS, SOUNDS, ACTION

Two battery-operated plastic toys are available from Road Rippers. The larger, 1/14 scale version comes in blue, orange, green or yellow, and features lights, sounds, and motion, including doing a wheelie! The smaller 1/24 scale version comes in silver, and in addition to lights and sounds, will do a burnout! Available at Target and Walmart.

HONORABLE MENTION

Unfortunately, no one offers a nicely detailed diecast model of the ’08 Viper in the popular 1/18 scale. The closest is AutoArt’s 2006 Viper SRT10® coupe. Even though it’s not an ’08, it deserves mentioning because of the incredible detailing, down to the seat belt buckles and trim that make it look very realistic. The AutoArt models retail for $99 and are available in red with white stripes or black with white stripes. AutoArt models are mainly available through online stores and automobilia stores like AutoZone Hobbies at www.autozonehobbies.com.

As with all Viper collectibles, if you want them, buy them now. Most Viper toys don’t stay on the market or the shelves for long, so once they’re gone, it’s hard to find them. Of course, most of the fun is in the hunt, so happy hunting!

Maurice Q. Liang is co-founder of the Viper Club of America and a rabid Viperabilia collector. You can contact him at [email protected].

By Alex Ristanovic

It was 15 years ago in April of this year that the Illinois Region Viper Club was founded, making it the oldest Viper Club region in the Viper Club of America. Its humble beginnings grew from a very modest group of members (about a dozen) supported by a budget less than what most of us carry in our pockets daily!

Fast forward to this day. Our club is just over 200 members strong and boasts an INCREDIBLY active membership with very diverse events. But one thing that has never changed is the heart and pride of the club. And after so many years of this active family being together, it was time to commemorate this 15th birthday milestone by throwing our biggest IL VCA Winter Fest party ever! The event was an elaborate affair, complete with a stunning location, extravagant displays, free raffle, goodie bags, auction, awards, entertainment, centerpiece giveaway, and some very special VIP guests. Oh, and we had some special “hardware” on hand as well …

The location was the well known Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill. The party was held as a Saturday evening celebration on Valentine’s Day. Members came from far and wide setting a milestone for attendance as 171 people came to show their support!

Upon entering the party, every member was greeted at the registration table and handed a VERY special goodie bag, raffle tickets, roses for the ladies, and a couple light up goodies. Upon setting foot into the main hall, eyes exploded as they witnessed a spectacle. Vipers were parked all over the inside of the ballroom! A row of every generation of Viper greeted you, in addition to a gleaming new Viper ACR in the center of the display. Also, a very special car loaned to us by our buddies at Chrysler … the Chrysler ME412. What other car company is this loyal to its customers? All the cars created a great place to hang out, have a drink, grab an appetizer, and settle in for a very special night.

The room was adorned with decorations. A tower of balloons stood 25 feet high at the entrance with a 12-ft movie screen dominating the center of the room. There was a massive merchandise display of all the club’s merchandise (over 100 different items!). The silent and live auction items were also on display. While there were too many auction items to name, among them were wild items like a custom painted Viper hood, a gas powered go-kart painted like a Viper ACR (with wing!), custom painted Viper mini refrigerators, and a 4-foot-tall perfect color replica of the IL club logo in solid polished aluminum! People were salivating.

Dinner kicked off and all through the meal we ran a free raffle that trickled thousands of dollars in raffle items to the group. As the desserts were served, our infamous entertainment segment began – this was to be the most jaw dropping ever with one heck of an agenda!

It began with a brief history of our club and a preview of the fun anniversary year to come. Then, an introduction of our current officers, as well as honoring our retiring officers with some very special gifts. This led into a wonderful segment with many guest speakers.

We were honored to be joined by so many VIPs, most traveling great distances to join us. To begin, we had our first IL Region President, Steve Ferguson, kick things off with stories of how the club started and shared his pride in seeing what his humble club had become. Next up we were honored to be joined by our current National President hailing from Kansas City, Chris Marshall, who spoke of the raffle car, the VCA, his impressions of the IL Region, and the future of the club. From Detroit, we were pleased to be joined by Chrysler’s Viper engine guru, Dick Winkles, manager, SRT® powertrain engineering and Viper electronics expert Ben Swears, SRT electrical systems engineer. They led us on a conversation about the Viper’s development, shared some funny stories, and held a good discussion about the new Mopar® engine controller. And last but not least, a face many of the IL Region members know well and are huge fans of, our friend and Sr. Vice President of Design for Chrysler, Ralph Gilles (with his wife Doris and kids alongside)! Ralph spoke of the company, sale of Viper, and joked of the memories he’s had with our members. Members were stunned at the well known panel of speakers they had the privilege to enjoy! It meant a lot to us.

Next came the big video segment, owed to the creativity of our Vice President, Gary Grube. A chilling and blood pumping 12-minute video montage ensued, beginning with a “high power” look at our last 15 years (goose bumps). Next, was a viewing of the award winning VOI.10 video commercial, then … the wildest IL VCA production in history! The “Ode to Viper” RAP! Yes folks, taking the words from Ralph Gilles’s VOI.10 “Ode to Viper,” the words were put to music and the IL VCA members built what was not only a WILDLY entertaining rap video, but perhaps the first possible hit single coming from the Viper Club! Hysteria broke out, Ralph’s face was priceless. The video ended with all the hilarious outtakes from the rap, members applauded in delight.

After the room settled down, the awards segment began and 25 members were honored for their contributions and accomplishments. Next we unveiled the 2009 club banner, held an unbelievable auction, and also gave away the very valuable centerpieces adorning the many tables. By the end of the evening, there was not an empty hand in the room nor a face without a smile, as members were floored by what they had just witnessed and received. One final thank you to the crowd that brought the group to its feet in applause, and of course, a repeat viewing of the IL VCA rap video to end the night!

Cheers to all those who attended this milestone event! This gathering was an example of what passion, caring, and pride can create. I’ve been a member of the IL Region myself since some of its earliest days under our first president. I’ve seen it evolve into something that is beyond special, something you have to experience to really understand. Words don’t do it justice, but I do know one word that sums this club up quite well … FAMILY!

By Michael Brett

VCA Minnesota members once again treated their sweethearts to a special Valentine’s Day dinner in Mexico followed by a week of fun in the sun. This year’s destination of Manzanillo proved to be every bit as enjoyable as Ixtapa; last year’s hiatus. Absolutely perfect weather conditions greeted us as we stepped off the plane and continued throughout our stay.

Our home for the week was the all inclusive picturesque Barceló Karmina Palace resort set directly on Manzanillo Bay. It’s spacious and exquisitely landscaped grounds coupled with multiple cascading pools fed by waterfalls made for a perfect setting in which to enjoy our winter escape. The food was plentiful and very appetizing, while the beverages were cold and never ending. Multiple restaurants and bars scattered throughout the property provided a variety of settings to fill a void at any time during the day into late evening. The Carioca restaurant located on the upper most elevated point of the resort surrounded by crashing waves on three sides far below provided a superb location for our more special of celebrations: Valentine’s Day, happy birthday Judy, and happy 8th anniversary Melanie and Jamie.

Even though the main purpose behind this vacation was to enjoy a leisurely time in the warmth, we did manage to pry ourselves away from the lounging chairs/beds on several occasions for an excursion away from the hotel. Our first such trip was into the Sierra Madres Mountains for a canopy tour. Arrangements were made for an open aired bus to pick us up and transport us to/from our hotel to the canopy tour facility high above the bay. Our route gave first time visitors to Mexico a closer look as we ventured through various parts of Manzanillo, several small authentic villages, and finally a one-lane twisty dirt trail up through the forest to the base facility of the canopy tour. At that point we were outfitted with the harness apparatus, helmets, and gloves, which would connect us with the cables in our effortless ride back down. After being outfitted we embarked on another three-hundred plus foot climb along a dirt path to the summit and cable number one. Along the way we maneuvered across a rather lengthy rope bridge spanning a smaller valley, which prevented our assent from being even more of a challenge. The view from the top was spectacular but at the same time just a bit intimidating as the cables seemed to disappear as they stretched across the valley below to the other side. The landing points appeared visible on the opposite peak, but the cables themselves became invisible as they stretched toward those points. One by one our tour guides provided instruction then attached us to the cables and sent us on our way. Cheers of support rang out as each person began hurtling across the cables and applause greeted everyone upon approach to the landing area on the far side. In between the only sounds were of the pulleys whistling upon the cables and the wind blowing through the canyon walls of the valley below. Although my guess would be that several participants did hear their hearts pounding since many in our group had never ridden a rip line prior to this adventure. At several points during the crossings wind gusts would cause you to spin enabling you to not only see up, down, and where you were headed, but also where you had come from. There were five such cable crossings prior to returning to our starting point near the base facility. Upon our arrival back at base our tour guides treated us to ice cold beverages made from the local flora followed by garden salad and pizza. One member of our group had an extreme fear of heights and to watch her connect to those first cables, then become more confident, and finally master the cables as we made our decent was very enjoyable for all who participated. WAY TO GO Carolynn!

The following day was one of rest for all but two of our more ambitious members in attendance who spent the day deep sea fishing in search of Marlin or Sail Fish. Unfortunately they returned without landing the big one, but not unrewarded. Several hours into the trip their boat came across a pod of Porpoises, which best guesstimates numbered about a hundred. The boat made multiple passes along side the pod in an attempt to lure any fish following the pod, but to no avail. The Porpoises although did put on quite a show for our members with all of their breaching, spinning, and darting. Even the young ones seemed to enjoy entertaining the strangers. The lack of action on the fish lines allowed one of our members to capture a majority of the frolicking on his DVR—fabulous footage Jerry.

Thursday was ATV day with about half of our group electing to participate. Again we were shuttled between our hotel and the ATVs aboard an open aired bus. Upon arrival we were outfitted with the necessary apparel, provided instruction on vehicle operation, and then allowed to practice before hitting the trails. Our route took us up a dirt road across the foothills and down to the jungle near the beach. At one point we were led into and through the dense jungle on a trail so narrow there was little room for error. We emerged from the jungle to a mostly arid area filled with cactus just short of the beach. From there it was a wide open run along an extended area of beach with the waves crashing just feet away. During this dash we came across two Mexican Marine patrols guarding particular areas of the beach, which we were informed were sea turtle nesting areas. As we slowly approached the patrols they seemed quite intimidating since they were in full gear with automatic weapons, but whether we were told the truth or not it mattered little as this encounter turned out to be a non-event. After guiding our machines along a specific route through that particular area of the beach we were back under way. A water break near the half way point along our beach chase near a very large rock protrusion providing shade, enabled us to stretch a bit while enjoying some ice cold water. It was then back on the machines for another dash along the sandy beach before reaching an area of sand dunes. These dunes measured about 300 feet long by 50 or so feet high. They turned us loose and we had a blast chasing each other up, down and all around. We took another short water break before beginning our trek back to the ATV facility via a different route through some of the ranch land along the foothills. All in all it was an exhilarating and enjoyable day.

The remainder of our vacation was spent lounging, conversing, reading, eating, drinking, joking, and laughing. Not to say we lay totally motionless as there were long walks along the beach accompanied by the crashing surf, snorkeling in the lagoon, body surfing at Miramar Beach, several shopping excursions, and beach volleyball. Team Viper performed much better this year than last putting down more than 80 percent of our competition—great work Captain Ray and team.

We ended our vacation as it had begun with a special celebration. This one away from the hotel at the L’Recif Restaurant located atop the foothills stretching down into the Pacific. The rocks below were lighted with spotlights so even after witnessing a fabulous sunset we could not only enjoy the sound but also the sight of the pounding waves. Leave it to this group to turn a non-descript event such as dinner into an adventure. We divided into two groups and loaded into our respective Suburbans for the trip from our hotel to the restaurant. During a routine stop at a stop light in route, Heather rolled down her window and issued the challenge by stating “You are going down.” No need to relate to anyone reading this magazine that a Viper owner will take even the smallest of challenges and turn it into a major competition; we are no different so the race was on. Our vehicle got caught behind some traffic leaving the other vehicle substantially in the lead. But not to be denied our driver pulled a move that would leave even the most experienced Viper driver proud. After determining weaving through traffic would gain us little our driver dove down onto the service road paralleling the highway. Utilizing a little toe and heel action he feathered us along on the service road to a stop light that had halted the competition’s movement. At the exact moment the left turn light signaled go he veered back into the left turn lane then back onto the highway for a lead we would not relinquish. The remainder of the trip saw multiple blocking moves as he kept the “other” guys from mounting any sort of real challenge. For his efforts our driver was amply rewarded by the winners.

A very enjoyable dinner ensued filled with lively discussion and laughter; a perfect way to put a wrap on our week of leisure. Following dinner it was back to the Suburbans for what was assumed to be an uneventful trip back to the hotel. Shortly after reaching the highway our vehicles were stopped and confronted by masked men all dressed in black supporting automatic weapons. We had found ourselves in the middle of a drug inspection being executed by Federal and local police. All occupants of the lead vehicle were forced to exit the vehicle while it was searched. Our vehicle fortunately was allowed to continue without a search, but our driver did proceed very slowly along the shoulder of the road until our friends were safely back in their vehicle and on their way. Once again this turned out to be a non-event, but the episode was a very sobering experience illustrating that it is a totally changed world no matter where you find yourself.

VCA MN’s ‘09 winter get away was equally successful if not more so than last year’s trip. This one may have even been a bit more special because not only did it provide a much needed respite from a very long and cold winter here in the Great White North, but it also enabled us to escape the gloom and doom of our current economic conditions if even for only a short time. Proof our trip was well received by all in attendance was evident through the numerous discussions surrounding where and when in 2010 prior to us ever arriving at the airport for our return trip home. Early indications point to VCA MN sharing our charm and wit with a Caribbean destination early next year. Viva VCA.

By Roger Meiners

The cities of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Carlisle, Pa., each hosted “firsts” in the world of the Viper this year. The two events were widely separated geographically and worlds apart in terms of publicity.

Scottsdale in January saw the Serial #1 50th Anniversary Hurst/Viper unveiled at the Barrett-Jackson auction. The satin-gold Viper (with gloss black stripes) sold for a record-breaking $250,000 to Tammy Allen of Grand Junction, Colo., as a cluster of cameras recorded the floodlit scene. The media glare was for a good cause: The profits from the sale were donated to charity by the Woodhouse Auto Family—exclusive dealers for the Hurst/Vipers.

Carlisle, by contrast, was the almost-anonymous debut of the first regular-production white/gold Hurst/Viper, the Serial #3 car after the two gold ones (see the Summer 2009 issue of VM—the story on Tammy Allen). It appeared quietly and parked amid a sparkling rainbow of Conner-built Vipers at the Carlisle All-Chrysler Nationals. It wasn’t there long before it fled the scene as a thunderstorm approached. We grabbed a photo of this beauty before it escaped.

These special Vipers are among fifty snakes being built by the Woodhouse Auto Family and Hurst Performance Vehicles. The Hurst/Viper will be available only in Hurst’s legendary color combinations of black-with-gold stripes and white-with-gold stripes.

The Hurst/Viper consists of a $25,999 option package which includes Moton Club Sport adjustable coil-over suspension with Eibach springs; Corsa track exhaust and a Hurst HARD-DRIVE® gold pistol-grip shifter. All cars come with special Hurst forged aluminum wheels. Each wheel is stamped with the car’s VIN number.

Cosmetics include Hurst design painted stripes, a special Katzkin charcoal leather interior with Hurst embroidered logos, gold thread detailing and perforated leather inserts. The package also gets custom embroidered mats and a custom car cover. Each vehicle is fitted with a serialized number plate.

Bill Pemberton, Woodhouse Viper and SRT® specialist says, “The suspension set-up and the Corsa exhaust is fitted by Woodhouse Dodge. Because this is a joint Hurst/Woodhouse venture, other options like Belanger Headers, Quaife rear end and beyond can be installed by Woodhouse. In fact each Hurst/Viper built so far has been a unique car.”

The Woodhouse Dodge store in Blair, Neb., has been number one in new Dodge Viper SRT10® sales for the past 8 years. This dealer also has extensive experience in modifying Vipers, including supercharging. Woodhouse was recommended to Hurst by DC Performance, a Viper tuner in Los Angeles. Woodhouse and Hurst also collaborated on the Hurst/Challenger—Woodhouse Dodge is the exclusive dealer for all supercharged versions of this model.

Hurst was founded in 1958 to manufacture transmission shifters (think Linda Vaughn draped over a giant Hurst shifter riding on the back of a Hurst/Olds). Hurst Performance was one of the first specialty companies to partner with
OEMs, building the Hurst/Olds 442 back in the 1960s. Hurst built the legendary 1968 HEMI®-powered lightweight A-Body Dodge Dart and Plymouth Barracuda drag racing cars that have dominated their Super Stock class for over 40 years in the NHRA. These HEMI A-Bodies run in the popular Mopar® HEMI Challenge series (See www.moparspeed.com for more info).

The Hurst/Viper is a striking alternative for an enthusiast who wants something special, something that comes with the legend of Hurst and up-to-the minute Viper performance.

Jim Elser’s sanity is in question.

Now, don’t get the wrong idea. The Marietta, Ga., resident doesn’t talk to himself or take visits from little green men. His 59-year-old mind runs as well as a Viper V-10 engine. But to some his collection of Vipers and Viper memorabilia is a bit, well, extreme. Funny thing is, Elser would be the first to admit—and proudly—that he’s got Viper on his mind!

“Most people say I went off the deep end with so much Viper stuff,” says Elser, cheerfully. “Most people find it unbelievable you can collect so many things to go with a car.” (These people are most definitely not VCA members).

Elser, owner of a small building maintenance company, has been a member of the Georgia VCA since the club was formed in 1997. The loyal Chrysler and Mopar® enthusiast purchased his first Viper in 1993, sparking a life long passion for the Snake.

“I’m a diehard Chrysler person and I have been for years,” Elser explains. “I had a Dodge Stealth, and when I heard they were building the Viper, I sold the Stealth and bought my first Viper back in 1993. My brother still has the car today.”

The former Georgia VCA vice president is certainly a Dodge boy through-and-through. His collection features three Vipers—a ’96, ’06 Viper Coupe and ’09 Viper ACR. He also owns a 1957 Dodge Sweptside pickup, ’78 and ’79 Lil’ Red Express trucks, ’96 Dodge Ram Indy Pace Truck and 2004 Viper-powered Dodge Ram SRT10®—one of only 50 built.

The collection isn’t limited to the four walls of Elser’s garage. His basement is also brimming with memorabilia—and cars. He houses five of his Mopars in a car vault in his basement. “The whole basement is Viper and Mopar—that’s what it’s all about,” states Elser emphatically.

Elser’s memorabilia collection can stack up with that of the most fanatic VCA member. Finding a spot in the basement or garage not covered with a piece of Mopar or Viper paraphernalia is downright impossible. Diecasts, Matchbox cars, banners, posters, pictures—if it’s got a Viper or Mopar logo, Elser has it—or is trying to get it. He’s been assembling his collection since the mid-1980s.

“I’m still looking for things on eBay every day,” Elser says.

All told, the Georgian’s basement-and-garage Viper shrine clocks in at a highly crammed 5,000 square feet. Craftsman tool boxes line the wall of his basement, and the garage accommodates a DoubleParkTM Cytech 4-post lift.

As for the time and money spent on his Viper domicile? Well, that’s a topic Elser would rather avoid—especially if his wife, Ann, happens to read this article.

“I don’t know,” he responds, hesitantly, to the “how much” question. “A lot of money. Probably more money than I want to know. It’s one of those things you don’t want to keep up with—especially if your wife figures it out.”

We have some bad news for Ann—Jim isn’t finished adding to his collection just yet.

“It keeps going,” says Elser, who has attended every VOI except one. “Some day I’m going to build another garage to hold six more cars. I said the Viper I just bought might be my last, but, hey—who knows what the next model might be!”

The verdict is in, Mr. Elser. You are definitely crazy—Viper crazy. And that’s the best kind of crazy to be!

The Illinois VCA boasts one of the most enthusiastic membership bases and schedules an extensive and exciting slate of events—the inaugural VCA chapter is about as active as a five-year-old jacked up on Mountain Dew! That passion is also on display at the many charitable activities the club takes part in.

One charity the IL VCA supports is the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative (IFI), a statewide charity that promotes responsible fathering by helping to equip men with the tools to become better fathers. The IFI’s annual celebrity golf outing took place on July 8 at Makray Memorial Golf Club in Barrington, Ill., and the IL VCA pitched in to lend a helping hand once again.

“We’ve worked with IFI for the last four years,” said Alex Ristanovic, IL VCA president. “David Hirsch is an IL VCA member and founder of the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative. Each year he hosts a celebrity golf outing to raise money for the charity. The event is usually several days and has included dinner fundraisers as well as activity days for kids.”

Despite interference by Mother Nature in the form of rain sprinkles, a large group of Viper owners turned out to display their cars near the main entrance to the golf club, where the charity dinner took place. A large number of celebrities were in attendance, including comedian Tom Dreesen, former Chicago Bears NFL players Kevin Butler and Richard Dent, Pat McCaskey, Director of the Chicago Bears, and Chicago Blackhawks NHL hockey legend Stan Mikita.

The dinner featured a live auction, and, of course, IL VCA members couldn’t resist wading into the bidding! Members Larry and Nancy Friend placed the winning bid for a package that included tickets to an Elton John concert at Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field, as well as tickets to a number of Chicago sporting events. All told, the IL VCA helped IFI raise $54,000 at the event. Just another day’s work for the Viper Club of America.

“Our goal has always been to draw eyes to the event and bring attention to the cause,” said Ristanovic. “What better way to do it than with our Vipers! We’re also a sponsor of the IFI. We donate some of our charity monies earned through our club banner program to help the IFI.

“It’s an extraordinary group of people to say the least! Every year we meet new celebrities. I once even bumped into Mike Ditka after his round of golf. We’re proud to be a sponsor of the IFI and the work this local charity does.”

For more information on the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, visit www.4fathers.org.

By Darren Jacobs

Bill Clinton. George W. Bush. Steve Wedel. What common experience links these three men? All have served in the role of president—Clinton and Bush as president of the U.S., Wedel as prez of the Viper Nation (a far more important job, as far as Viper owners are concerned).

So what has former President Wedel been up to following his 2005–2006 term as head of the VCA? Attending each and every VCA event his schedule allows and enjoying his role as a “Viper statesman!”

“It’s said in every part of the world that you purchase the Viper because of the love for the car, but you stay in the VCA because of the love for the people,” observed Wedel. “I don’t know which I love more, the car or the people. They’re equal and intertwined. However, there is no automotive experience like driving a Viper.”

Wedel embarked on his life-changing Viper experience in 1995, when the St. Louis resident purchased a black 1994 Viper RT/10 and founded the Gateway chapter of the VCA. After leading the Gateway club in its formative years in his role as president from 1995–2000, Wedel served as Director at Large for the Midwest Region (2001–2002), National VCA Secretary (2003–2004), National VCA President (2005–2006) and as a member of the VCA Board of Directors as a past president (2007–2008).

“I really miss the people,” Wedel said. “I especially miss not spending time with my fellow National board members, Vice-President Don Parsons, Secretary Kingman Hitz and Treasurer Bob Carroll. I miss being on the inside with regards to Chrysler and VCA. Being a part of the inside is really exciting, especially when it’s your hobby.”

Wedel cites a more business-like approach to club accounting procedures as the most important achievement he and his board accomplished.

“I believe in team management. What we had was four presidents,” Wedel recalled. “We equally worked on getting the VCA budget above water.”

Wedel in his post-presidency has taken a page from Jack Kerouac’s playbook, heading out on the road and making up for the many times he was unable to take to the wheel of his Viper while attending to his presidential Viper duties. He enjoys the perks of tooling around in a Viper, such as the outrageous reactions the public often exhibits for the Snake.

“St. Louis has a very large St. Patrick’s Day parade, and the VCA led the parade three years in a row,” Wedel recalled. “One year, as we were in the middle of the parade, a young lady came running out of the crowd, leapt over the door and landed in the empty passenger seat. The crowd went wild, of course!”

Evidence of Wedel’s devotion to the Viper can be found at his home. He has owned five Vipers, with four still taking up residence in his expansive St. Louis garage. The “firstborn” RT/10 remains, modified by Hennessey, which served as Wedel’s track car until last year. His “Fab Four” is rounded out by a blue-with-white-stripes 1996 GTS, a yellow 2005 SRT10® convertible (Wedel’s wife, Lynn, claims that Snake as her own) and his “baby,” a 2008 violet Viper ACR, one of only four produced, and now used by Wedel as his track car.

Could Wedel choose a fave Viper?

“I have two daughters, Lisa and Megan, and if you asked me which of the two would be my favorite, the answer is that I love the both of them equally,” said Wedel. “The RT/10 is the one we all fell in love with. Then the GTS comes out and just knocks your socks off. Then the SRT10 comes out with higher performance and a new body, then the convertible, then the SRT10 coupe, then the ultimate, the ACR. It’s why I own four. I can’t pick one over the other. I love them equally, just as I love my daughters equally.”

Wedel’s Viper passion has been fueled by his business, Four Seasons Wealth Management. He received a national award in 1994 recognizing him as one of the top financial advisors in America. Early in 2009, Barron’s Magazine named Wedel as one of the top 1,000 financial advisors in America and in the top three in Missouri. “I’m very proud of my professional success, which has helped me enjoy Viper ownership,” Wedel said.

The Viper has also helped Wedel make a positive difference in the world through his charitable work with the VCA.

“There are two things I’m very proud of,” he explained. “My very first act as a member of the Gateway club was to establish a charitable relationship with the Make-a-Wish foundation, and since 1995 we have been the official car of Make-a-Wish for Missouri and Illinois. We have raised thousands and thousands of dollars.” Wedel has also worked with the Gateway club to start a RidemakerZ Build-a-Viper charity event to help a local children’s hospital in St. Louis.

Wedel has a closing message for VCA members.

“I strongly urge the VCA members to get involved in their club,” exhorted Wedel. “The more you give, the more you get back. Once you experience that giving and how much you get back, I highly recommend taking it to the next level and volunteering as a Zone Director, Director at Large and then on to the National Board.”

Mike Briggs of BBK Performance says you can get an extra 10 hp on average from your 2003–2006 Viper engines (including Ilmor marine applications) by replacing the 62 mm factory throttle body with a 67 mm piece from BBK. Briggs sent along some photos showing how to make the change. We have not tested it, but would welcome your comments if you try one out. Send your cards and letters to the editor.

Note: How-to install photos and captions courtesy of BBK Performance. Space limitations do not permit coverage of all aspects; therefore, please refer to the detailed instructions included with the manufacturer’s kit. The procedures and comments in the article do not reflect the opinions and endorsements of Chrysler Group LLC or J.R. Thompson Company.

By Clint Shearer

This is a story of what ended up being far more of an adventure than I would have ever believed and the great people that gave me a hand in getting through it.

Last December I purchased a supercharged 2005 Viper Copperhead on the Internet. The car was located near Los Angeles and I live in the Seattle area. As many of you know, buying a Viper can be a stressful experience. Lucky for me DC Performance just happened to be three miles from the dealer that was selling the car. When I called DC I didn’t know what to expect. I asked them if they would do an inspection on the car for me. They responded with an extremely positive attitude! They took it upon themselves to acquire the car, road test it and do a very thorough inspection. They found only a few minor problems.

The dealer, Front Line Leasing of Los Angeles, stepped right up and fixed the problems without any hassle. It was nice to deal with such a stand-up dealer.

Now that the inspection was done and the work was completed I headed to L.A. to pick up my new pride and joy. The excitement level of that day is the only kind a person can feel when they are going off into the unknown, looking forward to the new car and the adventure of driving it up the West Coast.

Upon my arrival in L.A. I headed to the dealer and picked up the new car. I cruised the few miles through L.A. with the top down feeling like a proud new father, watching as people’s heads turned and camera phones pointed in my direction all the way to DC Performance.

Tony and Dan, from DC Performance, had invited me to stop by and said they would go over the car with me. When I arrived at DC, the parking lot and shop where full of Vipers! These guys were obviously very busy. Tony and Dan welcomed me in and didn’t rush or try to get me out the door. Dan actually went over my new car with me as if I had just bought a new car from him. Being as this is my first SRT®, he explained where everything was and told me of some of the major differences from my GTS.

Thank you Tony and Dan for putting up with me calling five times a day and welcoming me in when I got there. You guys took the stress out of my buying experience!

THE JOURNEY TO WASHINGTON

I immediately headed north from there about noon on Friday. The weather forecast for the Portland area was calling for snow on Sunday and I knew I needed to get north of Portland before the storm hit; there was also snow in the Siskyous in northern California and southern Oregon.

Knowing of the snow in the Siskiyous, I headed for San Francisco so that I could drive up HWY 101 on the coast and avoid the bad weather in the mountains. As I drove up the 101 in California with the top down and the music up I was having an incredible time rushing through the amazing Redwood forest feeling like a million bucks.

I stopped and got a room in the small town of Garberville and got up early the next day to a small crowd of people standing around my car. After talking to everyone and opening the hood for a while I headed out.

That day I drove up the coast of California and then Oregon. I got north of the snowy mountain passes and made the jump over to Interstate 5 to head north to Portland.

THE WEATHER TURNS

This is where things started to get a little more interesting. I was in Albany, Ore., about seventy miles from Portland on early Friday evening when I got a call from a friend in Portland telling me that it was snowing. The forecasters had missed it and the storm hit the Portland area a day and a half earlier than they had said before.

It was raining where I was and I thought to myself, “No big deal if it starts getting bad. I will just stop and hole up at a hotel.” Boy was I wrong!

It was as if someone had drawn a line on the freeway. I was about fifty miles from Portland at this time and it went from rain to snow instantly. The first exit ramp I arrived at had more than six inches of snow standing on it. I had to keep going on the freeway as I knew if I hit the deeper snow on the exit ramp I would be stuck.

I traveled north in the snow, white knuckled and at a stress level I don’t know if I have ever been at in my life, just trying to find an exit ramp (with a hotel) that looked like I could make it down. Before I could find an exit I was faced with the I-5 and I-205 junction. Remembering the large sweeping overpasses on I-5 in the Portland area I went for the I-205 exit ramp. I barely made it! The snow on the ramp was deeper than the snow on the freeway and it just about stuck me. After getting on to the 205, I was faced with 4x4s that had slid off into the ditch, several trucks stuck in the middle of the freeway putting chains on, and all the time they were being passed by some nutcase in a Dodge Viper.

WORST ROAD CONDITIONS IN 40 YEARS

For more than forty miles I was driving in some of the worst conditions I have ever seen on a freeway. I would later hear on the news that it was the largest single snow storm in the Portland area since 1980 and the worst road conditions seen in 40 years. Chains were required on vehicles traveling on all metro highways and freeways at the time.

I finally saw an opportunity to free myself and my car from this situation. There was a hotel that I could see from the freeway, the exit ramp was uphill but looked clear and I took a shot at it. I came rolling up the exit ramp knowing I could not stop. I rolled through the intersection onto another intersection and ran a stop sign right in front of a cop that couldn’t believe his eyes. He must have been feeling for me—he never came after me.

I made it into the covered lobby entrance of the hotel and stopped. There was about an inch of snow that had blown in under there and I was stuck in that one inch of snow.

After a little struggling, I got the car away from the lobby entrance and half way into the closest parking spot.
I was so relieved to be off the freeway that I wasn’t even worried about what was next. It was Saturday night and I would deal with this in the morning, I thought to myself.

With the morning came even worse weather, it had not warmed up at all and we had even more snow.

Not knowing who I could call for help in the Portland area I called my good friend James Retych; who is also our Western Zone DAL. James’s first response was, “I will be there as soon as I can,” but it was also bad in Seattle and it would not have been a good idea to bring a trailer through the poor weather conditions. James then gave me his friend Jay Connelly’s phone number, a Portland area VCA member that I could contact.

I then went to the Oregon VCA Web page for the phone number of the Oregon chapter president Cody Reich and visited PartsRack.com for owner Jon B’s contact information.

First call was to Jay. His wife Rhona answered the phone I introduced myself and she told me that Jay was not available at the moment. She then tried to help me and said she would have Jay call me back. I then called Jon B and Cody and left messages for them as neither were able to answer.

My thought at this time was that I was on my own. Who would call back to help a stranger when they are fighting the same conditions themselves? As it turns out, Viper people call back!

My phone started ringing off the hook! Jay called and said he knew people at the local Dodge dealer that he could ask if they could take my car. He also helped me find a Viper friendly tow truck to get it there. He even offered to let me stay at his house if I had to stay in town.

Jon B also called back immediately. He was stuck in a terrible snow storm himself with his own problems, but took the time to offer his advice and tell me of other Viper club members in the area that I could contact. He also suggested some towing companies and said to call him anytime if I thought he could help. Cody then called me back to see if he could be of any assistance.

As it turned out the larger Dodge dealers in town were not open due to the terrible weather, but Tonkin Dodge, a small older dealership in the Gladstone, Ore., area, answered their phone. I told Jolynne Baertlein of my problems and asked if they could hold onto my car for me until the storm cleared. Her immediate answer was “no problem” to my relief and amazement.

The people at Tonkin Dodge welcomed me in; the entire sales staff helped me get my car through the snow into their service department. Jaron Watkins, a sales person, even waited for me to catch a ride out of there once my car was safe and sound. They are a great bunch of people at that dealership and I can’t thank them enough!

In conclusion, maybe I should have listened to all the people that told me that I should ship the car home. There was a bunch of them, from my father to co-workers and other VCA members like Mr. Paul Ronald.

But in retrospect I’m glad I did drive it back. It was an adventure from start to finish and life is about the little adventures that we embark on. It may have been stressful at times but in the end my car and I came through unscathed.

This adventure also helped restore some faith in my fellow man; it is very rare that I am in the position of needing or asking for any kind of help. I am more of the kind of person that is overly prepared and does the rescuing of others. It was a very nice surprise to see how people responded to me needing a hand. It was overwhelming. From my close friends willing to come and get me, to complete strangers linked to me only through a car willing to step in and do all they could.

Most cars will get you to where you are going. The Viper can really take you some place, a place where you will have friends wherever you go, a place where every turn of the key is a new adventure. I could not imagine another car club that is as tight knit, trusting and helpful as the VCA.

They say you come for the car but you will end up staying for the people; I understand more than ever what that is about.