For most car enthusiasts, a 1999 Dodge Viper RT with just 800 miles on the odometer would be a collector’s holy grail, a pristine classic American supercar to be tucked away in a garage, admired but rarely driven. But for Justin Moore, a self-proclaimed car guy from North Carolina, that low-mileage Viper wasn’t destined for a life of storage. It was a venomous monster meant to be unleashed.
Justin’s love affair with Vipers began long before he ever turned a key. Justin has the classic “It was the poster on my wall as a child” story. Over the years, he owned a mix of cars. But the Viper? That was the poster car, the one that lingered in his imagination rent free for all of these years.
Fate intervened one day when Justin, staying with some friends, was casually browsing Facebook Marketplace. There it was: a mint condition 1999 Viper RT with only 800 original miles. The owner was the former president of the North Carolina Viper Club of America (VCA). The seller had kept the car in and out of storage, alongside a ’97 blue Viper with similarly low miles. After a year of ownership, he was ready to move on to his next Viper. Justin didn’t need much convincing, the car and dream sold itself.
To make the passing of the keys that much more special when the Dodge Viper pulled in a 42-foot gooseneck trailer, it was hauling not just the car but boxes of photos and memorabilia from his days with Team Viper. He gave Justin the tour, sharing stories of the car’s history. It was a surreal moment for Justin, who’d grown up idolizing the Viper’s raw, untamed spirit.
Due to the extremely low miles, the car wasn’t exactly turn key. It still had its original 25-year-old tires and some tired rubber components. Before racking up miles, Justin replaced the tires, shocks and seals to get the Viper road ready. In his first year of ownership, he piled on 3,500 miles. That’s more than triple the mileage the car had seen in its previous 25 years.
Now settled in the mountains of North Carolina, Justin’s Viper is no garage queen. He’s driven it to meets, where it’s often the only one in the lot, drawing crowds over the modern supercars of today. Justin’s Viper doesn’t just stand out, as he doesn’t baby it either. Although he’s still never driven it in the rain, a little morning dew hasn’t stopped him. This isn’t for drive-throughs or short errands; it’s built for the open road, and Justin uses it that way.
Besides making it road worthy, Justin upgraded to a cat-back system with side pipes, done right. Looking ahead, Justin plans a few more mods, including headers, 3.55 gear swap, tune and new wheels. Nothing crazy, just enough to make it his own without taking anything away. When asked if he regretted buying collector-grade compared to driver-quality, Justin said, “I don’t regret spending the money for a collector-grade car and then investing more into it,” he says. “It’s worth it for the experience.”
Even his wife, who isn’t a car person, gets it. She loves the Viper’s unique personality and the way it turns heads. Justin just crossed a year of ownership, and as he heads into prime driving season, the odometer keeps climbing. For him, the Viper isn’t a trophy car. It’s a living, breathing extension of a lifelong passion. While others might lock away such a low-mileage gem, Justin Moore is out there driving his dream.
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