Jay Leno Shows Off His Mint 1993 Dodge Viper RT/10
Dodge Viper RT/10 was purchased new and it has been in Leno’s collection the entire time.
Jay Leno recently spent time with his 1993 Dodge Viper RT/10 on the Jay Leno’s Garage YouTube channel. Leno typically showcases cars owned by other collectors, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the famous television personality hasn’t been able to bring guests into his lavish garage. Instead, Leno has been featuring unique vehicles from his own, massive collection and one of those vehicles was his black 1993 Viper.
In the video below, Jay Leno talks about his 1993 Viper, praising just about every aspect of the car while giving us a look at the classic supercar from every angle. He also provides a healthy dose of history on the car and how it came to production. Of course, he also hits the road, sharing his driving impressions of the car along with some stories of his time in the first generation Viper.
1993 Dodge Viper Introduction
The video begins with a quick clip of Leno piloting his black 1993 Dodge Viper RT/10 before heading back to his sprawling garage for a closer look at the car. During this drive, he calls it an “ow my hair kinda car,” following that up with “you don’t want to go on a first date in a viper because she’s probably not going to come back”.
Once in the shop, Leno explains that in 27 years, he has only washed the car once a year or so. As a result, the paint is still gorgeous. The only real issue is that the interior plastic is fading a bit. He explains that this was the most brutal edition of the Viper, coming with no air bags and no antilock braking system. He points out that when the RT/10 was introduced with 400 horsepower, it seemed unbelievable, out-gunning the Corvette ZR1. Plus, with 465 lb-ft, the first Viper was a “torque monster”.
Next, Leno talks about the invention of the Viper. Bob Lutz drove and loved a classic Shelby Cobra and he suggested to Tom Gale that they should create a modern car that offered the same feeling. They talked about a V8, but went with a V10 instead. As most people know, Lamborghini helped with the casting of the first aluminum V10 engine, measuring 488 cubic inches. At $50,000, it was expensive when the Viper hit the market, but it was considerably less than the top-of-the-line Corvette. The only cars at that time with more power were foreign exotics, all of which cost far more.
Leno ends this first segment by explaining that he ordered the first black Viper in 1993, but Tom Gale got the first one. The TV funnyman had to settle for the second black RT/10.
Under the Hood
Next, Jay Leno opens the clamshell hood, reminding us that early on, the huge hood was the most expensive single part that you could buy for any American car.
Due to some “teething issues” Chrysler came by Leno’s garage to replace the pistons and rings when the car had around a thousand miles on it. Leno then sent the car to Hennessey Performance, where they installed the engine air intake system, the exhaust system and the rear gearing, swapping out the stock gears for a set of 3.77s.
Today, Leno’s 1993 Viper has less than 10,000 miles on the odometer, but he hasn’t had any issues. Maintenance is simple, as he has just changed fluids regularly, but all of the drivetrain bits are “bulletproof”. He points out that “most of these are beaten within an inch of their life and they take it pretty well”.
Looking Out Back
Jay Leno then heads to the rear of his 1993 Viper, pointing out the whip antenna and the fact that when he was in high school, people used to break antennas off when they got in fights to use as weapons.
He opens the trunk, showing us the tonneau cover and the spare. He points out that he hates that modern cars don’t come with spare tires, as the fix-it kits never work. The tonneau isn’t an anti-theft piece, but he carries it in the trunk in case he hits rain. He also shows us the elaborate owner’s manual, which he states has not been opened for at least 20 years.
Check Out the Interior
When Jay Leno gets into the driver’s seat, he calls the cabin crude, explaining that it didn’t use the highest grade plastic. At one point, he used a cleaner that damaged the dash plastic, which led him to come up with his own line of detailing products. There are some other issues in the cabin, like a broken door handle trim piece.
He goes on to praise the simple steering wheel while giving us a look at all of the gauges. The early Viper does not have air conditioning, but it does have an AM/FM/cassette radio, a cigarette lighter and a “stupid little ash tray”. He calls the seats “quite comfortable” and that the car is “as basic as it gets, pretty easy to work on”.
He follows the interior segment with a quick look at the accessory package, which includes the tonneau cover, the folding top, the side windows and a bag for the rear glass. Leno also has a custom metal roof that was built by Metalcrafters, as he is friends with the owners of that well-known fabrication company.
He closes the static portion of this review by stating that “the days of building an out and out American roadster are gone”.
Hitting the Road
Finally, Jay Leno heads out onto the road with his 1993 Dodge Viper RT/10. He proclaims that the Viper made the Corvette better, as Chevrolet had its first competition in ages, forcing them to improve their sports car. As the Corvette improved, so did the Viper. Since this generation Viper is fairly rare, he expects them to continue increasing in value and that anyone who has a chance to buy one, should do so.
Leno goes on to call his Viper the “father of the Hellcat”, pointing out that many people burned their legs on the side pipes when getting in and out of the car. He then tells a story about how he and his wife were preparing to attend the Emmys and he had to pick up his wife’s black dress from the cleaners. He took the Viper, laying the dress on the front seat as he took the long way home. During a hard pull, the dress blew up and out, but he was able to catch it by the hanger, saving himself from certain doom when he got home.
As the video ends, Leno heads off for a day of cruising in perfect California weather, stating that “Chrysler did a good job of building a modern version of the cobra without it looking like a cobra”.
Crank up your speakers and enjoy!
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