From Dream to Reality: Fall River Man Lists Dodge Viper for Sale

Back in the 90s, a Dodge Viper was the dream car for many, and years later, one Fall River man made his dream come true. Now, he’s putting his Viper up for sale, giving another person a chance to live out their sports car fantasy.

Jon Manchester bought his 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10 Roadster three years ago, something he never thought he’d be able to do.

“I saw my first Dodge Viper when I was 12 years old, and always thought I could never afford one,” he said. “So when I was 14, I bought a Dodge Neon, because that’s all that I could afford.”

The Dodge Viper: A 90s Dream Car

The Dodge Neon, one of the most ubiquitous cars of the 1990s, was a far cry from a Dodge Viper. The Viper, which first rolled off the assembly line in late 1991, worked its way into both the racing world and the pop culture zeitgeist in no time at all. Red Sox slugger Mo Vaughn owned one, as did pro wrestler Hulk Hogan and rocker Jon Bon Jovi. Jay Leno owns two, including one he bought for himself right after he first landed the permanent hosting job of The Tonight Show back in 1992.

Plus, how many other cars had their own television series?

From Dodge Neon to Dodge Viper

So it’s no surprise that a young Jon Manchester would dream of someday owning one, even as he tooled around in his Neon.

“Years and years went by and I became a mechanic, because cars are my passion,” he said. “I worked full-time at a local tire shop and could only get the bills paid with that paycheck, so I started taking on side work, fixing cars after hours.”

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Manchester said that after three years of working from 7 a.m. to midnight six days a week, he was able to not only buy his dream car, but also open up his own repair shop in Fall River, Manchester Automotive. He also continued upgrading the Viper, while never losing his love for his first car, either; Manchester still owns two Dodge Neons in addition to his Viper.

One of them, which he has owned for six years, has around 400 horsepower and he said it is faster than the Viper when he takes them to the New England Dragway.

“The Neon runs the quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds, the Viper runs it in 12.1 seconds,” Manchester said.

Selling the Dream: Viper Up for Sale

If you’ve always wanted a Dodge Viper of your own, you’re in luck. Manchester recently put his up for sale on Facebook Marketplace with an asking price of $50,000. Anyone interested in purchasing it should reach out to him via Facebook and schedule a time to see the car, so he can go over with you all the upgrades he’s made.