Hobbies
I. Collecting Money
I find money collecting a fascinating hobby. I am a passive numismatist for almost 14 years.
Since I’m not obsessed with completing collections, I am rather acquiring only those notes, which I find attractive and interesting. There are so many beautiful and interesting types of paper money available it seems foolish to buy something that doesn’t really impress you only to complete a set, which has probably been completed previously by hundreds of other collectors.
Collecting paper money, perhaps more than any other field of numismatics allows the collector to spread their wings and fly in any direction they choose.
Collecting paper money is not a very affordable, but an enjoyable hobby. Most of my paper money looks to me like works of art. Seeing the real thing is even more impressive.
As soon I manage to scan the whole collection I’ll post few articles dedicated to world coin collectors and world currency collectors.
II. Photography
Among my most passionate of interests is also photography. My first camera was a Pentax S4 and it wasn’t a lot of fun despite its fantastic design. It was not as clear as my new Kodak, and had a lot of trouble focusing in the dark.
Now I am very happy with a rare Kodak V 610, the only camera with 2 lenses (Schneider-Kreuznach) and an Olympus Pen PL1:
Sometimes also I am using my “old” Canon 350D.
III. Dodge Viper
I am no quite sure if being a Dodge Viper[1] enthusiast is a serious hobby, but I am sure that I will be a Viper fan for a long time.
For the first time I read about this bloody unbelievable V10 ripper in
During that time my colleagues from school thought I’m nuts, because such car would never become a production car and I will never ever own it. This article is actually not about how I became a Viper owner, because I didn’t, yet 😉 is just about how is like to be a Viper enthusiast in a country of former URSS. Anyway day by day I was drawing at the end of each copybook: Viper badges and different car models. Btw. at that time my classmates were drawing fancy Ladas and Volgas.
I became a real Viper enthusiast when I found in an antiques library a very rare color magazine from about 1992-1993 with a poster of a prototype version of Dodge Viper. Maybe this poster is the most expensive part of my Dodge Viper collection, because it was a limited edition of that magazine.
Speaking about the collection, a rare thing is also a Dodge badge from 1953 which is quite big and heavy (more than 1kg).
Of course the term “collection” is maybe not a convenient one, but I anyway I am convinced that there are not so many people in Moldova who are collecting articles from newspapers/magazines about Viper, or buying copybooks with Dodge Vipers, waiting for new models in the shops. Before 2000 was really difficult to find Dodge Viper model in the shops, so after visiting
Why Dodge Viper? As Bud Liebler[3] said: “Just when you expect one thing, Viper does something different”. I really like Viper for its obscene performance, outrageous design and ultimate driver enjoyment. Viper is an ultimate automotive icon for extreme performance and extreme attitude.
There are few Viper types and as snakes are known to have huge appetites, same I can say about all the types, which have a preference for unusual dishes (like petrol;- ) ).
The first modification was RT/10 which was first put into production in 1992 and came in any color you wanted – as long as it was red 😉 . The engines were built by Arrow Racing in
In ’94, more additions were made to the color menu, which included yellow and green. Interior colors black and tan also were available. However, there were few other notable changes. Factory air conditioning was an option (order by the all owners, by the way 😉 ).
The beloved RT/10 achieved near perfection in 1995. Many body-panel rivets went away.
In
In 1996, several obvious changes occurred for the RT/10. White and red/yellow combination were added as exterior colors and narrow, saber-tipped stripes became standard equipment. The 1996 model, therefore, was rated at 415hp, as opposed to the 400hp on the ’92-’95 models.
In May 1996, the GTS made its debut as the Official Pace Car for the
The GTS was such a total departure from the RT/10 the difference are too numerous to mention on the blog. The V-10 engine was virtually new from the block up, featuring less weight and 450 hp at its heart. Another innovation was the adjustable pedal setup, which made driving a Viper much easier for people of all sizes.
The next year, in 1997, red became a GTS option and a passenger-side airbag switch became standard. To make for easier production alignment, the white stripes were set wider apart and skipped the license plate wells.
During the year
The 1998 production year was significant for the production of the GT-2, badged as a GTS-R replica. Dodge produced 100 of these to commemorate the 1997 FIA-GT drivers and manufacturers championship. The GT-2s were white with blue stripes and were outfitted with a GTS-R carbon wing, aero-splitters, BBS wheels, and ORECA-logo interior. Special hoses and filters added another 10 hp.
An interesting fact is that each GT-2 was actually photographed during its 18 assembly stages. Then the photos were included along the owner’s manual.
The biggest news for 1999 was the introduction of the Viper known as the ACR, built specifically for club racing. Dodge built 217 ACR versions of the GTS, complete with smooth intake hoses and K+N air filters. The three-way adjustable KONI shocks controlled the 18-inch BBS wheels, and special ACR badging and harnesses rounded out this 10.000$ option.
During the year 2001 Vipers got a three channel ABS. Sexy new yellow and sapphire-blue exteriors were available.
Also in April 2001 I got as present from my cousin – my first VIPER magazine – a quarterly magazine for Dodge Viper enthusiasts.
The most recent Viper model is the 2008 SRT10ACR which was presented in
Despite the fact that I have seen “only” 5 Vipers:
1 RT/10, 1 RT/10 fully from carbon fiber, 700 hp:
3 new SRT 10:
and 1 fake Viper, however I have no clue how is like to drive one 🙁 .
It’s a little bit difficult to stop a Viper in
Hopefully one time I will meet a Viper owner with a nice soul ;-). If not, it’s time to finish my PhD studies as fast as possible in order to find a prosperous job offering enough financial sources to buy a Viper …
Happy end.
Gallery:
[1] There are few versions of Viper: RT/10, GTS, ACR, GT-2, GTS R or the new model SRT.
[2] This magazine actually was the only one about cars sold in
[3] Senior Vice President of Dodge Division.