[njsteve]

The memories are coming back slowly now after checking my old records. The rear diff in the car now is one that Team Viper sent me as a spare back in 1994. This was the paper tag that was wired onto it. Note what it says:

REMOVED FROM
COUPE #1 on
9-2-93
NOISY

I guess it's actually a piece of history since it came from the first Viper Coupe show car. :-)

And the other tags are from the NOS rear differential that I got under warranty after the first one blew up at Sebring at around 145 mph on the short straight coming into the 25 mph hairpin. I heard a "ping" ricochet sound from the back of the car on the straightaway and then smelled rear diff fluid. When I got into the pits there was what looked like a bullet hole originating from inside the rear diff at the very top of the case. The ring gear bolts had loosened and one shot clean through the case and out onto the track somewhere. Luckily the hole was at the top and nothing leaked out onto the tires. And it missed the gas tank. THAT would have been a significant emotional event at 145 mph.

So to continue racing that day, I trailered the car home to Lakeland, pulled the damaged diff and put in the "COUPE #1" diff and then went back to the track the next morning to race some more. The following Monday I went to Jerry Ulm Dodge in Tampa and they got me the NOS 04709414 rear diff, overnight from Detroit. The labels are all that was left since the diff arrived unpackaged, in the remains of a carboard box soaked in 75W140. The diff had been prefilled with gear lube and of course it all leaked out of the top vent and dissolved the box. Luckily the labels were still good enough to save.