SRT hardtops

[SlayerLS1]

OK. I hope you all just realize that, no matter what my decision is about manufacturing them, the products will continue on one way or another.

Great. I'd say there's a 50/50 shot I will want a hard top someday.

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[VicTxV10]

OK. I hope you all just realize that, no matter what my decision is about manufacturing them, the products will continue on one way or another.

Great. I'd say there's a 50/50 shot I will want a hard top someday.

Good luck! Maybe by the time you decide to buy one, he'll decide if he's going make one.

 

[SCLSSRT10]

To throw in my 2 cents worth. I had the second SRT10 hard top Autoform ever built. It was on my 03 car that was the first SRT10 to show up at Viper Days. I ran that car with the autoform hard top for 3 years of competition in Viper Days. I NEVER had any problems with the Autoform top. I finally sold the car because I wanted to go racing so I bought a CC. But as far as I know the car still has the original Autoform top on it, although it is on its thrid owner since I owned that car. Long and short is YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH THE AUTOFORM HARD TOP.

If you have any questions send me a PM and we can talk in person about Autoform and thier products. Oh and by the way my SRT10 had every part on it that Autoform ever made for that car.

 

[wikkid]

Has anybody received the carbon fiber roof yet? Would love to see some pics of it on the car.

 

[VicTxV10]

I have it. Steve and I are working out the fit details. He doesn't have a vert so I'm sort of assisting in the R&D. We are close, stay tuned...pics coming soon of it installed on my car.

 

[Viper X]

I too have an Autoform hard top for my 2004 Paxton car.

I ran it in the Silver State Classic two years in a row. Both years I was able to cruise at over 165 mph for about 20 minutes and had no issues with the top.

I will likely sell my 2004 soon, so PM me if you are interested in the top. It is black and has only been on the car at the Silver State, a couple of times at the drags.

It has been stored in my garage most of it's life (off of the car) and is in excellent condition.

Dan

 

[wikkid]

Already have the CF roof ordered, just waiting on completion.
Thanks anyway

 

[PirateViper]

I sent pm to you Viper X.

 

[sssammm]

Where's mine?

 

[Sonoman]

I have it. Steve and I are working out the fit details. He doesn't have a vert so I'm sort of assisting in the R&D. We are close, stay tuned...pics coming soon of it installed on my car.

I looked at one of the new Carbon Fiber tops and they are beautiful (Steve @Vipair and I are in the same town). That is the largest expanse of CF uninterrupted by any seams or ridges that I have ever seen. Goes with any color car, too. The one gotcha with large carbon fiber pieces is they typically have little visible flaws somewhere, as it does start out as a sheet of woven "cloth". People get used to flawless paint surfaces, but with carbon fiber it is almost impossible (and very expensive) to achieve, particularly in larger pieces. It almost seems like they need to offer graded levels, with more perfect pieces at a higher cost, much like the way the appearance of the wood affects the pricing on high-end guitars. That way, us tight-wads could gobble up the low-end blems at cut rate prices (wishful thinking)!

 

[Lespauldude]

"much like the way the appearance of the wood affects the pricing on high-end guitars". Now your talking my language!! Carbon fiber is a whole different animal for sure.

 

[wikkid]

cant wait to get this top on my car, going to be sweet

I looked at one of the new Carbon Fiber tops and they are beautiful (Steve @Vipair and I are in the same town). That is the largest expanse of CF uninterrupted by any seams or ridges that I have ever seen. Goes with any color car, too. The one gotcha with large carbon fiber pieces is they typically have little visible flaws somewhere, as it does start out as a sheet of woven "cloth". People get used to flawless paint surfaces, but with carbon fiber it is almost impossible (and very expensive) to achieve, particularly in larger pieces. It almost seems like they need to offer graded levels, with more perfect pieces at a higher cost, much like the way the appearance of the wood affects the pricing on high-end guitars. That way, us tight-wads could gobble up the low-end blems at cut rate prices (wishful thinking)!

 

[highsierrahillbilly]

Reminds me of the time when I was a kid and my dad built me a go-kart all customized with finished sheet metal trim. We spent hours together building this go-kart and he schooled me in the art of sheet metal, it was quite a bonding experience and I appreciate him for that. One day I came home from school all excited to drive my go-kart and it was gone, someone had stolen it! A few weeks later walking home from school I see my go-kart being driven by a guy who lived a few blocks away, it was painted blue and the sheet metal work was exactly the same, it was mine! I tried to get it back but the guy was to big to take on and his friends said it was his, he built it. When my dad got home we went to collect, my dad grabbed him by the shirt and told him he's lucky he doesn't get an ass wippin as I rolled my go-kart out of his garage. Over the course of a few days that guys friends soon realized that he was a lier and a thief and appologized to me for backing him and making me feel like everyone was going to jump on me if I didn't back off when I tried to take my go-kart back the first time. He took credit for our creation and hard work when in reality he was a low life piece of shi#@!

This situation reminded me of all the hard work that my dad and I put into building my custom go-kart! This is a regular occurance with this guy and he's allowed to function on this website with impunity. There are alot of hard working honest vendors on this site, some who have had to shut their doors because of the hard economy, others that are still providing services for our Viper's and still others who forge forward developing new products for our Vipers new and old. Support who you want it's a free country, but if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably true!

Just my 2 cents worth. I hope the moderators allow me to voice my opinion and not sanction me for my personal opinion and general observations. Well back to the party, we're having a good time with family, friends and our Vipers!

Tim

Competition is a good thing. Steve at Autoform has been building products for Vipers from just about the beginning of Vipers existence. Steve was building hardtops for Gen 1 and 2 Vipers long before I and when I introduced my version, it was much different than what was available and gave a completely different option for customers. Steve was also first to introduce a SRT hardtop, but in my mind I saw something different of how I wanted a SRT top to look and accent the car, and so I offered something that was my vision. Both Steve and I have invested our passion, long hours, tons of development money to create and sculpt, construct tooling and bring to market. Healthy competition.

To take someones hard work and investment risk and splash an exact copy is (to say it in a nice manner) cheating. The carbon fiber top shown here is clearly tooled up from my hard work, without my permission. I'm sure the person who did this will deny in some way, but I know my product, and that's it (the rear window attachment has been modified). I'm simply going to call foul and make the Viper community aware of the business ethics.

Some of my designs like the Street Serpent and the Falcon are inspired from many things that have already been created. Almost all designs are inspired from something and a new hard top on the market that is inspired from my design is a form of flattery and can promote healthy competition. An exact replica tooled from my efforts, that skips all of the hard work, vision, and investment that comes with introducing a niche product is stealing. The product can then be turned around and sold cheaper because those costs do not have to be recouped. I'm not impressed.

Nice try. I've seen this version as well (metal masters design, I believe) and this style has zero hard creases in it (it's very obvious on the painted versions of this top). It makes the tops look too bubbly and they don't really fit the SRT lines that have so many hard creases, hence my design which has those highlights. It changes the overall look and effect of the top. The bottom line is, my top was taken and a mold was created from it. To say you developed the shape is simply not true because I can see the exact nuances in your pics that I have on my top. These would be impossible (and undesirable) to replicate on purpose.

Why don't you show a picture of your sculpting foam or clay plug/model that was created to make your mold? You can prove your case that this was the "shape you developed" and created. My guess is the best you might come up with is my top that has beed hacked around the window.

Sorry folks. I usually don't get myself involved in this sort of online trash. It's just annoying and I think this person needs to be called out on it. I'll try to stop here on the subject.

What you have heard is not the whole truth so I will clarify. The F7 is my current priority and focus. We are currently taking orders and building Viper Products. The Viper products we build still sell quite well and we plan to continue on with them in some manner whether it's built here in our shop, or components made across town, or the product line sold to a reputable company that has the ability to continue to build a quality product. None of this has been decided yet, and no matter what we choose it is in my best interest to protect our products from anyone who wants to effortlessly steal the designs and have them built cheap over seas. Even if I get overwhelmed with all of the products and decide to sell the Viper product line it's worth less if someone is doing that, so my interest is still to defend and protect. There is really not much I can do in this regard other than make the consumer aware of what is happening.

"but never in carbon."

Yes it has. I built one here: http://forums.viperclub.org/threads/607827-Street-Serpent-5/page3

OK. I hope you all just realize that, no matter what my decision is about manufacturing them, the products will continue on one way or another.