Gen 3/4 TA Spoiler for Coupe coming soon - From Autoform

[Timnineside]

I spent a few hours this afternoon meeting up with Steve from Autoform in Holland, MI. All I can say is wow! There is so much Viper history in that place it’s amazing. Steve and his crew are super friendly and I highly advise anyone in the area or interested in what they do to contact Steve and make it a point to get out there!

Steve has been working on a TA spoiler for the Gen 3 & 4 coupes for some time. This is a follow up to their convertible version. I, for one, have been bothering him for a few weeks about bringing this to market. Steve already had the deck portion done but needed a coupe to finish the molding for the sides. Bellow you’ll see the deck portion however please take into consideration the rest will be just as amazing as what you see. The ends will run down the sides about 4 ½” and end like the current convertible version. This will be a 1 piece spoiler mounted to the decklid. The mounting will not be screwed on so no holes will need to be drilled. This will be made to fit the Gen 3 and 4 coupes and the convertible version (Green car) is already available for purchase.

When can you buy this? A majority of the work is done and Steve expects this to be available for purchase early November with worst case being December. Obviously Autoform has a great reputation for quality and service so updates will be given on a regular basis and hope to have this out sooner. http://www.autoformgroup.com/autofor...=56&Itemid=783

How much will it cost? I’m please to say it will be A LOT less than I expected for such a quality piece.

$650 Primed
$750 Matte Black
$875 Painted (single color, stripes TBD)
$XXXX Carbon Fiber (Yeah that’s right, a CF version should be available).

Pricing is before shipping and subject to change. The more people we can get on board the better chance we have of keeping these prices. This is a lengthy and time (money) consuming process. We are hoping to get 10 people on board but really would like to see 20 to make it worth it for Steve. I personally don’t think this will be an issue.

So what I ask is that for anyone that is interested please shoot me an email, PM, or text with the following information. This is just to keep track of potential buyers and NO money will be taken at this time. I will generate a spreadsheet with this information and contact you personally when things progress. At that time purchasing with be done through Autoform!

Name:
Phone Number:
Email:
Preferred Finish:
Zip:

I can be reached via PM here,

-Tim
Email: tim@modern-entertainment.com
Phone/text: 231-215-3242


https://www.flickr.com/photos/80287473@N04/15178274307/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80287473@N04/15178279227/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80287473@N04/15178270927/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80287473@N04/15178031619/in/photostream/

[jvm728]

i've traded emails with steve already. i'm in for sure. PM you now.

[Timnineside]

Got it and added to the list!

-Tim

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Possible interest, looking forward to seeing the finished design.

Will the carbon one be solid carbon construction or an overlay? What are the others made from?

[Redx]

Slightly ot, will autoform make a cf version for the vert?

[Timnineside]

Possible interest, looking forward to seeing the finished design.

Will the carbon one be solid carbon construction or an overlay? What are the others made from?

I'm going to assume an overlay. The others are fiberglass. In my opinion (this is just my own two cents) It's not worth taking the time/effort to produce it in all CF as the purpose will be form over function with function being a great asset. The weight savings would be very minimal and the purpose is down force (extra weight means more down force right? :). )

- - - Updated - - -


Slightly ot, will autoform make a cf version for the vert?

Good question. I'll bring this up to Steve and see. I see no reason why it wouldn't be possible.

-Tim

[SmoknTires]

I go back quite a ways with autoform, I have bought their products and also them do mods for me since my first viper. They are good people. When it comes to design, Steve has a great eye, his wings and things are always suited well to the cars. I like them because they work with the cars without looking ricey. I've had an auto from spoiler on my last 3 vipers and always get ask where I got it.

He did mention we was looking to make a t/a style wing for these gens, I thought I saw one that he made. Can't wait to see what they come up with.

[AutoformSteve]

Just wanted to add a few more development photos...the spoiler is coming along. We now have the design flow that we are looking for nailed as well as the fitment to the body including a bit extra gap above the quarter panels to allow for compression when the trunk is closing. Now there is a lot of sanding and priming to do...then we need to add all of the run off flanges. After that we can start on the molds...there will be three different molds to make this part as well as two separate molds that we will use for bonding and final check before primer....(probably not going to show how we do all of that)
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[AutoformSteve]

Couple more
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[FrgMstr]

That looks a ton better than "the other guy's" one that we have seen.

http://driveviper.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7054&d=1412800400

[98intrigue]

That looks SO much better than the other one that was posted here recently. Great job, Steve!

[Austin]

Looks good, Steve!

[XSnake]

Looks great

[Victxv10]

looks great!!

[MtnBiker]

I think the top needs to come to an apex. It is flat at the top and gives it a bulky appearance/feel.

[AutoformSteve]

I think the top needs to come to an apex. It is flat at the top and gives it a bulky appearance/feel.

It will have a radius on the top...when I model parts I keep everything sharp right up to the end...it is easier to measure things and look closely at the lines...when you put a radius on the edges early..it can wash out the shape. Now that being said...we planned on putting a 3/8 or so radius on the top...similar to the one on the GenV...but when we were looking at it on the car...it feels like we should put maybe a 1/4 on the front and rear and leave a slight flat. The car kind of has that detail in the rear deck, that we are covering...and the overall style and lines of this Gen Coupe are quite sharp. Or...because this is an add on part...would it be okay to go away from the overall theme of the car and round off the top?

[Vprbite]

Good question, Steve. It's clear how much effort you put in to your parts. My thought, and of course this is just my opinion, would be to keep the lines of the car in the part so it looks like less of an "add-on part". I would think you want to enhance the car and continue its already existing lines. I am sure whichever you pick will be best, as I know you have the better eye for this kind of stuff than I do. But that is what my mind sees.

FWIW I was looking at your prototype shots and thought that it looked pretty good already and I definitely am interested.

[TrackAire]

It will have a radius on the top...when I model parts I keep everything sharp right up to the end...it is easier to measure things and look closely at the lines...when you put a radius on the edges early..it can wash out the shape. Now that being said...we planned on putting a 3/8 or so radius on the top...similar to the one on the GenV...but when we were looking at it on the car...it feels like we should put maybe a 1/4 on the front and rear and leave a slight flat. The car kind of has that detail in the rear deck, that we are covering...and the overall style and lines of this Gen Coupe are quite sharp. Or...because this is an add on part...would it be okay to go away from the overall theme of the car and round off the top?

Steve,

Is the center cutaway strictly for rear vision or is there little areo effect in the center part of the spoiler? For a hard core track car, is more surface area better (to an extent)? I know you don't want to hear this, but I'd love a rear spoiler without the cutaway....reminds me a lot of the old Cobra Daytona Coupe.

I think the 1/4" radius with the flat top would look best..maybe matches the best with the existing lines of the top of the stock spoiler and the waterfall down the sides of the car. Just my opinion, of course.

Cheers,
George

[Timnineside]

So Amazing! And that dude that owns the car must be a lucky guy!

And I can attest to the work, detail and care Autofrom is putting into this thing. Steve and his crew have been driving almost an hour each way to make sure the fit of this thing is perfect. It's going to be a work of art and I cannot wait to see this thing all painted up and mounted on!

[AutoformSteve]

As far as the center...that seems to be the style of the day. As far as more surface being better...it's all about down force balance for the front and rear of a car. A spoiler like that holds X amount of air on the back of the car to create some down force as well as stability without causing a shutter...I am guessing that the notch allows a controlled spill of air in the center creating less drag....and I'm sure the air does something when it comes off the back.
The Corvette spoiler (and quite a few others these days) has an adjustable piece that can be tuned in the center...I will be making an add on piece like that for these spoilers at some point down the road.
So...without trying to act like I am an expert in this field or have all of the answers I will say this...I have been around race cars and have SOME real life experience and seat time with these cars. I have also been in wind tunnels with Vipers to see how things work and act...I do my best to observe what others have done and apply it along with some aesthetic styling to my products for the Viper.
Aero dynamics...in my estimation are somewhat counter intuitive...the effects of wings and spoilers are to some extent different for each car shape...if it looks like it will add down force...it will probably add drag and throw off the balance of the car on the opposite end of where you are trying to help or create some type of odd vortex of air...it is quite an art....so in conclusion...I think this spoiler looks cool!...and it's not going to hurt the handling of your car...how much it helps??? I hope to get a lot of real world feed back from you guys in the near future on that one.

Here is the one I make for the Challenger...same type of design.
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[Vprbite]

My thought would be...does it need balanced on the front with either a splitter or canards? Does just the spoiler make it effectively heavier in the rear and light in the front at speeds?

Definitely good looking. That's for sure.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

I would say keep with the theme of the car and use your artistic eye to make everything flow. When this is attached to the car it won't matter what another car or spoiler looks like. So, as you've done flow into all of the existing surfaces so it looks like a natural extension of the car.

One possible refinement as MtnBikr eludes to (don't be offended, I do this all the time to my own designs as well). You can see the TA spoiler has a consistent flat across the top including the center section, including the areas that dip down for the center. For the center section, it is angled as such to flow down into the rear deck (I think it is a more steep angle than what you've landed on). These little details make it nice if you can achieve them IMO. I think this makes the TA spoiler look thinner or less bulky.

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As for those asking about aerodynamics, in motorsport, teams often analyze photos of other cars as a way to get ideas for their own development. A new aero bit will often appear on competitors cars within weeks of being used for the first time. The team that is copying the original might have an educated guess as to what the part might do but won't know for sure until it is run. Track testing often happens before wind tunnel testing. If the changes are good on the track, wind tunnel testing may never be done or only done in the offseason to quantify what is happening.

It isn't likely any aftermarket part will go through vehicle specific wind tunnel testing, or even CFD simulation, especially for the low volume Viper market (cost is restrictive). However, "copying" what others have done is a good place to start. None of these changes will likely be too noticeable on the street. Balancing out the spoiler by removing the hood grills or perhaps adding some canards or a front spoiler would be good to quantify at the track for someone capable of pushing the car enough to give an evaluation.

My opinion of the center section is that it is a compromise for visibility, the new Z06/Z07 has a clear adjustable center section, the only reason for this is to gain the aero without loss of use of the rearview mirror.

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[Revolution]

Looks real good!

[AutoformSteve]

Okay...today we did the lamination on the first TA Style Spoiler that will be coming out of our new molds. I am working late...(or normal for this business) and just couldn't wait until tomorrow to try and pop it out of the mold. So I went back to our composite shop and started the process of trying to get the first part out of the mold...to my surprise it almost jumped out at me...which is not common for the first part. Anyways...here it is...we will do the trim on it tomorrow and then this one will be on it's way to Daytona to catch up with it's new owner at the Daytona Classic.
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[venomous08]

Invalid attachment Steve, you have failed...

Maybe the fumes got to you?? lol

[AutoformSteve]

Invalid attachment Steve, you have failed...

Maybe the fumes got to you?? lol

Oops!....Between the paint booth and that glass shop... you may be right!!! Fixed it...Thanks

[FrgMstr]

I like the Autoform better than the one on the Challenger Hellcat.

http://driveviper.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7078&d=1412902300

http://image.motortrend.com/f/roadtests/coupes/1405_2015_dodge_challenger_srt_first_look/74132931/2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-with-392-model-wider-view.jpg

[jvm728]

Steve what is the eta for commercialization

[AutoformSteve]

I like the Autoform better than the one on the Challenger Hellcat.

http://driveviper.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7078&d=1412902300

http://image.motortrend.com/f/roadtests/coupes/1405_2015_dodge_challenger_srt_first_look/74132931/2015-dodge-challenger-srt-hellcat-with-392-model-wider-view.jpg
Thanks Kyle, here is a brand new 2014 car that we just finished for our AFR dealer last week.
We are working on our new 2015 Edition now...
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[AutoformSteve]

Steve what is the eta for commercialization

We can get a few of them out before Christmas if I get the order soon. We build everything to order... that being said... I am now comfortable saying that I can produce them...which I am never really comfortable saying until the first one is out of the mold.
It is Detroit Auto Show crunch time...we get involved with that crazy mess this time of year...and that can throw off my timing a bit.

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Is the pricing solidified and are there still options for paint, carbon, stripes, etc.? Can we expect installed pics of the final product soon?

Thanks
Doug

[jvm728]

need finalized pricing, maybe a new thread?

[ACR_Matt]

Any chance of producing a Gen II GTS TA style wing after the Gen 3/4 version is completed?? This looks fantastic Steve!

[AutoformSteve]

A new thread is probably a good idea... I will start one when I have some good pictures finished spoilers mounted on a couple of cars.
for now the pricing is as follows.
$650 Primed
$750 Matte Black
$875 Painted plus $75.00 for stripes
$XXXX Carbon Fiber...we are doing a couple of test parts in carbon out of our SRT Convert mold in the next week or so...I'll update this or our FB page with details...probably won't do the carbon ones until after the first of the year...the people that will be doing that are dedicated to Auto Show work right now

[AutoformSteve]

Any chance of producing a Gen II GTS TA style wing after the Gen 3/4 version is completed?? This looks fantastic Steve!
This is next...will be looking for a Gen II coupe in my area to use this winter to make the plug...

[FrgMstr]

I might pop for a carbon fiber version for my Gen IV Vert! Can't wait to see that.

[ACR_Matt]

This is next...will be looking for a Gen II coupe in my area to use this winter to make the plug...

Excellent! I'll start setting back spare change now. If only I was closer!

[SSGNRDZ_28]

Will the painted stripes match the finish/application of the car... paint first, stripes, clear, etc. ? Obviously alignment is critical as well, I'm sure it will be top notch but out of curiosity how do you plan to do it? I'm probably in for a VVO / black stripe (08 width).

[AutoformSteve]

I can do the stripes however you like...but I typically do body color...stripe and then overall clear for the the Gen III and IV....shows a slight surface difference at the end of the stripe....for the GenI and II...body color, clear, stripe color and clear over stripe only....more pronounced line at stripe edge.
We have been painting stripes the way Prefix is now doing does Gen V....stripe color, clear,body color then overall clear for years on our show cars...we started doing things that way when the "Thick" Urethane clears came into play...couldn't melt or bury the stripes like we did with the Lacquers...whoa...dating myself.

[Austin]

Looking forward to seeing the finished product and mounted on a coupe.

[AutoformSteve]

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On my way to Fed Ex to drop this one off...it will make Daytona as planned....but barely...FYI this spoiler will be attached with 3M double side tape...but we also engineered a small fastener on each side for additional safety...I don't think they are needed but would rather be safe than sorry.

[FrgMstr]

That looks awesome Steve! Kudos to a quality fabricator.

[AutoformSteve]

That looks awesome Steve! Kudos to a quality fabricator.

Thanks...I strive to bring great products to market as quickly as I can...Viper has been my passion and profession for 20 years now...I still really enjoy the process

[FrgMstr]

These pictures speak volumes about the look of it. Much more telling than last time.

http://driveviper.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7574&d=1415831420 http://driveviper.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=7576&d=1415831481

[98intrigue]

Looks great! I'm just curious how it will fit on mine with the rear end conversion.

[AutoformSteve]

I guess that is hard to say for sure...the one that Jeff L did may be a little different than stock due to the wide body aspect...the other is probably close to a direct pull from a factory part so it should be close...dependent on build and assembly tolerances. Give it a try in satin or primer...save the box and bubble wrap...if it doesn't work on your car and you don't modify it...(or drive over it) I will help you pass it on to someone else.

[Austin]

I guess that is hard to say for sure...the one that Jeff L did may be a little different than stock due to the wide body aspect...the other is probably close to a direct pull from a factory part so it should be close...dependent on build and assembly tolerances. Give it a try in satin or primer...save the box and bubble wrap...if it doesn't work on your car and you don't modify it...(or drive over it) I will help you pass it on to someone else.




^^^ This is how you do business. Mr. Prescott, you taking notes?

[FrgMstr]

^^^ This is how you do business. Mr. Prescott, you taking notes?

I would highly suggest this is exactly a solid reason why we all should ignore Mr. Prescott and give more business to long-time quality vendors like Autoform that have supported the Viper community and have a track record of not stealing from it.

[drviperdds]

Steve, any possibility or interest in doing a version without the notch in the middle of the lip?

[ACR_Matt]

I would highly suggest this is exactly a solid reason why we all should ignore Mr. Prescott and give more business to long-time quality vendors like Autoform that have supported the Viper community and have a track record of not stealing from it.

Hear, hear! We have to do our part supporting those who have contributed so much to our community and ownership experience.

[98intrigue]

I guess that is hard to say for sure...the one that Jeff L did may be a little different than stock due to the wide body aspect...the other is probably close to a direct pull from a factory part so it should be close...dependent on build and assembly tolerances. Give it a try in satin or primer...save the box and bubble wrap...if it doesn't work on your car and you don't modify it...(or drive over it) I will help you pass it on to someone else.

That is a very generous offer. When my headers/exhaust sell, I'll be giving you a call to order :)

[Rocket]

Looks great! I'm just curious how it will fit on mine with the rear end conversion.

Great minds think alike! Was wondering the same thing - and then I have to figure out the stripe?

http://driveviper.com/gallery/data/500/medium/2009_Rocket_Viper_Vipair_Rear_End.jpg

[AutoformSteve]

I'd try Satin Black with gloss red stripe...spoiler would have the same sheen as the convertible area windshield..and looks like wheels as well and would carry that theme to the rear of the car...but not too matchy like gloss black might be.

[Redx]

I might pop for a carbon fiber version for my Gen IV Vert! Can't wait to see that.

I will post pics when I get it! :)

[TooBlue]

I will post pics when I get it! :)

Did you say something Redx?

( I can't get past the rear spoiler on your avatar...)


Also, the AF spoiler looks good too ..!!

[Redx]

Did you say something Redx?

( I can't get past the rear spoiler on your avatar...)


Also, the AF spoiler looks good too ..!!

Lol, Car and model in pic isn't mine, not that lucky lol.

I have the first roadster ta spoiler in CF on order, going to look great on venom red.

[98intrigue]

Great minds think alike! Was wondering the same thing - and then I have to figure out the stripe?


I'll let you know!

[senior racer]

Any update on these?

[TrackAire]

Steve, any possibility or interest in doing a version without the notch in the middle of the lip?

I'd be in for a unit without the middle notch.

[98intrigue]

Any update on these?

I'll have pictures soon... Steve let me know my spoiler is finished :)