Viper resales

[Bruce H.]

I'd love to be proven wrong.

Is there any evidence from aging platforms with advanced systems to indicate that you could be right?

[ACRSNK]

Is there any evidence from aging platforms with advanced systems to indicate that you could be right?

Not really

[Scott_in_fl]

Let's also keep in mind that there are some pretty old airplanes flying around just fine these days.

I'm sure many of them have tech that was deemed "advanced" for their time and plenty feared would not be supported in the future. It seems they found a way to either "support" them or work around it with new tech. The engine controllers and cockpit electronics for a 1975 Lear 35 must be pretty archaic by now. But the planes are still badass. In fact, you might find one at a Barrett-Jackson auction one day, sitting next to your vintage Viper. https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Even...ING-JET-152088

[commandomatt]

I don't think they will become obsolete. Sure technology will move forward but this to a point where these old systems will be very easy to tap into and correct, maintain or override

The doomsday theory Mr.Smith is talking about has been told every time something new is on the horizon and current technology is no longer state of the art. Same old story

Lets just all get some model T's to ensure we have some wheels down the road

[ViperSmith]

Is there any evidence from aging platforms with advanced systems to indicate that you could be right?

Only in the last few years have we seen the "command and control" type of systems that are built into these modern vehicles that require the dealership to reach back to the manufacture.

Go dig through your paperwork. There is nothing mandating that Dodge keep these systems running for 20-40 years after the last one is made.

Dodge doesn't even own the ECU code to give it out if they wanted.

This isn't "sky is falling" for Vipers, this is all cars of this era.

These cars are "IoT" devices, like it or not: https://www.zdnet.com/article/all-yo...es-are-doomed/

I don't foresee this being a problem anytime soon. But in 10-20+ years time, I sure do. We really need a "right to repair" law that codifies our rights to own schematics, etc. But, that won't help with the "command and control" type of hardware built into these vehicles.

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I don't think they will become obsolete. Sure technology will move forward but this to a point where these old systems will be very easy to tap into and correct, maintain or override

The doomsday theory Mr.Smith is talking about has been told every time something new is on the horizon and current technology is no longer state of the art. Same old story

Lets just all get some model T's to ensure we have some wheels down the road

Swing and a miss. Analog cars of past are entirely different than these "connected" cars.

[Bruce H.]

Thanks for the link, Harold, looks like widespread problems ahead. I tend to be an optimist, but you've given us all good reason to enjoy the heck out of our cars for as long as possible!

Have you made an obsolescence-proof car purchase yet, or can you recommend one? I think you were considering maybe a Mac not long ago. I've got a 911 coming and hoping Porsche will be committed to keeping it supported and running well into the future.

[stradman]

I hear you Chris_Lee...When I was 15 my dad had a 69 Corvette. I dreamed of driving this every day.
I washed it, waxed her, cleaned her up every time my dad went for a drive. The day I turned 16 and
came home with my drivers license the Corvette was gone. He sold it. I was so pi$$ed.

Gosh imagine that. Thats really a bummer.
Apologies, but I did LOL on this one...

[stradman]

The assumption is "right to repair" will be retroactive, it won't. I (sadly) think we are in an era where all these awesome cars will be useless in 20 years. Policy (federally) hasn't caught up to the technology. There is no reason for Dodge to maintain dealer connect at this point for the Viper (lets be honest) other than good will. Not that I see them killing it anytime soon.

Hell, when I added the HK aftermarket sound to my 2015, when they enabled the option in dealer connect it virtually bricked the car. Imagine having to do that in a decade and there is no one left to support it.

Ideally, once a car is "discontinued" all firmware should be open sourced. The Vipers ECU is closed source and Dodge doesn't even have the ability to do so.

Not trying to be a debbie downer, but there are huge hurtles with modern electronics and keeping them on the road. I don't think it will be figured out, because the incentive doesn't exist.

I'd love to be proven wrong.

I really don't agree. I have swapped ECU's on many 80's cars with newer modern ones.Cars also run much better. No problem at all. In the future the current electronics will look like mickey mouse compared to the current ones and so will be easily bypassed and updated. All electronic stuff will be fixable as there will always be someone out there to tap into the market that exists at the time....I wouldn't be worried.

[SRT_BluByU]

after seeing people repair mid-80's corvettes recently with all that wonky GM tech.. im not worried one bit.

[Scott_in_fl]

after seeing people repair mid-80's corvettes recently with all that wonky GM tech.. im not worried one bit.

Yeah, us humans tend to be a pretty resourceful bunch.

Harold, did you hide during Y2k?

[ViperJon]

Are we really concerned about being able to maintain a 2016 car in 2036? Is everybody planning on being buried in theirs?

[commandomatt]

Are we really concerned about being able to maintain a 2016 car in 2036? Is everybody planning on being buried in theirs?

Well, Smith is suggesting this being a problem in as early as 2028, so if that was the case, it's really just around the corner. Many currently on this forum will still have their cars and I am sure plenty of new owners

I certainly don't think there will be an issue. We have been faced with complicated technology just to consider it child's play years later. These cars, and others from this era will not be obsolete. If something needs to be fixed in order to make it work, there will be a solution created. Historically this has been the case and there is no reason to think the same wont apply moving forward

For those that buy into this theory....sell imediatley, before your cars end up being worth nothing

[ViperSmith]

Are we really concerned about being able to maintain a 2016 car in 2036? Is everybody planning on being buried in theirs?

Oh Jon, you know the people here that think these cars are going to be worth a fortune in 10-20 years. Reality won't be as kind.

[ViperSmith]

Thanks for the link, Harold, looks like widespread problems ahead. I tend to be an optimist, but you've given us all good reason to enjoy the heck out of our cars for as long as possible!

Have you made an obsolescence-proof car purchase yet, or can you recommend one? I think you were considering maybe a Mac not long ago. I've got a 911 coming and hoping Porsche will be committed to keeping it supported and running well into the future.

Porsche maybe?

Anyone that thinks there will be a market to build custom electronics for these cars in 15+ years is smoking crack.

Just like the big burgeoning market to fix the window arms in these cars. There isn't a viable replacement for those - for over what 10 years now? Yeah, people will be clamoring to build custom ECU for the Viper, when people can't even replace plastic parts.

The Viper is a great car and I loved both mine. People should still buy used ones and drive the shit out of them.

[Scott_in_fl]

^^^ You do realize that today, with the right tools, you can basically scan a part and 3D print it within minutes, right?

There are even forums where you can go in, describe what you want made, send a photo, and guys will bid to build the project, load it into a CAD file, and cut it.

In fact, I just yesterday commissioned a guy to build a tiny little bracket that clips onto my Fizik bicycle seat and has a Garmin compatible mount that I can connect a light to. Going to be 3D printed out of professional plastic (whatever the hell that is) for $35 and to me in a week. I've used them before and the parts come out great.

So, imagine what that tech looks like in 10 years and how accessible it will be for all of us DIY'ers.

The point being that, if you really want to fix a window arm, I think you could do it if you wanted to.

[ViperJon]

Oh Jon, you know the people here that think these cars are going to be worth a fortune in 10-20 years. Reality won't be as kind.

Good point. Speaking of Policy Limits I wonder what he got convicted of. He’s been gone a long time...

[swexlin]

good point. Speaking of policy limits i wonder what he got convicted of. He’s been gone a long time...

lmao!!

[Scott_in_fl]

Edit to prior post: Watching CNBC right now and CEO of Desktop Metal is on talking about 3D printing in the automotive industry and how it is going to be Yuuge! lol. Seriously, the guy is talking about the exact thing that we are discussing. Says additive manufacturing is the game changer for auto parts. Company has grown from $400m to $1.5b in 2 years. Largest market is OEM auto companies, but also sees growth in aerospace, power tools, and even cell phone manufacturing. The process speeds up production over 100x, has no material waste, and allows items that could not be manufactured with any other prior methods.

It would seem that, in the future, if you have a broken part you'll simply send it somewhere to be scanned and replicated probably overnight.

[99RT10]

Oh Jon, you know the people here that think these cars are going to be worth a fortune in 10-20 years. Reality won't be as kind.

The ones that will be worth more will be the ones that don't really on "hi-tech" gadgets to get them down the road. How long until the Gen 1/2s are worth more than the Gen 5s? I mean if that techy Gen 5 can't start, but my good old Gen 1 is humming........... Runner>lawn art

[J TNT]

Edit to prior post: Watching CNBC right now and CEO of Desktop Metal is on talking about 3D printing in the automotive industry and how it is going to be Yuuge! lol. Seriously, the guy is talking about the exact thing that we are discussing. Says additive manufacturing is the game changer for auto parts. Company has grown from $400m to $1.5b in 2 years. Largest market is OEM auto companies, but also sees growth in aerospace, power tools, and even cell phone manufacturing. The process speeds up production over 100x, has no material waste, and allows items that could not be manufactured with any other prior methods.

It would seem that, in the future, if you have a broken part you'll simply send it somewhere to be scanned and replicated probably overnight.

Wow , interesting technology. It mentions metal parts for prototyping , and sintered metal . I suspect it won't do forged metal . And high strength parts .

[Pappy]

Here is a guy working on a Chevelle who had his buddy 3-D print supercharger brackets for him so he could trial-fit them before he had them machined out of billet. Amazing

Pappy

3-D Printing.jpg

[Ludington1]

I had some hard-to-find gun parts 3D-printed from a blend of stainless and copper (I think) and they turned out very nice. Design a part in CAD, upload the file to Shapeways, select your materials and wait on the mail to show up, it is just that easy.

Darren

[dewilmoth]

I had some hard-to-find gun parts 3D-printed from a blend of stainless and copper (I think) and they turned out very nice. Design a part in CAD, upload the file to Shapeways, select your materials and wait on the mail to show up, it is just that easy.

Darren

Sounds intriguing. Is CAD something a technically minded person can teach them self to use, or is formal training required? Are there free CAD programs?

[Murpowa]

Sounds intriguing. Is CAD something a technically minded person can teach them self to use, or is formal training required? Are there free CAD programs?

Yes, you can self-learn. Yes, there are free basic downloads floating around out there (AutoCAD, Solidworks, ProEngineer, FreeCAD, TinkerCAD... the list goes on)

[dewilmoth]

Yes, you can self-learn. Yes, there are free basic downloads floating around out there (AutoCAD, Solidworks, ProEngineer, FreeCAD, TinkerCAD... the list goes on)

Great, I’ll take a look.