A father’s dream, a son’s ride: Building a bond through a 3D-printed Viper

Victor Silva’s dream car is a 1995 Dodge Viper, and in 2022, he took a trip to Chicago to make his dream come true.

“You know this one had a clean title, it had only twelve thousand miles,” said Victor Silva, Dodge Viper owner.

He hasn’t been disappointed in the least.

“I love the car, and it’s just a lot of fun to drive. I try to drive it as much as I can,” said Silva.

He has no regrets, even with what he calls design flaws.

“The side pipes here, you know, get out of the car, sometimes you burn your legs. Like I mentioned, no windows, it’s a soft top that is awful, but it’s so much fun,” said Silva.

When Silva found out he and his wife Jill were having a son, he, of course, wanted the same car bond with his son.

“I wanted to build something for him, something that he could have,” said Silva.

Most of the things in the couple’s home were designed by Silva and printed on his 3D printer. So why not print a car for his son Theo?

“I took pictures of the car and started designing a miniature version of this car, and it took me about nine months to finish it,” said Silva.

After many trials and many mistakes, the replica was complete. Fully functional and fully operational by remote control.

“My plan was to have it ready for his first birthday, and it was ready, but he was bigger than the car,” said Silva.

Minor details, not taking away from the success. The car has working headlights, with tires, and the hood all the same as the original.

“I wanted it to have an engine, you know, that he could see, and because I am the dad, I wanted the engine block to have a place for maybe some of my Bud Light,” said Silva.

The entire car was printed in Silva’s home office. He has already started on the next 3D Viper big enough for Theo to ride in and eventually drive.