Custom Cup Holder!
 

Hello all Rotor Heads :lol:,

Am I the only one who gets superbly frustrated at the fact that in the 80’s cup holders were not considered a necessity? I am not a fan of going through a drive through only to have to hold my cup, steer, and drive. Not saying its impossible but rather annoying. I am writing this today to inform you that this could very easily be changed. I am hoping that you guys have as much interest in this part as I do. I have fully designed and created a fantastic option for us daily/weekend RX-7 drivers.

I have already made one for myself and boy does it look good. It was made from strong and flexible plastic on a 3-D printing machine.
The attached images are of my custom designed center console panel. Redesigned from the original panel to accommodate a cup holder and still function the way Mazda envisioned it. I have designed this piece with 4 different configurations already. All of which suit different needs for different drivers.

Option 1 :
Retain your fog light/security/blank switch and power mirror switch with the convenience of an extruded cup holder.
Option 2 :
No need for switches, you just want a centered cup holder
Option 3 :
You want a cup holder, but there is plenty of room here for custom switches
Option 4 :
This is more for the racing/build enthusiasts. You do not drink while you drive and neither does your passenger. Instead, you want a panel which will just look plain and simple. OR you want to really get aggressive and fill this beauty with switches!

If there is enough interest in these parts I will become a vendor and go public with my designs so that you guys may enjoy the freedom of getting a coffee without the worry of scalding yourselves. The future of this design may go as far as replicas of the OEM panel at a much cheaper price, custom made panels for enthusiasts, and even more parts being made.

Enjoy and please give me any feedback you would like!

Prototype
 

Here are some attached photos of the panel I made so that you guys can see how it fits. The panel is a shade lighter, but a 5$ can of plasti-dip or even interior paint, or even custom color paint can be used. the surface is rougher than stock so the paint will stick very well.

My tested model shows how a can fits, but the hole on the prototype was much smaller than the finished model. Also, there will be no lip on the cup holder as seen in the model. The cup holder will flow directly from the top surface of the panel. This was done just for demonstration purposes.

edit: scratch that, looks like it'll fit

^^^ You changed your statement! haha. But the tunnel height distance was my exact concern until I made the panel. At first I thought it would be a waste of time. But I have had the prototype in for 2 years now and even with a Tropical Smoothie cup which are about 12" tall and did not sit at the bottom of the tray (due to the prototype hole being much smaller) the cup did not interfere with having fun. Even under hard acceleration/speed shifting, there was no issues or complaints on my end.

I will be the first to say that even with a cup there, you have plenty of room to shift and in my personal opinion its a small price to pay for something that radically changes your interiors personality. Every show I have been to I have gotten complimented and offers for my prototype. That is what actually drove me to creating this thread.

Looks great, I've come up with custom cup holder fabrications that in no way look good. This looks great though, I'd totally buy one off you!

Ninja edit! I'm shocked it isn't in the way, but in a good way.
I'd be interested in the #1 configuration.

Looks really good. How is the finish/grain compared to the plastic that was there? Does it match the radio surround flat plastic right beside the radio?

It's grainy and it is because they're 3D printed. If I could afford tooling I would mold them but it's far too expensive for such a somewhat limited market. I will get some close ups for those interested. If you were to paint them, they would look shiny, but I will also be testing that

Do you have ball park prices for the different options? Im mostly interested already.

Count me in on this!!! With a cup holder my wife would be much happier on long trips! Haha

Pricing estimates (shipped to door and ready) would probably be

Option 1 85
Option 2 90
Option 3 90
Option 4 65

The material is what gets it

If I order in bulk (let's say 10 items) I could probably come down 5$ on each.

I am really glad people like this idea!

It's still going to take another stab. The first one was just about perfect. A couple of minor changes. A test fit. And by the looks of it I will have to get a vendor account!

This is why I made them. My girlfriend always poked fun and made jokes

Finally! This is long overdue, and you can count me in on one.

After texting you yesterday morning, I spilled monster energy drink on my passenger seat. Not a lot, but it drove home the point that I need one of these. Way over due... talk about filling a "hole" in the market!!!

Attention guys!
 

As long as this Thread does not Violate ANY rules such as Posting a LIST OR SET PRICES of Items,This thread will remain OPEN.

IF it becomes a GROUP BUY you will then Jeopardize the Product as FCJG15 will be asked to become a VENDOR!That entails money out of his Pocket( as discussed in a PM to the OP).

I'm being NICE here,so IF you want a Item then please PM him and discuss it.

IF Not then this Thread gets Shut down.

Of course if the OP would like to become a True vendor then he can Contact InternetBrands and set up an account to do so.

Thanks Gents.
STYX.

(*I can see some interest in this so do not skirt the rules as this whole thread will "disappear".)

What type of plastic are you using?
How will it hold up to heat/UV exposure?
Will it accept SEM plastic coat products?

My apologies to the OP I will gladly delete the pricing when I am at a PC. It is ABS plastic which is quite durable. I have not exposed it to the sun long enough but I can this weekend. I will leave it out on the deck. I am also going to try to paint it to see the finish. Photos will follow. Thanks for all the great input guys

Just out of curiosity, you said LIST PRICES. when you said being nice were you referring to my estimate as not breaking that rule? I cannot figure out how to delete it, but I did not intend for this to become a group buy. I am glad there is a lot of interest, but with respect to the forum I am looking for feedback. Once this design is perfected (i.e. clips in and out with ease, can be painted, and sits out in the sun for a nice hot weekend) I will gladly apply for a vendor account and go from there!

I wonder if the panel could be sanded to acheive a cleaner surface appearance?

Just to back OP up, ABS plastic is what they use for truck bed rails and they're always in the sun and they're getting beat up so it should be nice and durable.

If you sanded it it may have a smoother texture, again another thing I will test out.. haha this is going to be 1 beat up and abused prototype!.

NewKid, I honestly believe it will hold up great. People have been using the same material to make GoPro mounts which is incredible because typically on a dirt bike/ski pole/vehicle they take a lot of physical vibration and abuse. Great to know about the truck beds!

Personally, I'd prefer that the material, color and texture was the same or pretty damn close to stock. The talk about painting is turning me off, but you can always paint it later I guess.

edit: Your model pics. show the (1) cup portion as part of the mounting portion. The pics of the part (2) show a black insert in the hole. The pic. of it installed looks like a hole cut in an original part, but I guess that was just for testing. Which of the first two are you making? Just making sure the hole vs. flat area have a factory transition (i.e. work together).

Just adding some thoughts here. Also, there may be other ways of adding the texture (since it's not molded). Pretty sure I've heard of some processes to add texture to the part.

If was not a broke college student I would gladly pay for tooling to be able to make this part cheaper and share it in OEM appearance. Maybe one day I will make enough to do so. But for now this is my only way of making small quantities. :\

With that being said, if anyone DOES know anyway to make these at a low price but good quality please inform me ha

No problem.

Quite a few of us here are in the design/engineering/mfg. field, and we like to give input, some of which isn't always feasible within constraints.

Another idea for a future prototype, maybe, would be to simplify the area of the clip to a plastic stump, and incorporate a metal clip (off another area of the interior) that would attach to the cup holder and still work on the female side. Cuz some of the plastic clips like to break off.

New Addition
 

Yeah that's actually what I am redesigning now. The first one went in but does not want to come out. I will keep the idea in mind. I also designed another idea for an alternative to a cup holder. Instead I had an FC with a cubby that was tiny.

Option 5 : Cubby Large
Option 6 : Cubby small with switches