CAD / 3d design
 

Has anyone had any success reaching out to engineering companies to help with this?

I'm not the most hands on person in the world and reached out to a couple local fabrication companies for some plastics/urethane parts I'm interested in. But they charge and arm, a leg and a rotor for the actual design part of the process.

what are you looking to get designed specifically?

I'm looking to reproduce the center console for the FD that always cracks where you rest your elbow to get in and out.

I wanted to have the mold modified for extra thickness and possibly some additional built in cross bracing to improve the strength in that area.

Also, I thought about adding in a cup holder in the rear but the bracing is really what I'm interested in.

The problem is I have zero expereince with CAD or mapping out the specifics of the existing piece which is what the fabrication company that I've been talking to wants. I'm trying not to get bent over in the design by the engineering firm.

Just flip it over and add a ton of fiberglass to the underside. It will be strong enough then.

Don't complicate things.....

That's an option, but there are other things I'd like to have done as well, potentially to sell if other people like them.

I'm just getting started on my engineering degree, and will be getting my computer to get started with cad(autodesk software) next weekend. So i'm open to try to help you, if you are interested :)

But i would think some braces that mounted on the stock center consoles would be a more viable option than reproducing the whole unit.

I've also been interested in modeling parts of the FD. I worked at an internship for an aircraft company, and all the modeling was done us CATIA v5. Some of the designers there could do some incredible things. 3D scanners are used to scan items into a modeling enviornment, and until recently these cameras cost about $30,000. Through the wonders of technology, the cameras used on the xBox kinect can be used to do the same (measures 3D points in space). The software used to control the xbox kinect cameras is relatively new. ReconstructMe seems to be a pretty solid program, see the link below. As the software grows I'm sure it will be exciting to see someone use it on a car.

If you're considering having a mold made to sell as few parts, forget about it. I just finished an internship as a mechanical engineer at a tool and die company and something designed and made like that would cost literally thousands of dollars. Honestly, like others said, fiberglass the back and bondo the cracks.

I agree with Shainiac. I've done a fair amount of composites stuff (bodywork and misc parts for my school's Formula SAE team) and it's rather more difficult to get professional-looking results than it would seem. Also, the cost of materials can add up quickly.

3D printing is getting a lot of attention. This model costs a fraction of the competition. You could only use it to print smaller interior. I'm sure in the next couple of years you will be able to print much larger pieces like body panels.

XYZprinting Products

cup holder would be nice