Redesign my car

Hey, I did the same thing on my car...

http://www.retro-designs.com/rr/IMG_0003.jpg

Heh, but seriously, see if Mercedes will let you use some of their
CAD data. Maybe they can send a surface model of the mating parts?

Mike Wilson

 

Rafael,

Looking at the hood, it's just two long tear drops, correct?
I would think a very good body shop could laser cut the oblong holes and
weld on the two tear drops, blend and paint?

Otherwise, if you want to model this and do a full-size prototype, you
can do it using foam (cutting using CNC, which most boat companies use
process) or do a FDM process which may cost more, need finishing?

And as Dale and Mike said, you'll have to get some reference data from
digitizing or from DaimlerChrysler or maybe that company who is
advertising on that site.. .indendesign.de

btw, the SLK 171 or SLK 55 AMG is sweet!

...

 

HA that is great
Have a great weedend everyone.

 

I know somebody in town with a mill big enough to cut mold out of REN board.

Your real problem is going to be getting the existing geometry into SW. If
you have a FARO arm large enough this should be possible. Then it is only a
matter of money. A mold that size should run you around 50k to 100k. If you
plan to run several hundred of these then that shouldn't be a problem.

 

No, actually here is my website with some free models...

http://www.mikejwilson.com/solidworks/solidworks_files.htm

If you want to make a Mach 5, you've got the model!

That Beetle site was something I just found for fun. That hood mod
used to be very popular in the 70's in California.

Mike

 

Well, here are some sites for you to read...

http://scantech.net/showpage.asp?page=260&root=3
http://www.huntsman.com/renshape/Media/ToolingFocus-Issue1-2001_eu.pdf
http://www.digigate.net/m&namarine/mustang/building.htm
http://www.pilot3d.com/5axis.htm
http://www.nida-core.com/application.asp
http://www.caddigest.com/subjects/hardware/select/daimlerchrysler_laser.htm
http://www.3dlinks.com/oldsite/hardware_scanners.cfm

Good luck!

...

 

Just had a mental picture of a car with a mathematically twisted
surface for a hood...

 

Hello all!

I'm an absolute newbie when it comes to computer assisted design. I'm just
thinking, would it be possible for me to, design let's say a new hood for my
car, let someone "print it" in some plastic meterial, so that I can fix it
in my car?

I have an MB SLK and someone in Germany has done this with his car:
http://www.mbslk.de/images/forum/beitragsbilder/99573
I'd love to achieve the same result.

How far fetched would be a project like that: to design some body parts, and
let some third party to produce the body parts based on my cad drawing?
Anyone would know anything about costs, and who would produce those body
parts?


Rafael

 

Looking at the hood, it's just two long tear drops, correct?

No, I wish it was that simple. I have the SLK R170 originally with the
teardrops. My car looks something like this.
http://www.finn.no/mmo/4540713_2_0_slk2.jpg

But I'd like the front of my car to remind of the new new SL:
http://www.finn.no/mmo/4500974_1_0_bilde_1.jpg

Ok, but where is CAD in this picture? You mean I could design the new body
parts in CAD and let someone make a foam prototype?

Yeah, sweet they are. I've tried the new SLK (R171), perfect handling. But I
think that MB designers tried too hard to make a reference to SLR, making a
perfectly good car be a SLR wannabe. Many MB enthusiasts are irritated with
the F1-snout. My guess (and hope) is that with the next facelift the snaut
goes.

Guys, yuur response has been more than I've expected. Thank you for that.
But CNC and FDM and all of the other stuff, I just don't know what you are
talking about, sorry. ;-)




Rafael

 

Rapid prototyping something as large as a car's hood would be very

Thank you for the quick response! I guessed putting 2 and 2 together reading
the other posts that CNC router is a thingie that would use my CAD drawing
and cut a foam prototype, right? Then I could let someone make the actual
body part in fiberglass using the prototype? Correct?

Oh thanks, I'll need all the help available

Yeah.... Tough one. One of the other guys is suggesting asking someone to
give/sell it to me. I don't know what FARO is but sounds like ringing coins
to me. Expensive, not?

Rafael

 

A great suggestion!

The site posted link to, have you done all this, and made living out of
this? Impressive piece of work there! Or did you just buy your hood there?
In case you did it by yourself then gimme the details, details, details!
Do you own all the stuff the other guys mention the CNC and whatsitsname?

Rafael

 

A mold that size should run you around 50k to 100k. If you

You mean 50 000 to 100 000 dollars? Well, I don't plan to run severeal
hundreds of them, at least for now, this is only for my own fun.

Hm... I think you just killed my project.

Rafael

 

If you don't have the bucks, then you probably will have to build a buck by
hand. (Hey two different uses of the word buck in one sentence!) I am
assuming you will use fiberglass for the project.

What you might do is plot templates of cross sections on a large format
plotter. Kinkos will plot unlimited length on D size paper I think. You
glue the plot to a piece of plywood and cut out with a scroll saw. We built
prototypes in the shop this way.

 

Well that is an estimate for commercial work. I don't know what connections
you might have. If you can afford $5,300 for SW, another $1,500 for a
decent computer to run it on and the time it takes to learn how to do the
esoteric stuff then you are probably highly motivated. And who knows; if
you go to your local pattern shops with something decent on CAD they might
give you a break if there is something in it for them.

 

Actually there is a easier and cheaper way to do what he wants first of do a
scale model of the hood you want. The best method is to get a plastic or
metal model of you particular car. Second is to have it scanned with a
laser scanner , then you can scale up for the true size of the vehicle. This
will give you a basis or frame work to add the changes you want. You will
have to double check some dims to make sure everything matches up.