This redesign resulted in tabs that are virtually impossible to break by hand, and yield by bending rather than snapping like the OEM tabs.
With the final design extensively tested and refined, they were ready to be installed for the final time.
Mounted to the door, the new 3D printed NSX Door Frame was a huge success and should last far beyond the OEM front and rear door frame pieces.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Out of the need for a missing driver’s side door frame for Project NSX, and for improving the design which are known to break over time, this endeavor has been quite successful. I have now learned the skills it takes to draw in CAD, and figured out how to upgrade an inexpensive 3D printer to print high quality parts and bring my design to life as a functional part that’s better than OEM.
These skills have been quite handy around the house and I find that I’m using them more often when working on my car, since printing parts is now an attainable and a very helpful solution. This is the way of the future for hobbyists to bring older cars back to glory as well as pushing the envelope of performance and creativity. I hope you have enjoyed my journey and realize that it’s not a difficult skill to learn, and that it too might be worth trying it for yourself. The possibilities are only limited to your imagination.
7 comments
So what type of material did you use for the final print
I tested a bunch of different materials, different brands, and countless print settings of each. I ended up with one of the PETG filaments.
Great article very informative!
What would you have done if you didn’t have friends at Mountune to use their FaroArm’s Prizm Laser?
Probably waited for my friend with a light scanner, or paid for one of the many places that do laser or light scanning. Or do more research looking into affordable scanning solutions.
Nice article!
I’ve been 3D printing parts for my cars for a few years now and one thing I’ve found is that ribs and walls can be made relatively stronger and stiffer for a given mass just by making them thicker but with a low infill percentage.
Obviously there are limitations with package and if you need another part of the print to have higher infill, but it can be helpful.
I have been playing with an ender 3 v2 for various projects lately and what you can do with these is really impressive. I built an enclosure for it and various upgrade parts. Still playing with PLA+, but i have some PETG to use for automotive stuff.
If you have not, remember to tape the +5V pin of the USB cable from your pi to the printer, as the printer will draw voltage from there if you cut its power. And when it tries to power 24v fans with that little 5V pin, it may burn some stuff. The 5V pin is the rightmost pin when you look at the port, placing the filled part toward the ground.
Now after going through all the R & D, do you plan to sell these pieces? Would it worth your time factoring in time and material cost?