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With a 0.05 or 0.1 nozzle you can get close enough that it can be close enough with some post processing, but with the level of detail required it's more of a candidate for SLA printing and not FDM. The ribbed surface can't be reproduced on an FDM printer though.
Took me a while to figure out how to get the performance sound badge right. I think you're right, it won't work well on an FDM printer. I first had one printed in clear high detail plastic, which also didn't work, especially painting was almost impossible. The one that I finally succeeded with (shallow version printed) is made from black resin with 25 um on an SLA printer. The PERFORMANCE lettering was filled with yellow automative lacquer and sanded with 250 grit to expose the lettering. The silver SOUND lettering was simply dipped in a layer of chrome lacquer. Still needs perfection though...
Hey everyone, I haven't been active on these boards in a long time because my restoring my 84 Camaro has been on hold for quite some time. I'm a very avid 3d printer though. I've contacted a few of you who have shared models on this thread through Thinigiverse. I went ahead and created a Thingiverse group for sharing ThirdGen related 3D models.
Please consider joining the group and adding your designs to the "Things" tab. Please limit what you add to actual parts or helpful tools that can be used to repair/upgrade Third Gens. Only the creator of a particular file can add something to the group's "Things" tab. Since it is likely some people wont join the group, and other people have created files for other GM cars that might also be applicable to ours, I have also created a "collection" of files I've found on Thingiverse that might be of interest to ThirdGen owners that you can follow if you want.
I found 2nd-gen taillight nuts on Thingiverse. I haven't had a chance to look at them closely yet, but does anyone know how or whether this can be modified for 3rd gen?
It looks like GM used the same plastic taillight nuts from atleast 1978-2002. I looked at one of the nuts from a spare set of taillights I have. The design is slightly off spec (diameter of base is 30mm v 26mm stock, hexagon end is 15mm v 11mm stock) but I think it would work fine for 3rd/4th gen lights. The designer probably made those design changes to make it easier to 3d print and improve the strength a bit. Printed them in ABS or PETG would be better than printing them in PLA.
Also started a thread in the interior forum to document the design progress of my (way overdue) 3d printed replacement for the overhead console flashlights.
For little things with fine detail like that sound badge, have you considered silicone molding original ones and epoxy casting them? It might be easier to get clean lines that way.
Last edited by 83AQ9; 08-12-2019 at 10:36 PM.
Reason: got my words backwards
I have an 82 Trans Am. The latch for the console cover was broken. I managed to glue it back together and it's held up so far but it would be nice if this is something that could be reproduced.
I have an 82 Trans Am. The latch for the console cover was broken. I managed to glue it back together and it's held up so far but it would be nice if this is something that could be reproduced.
I'll have to take mine out and get some pictures of it for you. I tried searching on Google and ebay and couldn't find a picture of it. I can find all kinds of others but not for the 82-84 Firebirds.
Here are some pictures of my "repaired" latch.
I don't have a way to make these so no, I don't have any plans on selling them. I would just like to have a few on hand in case of broken ones. I don't know that it would be a big money maker for you if you decided to sell them but I do have to say that I haven't been able to find any on ebay or any of the aftermarket parts suppliers.
That piece doesn't seem like it would be too involved to model. The first step would be to take pictures of the part in each orientation and have it measured accurately, in millimeters. Document each and every bend and the associated dimensions. Once we have this, we can make model, 3D print it and tweak dimensions until it is right. There will likely be some dimensions that are less important than the others but it should be easy enough to get it done. I can help with the 3D modeling and printing if that is something you are interested in.
Last edited by soulbounder; 09-04-2019 at 01:22 PM.
What about the 90-92 driver side door cup holders? In tan nonetheless. I believe those may fly off the shelves!
Those are long, but nothing that cannot be done. It all starts with making a 3D model.
Originally Posted by Aviator857
That would be expensive to print, as in a few hundred each.
No way it would cost hundreds of dollars for a hobbyist to print out of ABS with an FDM printer. Sure, you may have to spend some time doing finish work to get it looking less like a 3D printed part if you print with large layers, but printing with high enough quality would be close to paint ready.
Those are long, but nothing that cannot be done. It all starts with making a 3D model.
No way it would cost hundreds of dollars for a hobbyist to print out of ABS with an FDM printer. Sure, you may have to spend some time doing finish work to get it looking less like a 3D printed part if you print with large layers, but printing with high enough quality would be close to paint ready.
Was thinking shapeways or other pay to print place. The radio face is $70.
Well, the pay to print places will charge a premium, but you usually get a really nice piece and they can make tons of them at a time. That is certainly not where the experiment should start lol.
Anybody know of any small parts that could be designed and 3d printed? I enjoy modeling things and have made some stuff for thirdgens. There are also great things that people have designed such as the interior panel screws. Below are some of the things that I have designed. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3657284 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3612044
One of the first things one eventually learns when they get heavily into 3d printing is the rule that "Just because it can be 3d printed, doesn't always mean it should be 3d printed". The same reasoning as the old saying "if all you have is a hammer every problem looks like a nail"
A console lid sounds like a good idea at first, but current 3d printing technologies make it a very poor choice. 3D printers can only push out a certain amount of plastic from the nozzle over a given amount of time. This varies by design, but printing a large part like a console lid is not at all time efficient. 3D printing is overall a SLOW process and it doesn't scale up well at all. A lot of people print large items on their printers, but these are usually hollow decorative pieces with only a 1mm or so thick outer 'skins" of solid plastic. A console lid that will be subject to stress the first time you lean hard on it with your elbow would need to printed solid and thicker than the denser original injection molded part if it had any chance of lasting as long. Printing such a large part almost 100% solid would take a LONG time on most printers. Interior parts also are usually printed out of ABS plastic as other plastics like PLA/PETG tend to deform at high temperatures like a sunny car interior on a hot day..Large ABS prints tend to warp and split if you don't have a printer properly set for it.
Since it is so large and mostly flat, the console lid is a MUCH better candidate for CNC machining. It could be cut from plastic, plywood, or other materials and would be much stronger than a 3d printed part. making a mold and casting a duplicate out of resin/fiberglass or other processes would be more time efficient and give a better end product than 3d printing as well. I actually have a CNC router as well as a few 3d printers and might look at cutting a console lid if there is enough interest. I had to replace my Camaro console lid in the past and have the old cracked one lying around to take some easy measurements. I would need to get the measurements for a Firebird version though.
The same issues apply to the cupholder idea, though because of the more organic shape it might be a bit more suited for 3d printing and one can increase the solidity of the print near the mounts and cup holding area and leave the rest of the print less dense if desired. Though here too, using a CNC to cut one out of a block of solid material would also produce a much stronger part. Since any 3d printed part would also need finish work done to make it appear like a factory piece, the end product would look about the same.
What about the 90-92 driver side door cup holders? In tan nonetheless. I believe those may fly off the shelves!
The tan wouldn't be an easy match, but that's not a hard part to model and easy to paint afterwards. I'll add it to my list of stuff to prototype when i finish building my larger printers.
Originally Posted by GeckoCamaro
snip.
I disagree with your conclusions there; the beauty of additive manufacturing is that everything isa nail. Whether or not it's a good nail sometimes is debatable; the point is it can be done. Realistically, most of the conversation in this thread has been about whether or not people can use 3d printing (FDM in this case) to make reasonable facsimiles of hard to find or out of production parts, not necessarily whether it's feasible to make restoration parts. Very few people still know what 3d printing is and don't know how it can be used.
A console lid insert can absolutely be made on a 3d printer, however, you are correct in that one may have to be creative with the replacement design. There's a lot of empty space under that cover as well as a reinforcing frame, so it wouldn't take much adjustment in a model to make sure it's strong enough to hold up to any deformation. Just changing the orientation of the print to put the layer lines perpendicular to the forces applied would already go a long way to achieving this. Prototyping 101.
Absolutely. I keep a close eye on this thread and will add it to the list of stuff i want to prototype out. I know mine's already broken so i'll have a vested interest in making a new one.
Last edited by RunawayRadio; 09-18-2019 at 10:20 AM.
Exactly - change the design and make it better. Who will see it anyways? Unless you are going for a concours resto, re-engineer the parts to better than what GM did.
I disagree with your conclusions there; the beauty of additive manufacturing is that everything isa nail. Whether or not it's a good nail sometimes is debatable; the point is it can be done.
We don't really disagree here. I never said it "couldn't" be done. (though 3d printing still DOES have limits) I just said that like any tool people should chose the right one for the project. I am a huge advocate of 3d printing, I have taught classes at my local makerspace on 3d printing and I run an e-commerce store selling 3D printing related items (among others) and providing 3d printing services. Everyone I know (including myself) goes through a phase when they first buy or have access to a 3d printer at work/school where they suddenly want to create everything using 3d printing. It real helps to have someone remind them from time to time it is NOT always the best solution.
Example: I built my personal CNC router from scratch and instead of paying the money for a set of custom cut aluminum plates for it, I 3D printed all of the gantry plates 100% solid in ABS plastic. It took DAYS to print the plates but it did save me afew bucks. I then assembled the machine using the 3d printed plates and used the machine to cut new plates out of 1/4" aluminum to swap out. Do I recommend people ever do the same thing I did? No. I tell them that while they can, it is better to find someone else with a laser cutter or CNC that can cut out MUCH stronger temporary plates out of Plywood,G10, or another material, or just pay up for a set of finished plates and build their machine once.
I watched a Youtube video today from a great 3D printing channel I subscribe to (
) where the creator wanted to replicate a transparent video game controller using a 3d scanner and 3d printer. Cool video. But 10 seconds into it I was thinking it was a perfect example of something that can be 3d printed but (since he had the original part) could have been done MUCH faster/easier/cheaper and with likely better end results by simply making a mold of the original part and casting it in a clear resin. There are some people who just want to 3d print something particular to prove it can be done or be the first to do it. I salute their loyalty and perseverance. If someone wants to 3d print anything for themselves and their friends then more power to them. But I will still point out when other tools/techniques might be better suited to the job.
was finally able to find someone to print out my double din bezel for my camaro. also had him print one out for my buddy. sanded it down, and painted it. matches pretty well with the factory stuff just has a little more shine though. oh also got this stupid clean 5 speed bezel off ebay. was thinkin on seeing if the guy would be able to make a 3d print of it.
was finally able to find someone to print out my double din bezel for my camaro. also had him print one out for my buddy. sanded it down, and painted it. matches pretty well with the factory stuff just has a little more shine though. oh also got this stupid clean 5 speed bezel off ebay. was thinkin on seeing if the guy would be able to make a 3d print of it.
That looks good! Almost OEM looking, but a little too shiny. You may be able to use some armor all or the equivalent and give the other interior pieces the same shine.
Can parts be printed with more than one color in them at a time?
Yes, but it's time-consuming and limited for most printers. The printer can be paused at exactly the right moment, the filament can be unstrung and another color fed in instead, and then everything above that layer prints in the new color.
(I say "for most printers," because I assume some high-end model may have a better solution.)
Last edited by Moonlight137; 12-21-2019 at 03:03 PM.
The designer probably made those design changes to make it easier to 3d print and improve the strength a bit. Printed them in ABS or PETG would be better than printing them in PLA.
Thank you for the info!
Last edited by Moonlight137; 12-21-2019 at 02:59 PM.
Thanks for the info, I was wondering about that. I have a small project but it involves two colors and didn't know if it was a possibility. It would be in the intake assembly also. Are these thermoset plastics these machines use or do you know?
was finally able to find someone to print out my double din bezel for my camaro. also had him print one out for my buddy. sanded it down, and painted it. matches pretty well with the factory stuff just has a little more shine though. oh also got this stupid clean 5 speed bezel off ebay. was thinkin on seeing if the guy would be able to make a 3d print of it.
Looks great! How does it feel?
I've found that one of the bed liners in a can (I'm pretty sure that it's Duplicolor, but I'm not positive, I have the can in the basement) matches the look VERY well, I've redone lings like repairing the cracks in the window sill trim and painting over with that and having one painted and one not, the painted one just looked like a much nicer, newer one, BUT, it's feel is wrong- the original plastic is slippery to most surfaces where the bedliner has a bit of traction/grip to it like the texture is fine rubber chunks.
Are these thermoset plastics these machines use or do you know?
Not the few that I've seen. Failed prints can be melted down and re-spooled into usable filament.
My 18yo said he's heard of them being boiled to anneal them, but that's still no resin. Maybe somebody also sells a permanent resin in a filament spool... 🤷♂️
Can parts be printed with more than one color in them at a time?
With some higher end printers, you can have multiple extruders and hot ends, thus being able to use multiple colors. We have a ulitmaker s3 at school and one extruder uses water soluble supports so you can remove the supports by just throwing the part in a water bucket and having it soak in there. Super easy to do rather than picking them off. You could take the support material out and throw another color in there and you could print in two different colors.
Last edited by Logan Bryant; 01-02-2020 at 11:03 AM.
I have a request, a rather unusual one. I looking to have a black enclosure printed that will fit inside the bird emblem indentation on the tail light filler panel of an 82-84 Trans Am tail light section. I need it to be about 1/4 of an inch tall, with a solid black back. The reason is I intend to put LED lights inside to light up the bird when my tail lights are on, but need to contain the light from leaking out. I did this the first try (see pic) by painting the center panel black, but I'd like to avoid painting it, and have a special unit, or cartridge that will slide right into the indentation. I may have done a lousy job of explaining this, so please, ask me anything to clarify.
The little seat belt guide retainer things. They are little ***** that hold the ends of the guide together to keep the belt in the loop. There was a thread of someone making them, but I can't find it now.
No need to 3D print them. It's practically a piece of round rubber hose that stretches over the belt guide. I actually found mine in a parts drawer. Just get a piece of soft hose and cut a piece off.
I have a request, a rather unusual one. I looking to have a black enclosure printed that will fit inside the bird emblem indentation on the tail light filler panel of an 82-84 Trans Am tail light section. I need it to be about 1/4 of an inch tall, with a solid black back. The reason is I intend to put LED lights inside to light up the bird when my tail lights are on, but need to contain the light from leaking out. I did this the first try (see pic) by painting the center panel black, but I'd like to avoid painting it, and have a special unit, or cartridge that will slide right into the indentation. I may have done a lousy job of explaining this, so please, ask me anything to clarify.
If I am following you, you basically want a cutout instead of painting the inside of the bird? If so, the only problem with that, would be you would have to glue every little piece in there to prevent them from falling around. Also, all the pieces would be disconnected, and I think it would be difficult to get every piece glued in there correctly. I would venture to say your best bet would be to find someone with cricut and get a vinyl cutout of the bird and try that. That way it wouldn't be as permanent if you ever didn't want it anymore.
Has anyone scanned, or found elsewhere. The little plastic clips that hold the door panels on?
I noticed that I'm missing a few of them, and thought I could just print some more. But not finding them on Thingiverse.
Has anyone scanned, or found elsewhere. The little plastic clips that hold the door panels on?
I noticed that I'm missing a few of them, and thought I could just print some more. But not finding them on Thingiverse.
They look like this
The original was made of nylon, one of the tougher normal plastics. Although you can 3D print in nylon, it wouldn't be as strong a part as a molded nylon piece, and PLA would break on first use. Unless you redesign specifically around the weaknesses of 3D printing (and offhand I can't really think of how to do it, you'd have to print it on its side) I don't see a printed part working, you'd also probably have to use PETG, ABS, or at least PLA+ to keep it from deforming from the heat inside a car.
If in the future if you start doing larger pieces, maybe do wicker bill rear spoilers for both the Firebirds and Camaros. I think they would look really good on our cars. Here’s a great example.
Here's something I'm working on. The previous owner installed a scanmaster at the top of the gauge cluster using zip ties and I didn't like how it was in the way. He also used awful double sided tape to mount the methanol injection controller to the bottom right portion of the lower dash. Since I had the cluster face off to investigate a non-working dimmer, I figure I'd make some new mounting solutions. These will work with factory mounting holes in the dash trim pieces with some slightly longer screws.
Anybody know of any small parts that could be designed and 3d printed? I enjoy modeling things and have made some stuff for thirdgens. There are also great things that people have designed such as the interior panel screws. Below are some of the things that I have designed. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3657284 https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3612044
Ik this post is old as the hills but there is a piece that connects the hater control cable to a little flange under the dash that is prone to breaking THAT would be a great piece to design and sell. It's small and hard to source so it would be low effort to design and wouldn't take a lot of material to print
Ik this post is old as the hills but there is a piece that connects the hater control cable to a little flange under the dash that is prone to breaking THAT would be a great piece to design and sell. It's small and hard to source so it would be low effort to design and wouldn't take a lot of material to print
Do you have a picture of the part or a part number?
08-11-2019, 02:46 PM
