That would be a good idea for making spares but I'm not sure homebrew molding would offer me the type of consistency, control, and quality that i'd be happy to install in my own car let alone offer to others, but then again I don't have a ton of experience with it. May be worth lookin into once i'm through. I can always modify the CAD models slightly and produce a positive to make a mold from. first priority is to finish one that i'm happy with for my '88 GT. I appreciate the offer on the CNC!
It is up to you but I would hardly call it home brew molding. It is pretty good stuff if you do it right. SLA to a mold for small production runs is not uncommon at all.
Small update for today. Need to take some measurements in the car itself to make sure this thing will sit down on to the frame properly, Then I can start working on the radio housing.
Because plastic is cheap and quick and it served its purpose. None of these started failing until the cars were out of production and out of warranty. It was a good design decision for the manufacturer, but not so good for us non-conformists who insist on keeping the cars long past their intended design life.
Originally posted by tesmith66: It was a good design decision for the manufacturer, but not so good for us non-conformists who insist on keeping the cars long past their intended design life.
I think that's exactly it. I think the manufacturers figure the average life span of a car is about 10 years. The skeletons lasted just fine for 10 years. They did their job. I'm sure Pontiac didn't figure there'd still be 50k+ owners, 30 years later.
There is an annoying amount of parts in the interior of my Saturn Sky built from the same quality of stuff. The tunnel pop-out cup holder in particular seems to have a lifespan of about a year...with light use. Same crappy, cheap, fragile ABS used in a higher-stress environment. Just plain dumb value engineering.
I'm still thinking that a 3D printed vinyl skeleton would be the ticket: Inexpensive, flexible, tough. It doesn't show, so it wouldn't need a smooth, refined finish.
Fellas, I'm just chiming in with a suggestion for you guys out there with a good skeleton that you wish to save from disintragation. I spray painted my last good skeleton with a rattle-can truck bed liner. It toughens up the plastic real good. Your ideas?
Same crappy, cheap, fragile ABS used in a higher-stress environment. Just plain dumb value engineering.
If Fiero owners used their cars as GM planned (meaning no modifications, never remove anything except for the occasional light bulb change, etc), the skeletons work just fine. Disassemble/reassemble things 50 times and things are bound to break. Heat and age weaken it (it happens with everything, no matter the quality) so when you've tried to screw in that same screw for the 100th time, it's gonna crack. Or when you lean on the console/armrest day after day for 30 years, it's gonna crack. Not so much a problem with the materials.
If Fiero owners used their cars as GM planned (meaning no modifications, never remove anything except for the occasional light bulb change, etc), the skeletons work just fine. Disassemble/reassemble things 50 times and things are bound to break. Heat and age weaken it (it happens with everything, no matter the quality) so when you've tried to screw in that same screw for the 100th time, it's gonna crack. Or when you lean on the console/armrest day after day for 30 years, it's gonna crack. Not so much a problem with the materials.
GM has been making fragile, crappy center consoles since the 70s: I remember by grandfather going postal when any of his grandkids leaned on the center consoles in the 70s and 80s Blazers he drove (he sold Chevys for 35 years). It's inevitably that people are going to lean on a center console- to unlock a door, roll down a window, switch seats, etc. Not designing them for this (like by employing copious amounts of very brittle ABS) is, at least in my case, a way to discourage repeat customers.
GM has been making fragile, crappy center consoles since the 70s: I remember by grandfather going postal when any of his grandkids leaned on the center consoles in the 70s and 80s Blazers he drove (he sold Chevys for 35 years). It's inevitably that people are going to lean on a center console- to unlock a door, roll down a window, switch seats, etc. Not designing them for this (like by employing copious amounts of very brittle ABS) is, at least in my case, a way to discourage repeat customers.
Meh. Technology improves with time. "Modern" cars weren't meant to last forever. The average lifespan is 10 years. The Fiero is 30 years old. Expect things to break.
It's coming along good.
