Looking for an answer from experienced people & possible partnership

[jeffmorris]

I also want to create model cars with working parts but trying to find drawings of cars with all of the parts (engine, transmission, suspension, etc) is like trying to find needle in haystack. I already printed working engines and transmissions that I find at Thingiverse but I can't find model cars with working parts. In 1960s, there was Visible Auto Chassis and I had one but the company stopped making the chassis and today's Visible V8 doesn't have "spark plugs" and starter motor that runs the engine. Almost all of the plastic model car kits are two-doors with powerful engines, bucket seats, consoles, and floor-mounted shifters.

[kubikdanon]

Hello all,

Just to clarify few things:
1. I am aware of all the die-cast models, however, I was looking for ways to create those models myself. I was looking at China importing and 3D modeling.
2. As I understood from previous posts, you guys are saying that it is highly cost-effective to create your own model, and it is far better just buying from existing manufacturer. Am I understanding this correct?
3. If answer to the question #2 is yes, then I am disappointed

[Marm]

2) Is worded incorrectly,somehow. It is highly NOT cost effective to create your own model. I think that's what you meant.

As they say time is money. You can either spend a lot of money having these modeled for you, or you can spend a lot of time modeling them yourself.

Sometimes it is a lot easier and cheaper to re-invent the wheel. There's a lot of gadgets and Jigs I use in my shop for various reasons, most of which are available commercially. But I have the design ability, and the manufacturing capacity, to make clones of these items fairly easily. Two quick examples: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1855246 and http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1855586. Both of these are available commercially, but I spent a little time and reversed engineered them, and saved quite a bit of money in the process (The second one costs $100+ retail). But these are relatively simple designs. These car manufacturers spend millions of dollars, and decades of man hours to design a car. Then the modelling company has to spend another insane amount of time designing their models to match. And then, in this case, a 3d modeller spent a lot of time creating these beautiful renderings.

We're not saying it can't be done. Just that it's can't be done with these models, or more specifically, the files. If you come across a set of files that meet your specs, and are designed for printing, then this is very doable. If you're looking for a one off item. If you're looking to mass produce these, 3d printing is not the way to go. Then you're talking injection molding, and then that's usually a minimum order of 10,000 units, etc etc.

So if you can find, or create, the models in the formats needed for printing, then I'm sure some one here has the capability to print one one out at a doable rate.

[ralphzoontjens]

Preparing a single-skin mesh file for 3D printing means great amounts of time investment that, in case you have no commercial objective, I don't see being very advantageous over buying a standard die-cast model and repainting it. The detail of an FDM 3D printer car will not come near to the quality or pricing of an industrially made model. Even if you can find a printable model the printing process will take several man hours for all separate parts so if you have a decent budget and interest enough for a specific 3D printed car let me know!