http://www.fj40dash.com/main.sc
Saw their banner ad here on MUD, didn't know if anyone had hit them up yet?
Saw their banner ad here on MUD, didn't know if anyone had hit them up yet?
Has anyone asked these guys about early Pig dash pad reproductions?
- Thread starter PabloCruise
- Start date
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Pablo,
Yeah, I was talking to him about the 55 dash. Doesn't look promising. A 40 dash is @ $250 and he would have to sell over 100 hundred of them, to make money. 55's dash pads are bigger and more involved, to make, so he didn't think it was going to happen. He has a thread going up in the 40 section.
Yeah, I was talking to him about the 55 dash. Doesn't look promising. A 40 dash is @ $250 and he would have to sell over 100 hundred of them, to make money. 55's dash pads are bigger and more involved, to make, so he didn't think it was going to happen. He has a thread going up in the 40 section.
Bumping this to avoid another thread....
In light of recent 3D scanning and printing advancements, along with relatively economical (can't say with certainty yet) small production runs of injection molded plastics, has me thinking about reproduction of the many NLA interior parts, including the instrument panel, glovebox door, dash pad and interior door handles.
What promoted was the discovery and observations of SOR's repro gauge surround, which is hard plastic with the texture built into the mold.
It's very rigid with absolutely no give, looks like plastic, but could be good foundation for a vacuumed on thermo-vinyl, or even a stitched vinyl covering, similar to Shane's 80 covers.
Anyhow, I know nothing more about than what Google results, so seeing if anyone has any experience with the overall process, input on the demand for rigid plastic parts, ready to cover, paint, liner, whatever.
The gauge surround and the glovebox appear identical, short of the cutouts for gauges and recess for handle on the glovebox, so thinking the one I have could work for both, possibly doing both solid to allow for easy, clean aftermarket gauges to be used, without being confined to the OE gauge diameter (though there options that DO fit are very cool).
One of my concerns with a rigid product is it's ability to attach to the metal dash and not conform to the contours, but it may be a trade off for a lifetime product that won't warp in the sun.
Another is finding a good dash pad that could be scanned. I realize that 3D CAD might allow for straightening, but really know nothing about.
Thoughts?
Premature for my endeavors, since the '76 is a long ways from necessitating, and considering as an option to the exposed metal dash that seems the better approach.
In light of recent 3D scanning and printing advancements, along with relatively economical (can't say with certainty yet) small production runs of injection molded plastics, has me thinking about reproduction of the many NLA interior parts, including the instrument panel, glovebox door, dash pad and interior door handles.
What promoted was the discovery and observations of SOR's repro gauge surround, which is hard plastic with the texture built into the mold.
It's very rigid with absolutely no give, looks like plastic, but could be good foundation for a vacuumed on thermo-vinyl, or even a stitched vinyl covering, similar to Shane's 80 covers.
Anyhow, I know nothing more about than what Google results, so seeing if anyone has any experience with the overall process, input on the demand for rigid plastic parts, ready to cover, paint, liner, whatever.
The gauge surround and the glovebox appear identical, short of the cutouts for gauges and recess for handle on the glovebox, so thinking the one I have could work for both, possibly doing both solid to allow for easy, clean aftermarket gauges to be used, without being confined to the OE gauge diameter (though there options that DO fit are very cool).
One of my concerns with a rigid product is it's ability to attach to the metal dash and not conform to the contours, but it may be a trade off for a lifetime product that won't warp in the sun.
Another is finding a good dash pad that could be scanned. I realize that 3D CAD might allow for straightening, but really know nothing about.
Thoughts?
Premature for my endeavors, since the '76 is a long ways from necessitating, and considering as an option to the exposed metal dash that seems the better approach.
I went with CruiserCorps for the cap, but mine is late -
- Thread starter
- #5
Sounds like a very cool idea Chris! I wish I knew folks who do this kind of thing. but I do not...
I know everyone with an early dash is looking for a cover!
I know everyone with an early dash is looking for a cover!
I don't, either.....yet.
There's two local companies I'm going to hit up, after exploring their capabilities online, the latter part of the week. One a thermo plastic manufacturer, the other producing prototypes for various industries, basically by scanning in 3D, producing the mold, then plastic injection.
We'll see...... The latter claims that small production runs of prototypes are their norm. This wouldn't be a prototype, so to speak, since it appears the finished products they create are rigid plastics.
Biggest drawback is finding minty parts to scan.
No idea the cost, yet, but think this may be the future of parts reproduction.
In discussions about dash pads with a seasoned restorer, he said the only economical solution would be to send Just Dashes the entire part and that they rebuild the foam by hand, then create a "cap" with vacuum pressed thermo vinyl.....for around $1,800.00.
For that kind of money, I can live with a hard plastic base material and even stitching on the cover, but thinking there's a more economical solution outside the "restoration" world.
It's what SOR did to create these, but they were probably hand tooled and made in China for a fraction of what this may cost, since they, supposedly, receive semi loads at a time.
They claim the glovebox door is constructed the same way. I'd just buy it and get on with life, but without the upper and lower dash pad offering, looses it's luster.
You can see the back being plastic, eliminating the metal backing on the surround, and gauges attach directly to the studs.
If the glovebox door is a mirror image, without holes and with depression for handle, I'd think easy enough to modify a CAD drawing.
Have a lower dash pad on the way, so hopefully it could be utilized, along with one good interior handle. Once I chat with, depending on expense, may be on the hunt for good early and late uppers to borrow.
All talk, as of yet...
- Thread starter
- #7
Hmmm... Do you think they could fab up a tailgate handle? Would the plastic be rigid enough?
Not sure.
Not so much the actual product, but the scanning that's alluring.
Can literally scan anything in 3D and produce a CNC formatted drawing, so anything is possible, skipping a few steps that's usually be costly in a take off.
yes you do...zepp does 3d printing now.
- Thread starter
- #11
Sum bitch! That is cool! When did he get into that?
recently...opened his own place. i assume scanning too, but i'll talk to him tonight more at the meeting. chris, any objections to my passing him your phone number if he can help?
Yes would love to have my 71 dash redone to look factory.. and not use the 72-80 from cruiser corps site....
3D scanning seems to be a little more costly grab what the internet would elude to.
Yes, if the intention was to 3D scan, machine molds for injection plastics, the produce 5,000, it's a no brainer, but the closest facility I've found is in North Texas and to scan the glovebox door, gauge surround, door handles, upper and lower dash pad, they're taking $2,500.00.
Going to contact a local take off artist to see what it'd cost to manually do, considering the simplicity of the parts.
Yes, if the intention was to 3D scan, machine molds for injection plastics, the produce 5,000, it's a no brainer, but the closest facility I've found is in North Texas and to scan the glovebox door, gauge surround, door handles, upper and lower dash pad, they're taking $2,500.00.
Going to contact a local take off artist to see what it'd cost to manually do, considering the simplicity of the parts.
The other caveat is production.
Injection molding is very economical, once the molds are machined.....if doing 100 lots in China.
What the local company suggested as an alternative is a "build up" printing process, which is 3D printing with a plasticized ABS.
Sounds good, but thinking it'd be too brittle or fragile, overall.
Injection molding is very economical, once the molds are machined.....if doing 100 lots in China.
What the local company suggested as an alternative is a "build up" printing process, which is 3D printing with a plasticized ABS.
Sounds good, but thinking it'd be too brittle or fragile, overall.
- Thread starter
- #17
No, sir. Haven't spoke to him yet.
pm'd you his info. if he can't do dashes themselves, then maybe he can do a mold to make the dashes in. isn't that the expensive part of the injection molding?
The take off, 3D imaging (CAD) seem to be a huge chunk of the "mold" creation.
Based on a brief conversation, if the file was created, can find a broker that could do 100 injection molded pieces overseas for what five will cost here. Don't know how true that is, yet.
Another possibility, assuming file was created, would be to machine, but still exploring costs.
Will call Jeff to see if there's a process, procedure that's being overlooked and get his take on it.