Recreating NLA Parts (1 Viewer)

[DoubleNickels]

Pig Pen

I'm fortunate to have found myself in a career that's made me pretty good at engineering, solid-modeling (CAD) and fabrication of consumer products. I've seen similar threads on "unobtainium" in the other forums, but I'd like to hear people chime in on what parts are currently or soon-to-be No Longer Available for their FJ55's.

I realize there are aftermarket options for many items (e.g. weather stripping), but I'm thinking more along the lines of latches, regulators, gears, plastic trim, dash pieces, switches, that sort of thing. With such passion and detailed build threads from you all... many of you have gone through your rigs bolt-by-bolt and have a great sense of what's missing.

Anyways, please throw some things at me you'd like to see made anew and I'll start putting thought behind making it happen. Thanks everyone, and thanks for the great community!

-Calvin

 

[scrapdaddy]

Before we start, what type of material are you thinking about, just plastic or metal, etc. We can lay a big list on you, but I didn't want to get carried away dreaming.

 

[DoubleNickels]

Oh man... excited already.

Let's totally blue-sky it for now, hit me with everything.

My background has taken me from general "product design" in an engineering firm, to Robotic Toys, to the Outdoor Industry, to Medical Devices, with lots in between. If I had to categorize, I'd say I'm most skilled with injection molded part design, followed by sheet metal fab and machining. I'm also smart enough to know when to call in someone more qualified, so please don't misinterpret me stating my strengths as not acknowledging weaknesses. You can search my forum content to see I've asked some pretty silly questions to solve fairly obvious issues with my rigs!

Also to head off any tangent discussions, I'm not talking about chintzy 3D printed crap unless there's a perfect situation. We often use 3D printed parts for proof of concept but the materials and/or resolution ("accuracy") fall short for production purposes.

Anyways, let's hear it.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Tailgate handles
Inner door mechanism (for lack of right term) picture to follow.

Rear reflector rings (early and late)
Patch panels ( BobM pieces)
Early window regulators
Tail light lenses/rubber gaskets
'69 grille light lenses/rubber gaskets
Late style license plate lights
Lower base for 55 front turn signals

 

[timmbuck2]

+100000000 patch panels

rear window gear?

everything else scrapdaddy said

 

[npulver]

Replacement dash pads, since you mentioned injection moulding.Inside rear view mirrors (early style?)

 

[BBQ BOY]

Factory A/C evaporator

 

[BBQ BOY]

Floor pans, rockers and other sheet metal
Body parts

 

[scrapdaddy]

DoubleNickles,

You asked for it!

 

[DoubleNickels]

Love it. Taking notes, thinking it through. I'm not scared yet.

Regarding BobM's panels... he's kicking some a$$ and, unless he's planning to stop any time soon, I think he provides a quality solution already.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Well, I don't want to speak for Bob, but he's claiming retirement, so I believe it's an open field.

 

[Delancy]

Replacement dash pads, since you mentioned injection moulding.

Cluster surround, glove box door, and armrests to match.

 

[DoubleNickels]

This is great! Throwing some initial thoughts down:

1) Tailgate Handles: Is the entire thing NLA? Meaning the whole mech, or just the outermost portion (the chrome handle)? I haven't pulled mine apart yet, so I can't comment on its complexity or the manufacturing approach.

2) Handle Internals: What breaks on those, just the plastic backing? Or would the entire piece need to be replaced as an assembly (handle, backing plate, rod and clips)?

3) Lenses, gaskets, and reflectors: Love these for a few reasons. The parts are small, rather easy to reverse engineer with great accuracy, and easy to batch together during molding (for similar colors at least). When you go small enough you can mold parts in what's called a MUD-Base, so tooling cost is super low.

4) Dash and Glove Box Door: Totally agree there's a need. Mine are beyond repair, typical cracks and potato chip shape to the door.

5) Window Gear: @timmbuck2 , wasn't someone offering aftermarket metal gear replacements, or has that gone away? That's an easy one to remedy, if so.

Pictures are key here, even if they're not yours, so post them up. Especially when you say "early style" since I'm not yet that deep into pig history.

More tomorrow, thanks everyone.

 

[Delancy]

1.) Yes. The outer chrome is what'll be most desirable, since the inner can be swapped for used but functional.

I've new handle should that be required to repro.

2.) Defer to Ron.

3.) I've new rear lenses and gaskets should that be required to repro.

4.) I've an SOR gauge surround (injection molded) that's a very close (visually) match to OE.....but not a match to original at all, meaning, worthless without dash pads and glovebox door that match.

Should it be required to repro.

Talked to several local producers a few years ago and they all said the take off and castings (at that time) were 'thousands' each, therefore not viable.

With 3D scanning capabilities, maybe that's changed.

5.) @Midgainc had a resource for, but a limited run. I've one that could be used to repro, should it be required or bet James would offer whatever proprietary specs he had, since he wasn't doing it for the money.

 

[bobm]

It's open. Tailgate handle it can help with design. It shouldn't be cast, that's why it fail. Rear quarter vents and landcruiser fender emblems. Call me if you have time

 

[scrapdaddy]

On the inner door handle, it is the plastic piece that breaks and we can get you one when ready.

On the rear window gear that Midgainc produced, he didn't have a groove machined into the face of the gear, which would be required if used. I have a NOS plastic gear when needed.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

windshield wiper link bushings for all series thru 62...

 

[Brycec]

One thing about the rear window gear everyone seems to overlook is it may seem that a metal gear is the way to go, but there's a reason it's plastic it's made to be the week link so that you don't mess up your motor etc...... so yes plastic oem style gear would be great. I tried going the 3d route quality sucked. So now I have 5 gears that are useless

 

[Brycec]

Yes to patch panels. Especially the rear corners. Wheel well edges. It is really to bad Bob is on hiatus, because just from the pics I've seen of his work, true talent.

 

[tatat]

Doors Hinges.