title says it all!

The prototype car has steel fog light grills.. they look just like the stock plastic ones.


B

Would someone with access to a CNC machine be able to map them and cut them out?

way easier to chrome this way huh?

You mean a CNC machine like this...


I've got this Haas CNC mill in my garage.

... and you know, I've always thought it was pretty lame that they were plastic too.
Aluminum ones would be really cool.

As you can see on my bench in the photo, I took the one off my car to see how difficult a project it would be.
I've always thought of it as a simple part.

Well, now that I've taken a closer look... it's not. The part is completely 3D (even the mounting holes are perpendicular to the bumpers curved surface). Also, all of the slots are curved (not flat / 2D). They face straight ahead (horizontal) as the main shape follows the front curve of the bumper (driver to passenger side) and side curve of the bumper (as is sweeps back toward the underside of the car). Basically it is toric shaped (like a donut or football) that is defined by 2 radii.
It would require some well thought out (time consuming) dedicated tooling to fixure at several different angles.
...Unless it was completely 3D machined (which also adds much more machine time / cost).
In other words, they would probably be in the ballpark of a couple hundred $ each in small volume.
Not to mention lots of development time.

Probably out of the question.

Let me know if you've got any other CNC ideas.
I've been wanting to make some CNC'd parts for my 2.0 liter for a while.
It's a little easier when I can make a few extra parts & sell 'em to cover the development time, programming, and tooling.

- Greg

Click HERE to see a photo of my '74 2.0 Liter

In your garage? You show off!!!!!

damn....talk about making me feel inadequate

all I've got in my garage is one of those Sloptask 3-n-1 mill/drills converted to CNC (servo)

The grill would be better off cast (like the original)

we'll have to talk once I get back from my business trip next week

I know a guy who does spincasting. Not sure what he could use to cast them with, but I'll check.

I know of another company in MI that does magnessium casting for the big 3, but they would charge abit to develope the molds.

What sort of market would there be for them?

I know a lot of people... but I dont know anyone with Haas in their garage... NICE

So.. where is Foothill Ranch Ca. ??

I have a billion small CNC idea's.


B

I think the idea of metal fog light grills is great. I don't know how much the NOS ones are, but a couple hundred dollars for the finished product would probably sell pretty well.

Just making them isn't enough - gotta consider the finish. Chromed? Anodized? Powdercoated? Bare for the folks who want to play with them?

I've never had something chromed - that will add significantly to the cost.

-Rusty

Actually, I have 3 CNC's in my garage as well as manual mill, lathe, etc.

Mike, does your mill/drill actually have servos or steppers like all the others I've seen?

When are you getting back from your trip?
I ask, because I too, am heading out on business (over to Switzerland and France on Sept. 2nd).
My day job is as a Design Engineer. I'll be in Europe doing some new product development.
I'll be back that following Sunday. Let’s chat some more when you get a chance.

LMK,
Greg

Hey Greg,

It's a true Servo motor CNC (closed loop)
I did the conversion myself, I changed out the ACME screws with ballscrews (double nuts to help control backlash), I built the power supply which also houses 3 Geckos and mounted the servo motors.

Currently only the X and Y work via the CNC, the piss-poor design on the Z head is making the conversion a little more difficult. It's a pain to use right now since it's basicly a 2D machine until if finish the Z axis

I run it with a PC using TurboCNC ($20 shareware) to get the signals to the the Geckos. I'm still playing with different CAM packages to generate my G-codes (freeware and or demos until I find one I like and can afford to buy when I get more serious)

I use Pro/E (Wildfire) so making the models is no big deal....

There are a few designers here on the board, Demick is a SolidWorks user.

I'm going to England, Germany and France (in that order) as well (vacation !!! ), we arrive in England on the 8th. There is a 914 International event on the 19th and 20th in northern France. We plan on attending (my wife and I)

I leave tommorow for a week, I'll be back next Friday (business)

I see a road trip to visit your house in the future

Edit: Damn.....you are way down there in SoCal !!!!!!

Mike

How can I get some info on that Int'l 914 event?
Maybe I'll go to.

I've been meaning to get to a factory about 100 miles north of Paris.
Maybe it's nearby.
That would be cool. I'd like to take my dad (he's never been to Europe).
He had a sweet, very clean, green 914 years ago until he had to sell it.
The buyer took it to Japan.

If you're shopping for CAM software, I would suggest that Surfcam is the way to go.
I've got experience using several of the main ones out there.
Surfcam, mastercam, Virtual Gibbs, Smartcam, etc.
Virtual Gibbs is the best for 2d & simple 3d. It is 3-4 times faster to use for about 80% of most jobs.
But it doesn't have the capabilities that are sometimes required on many of the trickier 3d parts.
... Surfcam does it all!... but is slower for those simpler 2d parts.

It's the same situation for CAD (as I'm sure you're aware).
I mainly use Solidworks (faster for 80% of typical designed parts), but lacks some high-end functionality.
At work, In addition to Solidworks, I am using Pro/E, UG, Alias, & AutoCad.
I also use Rhino sometimes for surfacing functionality. It's very good software... simple like autocad, with high-end surfacing capabilities like Alias.

Anyway, if possible, I'd like to see some photos of you mill/drill conversion.
Sounds pretty neat for simple 2nd operation work.
I'd maybe like to do that to my Bridgeport some day... with Servos, of course.
I wouldn't bother to do it with just stepper motors.

Chat with ya later,
Greg

Brad,

Foothill Ranch is just east of Irvine and north of Mission Viejo (in south Orange County).

So let's here these billion ideas.
Go ahead and start at the top of the list.
Let's see what other interest there is from the other guys out there.

If you've got an idea for something that I could put to use on my '74 2.0, that could be some good motivation for me.
The projects have to be fun for me.
I don't really do contract work for people... I don't need the added stress in my life (I'm sure you can relate).
I use my machines to make cool products that I like and that I'll use.
I generally make parts in small lots of 25/50/100 pcs. and sell or trade the ones I don't use to help pay for the development and generate some income to support my hobbies.

LMK,
Greg

making the patterns for cast units would be VERY exspensive. the shrinkage of the metal is taken into account, so the pat is larger in every aspect than the part itself. i worked in a non-ferros foundry for 6 years. to do it right, the units (if cast out of aluminum), would have to be heat treated as well. then finnished to hold the chrome. with the plastic injection and permanent molds, the factory supplier made thousands a day. making cast items is an interesting proceedure. hellish work tho.

kevin

CNC mills in the garage! You guys are too much. I'm still trying to justify a nice air compressor, blast cabinet, and a few pneumatic tools.

Hey, Karl. Have you ordered a CNC mill yet!

Mike

billet sunvisors. just kidding.

we swaped a guys cnc program at school right before his big presentaion. the teacher was quite amused to see the the middle finger being carved out of a big chunk of aluminum. all in good fun.

Too funny!
I always read the code before executing a program.
Can't get me on that one.

You know, I took my sunvisors off a while back because they weren't in great shape.
I think the vinyl was starting to sag.
There are those days that I wish they were there.

... hmmm.
That might actually be kinda cool.
I'll look into this when I get a chance to pull 'em out of my "parts" box.

I was actually thinking aluminum visors could be a nice base. I'd still vinyl cover them, but they won't sag!

Wouldn't fiberglass/SMC or plexiglass be lighter, and less stress on the mounts?

With fiberglass, you could mold the insert holes for the pins.

-Rusty

Ideas for parts?

How about rear alignment shims in 2mm, 3mm & 4mm thicknesses? Those should be pretty easy.

i was kidding about the sunvisors, but you could bore some serious holes. lighter=faster.

dash cluster backing plate with the 914club logo. no red please.

glove box door with that chrome table dancing woman that is on all the truckers mudflaps.

grill badges. yup, that's it. grill badges. somebody draw one up.
'

no comments?

Visor mounts would be great in solid aluminum since they have a tendancy to break. What I'd love is to get a 914 and a 2.3 emblem cut for the back of my car. I hate the plastic, I hate the black, and I'll have a 2.3 someday, so I want the emblem to go with it. I bet there's a pretty big market for those emblems.

Yup, I second that. I'm sure I can find some 914 badges if I peruse ebay or swap meets. But plastic seems so... well, cheap.

Jen

I know that someone over on the bird-board (Wine and Cheese side) was selling 3.2 and 3.6 emblems, and stuff. That was a while back, but Zois was in on the deal, IIRC.

Maybe he'll chime in.

I have a couple grinders,files, and sandpaper in my garage