Looking back on my previous car purchases, I noticed that I spent an abnormously large amount for plastic accessories for my cars: interior trim, latches, and hinges.

At this point, 3D printers are of good quality and good pricing.
Since OEM and aftermarket parts are often not budget friendly (especially for BMW-Mini cars), printing your own replacement parts might be a viable option.

I recently purchased a MonoPrice Select Mini for $178USD with the goal of creating (via CAD) and printing (via ABS) parts for low cost/open-source.

Has anyone thought/done the same? Is anyone here printing out parts for their car(s)? Any advice for a novice CAD software user using Mac OS?

 

I have a buddy that has a 3d printer, we designed and printed some little vents for the round dash vents that point at the door windows.

Mine were missing when I got the car

 

I used my 3D printer to make custom mounting brackets for a single DIN aftermarket radio. I also printed an adaptor so I could mount my phone on the cupholder.

 

Did you print them in ABS or PLA? How are they working out in your car? Any cracking or warping?
This is what I want to do. I need a phone holder that isn't constantly facing the sun.

 

I'd have to ask my buddy, I'm not sure on the material.

 

Thanks!
I know PLA will deform and melt at lower temperatures.
I wonder if the extruded ABS will give off noxious gases in a hot/warm car?

 

I used Black ABS and haven't seen or smelled anything from the parts.

 

This piece fits onto the bottom wire of the swivel cup holder and makes a flat surface to mount a suction cup type phone holder to.

 

I know you're talking about printing, but I've had good luck with a Scosche MagicMount Pro Dash. I've always hated the wire frame cup holder so I removed it and placed the mount on the glove box door. It puts the phone right next to the stack in the place of the cup holder and keeps it out of the sun. My iPhone 7+ hasn't come off inadvertently yet (unlike some of the other mag mounts I've tried).

 

The temperatures that the printer heats both the PLA and ABS is over 200 degrees C. Sitting in a car shouldn't affect either. Shouldn't be any measurable amount of off gassing from any of the plastics.

I know my son has made some bits for his car, I can't remember what though.

There are quite a few Mini Cooper related items on Thingiverse.com. Free to download and print.

 

It's pretty easy to design and print a custom shift **** and save $$. I'm working on the parking brake handle next.

 

The only issue is they they have no weight to them at all.


I have a 3D printer but I haven't come across the need to print anything for the car yet.

 

So far, I've been printing plastic interior tabs.

I want to print a shift **** eventually but I find it worrisome that it may fall apart from the vibrations of the transmission.

 

I seriously doubt it would fall apart unless if was flimsy from the start.

 

Mine got torture tested by some friends throwing it around a room and it didn't have a mark on it.

 

All weight has to do with is the shift feel. Heavier **** is going to make the gearbox feel smoother and mellow out the gears. Lighter **** you will feel the gears more, and theoretically will enable quicker shifts due to less weight.

It's really personal preference. I like to be able to feel what's going on in my transmission anyway, so I like a light ****. If you like the numb luxury auto feel then it's not for you.

 

Yes.