3D Printing: AC Face Plate & Console Vent Covers

thestein1016 said:
I would also like to mention that

Just want to make it clear, I did not publish anything that was not mine, nor have I published anything at all.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The whole thing is a no fault misunderstanding, and none of that had to do with chris anyway.
 
Console side vent are published for general consumption. I will happily continue to print these for folks. Thanks!

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2786981
2967d53893724558adb28b1c28e4f534_preview_featured.jpg
 
rsporsche said:
hey Mark, so what do these cost for you to print a set. i could probably use a set.
scott
Click to expand...

They cost me $65 each to print in high resolutions Vinyl. I was tacking $10 on top to cover the modeling and draft printing. I think I've only sold about 3 pairs. :D I do get redeamable points for printing stuff so if you don't have aspirations of printing a bunch of things or don't want to create an account, I can print them.
 
When shopping around, make sure you understand the material properties. It would be a shame if people ordered and when they received they warped
 
thestein1016 said:
When shopping around, make sure you understand the material properties. It would be a shame if people ordered and when they received they warped
Click to expand...

Agreed. I’m sticking with Vinyl for heat resistance and print resolution.
 
Markos, can you print the air plenum that sits behind and between blower and the a/c facia


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
was8001967 said:
Markos, can you print the air plenum that sits behind and between blower and the a/c facia
Click to expand...

It is certainly feasible. You would need to verify that the part fits in the bounding box of the printer you are using. The part is quite large.

I haven’t pursued this part. It is a great candidate in that it is rare on often warped or cracked. It would be very expensive to print. I’m guessing at least $300.

The duct is simple in nature. It has no bends or curves. It could be made with plastic sheet, sheetmetal. wood, etc.
 
rsporsche said:
i would take AEARCH's drawing and have an a/c duct maker with a brake press make one. it wouldn't be that hard
Click to expand...

Yes, this is tempting but the duct sits on the plastic housing for the evaporator and if the duct is metal and doesn't fit properly, vibration (from the fan motor or driving) will erode the 45+ year old plastic. I know from first hand it's already pretty brittle. The duct is supposed to have some felt inside, but even with some modern foam, a metal duct may get cold enough to have a fair amount of condensation form, possibly staining the carpet, rotting the side panel's wood and promoting mold.
Material selection is tricky, even for trained engineers. We are groping in the dark a bit.

I have some black sheet ABS that I'm going to cut up and see if I can reproduce a duct. Fortunately, I have one in hand to take measurements from. It's not quite as simple a form as Alan's drawing would suggest as there are some subtle angles at the openings. I'll build a form with accurate spacing and build the duct on that. Other projects have priority at the moment though.
 
Last edited:
lining the metal with felt (as the original). would be curious to see your build out of a plastic sheet
i need to take Alan's drawing and compare the size to what is in the bavaria ... i have one of those at home. it has round side ducts on either side ... which could either be used for extra vents or closed off.
 
I believe the E3 version is the same except for the round side ducts. There's been some discussion about how to upgrade the coupe's AC with more vents to keep your right hand from freezing. Not sure where those air outlets could be placed but the E3 version could be a start.
 
i have given this some thought - the easiest place is to put a side e28 grille or two where the dash speaker goes. anywhere else requires surgery. i have also given some thought to connecting the side hoses to the defroster vents to throw conditioned air up.
 
rsporsche said:
i have given this some thought - the easiest place is to put a side e28 grille or two where the dash speaker goes. anywhere else requires surgery. i have also given some thought to connecting the side hoses to the defroster vents to throw conditioned air up.
Click to expand...

These are good ideas. Given that cold air tends to move downward once released into the car, having the initial outlet higher up in the cockpit would be more efficient. In particular, adding the defroster vents would be great. If ever I get up the guts to take my dash apart, I may try this.
 
Markos said:
Before selling my AC Setup, I decided to send the E9 face plate out to a SolidWorks modeler to recreate. The part is in the mail and I should have a draft design by the end of next week.

I called for three designs. One with the standard radio opening, one that is blank, and one that has three gauge holes. The blank one may have lines in the back to facilitate the cut out of the radio on the future. I haven't checked if gauges will fit the space yet. My CSI was a rats nest of stereo wires in that area.

I intend to print with a professional 3D printer, and sell them with a markup to
cover the cost of the modeling. A BMW friend of mine runs a PolyJet printer, and has numerous printing contacts in the Seattle area. Technically they could be printed with powdered aluminum, perhaps for the concours crowd.

Oh - I also sent the AC grills. I haven't paid for those yet, but I will likely have them modeled also. I would imagine that those are much easier to sell.

Keep you posted!
Click to expand...
Hey Marko ,
No luck with finding the chrome D-side hood vent,I contacted the link you sent me but of course they're "not available" . I have a guy in Nashville who can chrome plate plastic. Could you 3D fab. the vent?
 
captaindigme said:
Hey Marko ,
No luck with finding the chrome D-side hood vent,I contacted the link you sent me but of course they're "not available" . I have a guy in Nashville who can chrome plate plastic. Could you 3D fab. the vent?
Click to expand...

If you are going to get them chromed, it would be cheaper to start with brand new black vents. 3D printing isn’t cheaper than cast parts that are masses produced (yet).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top