Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > EcoModding Central
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 07-03-2015, 07:41 PM   #1 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
3d printed mirror delete plate for the Metro

Darin has been bugging me for forever to use the 3d printer to make a blanking plate for the Metro to get rid of the passenger side mirror. Well, I finally had some time between last night and today to get it done.

I started with a cardboard cutout to get the general shape I wanted, and the mounting hole positions. Then, I got it modeled up in CAD. I had to make it in 3 pieces because the printer can't print larger than 5"x5". They lock together with a little dove tail.





So, I got the parts printed out, and got it mounted up to the car. But, the face that you see with the parts is the bottom side of the printed item, and with my current setup you have to scrape it off a perforated board. This makes the black plastic white. Also, ABS doesn't hold up to UV well at all. So, I went about top coating it.





I started by sanding the blanking plate to smooth it out. The, I used some glazing putty to fill in the little pores in the plastic (it doesn't print completely solid).





I didn't do a great job filling it in, but it just fills stuff in and gets sanded off.





This is how it looks after sanding it down all nice with 240 grit.





Then, I primed it.





This didn't turn out perfect either, but not bad.





Then it got a shot of satin black.





Once it dried up, I put it on the car again. Looks better than most of the other panels on it!


Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (1).jpg
Views:	1393
Size:	69.7 KB
ID:	18199   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (2).jpg
Views:	868
Size:	57.3 KB
ID:	18200   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (3).jpg
Views:	790
Size:	53.0 KB
ID:	18201   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (4).jpg
Views:	767
Size:	60.7 KB
ID:	18202   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (5).jpg
Views:	919
Size:	89.0 KB
ID:	18203  

Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (6).jpg
Views:	789
Size:	24.8 KB
ID:	18204   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (7).jpg
Views:	923
Size:	136.8 KB
ID:	18205   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metro (8).jpg
Views:	1769
Size:	48.2 KB
ID:	18206  
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Daox For This Useful Post:
AndrzejM (07-07-2015), California98Civic (07-03-2015), Cd (07-03-2015), jedi_sol (07-08-2015), Joggernot (05-19-2016), MetroMPG (07-04-2015), UltArc (07-03-2015), whatmaycome14 (07-04-2015)
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 07-03-2015, 08:08 PM   #2 (permalink)
Cyborg ECU
 
California98Civic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299

Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts
Nice write up. I like the note of the small imperfection too. I love that in our discussions... imperfections are part of the art. Still, this will look perfect up to about a foot or less, and still look very good right up close to a few inches. My mods look good or fair at 10 feet, but never perfect. Hahaha!!
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



  Reply With Quote
Old 07-03-2015, 08:13 PM   #3 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: PA
Posts: 7

Honda Civic - '00 Honda Civic EX
90 day: 46.24 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
very nice, you may be able to sell these for common cars like Honda Civics (hint
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to civicefficient For This Useful Post:
whatmaycome14 (07-04-2015)
Old 07-03-2015, 08:16 PM   #4 (permalink)
Cyborg ECU
 
California98Civic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299

Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
Team Honda
90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

Black and Red - '00 Nashbar Custom built eBike
90 day: 3671.43 mpg (US)
Thanks: 2,373
Thanked 2,172 Times in 1,469 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by civicefficient View Post
very nice, you may be able to sell these for common cars like Honda Civics (hint
Agreed, though it is too late for me since I bondo-ed my blank... hey, I wonder if you could print small support beams to glue to the back of these connected sections and therefore keep that slight concave buckling from happening... does that make sense?
__________________
See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to California98Civic For This Useful Post:
civicefficient (07-04-2015)
Old 07-03-2015, 09:39 PM   #5 (permalink)
Not Doug
 
Xist's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Show Low, AZ
Posts: 12,232

Chorizo - '00 Honda Civic HX, baby! :D
90 day: 35.35 mpg (US)

Mid-Life Crisis Fighter - '99 Honda Accord LX
90 day: 34.2 mpg (US)

Gramps - '04 Toyota Camry LE
90 day: 35.39 mpg (US)

Don't hit me bro - '05 Toyota Camry LE
90 day: 30.49 mpg (US)
Thanks: 7,254
Thanked 2,231 Times in 1,721 Posts
That looks great! Do you have an inside mirror on that side?

How long did the process take you? How much did it cost?
  Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:43 PM   #6 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic View Post
Agreed, though it is too late for me since I bondo-ed my blank... hey, I wonder if you could print small support beams to glue to the back of these connected sections and therefore keep that slight concave buckling from happening... does that make sense?
Yep, it does. Its fairly sturdy as is. If I print more out, I probably would thicken up the connection joints a little. Right now, it is just 1/8" thick with a bit of a lip around the top and back.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 08:44 PM   #7 (permalink)
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 11,203

CM400E - '81 Honda CM400E
90 day: 51.49 mpg (US)

Daox's Grey Prius - '04 Toyota Prius
Team Toyota
90 day: 49.53 mpg (US)

Daox's Insight - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 64.33 mpg (US)

Swarthy - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage DE
Mitsubishi
90 day: 56.69 mpg (US)

Daox's Volt - '13 Chevrolet Volt
Thanks: 2,501
Thanked 2,587 Times in 1,554 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist View Post
That looks great! Do you have an inside mirror on that side?

How long did the process take you? How much did it cost?
I do not have a inside mirror. I very rarely drive this car on the freeway and just don't have a huge need for a right side mirror.

The whole design process took a couple hours. I printed and scrapped out my first piece because it fit, but didn't look quite as nice.

The cost was a few bucks in material. Much much more in time.
__________________
Current project: A better alternator delete
  Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 09:49 PM   #8 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 447

Valerie - '03 Honda Civic DX
Team Honda
90 day: 55.79 mpg (US)
Thanks: 277
Thanked 231 Times in 105 Posts
I think it looks great!
__________________

  Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:29 PM   #9 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,530

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,078
Thanked 6,978 Times in 3,613 Posts
Woohoo! I want one.

I think you could definitely find a market printing these out for popular cars that didn't have OEM mirror blanks available. Last gen Metros, all Prius, all Insight, ? ...

I'd modify mine with a small convex mirror mounted on the blank, though (complemented with a larger interior side mirror). I sometimes have to back into extremely tight spaces and need to be able to see the side of the car.
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
Old 07-04-2015, 11:45 PM   #10 (permalink)
.
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Salt Lake valley Utah
Posts: 923
Thanks: 114
Thanked 397 Times in 224 Posts
How many hours did it take to design, and what do you think you're time is worth? Say if i were to send you a mirror plate off a 1st gen Insight. Us Insight guys could each chip in some to design a blank, and then you could sell us the mirror delete plates.

__________________
I try to be helpful. I'm not an expert.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to sheepdog 44 For This Useful Post:
Insight for life (07-06-2015)
Reply  Post New Thread






Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com