Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

I'm taking a class this semester on Solidworks. Really glad I took it, learning a lot and it's lots of fun. I'm still a total newb to it, but I'm getting pretty good at 2-Dimensional stuff. So I decided to make a few parts for the SC300 that I thought I'd share!

1) Front Air Cover: There is nothing like this available on the market for my car. I wanted it to help force air through the heat exchangers, as well as cover up the big ugly open hole. Pretty happy with how it turned out!

2) Rear Air Cover: Same kind of deal. However these cars do come with a cover here OEM, but my car never had one since I bought it. Plus I like having a matching one there.

3) 2JZGE Spark Plug Cover. The GE (NA) engine has strange valve covers with the big dip in the middle because of the stock intake manifold. Once you go to a front facing intake manifold like me, they're exposed and look kind of funny. What everyone does is swap on the GTE (TT) valve covers and a GTE spark plug / cam cover. Thing is they come with Supra tax. So used valve covers are going to be like $300 bucks minnimum, and the spark plug cover another $150 at least. Forget that. So I'm making a simple little cover to go over my GE valve covers to atleast cover things up a little so it doesn't look so wierd. This isn't done, still a work in progress at this point

Anywho here's some pics. I had 5 sets of the Air Covers made from CF, and I had 3 sets made from Aluminum. All the aluminums are already sold, and I have a couple sets of the CF ones left. Making my money back from what I spent on all the prototype ones I had made while trying to get my dimensions right.

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1447529735

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Looks really good! Did you have the CF and Aluminum laser cut somewhere?

Solidworks is a great program. I use it for work, and it has come in handy to have it so I can use it for fun too!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Very cool!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Aluminum were water jet, CF I'm not sure how they cut it but I assume water jet.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Way to go CEO!!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

That Shit is awesome. Are you selling the rest of them on supra forums or lexus?

How thinck is the meteral 1/16?

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Yeah, but selling it on forums is tricky when ur not a paying vendor. I sold them all already except the 1 set I planned for my car. But anther person says they want one, so probably just sell that one too. Then make a 2nd run of them.

The aluminum is .090". The CF is 2mm. Next CF run I'll probably go witb 1.5mm thick.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Just sold the set I was reserving for myself. Pretty happy with that! Probably run another bunch of em in a few weeks if feedback is good from people that received them.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Hellllll yeah. If thers a market for them then run with it and make some cash and get a PTE turbo............ hahaha

What about facebook groups?

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Maybe the JCE10 / SXE10 want in on some CF action. :)

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Wow, that's really cool! Nice work.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Impressive! Interested to see how the spark plug cover comes out

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Yeah, basically threw em up on Club Lexus forum, and on a couple FB groups. Sold quick.

Lolz on PTE, I think I'm good man :D

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Well those other ones sold hella fast. So I made a 2nd run in CF. Found a different vendor that could do 1 piece rather than 2 piece which is nice. So I ordered 5 more sets in gloss CF, and also 2 sets in matte CF (keeping one of the matte sets for my car). Also I finished my plug cover design, and had them run 2 of those in matte (again 1 being for my car). Here's some pics!

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1451943564
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1451943564
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1451943564
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1451943564

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Excellent results, I love the finished product!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Peemp, I move me some CF

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Looks nice!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Looks great dood. Good work!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Wow, looks great!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Really like how you went with hex bolts too, they make for a much cleaner install vs. traditional bolts. I did the same with a few things on my Evo IX.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Yeah, I got SS button heads for everything. In the pic they are used on the air dams., but I put the stock socket head bolts on the spark cover for test fitup. Those have now been replaced with SS button heads as well. Looks nice and clean.

I have a set of valve covers here now that I need to modify for larger ventilation ports, then get coated. These black ones in there now are temporary. Not sure what to coat them. Matte/satin black seems like it'd blend in nice, but could also do some sort of color for contrast. I'm bad at color coordinating, lol.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

#1 complaint from people was that they wished the spark plug cover went down to cover up the recessed valley on the sides of the NA valve covers. So I got a qoute to try and get a 3D / Form done. They told me the mold fee was almost a grand!!! So yeah screw that, that's why I'm sticking with flat pieces.

So, I kinda came up with this idea to keep it simple and cost effective. I think it looks pretty good, so I'm going to have some made out of CF on my next order.

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...317_225607.jpg

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...318_144623.jpg

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...318_144633.jpg

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...318_144643.jpg

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

That looks nice!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

hell yeah very nice.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Got my next runs in. Same Semi-Gloss and Matte as I've been getting. But I handed off a bunch to the same guy that painted my car, and he cleared them so I can offer a High Gloss version. Holy cow makes a huge difference, really gives the CF some depth!

Also, the side tabs seem like they will work out nicely on the spark covers.

The manufacturer also finally seems to have understood what I was looking for with the weave pattern. Entire sets all match perfectly together now! Funny how this small detail was actually kind of tough to get my point across. OCD baby.

And also, I made one set out of satin black G10 Garolite. The idea there was it's a little more OEM / subtle looking because I receive comments about folks who don't want the CF look. And also, it's almost half the cost, so even the po-folks can play :)

Pics :D

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...8_1067x800.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...3_1067x800.JPG

http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...2_1067x800.JPG

High Gloss (Cleared)
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...0_1067x800.JPG

High Gloss (Cleared)
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...5_1067x800.JPG

Satin Black G10
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...1_1067x800.JPG

G10
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...3_1067x800.JPG

Comparison Hi-Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Matte, G10
http://www.mitsustyle.com/photopost/...1_1067x800.JPG

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

The carbon does look really nice with the high gloss on there!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

agreed, time to make some for the durango!!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

good stuff brandon! I love CAD!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Thanks man.

I will say, making and selling these has been an interesting experience. Learning so much about the business side of things. Finding manufacturers you can trust, pretty cool even if it is super small scale. I still really have enjoyed it. I'm not making much money on it, the joy has been just in doing it.

However I am now seeing another side of it. Copy-cats are starting to pop up now that people are seeing how quickly these are selling. I actually see the side of things now where companies spend time and money designing things, just for them to be duplicated by someone else later. That's kind of a bummer, but it is how it is. If these copy cats end up being around the same price range as me, then this may be my last run of these.

But, always interested in new things. So if anyone has ideas, lets work together and draw em up! To me the fun is making it. Selling them and making a little money is kind of cool, but the true fun to me is designing it, seeing it manufactured just like you wanted, and fitting right! So anyone has anything simple they want done, lets do it up!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Another very simple piece. It's a spark plug cover for the 1UZFE (SC400) motor. Someone with my other covers asked if I could make it for him. So he helped me with the prototype set. Said fitment was spot on, he was really happy with them. So I made a few more sets. One local guy (red drift SC400) has a set now, and two more sets just got thrown up for sale today :)

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Also I'll throw this one out there too. It was a very small piece that Rosey and I both designed, and Rosey machined from Aluminum. It's a small shifter linkage piece that can be used to make a shorter shifter assembly for a CD009 transmission. There's shops selling shorter shifter assemblies for the CD009, but they range in price from $230-$350. They are out the door solutions which is great, but for people on a tight budget that don't mind a little DIY action, they can use this piece to make a homebrew shorter shifter setup for around $70. Thanks again for the help creating this Rosey!!

Here are some pics of the small little linkage piece. And then all they do is buy a 240sx short shifter off eBay ($40-$60). Then they just cut a few inches off the base, drill two new holes, and use this fitting to couple it to the trans shaft.

240sx short shifter - modified:
http://www.clublexus.com/forums/atta...05_800x450.jpg


The aluminum linkage piece:
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1468262499

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/atta...630_121828.jpg

http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1467901708

And the end result:
http://mitsustyle.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1467901708

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

What about creo??

http://i.imgur.com/p3M85WM.jpg

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Well kind of a cool update. I'm officially done selling those front air damn / cooling plates. After selling right around 60 sets or so over the course of a year, I officially sold the design to Real St. They are taking over that design / manufacture / sales of those particular parts completely. Was fun I actually made something people wanted to buy, and that a big company like Real St. saw the potential and bought the design!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Thats awesome!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

congrats on the sale!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

time to retire!

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Or a GT-R

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

I traded them green Supra from Drag Week, good trade good trade.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

haha badass, surprised they didn't steal it. I say that because it seems to happen a lot out there.

Re: Playing With SOLIDWORKS
 

Very true. I didn't just sell th em the design though. I gave them my manufacturer contacts snd pretty much everything I had figured out over the course of 8 orders, like pricing, standard packaging, fastener info, proven margins, etc. So they literally don't have to figure anything out, they take over a already pretty much a complete product from start to finish.