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Oldtimer Studio
Modern manufacture, period-accurate fit

3D-Printed Parts

When the original is no longer made, or was never affordable in the first place, we design and print the part. We use carbon-fibre filled engineering plastic for structural and high-temperature applications, and flexible TPU for gaskets, bushings and weather seals.

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When 3D printing is the right answer

  • The original is NLA (no longer available from the manufacturer or surviving stock)
  • A traditional reproduction is technically possible but prohibitively expensive for the build's budget
  • Donor-car parts are damaged beyond practical reuse (cracked clips, perished bushings)
  • The owner needs a one-off bespoke component, such as a custom intake duct, a hidden bracket or a period-style adapter
  • A club run needs a small batch, for example five identical interior clips, at a fraction of the cost of new tooling

Materials we print in

We choose the material by what the part has to do, from four families:

  • Carbon-fibre reinforced nylon (CF-PA): high stiffness, dimensional stability, heat tolerance up to ~120 °C continuous. The default for brackets, ducts, structural trim, light-housing internals and custom intake hardware.
  • Flexible TPU (Shore A 60–95): tuned to the original's hardness for gaskets, weather seals, bushings, dampers, hose grommets and vent flaps.
  • ABS / PETG: the lower-cost choice for non-structural cabin trim, switch surrounds, badge bosses and dashboard inserts that don't see heat.
  • SLA resin: for fine-detail decorative parts where surface finish needs to read as moulded plastic out of the printer.

How the process runs

  • You send measurements, photos with a reference scale, a damaged original, or a 3D scan if you have one
  • We model the part in CAD, faithful to the original except where it makes sense to improve tolerances or correct a known weak point
  • Print and post-process: cleaned, sanded, vapour-smoothed for ABS/PETG and, if visible, painted to match colour and sheen
  • Test-fit on the host car when it's in our workshop; refine and reprint if the first revision is off
  • Deliver. We keep the CAD file, so re-prints for the same model cost only material and time

What we typically print

  • Interior trim clips, fasteners, and panel retainers (often the most-broken part on a 50-year-old car)
  • Air-vent surrounds, switch knobs, switch bezels
  • Dashboard inserts, warning-light covers, gauge bezels
  • HVAC ducting and air-routing manifolds
  • Custom intake plenums and cold-air boxes
  • Light-housing internals: reflectors, bulb retainers, lens clips
  • Period-accurate emblem mounts and badge backings
  • One-off bespoke brackets, adapters, and mounts for engine swaps or hidden electronics

What we don't print

Where the application calls for traditional materials, we recommend our reproduction service instead. That covers:

  • Safety-load components: brake parts, suspension under load, steering linkages
  • Parts that must carry an OEM certification mark for road registration in the EU
  • Heavy structural body panels, which belong with metalwork and our Painting & Bodywork team
Frequently asked

3D-Printed Parts: frequently asked questions

How long does a 3D-printed part take from request to finished piece?

Typically one to three weeks. Design takes one to five days depending on complexity, printing four to forty-eight hours depending on size and material, post-processing one to two days. If your car is in our workshop we test-fit before declaring the part finished.

How much does a 3D-printed part cost?

You pay a one-time design fee, usually €80 to €400 depending on the modelling work involved, plus print time and material. A small interior clip might be €20 finished; a complex CF-filled intake bracket €150 to €350. We quote per part once we see what's involved.

Will a 3D-printed part look like the original once installed?

For visible parts we colour-match and finish to read as the original. Dashboard bezels, switch knobs, and trim are usually indistinguishable once installed. Hidden structural pieces are left raw and unpainted, with the carbon-fibre weave showing.

Is a 3D-printed part as durable as the original?

Carbon-fibre filled nylon outperforms most period plastics on stiffness, heat tolerance, and dimensional stability, so the printed part often lasts longer than the original it replaces. For TPU bushings and gaskets we tune the Shore hardness to specification. We don't print components that bear safety load.

Can you replicate a part if I send the broken original?

Yes. That's the most common workflow. We measure or 3D-scan the original, model in CAD, print, and ship the new part back along with the broken one. No part of your car is destroyed in the process.

Do you keep the CAD file? What if I need a second one in five years?

We keep the file indefinitely. Future copies for the same model cost only material and print time, because the design fee is charged once. We can also share the file with you for a small fee if you want to keep it independently.

Can you design a part for a model you've never worked on before?

Yes, provided we have either a sample to scan, accurate measurements, or detailed photographs with a reference scale in frame. Without a reference dimension, modelling becomes guesswork. The more reference data you can supply, the faster and more accurate the result.

What's the difference between this and your traditional Reproductions service?

Reproductions covers cast metal, sheet metal fabrication, machined components and hand-stitched leather, using period methods and period materials. 3D-Printed Parts covers polymer components in modern engineering plastics. Most builds use both: cast aluminium for an emblem from one service, printed CF-filled nylon for a hidden bracket from the other.

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