SPECIAL REPORT
Increasingly affordable technology is making previously unobtainable parts available to classic owners and helping to drive down restoration costs
Enthusiasts are embracing 3D printers as a way of getting rare parts re-made and completing jobs that were previously deemed unviable due to the cost of the tech coming down.
One of the problems of maintaining or restoring a classic is sourcing parts. Some are totally unavailable; others are scarce and therefore prohibitively expensive. Even simple items such as missing or damaged clips or brackets can halt work, but now thanks to increasingly affordable technology, such as 3D printing, clubs and home restorers can fabricate their own parts for a fraction of the cost of a used original.
Gary Ungless of online community Aston Martin Owners said: ‘3D printers are now affordable technology that you can use at home. They can print plastic items suitable for use in your car and printers; the K1 Speedy 3D Printer that I use is now only £380 including VAT, which compares really well to things like machining tools, drills and milling machines.
‘You can use materials like nylon but for parts that need to tolerate high temperatures and not degenerate in UV light, I use polycarbonate.
Typically, parts use about £1 worth of plastic so it’s a very economical way of generating hard-to-find components.
'There are templates available online that allow you to draw up your parts, and you download it to the printer and it will then print the part.
‘It's a very easy machine to set up and use, and a machine like this a few years ago would have cost in the thousands. It’s now become a very affordable technology that anyone can use.’
Parts re-made by enthusiasts at include door handles for Aston Martin DB7, which are scarcely available and can cost upwards of £200 on the open market – but the 3D-printed version looks identical and costs a fraction of the price.
Dominic Taylor-Lane at the Association of Heritage Engineers believes ‘From a prototyping point of view, and for small, hard-to-find bits, 3D printing is fantastic. For trim parts and non-safety critical stuff it’s great, and I think it opens
