RHD 6.9 washer bottle & front spoiler 3D printing option

[QLD6point9]

Good afternoon guys,

Wanting to advise that I have made contact with a local 3D printing company in Brisbane Australia that specializes in recreating classic vehicle components out of various forms of material.

I am going to be taking my intact (however fragile) RHD washer bottle down to this chap when I am next on one of my trips to Brisbane (next Tuesday 09/09/25) for it to be 3D scanned and a ‘CAD’ file created.

From there, I have then requested a washer bottle be physically created from the results of the scan. The man from the company has advised that being an engine bay component he will be going with translucent ABS type plastic as he believes that would be the most suitable for the environment.

Based on how this comes out and the final result, I will firstly share the result with all of you on here… and if it is something that the group can benefit from. I will make available the file for anyone interested. I believe then it is a matter of taking the file to a capable provider in your local area and having the item reproduced from the file provided. Or, I imagine this company in Brisbane can also create the item over and over again and ship on request.

The price is one aspect that is a bit off-putting, howeverI consider the rarity of the vehicle and the fact that there appears to be no supplies of these bottles left…. It is something to invest in.

The total cost for the 3D scan is $520 AUD. Please note this is for an initial scan and print. I am paying $140 AUD for the initial scan and creation of the object. It would appear therefore, based on the maths… that subsequent bottles can be created for approx $380 AUD per unit.

If interest is significant enough and there are enough of you to be interested in this project. A volume discount can be applied apparently by the company for larger orders.

Update: I am now also engaging with this same company regarding reprinting of the front chin lip spoiler. Investigating the options that may be available for it to be recreated also (by using mine as a pilot to take 3D scanning of).

This may be something that (to reduce price) could be entered into as a group (if there are some amongst you) interested in buying one in the future or having a spare available.

Will provide updates in this same thread when there are more to hand. Looks like approx 1-2 weeks until completion of the item.


cheers James

 

[c107]

well done!
while I don't own a 6.9 and so wouldn't need one, its so great to see these sort of initiatives to recreate parts like this.

 

[Styria]

Well, I think the initiatives undertaken by James are quite enlightening. The washer bottles have not been available for probably six to seven years (if not longer !), and even then the price was about $600.00 from MB. On the strength of that, I had an Alloy tank manufactured, and shaped very similarly to the original plastic unit, at a cost of $300.00. Again, there are pictures of the unit on TK which I will need to find. Really, when I start thinking logically, all of these shenanigans probably started more than ten years ago - I really don't know where the years have disappeared. I realized the other day that I purchased my 18" Speedy Taiwanese made Alloys twelve years ago. Here I was thinking of six or seven years.

Regarding the cost James. Very tricky, but obviously if the original has gone west and is being held together by plastic putty (if there is such a thing), the price is , shall we say, fair. However, I am not so sure if there would be a huge number of takers. It is a restrictive market.

Similar sentiments apply to the small black plastic spoiler, fitted exclusively to the 6.9 models. Their price used to start at about $120.00, but over a period of time, that climbed close enough to $350.00 or thereabouts. If one must opt for original, that's the way to go. When we started talking about spoilers etc., I made the decision to have copies of the AMG spoiler re-manufactured in Fibreglass. I had about ten or so manufactured which proved a great seller to about ten of us at a cost of, I think, $350.00. I still have the original mould. As a matter of interest, I had an enquiry for a unit from a 6.9 owner in Brazil and I had to cut it in half for shipping purposes. Again James, photos on TK showing the much improved frontal treatment with that AMG spoiler fitted. So be careful - have a look at the fitting on my car first - or Michel's red car for that matter. Regards Styria