RockMJ Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Hey everyone, as some of you already know, I am nearly finished with restoring the bucket seats in my Eliminator and the only things left to do are repair the bolster on the DS outer seat and locate replacement trim pieces for around the fold forward arms. If you have ever searched for these trim pieces you know they are nearly impossible to find in a non broken condition (picture below). So this got a few of us to thinking about stronger, more durable replacements. Which leads us here. I have acquired a near mint trim piece from a member on here and I plan to take it to a friend of mine to see about getting replicas CNC'd out of aluminum where they will be rough cut and final polished later. This is just an idea and obviously if the price outweighs the benefits its a no go. So, with that said, what kinds of options would people like to see? We have discussed having them anodized in a few different colors as well as possibly having "Jeep" cut into the top portion so when the seats flip forward its in view and readable. I plan to get a few trials cut in the coming months as the distance and cost of fuel out to him is a good amount. I will keep everyone posted! RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirsMJ86 Posted December 31, 2013 Share Posted December 31, 2013 Be sure to check XJ seats if you take a trip to the local yard before anyone responds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted December 31, 2013 Author Share Posted December 31, 2013 Be sure to check XJ seats if you take a trip to the local yard before anyone responds. Yeah, I have been checking on and off. Plastics tend to be mostly broken in the yards in FL, at least the ones by us. Thanks, RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggcnash Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Been going through the same process as you, basically was able to peice 2 together through half peices like shown in your pic used dremel and super glue if interested have a couple of halves in gray you pay shipping theyre yours Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 Everybody has "halves" of these seat lever bezels since they all break eventually if you tighten the mounting screws too tight or they get brittle and crack with age. It was a stupid engineering design. Even if you can find one that is not split in half, the major trick is to remove the lever knob drift pin so you can remove the bezel then reinstall it. It's not fun, but doable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted January 1, 2014 Author Share Posted January 1, 2014 Everybody has "halves" of these seat lever bezels since they all break eventually if you tighten the mounting screws too tight or they get brittle and crack with age. It was a stupid engineering design. Even if you can find one that is not split in half, the major trick is to remove the lever knob drift pin so you can remove the bezel then reinstall it. It's not fun, but doable. I will pass on the half pieces but thank you for the offer. I agree with the design flaw. I have yet to find even one that is not broken in half. The roll pins are a PITA since its in and out one way versus a pass through design. Chances are these two plastics will elude me forever and especially in the FL heat its impossible to find anything not brittle. Thanks guys RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirsMJ86 Posted January 1, 2014 Share Posted January 1, 2014 I didn't think of this before, but I got a ton of spare parts with my last rig I bought so I'll see if any were in there. I've never ran across a broken one on all the rigs I've had so maybe they don't get destroyed up here as much. Would be an awesome idea to take a whole one somewhere with a CNC and get some new ones made out of aluminum or something. I'll also keep my eyes open if I head to a yard soon, which is something I'll be doing if I buy the car I'm looking at since it needs a new hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnj92131 Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Even if you can find one that is not split in half, the major trick is to remove the lever knob drift pin so you can remove the bezel then reinstall it. It's not fun, but doable. Anyone have a how to or tips to get that damn pin out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Even if you can find one that is not split in half, the major trick is to remove the lever knob drift pin so you can remove the bezel then reinstall it. It's not fun, but doable. Anyone have a how to or tips to get that damn pin out? I got mine out by using a hardened small finishing nail. Use a bench grinder to grind down the nail point on four sides like a tiny easy-out with a point. Tap it into the roll pin as far as possible, then twist and pull it out with pliars and the roll pin should come out with it. It may take a couple or three tries, but it comes out eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
az comanches Posted January 2, 2014 Share Posted January 2, 2014 Found a grey one and a tan one this morning at the jy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted January 7, 2014 Author Share Posted January 7, 2014 I do have a buddy that does custom parts. If I had a good, non marred or damaged one I could probably get replicas made for cheap. Would need to find that ever elusive "near mint" one. I can see the pin being the death of me on this project. I have tried to get them out unsuccessfully so far but I will try that tip you mentioned. If anyone has the "one" I can take it to my friend and see what he can do with it. He has replicated parts for super cars in the past so I am sure its doable. Thanks, RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 Hey everyone, I spoke with my buddy about getting these made up as replicas in aluminum. It sounds very promising and I have acquired a near mint example from a member on here for getting drawing schematics made up from. He said we can certainly do these on small scale production runs and we have talked about a couple ideas regarding designs, coloring etc. Anadozing is something we might look into or powder coating depending on what everyone's take is for it. The general form we are talking about is having "Jeep" cut in on the rear most section so when the seat folds flat it is visible. This would be done for both sides of course. We also tossed around having the Jeep grille on the top and "Since 1941" below on the lower part or any combination of them. So my next question is, if we can actually make these is there enough of a market where people care enough to buy them? I think we might make a small batch of them in raw aluminum to gauge interest and possibly get them anodized to get as close to the factory gray color as possible and then have them clear coated. Either way, if nobody is interested, I will be getting a set made for myself at any rate. Maybe we should move this from the wanted section to the pub. Mods? RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Count me in for a pair. Plain old natural aluminum is fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GirsMJ86 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 If I wasn't trying to get rid of both my trucks I'd grab a pair for sure, in plain aluminum. Don't need anything fancy that would raise cost, we are Jeep owners after all, even the logos sound fancy to me. Just beveled edge solid ones or only including the lines like the factor ones would make me more than happy. Anyways, rather than move this you should make a new topic. Maybe with a poll to help you decide all the options you're thinking about. Would go in the Tech section I believe since it is MJ part related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relyt120 Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 Hey everyone, I spoke with my buddy about getting these made up as replicas in aluminum. It sounds very promising and I have acquired a near mint example from a member on here for getting drawing schematics made up from. He said we can certainly do these on small scale production runs and we have talked about a couple ideas regarding designs, coloring etc. Anadozing is something we might look into or powder coating depending on what everyone's take is for it. The general form we are talking about is having "Jeep" cut in on the rear most section so when the seat folds flat it is visible. This would be done for both sides of course. We also tossed around having the Jeep grille on the top and "Since 1941" below on the lower part or any combination of them. So my next question is, if we can actually make these is there enough of a market where people care enough to buy them? I think we might make a small batch of them in raw aluminum to gauge interest and possibly get them anodized to get as close to the factory gray color as possible and then have them clear coated. Either way, if nobody is interested, I will be getting a set made for myself at any rate. Maybe we should move this from the wanted section to the pub. Mods? RockMJ I'd like in on this action too, how much we talkin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Hey guys. I just received a pretty good original trim piece to get some drawings made off of and move forward with this. If a mod can move this thread I can reword it so its no longer a WIB thread and an actual discussion so we don't have to repeat ourselves. So, basically the next steps are to get the drawings done and see what type of costs are associated with this little project. I have already received a few PM's from other members asking for black anodized, natural with a clear coating, etc. All entirely possible depending on how easy it is going to be to rough cut and final polish. I will keep everything updated for everyone once I get some more info. Time frame is probably 1-2 months before I can get over to him due to distance, fuel costs etc. Thanks! RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Moved to the "Pub" since it's not tech yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted January 28, 2014 Author Share Posted January 28, 2014 Moved to the "Pub" since it's not tech yet. Don, thanks a ton! I edited the original posting and header to reflect the switch. RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockfrog Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 I'm interested in a pair ... just plain raw aluminum is fine for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted February 1, 2014 Share Posted February 1, 2014 I would like 6. I was also working on getting some made but things did not work out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ggcnash Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Count me in on a couple pairs for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Me too! Please. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hey everyone! I spoke with my buddy and we are setting up a plan to get some samples made. I might just ship him the piece I have and see what he can do from there. I also made some calls and went and spoke with a tooling company to see how much it would be to get a mold made so we could reproduce them. I already knew the answer before I called, but was hoping for a small scale production setup and small cost. The cost of a mold alone is about 5-7K dollars so its obviously not worth it, but I wanted to explore all avenues. If my buddy cannot do it for whatever reason I will keep trying my best to make it happen! I will keep everyone posted. RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue88Comanche Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 can it not be milled? I haven't actually looked them over in detail... I think there are companys online that offer 3D printing, not sure what they would cost but better than 5-7K for molds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockMJ Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 can it not be milled? I haven't actually looked them over in detail... I think there are companys online that offer 3D printing, not sure what they would cost but better than 5-7K for molds That is what the plan is. My buddy does CNC machining. Yeah, I would never go the mold route for something of little importance to only a few of us. Mainly checking all available options! I have talked with a company about doing 3D printing but won't get into that just yet ;). I have to see what my buddy can or cannot do first then we will go from there. I called my buddy last night and told him of the interest and asked if it would be possible to cut it from plastic and he said we could make a few versions and go from there. All in all, it is sounding promising! RockMJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now