Damon,

See for some pictures:
http://search.ebay.de/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=nebelscheinwerfer+t3&category0=

It's in German, but you can see some detail on the pictures. You can also
see the prices :-( I'm curious at what price they will be sold ...

Jaap
'87 Caravelle diesel

> The tooling costs are always the big deal, and vacuum forming tools can
> easily be a couple grand.
>
> I have calipers and CAD modelling software that can likely bypass the
> costs of having the parts scanned and modelled in by "for profit"
> services.  I have access to CNC machines that could potentially make the
> mold.  I do NOT have vacuum forming equipment.  If you can modify your
> machine to fit the grills, we might have all the pieces necessary to get
> things back into motion?  I can't say for sure, and i can only offer my
> spare time which is in limited quantities these days (just had another
> kid a few months ago).  However, it doesn't sound terribly difficult to
> model the grill and make a vacuum form tool, from what i know of
> vac-form tools (pretty simple, i think).
>
> Can you give me the height, width, and length of the grill (basically
> the "shoe-box" envelope) and maybe send me a few pictures so i can see
> what i am foolishly getting myself into?
>
> -Damon
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2008 5:07:28 PM
> Subject: Re: Projektzwo Foglight Project - Bad News
>
>
> Damon,
>
> Thanks for the offer to help.
>
> The first challenge came when I realized the grille units sent as
>  sample
> were too big  fit into my own vacuum forming machine.
>
> Challenge #2 -  I went to a a local company who does big projects in
> vacuum forming. Together we studied it to ascertain the possibilities.
> Not cound the R&D costs which are always up front - they could make a
> minimum run of 50 pair of grilles pieces - no hardware - for $50/pair
> BUT, the Big Vacuum Forming company said they would need a mold made,
> and it needed to conform to the needs of their vacuum forming
>  equipment.
> They could use CNC milling machines to make the molds, but they needed
> the numbers to drive the CNC stuff. This would require some of their
> staff to generate  drawing on their computer to reproduce the grilles.
> Big Bucks. They suggested I go to an associate company who had laser
> scanning equipment, have the grilles scanned, then bring the numbers
> from the scanning back and they would have staff convert the scanner
> numbers to CNC numbers for milling.
>
> Challenge #3 -  The associate company was Southern Comfort Conversions,
> a very modern company who does sports package conversions for auto
> vehicle dealers across the country. They had the scanner equipment. The
> was however, a big problem. The new year has arrived, and in
> anticipation of the declining economy they were doubling up on their
> output to get as much done as possible before ordering began to be cut
> back.They didn't have the availability of equipment, manpower or time
>  to
> take on the project.
>
> So, there it stopped. I don't know where else I can take this. I am not
> that well connected to the kind of markets and manufacturing that are
> needed to get this done. I really do hate to see this die off, but I've
> gone as far as I can go.
>
> Perhaps you or someone else can pick up the ball and run with it.
>
> Thanks for our inquiry.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
>
>
> Damon Campbell wrote:
>> What is the crux of the stalling point?  Finding someone to tool up
>  the plastic parts?
>>
>> I am a product designer by trade, and have a several contacts of
>  people who can do injection mold, vacuum form, 3D scanning (although i
> can't imagine that to be too necessary).  I do not really understand
> all your technical challenges, though, so i may be oversimplifying it.
>>
>> Maybe i could be of some assistance?
>>
>> -Damon
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----
>> From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2008 6:42:43 AM
>> Subject: Projektzwo Foglight Project - Bad News
>>
>>
>> The project is DEAD!
>>
>> I finally got to see the engineer at Southern Comfort Conversions.
>  Big
>> outfit, their facility here is a city block in size, all under one
>>  roof.
>>
>> The engineer there took a look at what I wanted done - the laser
>> scanning of the pieces and digitizing of the numbers,, and the
>> conversion of the numbers into CNC code for milling of a mold.. He
>  said
>> it could be done, but they couldn't do it because of current demands
>  on
>> them by the market place. They had to much to do to tie up the
>  manpwoer
>> and equipment on such a project. He elaborated, but the bottom line
>  was
>>  NO!
>>
>> With that said, I have exhausted all possibilities here. There might
>  be
>> a place in Nashville, or Memphis, or Atlanta, but at this time I
>  can't
>> devote the time or resources to trying to find someone in those
>  locales
>> to take a look.
>>
>> So, there it is, I'm done.
>>
>> I want to thank Ryan Alfonso and Kim Brennan and Daniel Stern of
>  Daniel
>> Stern Lighting  for their generosity - and patience - in the loan of
>>  the
>> parts that were to be used in this project. I will be returning the
>> parts to them this week.
>>
>> And lastly, thanks to all you list members for your patience while I
>> sought out the possibilities of making this project viable. I just
>  wish
>> I had something better to report.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> John Rodgers
>> 88 GL Driver
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>
>
>
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