Baby Z3

[Ryan]

So I bought this from a clone of Santa. Jolly guy, retired, has a beard however he was based near Birmingham who buys ride on cars, fixes them to a working condition and then sells for near enough zero profit. In addition he takes a load to local children hosiptals to let the kids ride them at the weekends. All for free. I feel that when you meet people like this you need to tell the world of their kindness.

Anyway, I bought this! An official BMW Z3 ride on. Which works. Just needs some TLC. So it’s become the autum project to get ready for my daughters first birthday. Like most Z3’s of its age, it needs some body work and the alloys need refurbing. Chassis is good, some light rust spots but nothing to worry about. Only downside is it’s single rear wheel drive. Might need to sort that out before I left her drive it, haha.

If anyone has any tips or done something similar before, feedback would be appreciated. And access to a spray booth in the north west for when I want to give it that show quality look

 

[Althulas]

Have no experience of these but how hard can it be I have many happy memories of having pedal cars as a kid. I’m sure she will be wrapped. Does this chap have a web site I would be interested for my granddaughter.

 

[Shelly]

Wow .....
Post some photos, when it's finished, it looks great

 

[Ryan]

So the first mistake has been made. In an attempt to strip back the old chrome from the wheel hubs, i left 2 of them too long in White Spirit and now the plastic is like playdo. Anyone have any ideas on a way to fix? If not it's sourcing parts(impossible) or finding someone with a 3D printer to make them for me feel so stupid. Before and after pictures, i thought the bubbling was the paint coming off. Lesson learnt

 

[TrevD66]

Ohhh sh*t....... that’s a trap. Good luck in getting a solution quickly

 

[gookah]

Lepsons do wheel refurbs..........

 

[BMBabe]

I think @Pingu has mentioned 3D printing but I could be wrong

 

[Pingu]

Printing is the easy bit. "Drawing" the part is the tricky bit.

 

[Ryan]

@Pingu i've managed to find a company that can scan one of the existing wheels for £80 and then print the new wheels. They have said £75-£150 for printing, but not if thats per wheel or for all 4? Either way i can get the alloys on my car powder coated for cheaper!

 

[Nodzed]

So the first mistake has been made. In an attempt to strip back the old chrome from the wheel hubs, i left 2 of them too long in White Spirit and now the plastic is like playdo. Anyone have any ideas on a way to fix? If not it's sourcing parts(impossible) or finding someone with a 3D printer to make them for me feel so stupid. Before and after pictures, i thought the bubbling was the paint coming off. Lesson learnt

Stick a set of 108s on her

 

[Pingu]

@Pingu i've managed to find a company that can scan one of the existing wheels for £80 and then print the new wheels. They have said £75-£150 for printing, but not if thats per wheel or for all 4? Either way i can get the alloys on my car powder coated for cheaper!

The price doesn't surprise me. In fact, I think that you were lucky to find somebody who would give you a quote. One-offs are very expensive.

If you charge out the labour at a reasonable rate (£25 ph), that's 3 hours work - it would take me at least a weekend, with no guarantee of the quality.

The actual printed wheel would only cost less than 50p in materials.

 

[Clockwatcher]

Ryan,

Could you use Plaster of Paris to make a mold from a good wheel trim, then use fiberglass or something similar to make a new one? Then spray the colour you want. The "pegs" or dowels used to locate the wheel trim onto the wheels could be embedded into the fiberglass when you are making it.

 

[5harp3y]

Just try and find some other toy car wheels online. not worth trying to rescue them