Rebody Tribute 507 Side Gills?
- Thread starter Duncodin
- Start date
Had a lot of head scratching over this due to me spraying the car and trying to work out where the paint finishes and shiny bits start.
I'd always liked the clear z4 side indicators and as they also incorporate the bmw emblem, having emblem and indicator in one seemed to tick the box.
Idea 1 was to make up a grill unit with indicator, cut a slot in the lower arch and then fit it. Spraying may have been awkward though as I wasn't sure how to finish it.
Idea 2 and the one that I stuck with was to create a pocket in the lower wing that could be sprayed body colour. The indicator/emblem unit slots in.
The plan with the grill is to try and make something up that can be bolted into the pocket but can also be removed for tweaking. This is where I'm at right now.
Car passed its mot yesterday with side indicators in place so at least I can drive it out now.
Seems to have developed a misfire though.
I suspect that it may be down to stale fuel that's a year old. I've added fresh super leaded to the tank, in the hope that it'll clear.
Fingers crossed
I'm now rethinking about whether to lower the car or not after your mentioned about yours.
Even gap would look much better. I was surprised to see how off centre the original 507 wheels are in their arches.
I'm currently on 16"steels with 205/55 R16 tyres. I want to stick with the wheels but to get the gap I'm looking for would mean fitting van tyres I think. Food for thought.
I can also confirm that my clamshell wing mirrors are crap. I can see a bit in the drivers side but the passenger side is purely for aesthetics.....I'd need to be sat in the passanger seat to use it
In my build thread I'd showed how I was thinking about chopping z3 gills something like this
I was OK with the look but decided that the z3 gill is too rounded and would stick out too much. So gave up on that idea.
I also like the idea of the z4 indicator/badge. But haven't started anything yet.
I was OK with the look but decided that the z3 gill is too rounded and would stick out too much. So gave up on that idea.
I also like the idea of the z4 indicator/badge. But haven't started anything yet.
Can't remember if your front indicator lenses are clear or orange. Z4 side indicators come in both. I have clear lenses with orange bulbs at the front so it seemed only natural to do the same for the sides.
I'd thought about adapting z3 side grills and then changed my mind. Chris at Tribute did fibreglass side grills that were used on the yellow and blue ones that were advertised up north. Think they were £60 plus vat and delivery. I wasn't that keen on them really.
Heard back from 3 wrappers....none of them want to touch the bumpers. Let me know if you have any luck with it.
I saw the side grills on those two cars. They didn't look good imo. But just couldn't see a decent picture.
I didn't know Chris made them.
On those two cars it looked like they were just stuck on. ie not recessed. Maybe would look better if they were recessed.
On the other hand, IIR, they were quite small. Need to be longer m'thinks.
I might ask Chris for a decent photo and dimensions. Might be something I can chop up and use to make a mould.
I didn't know Chris made them.
On those two cars it looked like they were just stuck on. ie not recessed. Maybe would look better if they were recessed.
On the other hand, IIR, they were quite small. Need to be longer m'thinks.
I might ask Chris for a decent photo and dimensions. Might be something I can chop up and use to make a mould.
Not sure where you are but I know a very good, award winning, wrapper based in Birmingham who’s very much into high end and bespoke wrapping. Also has a supercharged Z4M 
His name is Byron
www.topwrapz.com
His name is Byron
Top Wrapz Ltd | Car Detailing | Vinyl Wraps | PPF | Gtechniq | England | Invisframe installer |
Top Wrapz Ltd is one of Birmingham's leading car Detailing & Wrap/PPF specialists. IMI Qualifed Master level detailers, Multi award-winning and voted Detailer of the Year 2019! We are proudly Gtechniq & Kamikaze accredited.
www.topwrapz.com
Hope this post is of interest to anyone thinking of creating cosmetic side vents (or any custom parts!). You may have noticed some recent pictures on the Tribute Facebook site, this is how the vents were created.
Thanks to 10stb for his input and templates from his build.
The main dimensions for our design was determined by a desire to use the Z4 side repeaters and the size of the cut outs already created by 10stb. Although we didn't set an actual budget we wanted an affordable solution for 2 sets of vents.
Knowing the overall size limits and the general appearance and proportions of a real 507 side vent taken from available images on the Internet I created a full-size drawing.
Using a block of modelling foam from a craft shop (use contact adhesive to make a bigger block) the full-size drawing was transferred to the face of the block. A very sharp modelling knife and sandpaper was used to create a full-size model of the vent.
For me this was a key step, having a full-size model allowed us to check the design and test fit it, but the biggest benefit was to see the different manufacturing options.
In our case we want the final product to have a chrome like mirror polished finish, from the feedback of members on this forum a spray on product will not give a good enough finish, however if you want a coloured finish then this is probably your best option (3d print and spray paint). Having discounted a spray finish we will consider 2 options:
Option 1 - chrome vinyl wrap – DIY option
Option 2 - electroplating – professional option
Having the foam model allowed us to see how the part could be broken down into components that could be wrapped.
The foam model was converted into a 3d design (I use fusion) with component parts. With a 3d design you can request manufacturing quotes using different materials and different finishes. For example, a UK manufacturer of a 3d printed metal part with polished chrome finish is about £6000 the Chinese quote is about £3000. However, a Chinese 3d plastic/resin printed component with no additional finishing is $40 + $70 delivery. I'll trade off manufacturing cost against my time.
On 26th December I ordered 2 test parts (one for option 1 and one for option 2) they arrived by 8th January!!! These will have to be rubbed down before finishing.
For option 1, only the body was 3d printed, the flutes are 1.5mm polished stainless steel and the centre bar is a polished stainless-steel tube. As most of the body is made up of flat faces, we can use chrome vinyl wrap and hide the joints in the flutes. The flutes then slide into the slots cut into the body, the steel tube holds the vents in place and is fixed in place with a self-tapping screw from the back.
-Not bad for my first attempt at vinyl wrap.
Option 2:
The complete part is 3d printed as a single component, it is sanded down to remove the manufacturing ridges and blemishes and then electroplated. Our Chinese contacts will do all this for us.
As this part sits within a pocket, from a distance it is hard to tell the difference, but up close we can tell, the DIY option means that the final quality is up to us, the professional option takes this out of our hands, and the company we have been using are very professional (they rejected the first pair and remade them!), so it comes down to cost!
Which is which?
I have already designed my vents and some other parts so I’ll be ordering them soon.
From this we have gained the knowledge and skill to make almost anything, I’ll post more when the next part is ready to show off.
Thanks to 10stb for his input and templates from his build.
The main dimensions for our design was determined by a desire to use the Z4 side repeaters and the size of the cut outs already created by 10stb. Although we didn't set an actual budget we wanted an affordable solution for 2 sets of vents.
Knowing the overall size limits and the general appearance and proportions of a real 507 side vent taken from available images on the Internet I created a full-size drawing.
Using a block of modelling foam from a craft shop (use contact adhesive to make a bigger block) the full-size drawing was transferred to the face of the block. A very sharp modelling knife and sandpaper was used to create a full-size model of the vent.
For me this was a key step, having a full-size model allowed us to check the design and test fit it, but the biggest benefit was to see the different manufacturing options.
In our case we want the final product to have a chrome like mirror polished finish, from the feedback of members on this forum a spray on product will not give a good enough finish, however if you want a coloured finish then this is probably your best option (3d print and spray paint). Having discounted a spray finish we will consider 2 options:
Option 1 - chrome vinyl wrap – DIY option
Option 2 - electroplating – professional option
Having the foam model allowed us to see how the part could be broken down into components that could be wrapped.
The foam model was converted into a 3d design (I use fusion) with component parts. With a 3d design you can request manufacturing quotes using different materials and different finishes. For example, a UK manufacturer of a 3d printed metal part with polished chrome finish is about £6000 the Chinese quote is about £3000. However, a Chinese 3d plastic/resin printed component with no additional finishing is $40 + $70 delivery. I'll trade off manufacturing cost against my time.
On 26th December I ordered 2 test parts (one for option 1 and one for option 2) they arrived by 8th January!!! These will have to be rubbed down before finishing.
For option 1, only the body was 3d printed, the flutes are 1.5mm polished stainless steel and the centre bar is a polished stainless-steel tube. As most of the body is made up of flat faces, we can use chrome vinyl wrap and hide the joints in the flutes. The flutes then slide into the slots cut into the body, the steel tube holds the vents in place and is fixed in place with a self-tapping screw from the back.
-Not bad for my first attempt at vinyl wrap.
Option 2:
The complete part is 3d printed as a single component, it is sanded down to remove the manufacturing ridges and blemishes and then electroplated. Our Chinese contacts will do all this for us.
As this part sits within a pocket, from a distance it is hard to tell the difference, but up close we can tell, the DIY option means that the final quality is up to us, the professional option takes this out of our hands, and the company we have been using are very professional (they rejected the first pair and remade them!), so it comes down to cost!
Which is which?
I have already designed my vents and some other parts so I’ll be ordering them soon.
From this we have gained the knowledge and skill to make almost anything, I’ll post more when the next part is ready to show off.
Apologies Duncodin, for some reason notifications for all the zroadster chats was switched off.
In terms of side grills....what Ruan said
If it wasn't for his technical ability, I'd still be trying to make cat chome water bowls work
What? There was a chat about this? Where's that?Apologies Duncodin, for some reason notifications for all the zroadster chats was switched off.
In terms of side grills....what Ruan said
If it wasn't for his technical ability, I'd still be trying to make cat chome water bowls work
The chat was in my garage
. Ruan lives a couple of miles from me. You're more than welcome to join any time.
We should really get a 507 WhatsApp group going....then nothing will get missed and we can bounce around ideas.
I have Ruan and Dxbolton on WhatsApp. The only other uk ones I know about are you and Piran
If only there was some easily accessible forum or somewhere where we could exchange ideas 