Challenger Custom Emblem

[RickyOG90]

So I have a 1971 dodge challenger that I've been restoring since 2014(hiatus between 2016 and 2022 due to college) and im getting closer to the end stages, and one thing I was wanting since I'm dropping a 400 big block in it that'll be stroked out to 512cid, was to get an emblem on the shaker intake that reflected the bigger cubic inch of the engine. Unfortunately nobody really makes custom emblems that look like the original on a large scale and appears to be more of a one-off type of deal. So given my background in engineering and 3d printing being another big hobby of mine, i figured i could design my own by purchasing an oem style 440 magnum emblem and customize it to say 512 magnum instead. Well, it ended up being a bit harder than expected but i had a good friend that is very skilled in graphic design and was able to do what i struggled with for a few weeks in just a couple of hours. It took some additional time for me to do some test prints and experimenting with different settings to get it just the way I liked it before I started painting it. Long story short, I figured as a long time lurker and new account member on here, I would share my finished result.
Of course, since this would be on a shaker intake in full view of the florida sun in the future, it would've been a poor idea to print it in PLA(i did for the test prints until i was satisfied with the results) with the final 2 prints being in ASA to ensure UV- and heat-resistance
I also had initially colored the chrome numbers with a chrome marker but it wasn't nearly as shiny as I wanted so i went and bought some chrome paint and using a gloss black as the base color, i painted it on to get the final shine. Way better in my opinion.
Anyway, what do yall think?

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[MoparCarGuy]

That is nice work and looks great!
The letters look rounded on the edges. Can the 512 numerals also be rounded using the 3D printer?

 

[Katfish]

Nice work, well done!

 

[Locomotion]

Wow, turned out great!
I guess the main concern now is to find an adhesive that will hold up against the Florida sun & rain.

I had a similar project with 360-FOUR BARREL but didn't have the know-how or resources for any 3D fabrication and didn't want to spend the money on an OEM or repro. emblem. After I provided measurements & photos to a local multi-faceted sign company, they made up some decals. I thought it could be another option for others to consider. I didn't ask to include a black border/outline like on the original emblems, which might help the contrast on different colored backgrounds. HD decal material (3M?) was used and it's held up well for years on my race car. It was raced often but has spent most of its time in a trailer.

 

[RickyOG90]

That is nice work and looks great!
The letters look rounded on the edges. Can the 512 numerals also be rounded using the 3D printer?
View attachment 136672

thanks! and yea the top edges of the original emblem are flat but maybe have a very very slight rounded edge but its hard to see with the naked eye so it wasnt enough to warrant doing the extra bit of sanding to get it all the way there, and in any case beyond a few inches away, itll be near impossible to tell ha. Although to get it properly printed off a printer, given how minute the curve is, I would need a very small layer height, less than 0.06mm that i used for my print.

 

[RickyOG90]

Wow, turned out great!
I guess the main concern now is to find an adhesive that will hold up against the Florida sun & rain.

I had a similar project with 360-FOUR BARREL but didn't have the know-how or resources for any 3D fabrication and didn't want to spend the money on an OEM or repro. emblem. After I provided measurements & photos to a local multi-faceted sign company, they made up some decals. I thought it could be another option for others to consider. I didn't ask to include a black border/outline like on the original emblems, which might help the contrast on different colored backgrounds. HD decal material (3M?) was used and it's held up well for years on my race car. It was raced often but has spent most of its time in a trailer.

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that doesn't look half bad either! very nice, as for the adhesive, I was thinking of a 3m outdoor molding tape. Have used that on a few outdoor projects which seemed to hold up well. providing I dont try removing it after the initial install of course

 

[Challenger RTA]

400 big block in it that'll be stroked out to 512cid

Would like to see the build as you go. The 400 How do I say it? It has so much promises that ran out of time. The beat that never was. An Engineer would under stand.

 

[Challenger RTA]

So given my background in engineering

So an other pencil drawer. So you have a sense of humor I hope. Good engineers know how to make thing work in a box and when to get a new box.

AAAHHHH ENGEENERS Who need them!

Keep in mind that there are only two Mopar scoops that actually force air into the engine compartment, the Six Pack scoop used on 69 1/2+ B-Bodies and the Challenger T/A scoop. All other scoops (even opening up the Cuda scoops and the AAR scoops) just let hot are out as they are not two inches...

www.forebodiesonly.com

 

[Challenger RTA]

I figured as a long time lurker and new account member on here,

Let us see some pictures of you 71 challenger old and or new. A back story of when you got it too. Introduction welcome wagon. Welcome Wagon You have been pinged on the scope. So surface Das Boot. Thanks

 

[Challenger RTA]

(i did for the test prints until i was satisfied with the results)

I can appreciate what you are doing. A while back someone was getting rid of a sever cabinet 2'x2'x7'. My son was along when we found it. The gears where churning in our heads. So we took it to third house for storage. A few moths later I was looking for it. I found it in my son's home. He stripped it and put his 3D printers in it. He explained that he wanted to keep the printers isolated, vibration, heat and to vent. My loss but his gain.
It is a different learning experience. He has made some good progress. I have learned some thing from him that never gave a thought. So thanks for bringing your talent here. I do appreciate it.

I also had initially colored the chrome numbers with a chrome marker

There some that are better that others. I use one that I liked the results. I was from Inlinetube. Used it for interior.

This one claims to be water proof. Chrome Pen Marker Mirror Waterproof Paint Gold Silver | eBay

 

[RickyOG90]

Would like to see the build as you go. The 400 How do I say it? It has so much promises that ran out of time. The beat that never was. An Engineer would under stand.

Hi, thanks for all the messages, I'll reply as i go through them. Also just noticed i made a typo there. I had meant 440 not 400 ha whoops!

 

[RickyOG90]

So an other pencil drawer. So you have a sense of humor I hope. Good engineers know how to make thing work in a box and when to get a new box.

http://[URL]https://www.forebodiesonly.com/forum/threads/aaahhhh-engeeners-who-need-them.37552/

[/URL]

Lol well, technically I'm a computer engineer so i cant take the blame for the failures of mechanical engineers when they make poor design choices but thats also very true about the box, i seem to have to do a lot of outside the box thinking for this challenger build. It can be tough to make it a good tribute to the original while also subtly modernizing it for better braking, handling, power, and creature comforts to make longer drives better. I ended up learning a lot when helping my grandfather restore if 1950 ford f-3 pickup

 

[Challenger RTA]

Hi, thanks for all the messages, I'll reply as i go through them. Also just noticed i made a typo there. I had meant 440 not 400 ha whoops!

Been there done that.

 

[RickyOG90]

I can appreciate what you are doing. A while back someone was getting rid of a sever cabinet 2'x2'x7'. My son was along when we found it. The gears where churning in our heads. So we took it to third house for storage. A few moths later I was looking for it. I found it in my son's home. He stripped it and put his 3D printers in it. He explained that he wanted to keep the printers isolated, vibration, heat and to vent. My loss but his gain.
It is a different learning experience. He has made some good progress. I have learned some thing from him that never gave a thought. So thanks for bringing your talent here. I do appreciate it.

There some that are better that others. I use one that I liked the results. I was from Inlinetube. Used it for interior. View attachment 140060This one claims to be water proof. Chrome Pen Marker Mirror Waterproof Paint Gold Silver | eBay
View attachment 140059

Much appreciated man, and pretty neat story too, nice way of managing the 3d printers. I dont have a house where i live yet so i have a printer in both bedrooms, but i did print my own anti-vibration feet using tpu and ASA

I can appreciate what you are doing. A while back someone was getting rid of a sever cabinet 2'x2'x7'. My son was along when we found it. The gears where churning in our heads. So we took it to third house for storage. A few moths later I was looking for it. I found it in my son's home. He stripped it and put his 3D printers in it. He explained that he wanted to keep the printers isolated, vibration, heat and to vent. My loss but his gain.
It is a different learning experience. He has made some good progress. I have learned some thing from him that never gave a thought. So thanks for bringing your talent here. I do appreciate it.

There some that are better that others. I use one that I liked the results. I was from Inlinetube. Used it for interior. View attachment 140060This one claims to be water proof. Chrome Pen Marker Mirror Waterproof Paint Gold Silver | eBay
View attachment 140059

Much appreciated man, and pretty neat story too, nice way of managing the 3d printers. I dont have a house where i live yet so I have a printer in both bedrooms, but i did print my own anti-vibration feet using 2 pads of tpu sandwiching a pad of ASA.
Regarding the chrome paints, yea ive experimented with a couple and got strong recommendations from some friends that have been doing model prints and paint figurines and such for decades, its unfortunate though that even if its waterproof, rubbing painted chrome will discolor the shine. I did find a way where you use a special clear coat but its been out of stock for a little while so i havent been able to test it myself, but the guy i saw showing it managed to retain the shine when just about every other clear coat dulls the chrome. The last one i did was a recommendation from my boss who said i would get a better shine by getting a refill tube of chrome paint for the markers but use a brush to apply it. Now I just need to get that clear coat to protect it as since itll be on the shaker intake, car washes could wipe away the chrome shine

 

[RickyOG90]

Let us see some pictures of you 71 challenger old and or new. A back story of when you got it too. Introduction welcome wagon. Welcome Wagon You have been pinged on the scope. So surface Das Boot. Thanks

ha ok sure. Ill make a post on there soon thanks

 

[RickyOG90]

On the subject of 3d printing, I also designed and printed a dual 4" speaker adapter to go where the center dash speaker would go. Printed it in ASA-CF and put in my own brass inserts. Also these cars didnt have any cupholders besides holding it with your thighs, and i saw how some people took universal ones to do it, and i also spotted a custom one that bolts to the center console but it did require drilling a new hole. I wanted to make one that would bolt into existing holes on the center console so i created my own. frame is printed in ASA, and the cupholders themselves are removable and made from TPU(technically could use them as a coozie as tpu is flexible). I did have to redesign to increase the length by a quarter of an inch as well as move the cupholder gaps to the left by half an inch to not get in the way of the elevated right side of the console(but still, not bad for going by memory and measurements taken from a vinyl sheet right?

 

[Katfish]

Nice cup holders!
I'll take one

 

[RickyOG90]

Nice cup holders!
I'll take one

ha in July once Ive printed and test fitted the updated model, then I'll let you know. I want to make sure it fits in there perfectly

 

[6PKRTSE]

Very nice job on the emblems, speaker mount and cup holders. My engine is way bigger than advertised. However, I still like and prefer the factory emblems.