that is the question

Odometer gears, door pockets, those little round door lock stops that fit in the door panels. Stuff that breaks.

My friend makes 3D parts for 240s: http://www.80scarparts.com/category/custom-parts/

He makes the parts that are listed above but he'll also consider making custom parts that you ask for.

Yes, I am the friend that Jesse B speaks of.

I've been 3d printing parts for about 2 years now. I sell mostly on ebay at my ebay store and I have also done quite a few custom jobs that were requested by customers.

http://stores.ebay.com/80sCarParts
You can go to the "Custom parts" category to see stuff that I've printed.

I also have a new site that I recently launched which is exclusively for 3d printed and custom parts:

http://www.zrdlabs.com

I have my contact info and phone number on the site for anyone who would like to inquire about having parts custom made. My usual turnaround time for custom parts is about 1-2 weeks.

Are you able to make trim clips using the same type of OE material? /

The material I use is ABS plastic. In my experience it's durable, weather resistant enough for exterior parts and heat resistant enough to handle sun exposure. I can also print with PLA (this is what the majority of lower end printers use) but PLA is not weather or heat resistant so it is not a very good material for making parts that you want to last for any length of time. Early on I made some parts with PLA but they were eroded by water and will melt if left in the sun.

I'll be in touch via your website. Thanks,
Nelson

I'll chime in your door lock button ferrules are amazing. It is second nature for me to check them out walking through the yards, and like halogen instrument cluster bulbs, only 1 in 10 is worth taking. Wish you the best in this pursuit!
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Marathon runners with bad footwear suffer the agony of defeat.

Funny, I was wondering the same thing yesterday. Sun visor retainer clips was on my list.

Those sunvisor clips are way too cheap to be worth 3D printing.

http://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/4226/Sunvisor-Clip-1360894/#axzz2w3dNG86m

Yeah, it was just something that crossed my mind as I was driving the other day. With 3D printing being so new to the world, as we become more aware of it's presence we begin to see places where it could be put to use in our lives. In 20 years, it will be old hat and I suspect many things we now buy will be manufactured in our own homes.

Next, we're going to meet a little girl in Huntsville, Alabama. She was born without fingers on one hand. And now, thanks to 3D printing technology, she has an affordable prosthetic.

DAN CARSEN, BYLINE: Kate Berkholtz is a smiley, active two-year-old who's happy to have a new tool that helps her pick things up. Right now, she's trying very hard to hold still before a gymnastics class. Can you tell me your name?

KATE BERKHOLTZ: Kate.

CARSEN: Do you like to run around and play here?

BERKHOLTZ: Yeah.

CARSEN: OK, go.

Those fast feet hit at hurdles for people who need or manufacture pediatric prosthetics. Kids are hard to keep still for fittings. They reject things. They lose things. Most consistently, they grow. And prosthetics made in traditional ways are expensive, says tech entrepreneur Jason Hundley.

JASON HUNDLEY: The barrier to entry is, you know, the cost for the normal industry - you're talking something that's in the five-figure range - talking like the price of a car. That's crazy, especially, you know, when it's going to not be useful in six months to a year.

CARSEN: Enter 3-D printing.

(SOUNDBITE OF PRINTING MACHINE)

CARSEN: This is the microwave oven-sized printer that made Kate's plastic hand. Since key patents expired several years ago, printers like it are much cheaper. Basic models are a few hundred dollars. Small businesses, researchers and regular people have them. That and expertise from Hundley's firm are why Kate has a working, affordable prosthetic. Here's Kate's mom, Jessica Berkholtz.

JESSICA BERKHOLTZ: This is huge for our family and for other families because it's not a commitment. It's not, you know, fighting with an insurance company or spending thousands of dollars on a prosthesis that your kid might not want or use. She loses one and it's not that big a deal. It's $5, and so I can call over to Jason and he can print us a new one for five bucks.

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/13/289836980/with-3-d-printing-affordable-prosthetics-are-in-reach

What an awesome story! We are truly in the middle of a tech revolution.