Was curious if anyone had ever made any CAD models of a 914 (specifically in Solidworks or Catia?). Any cad models related to a 914 would be helpful.

Cheers,

Blake

??

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...=315481&hl=

Don't think he is sharing them which is understandable.

Grabcad and thingverse have a few 914 files.

I was talking to a prof about possibly using the scanner to scan the cad and put it into cad. Lots of work, but If I have to I will.

thanks.

I'd just use the scanner(s) at school then, this way you learn how to use them and the patching/stitching software.

Yup, just have to convice a shop tech. to help me. I am taking a cad course right now so I will talk with my proffessor thursday about it.

Best of luck on your new learning quest.

Hello,
Did you get around scanning any parts?
I'd like to model a 914 long travel suspension for my project so I need to model control arms and struts.

If you are going to modify suspension, you will be better off working out the kinematics based on the available package space, the tire size and offset you want to use, and your desired suspension geometry rather than starting with the compromise of existing parts.

If you're serious about this project, I highly recommend you read Engineer to Win, and Tune to Win from Carroll Smith 1st.

Design work can be as basic as cardboard cutouts and pushpins (cut out to some reasonable scaling factor) or you could go out and buy licensed copies of Adams and CATIA for about $250K.

AutoCAD (Autodesk) Inventor also has some nice kinematics modeling last time I used it (around 2016).

If you are a student, look into student version software.

https://www.mscsoftware.com/formula-student

If you are a student there are incubator tech centers where you can use the Auto-Cad product to make the meshed part from.

I have a lower front control arm in my trash can that I put there just yesterday, from an early 914 front end.

If you want it to model AND you are a student you can have it.....the part...not the model.

If this is a product project for your profit then you are on your own.

Kinematic modeling is far more important at the beginning stage than part modeling. Designing control arms is more a game of connect the dots with sufficient stiffness (and low compliance in your mounts)-the tough part is figuring out where the dots are to connect. Amateur mistake to start with parts first and be kinematically compromised.

Lotus Shark is available for students too and is an easy to learn and powerful package (it also allow compliance analysis). SolidEdge is free for academic use (permanent license) as is AutoCAD Inventor.

Nice summation. Sound like you've been to the rodeo a time or two also!

Just a few times...plus, kinematics are easier for my brain to process than actual physical designs.

Everyone forgets its always about the kinematics (on a one-off at least). Then the compromises come when you can't package them. Just like the chassis is really just a big stiff bracket.

I thought I'd chime in here. I'll echo everyone else in that if you're doing suspension components for a real-world application you'll thank yourself later for getting the kinematics figured out first.

As to the original post, Solidworks and Catia are both nurbs based model programs similar to Creo (which I use) My 914 model is also nurbs, but like Mueller said I'm holding onto it. When I made this it was pretty early on in my body modelling history, and as time progresses I see more and more that's wrong with it. It was a project that I was doing a lot of learning on as well so the feature tree is a bit of a patchwork.



There are other 914 models out there on the web, some free, some you can buy, but all of them (that I've seen anyway) are polygon based models as opposed to nurbs. So they're fine for rendering and video games etc but not for engineering based projects.

This is one of the polygon models. I created the wheels though, in nurbs.


100%, if you want an accurate model use the scanner. I can't tell you how quickly I'd be taking that opportunity if I had access to a scanner. Just make sure that the car you scan is correct, lots of these have been tweaked over the years.

incredible modeling!

Thank you everyone for your valuable insight!
I am a design engineer by trade and use Solidworks as my everyday tool, I do not work in the automotive industry though and have never worked on cars besides the standard backyard mechanic work.
I do not intend to make a product out of this or make any profit, it is merely a personal project and my intention is to figure out everything in CAD before I go ahead and spend any money or make any modifications to the car that I might regret later. I also drive the car to work a few days a week whenever my wife needs our more reliable vehicle, so jacking up the car to remove the suspension for reverse engineering would be downtime that I'd like to avoid.
Again, this is all a "would be nice to have" I might eventually end up having to do that if nothing else comes up, but I'm glad I asked before actually doing all the work.

If your offer is still up, I'd be happy to take the control arm from the trash, I'm not a student anymore so I understand if you want to leave it there.

I'd be interested in a good, medium res, triangle-based narrowbody model, in .dxf form. Not for production, commercial, or engineering, but just something I could import into my CAD program for designing my body jig/rotisserie.

There are a few here on https://www.3dcadbrowser.com/, I just need to find or make something to upload for my free account

If you want to swing by and pick it up send me a PM and I can arrange it.

I may go on the PCA drive to Camarillo this coming weekend.

Send me a PM if you want it.

I too am interested in a 914 3D model, so reviving this thread.

I'm a retired architect and 914 racer. I want to do some work on my 914 race car to lighten it. Before I starting hacking off big parts of the chassis, I thought I should do some Finite Element Analysis (FEA) work to understand what parts of the chassis/cage are working hard and what parts not so much. But before I can do any FEA work, I first need a reasonable 3D model. I have access to an educational copy of SolidWorks, so I'm in the process of starting to learn that package and digging into modeling a 914 chassis.

Before I do much modeling work, however, I thought I'd reach out to see if anyone out there in the 914 world might have already done this, and is willing to share. Came across this thread. Any updates? Anyone out there with a SolidWorks 914 model that's willing to share?

I've PMed OptimusGlen and Holtby914 already to ask them directly about this.

Handheld 3D scanners are getting increasingly inexpensive, which is making it more and more cost effective to have someone scan a chassis. But it's still in the $3000 range. That's a bit rich for my racing budget, but temping none the less. Anyone interested in partnering on such a deal? With 5 or 6 partners, that would be a slam dunk deal.

Let me know any input,

Andrew Blyholder
Richmond, CA
415-760-4326
a.g.blyholder@gmail.com

Count me in as a partner if you need to split the cost, I've been thinking about this for a while but haven't actually looked into it. I would be mainly interested in the suspension mounting points and currently have a stripped down 914 ready to be scanned as well.

Excellent! I see you are in Riverside. One of the companies I've been talking to about this is Creaform, who are in Irvine, so you're much closer and more convenient than I am. They just need a little bit of working room around the car. They use a combination of tripod mounted scanners and handheld scanners. A stripped chassis on jack stands out in the driveway will easily suffice.

My schedule was for this is to be a late fall, after the virus stuff is all calmed down, thing. I'll keep you and mind and be in touch if I move forward.

Andrew