The cost of making a body?

[ddyke]

I make a specialty body for our club. It is a generic formula ford based on one called a RAY. About 100 have been made. One of the things that people wonder is how much it costs. This is hard to determine as my body is small, but I cast it relatively thick.

1) What can be measured?

a. The materials going into the master. Wood, putty, paint, sandpaper, tools, and sealer.
b. Time spent on the master. This is hard to put a $ figure on.
c. Cost of silicone for the inner and outer mold.
d. Cost of resin for the bodies. (I get 30 bodies per quart).
e. Time casting, fixing blemishes, etc.
f. Mixing cups

2) What can't be measured? The joy you get from seeing your own creation painted, decaled, and racing by the boys in the group.

I look at some of these by other people selling for $40 and say, "They are generous people."

[dreinecke]

Dan - I love your cars and have enjoyed seeing the pics you've posted of them all done up and racing.

Cost? Completely subjective. I figure I had $3k into the Cougar when it was done. That was the 3D Scanner, the print of the RP, and the materials. Is it worth it? Yes it is, especially when they are racing.

You're a good man for providing something that was wanted in this scale.

[HomeRacingWorld]

3K in that Cougar and what did I do with it? Baked it in the sun and made a bomber.

No wonder you drink.

I thank all who do this kind of work. It is not something I have time for or any real interest in doing. But I do enjoy building something different and very grateful to those of you who do.

[MoparGreg]

Wow 3k in the making of the cougar. Thats alot of toy cars to make that back.

[dreinecke]

I don't drink...that much.

It wasn't cheap, but it covered the expenses due to the sales of other kits when it debuted. Dan's method is a bit more artistic to me.

[ddyke]

I appreciate anyone, no matter the method, who does this. I am working on another car and it is a tool that is standing in my way. I am going to borrow it because I don't have the $ and I don't have the space to put it. I just popped one out of the mold and it is defective but fixable. I will give this to our one club member who fixes the blemishes and paints them.