Last Wednesday, during a Stratasys company picnic, a few special guests made a special appearance in Eden Prairie. Dave Kindig from Kindig It Designs, his wife Charity and a few others, including Kevdogg, made a pit stop on their way to a nearby car show. The crew came all the way from Utah to display their cars at the MSRA Back to the 50’s Car Show this past weekend, June 22 -24, 2018. Although they were surrounded by beautiful classic cars on all sides, people lined the event hall hoping to sneak a peek at Kindig It’s cars and shake hands with their creators. Dave Kindig is most famously known for his show on Velocity, “Bitchin’ Rides,” where they take old classic automobiles and refurbish and restore them to make incredible customized vehicles.
Kindig It Design has been working with Stratasys over the last several years designing and printing specialized parts and tooling. Dave and Kindig It Design solely use Stratasys printers to help them design, build, produce, and restore different models and cars from many periods. From steering wheels to side emblems, the printer has no limit on what it could be used for at their shop. Kindig It Design uses a Fortus 450MC printer for all of their parts but uses different materials based on the function of the parts. One of their most popular cars, the ’60 Copper Caddy, contains multiple printed parts.
The steering wheel, center console armrest, and even the hideaway door that conceals switches on the dash were all made through additive manufacturing. These parts were sanded, painted, and sometimes wrapped in fabric to create a custom look that would make them stand out and fit the Kindig It vibe. Black Ultem 9085 was the material of choice for these parts on the Copper Caddy because of its durability and strength. In addition to the Copper Caddy, Kindig It’s designers have been able to incorporate printed parts into many of their other cars. Kindig It has been able to utilize 3D printers in a variety of ways and it will be exciting to see what they come up with next! Want to learn more about the Copper Caddy? Watch this video for more details!
