OK...Here's something pretty cool...
 

OK... we've seen lots of owners add gadgets and appliances to their cars such as built-in radar detectors, iPods, Garage door openers, USB ports, Cell Phone chargers etc.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a professional looking custom panel, with custom color and lettering? One you design yourself?

Well there is a place called Front Panel Express, LLC which will make you a one-off CNC machined aluminum panel which you create yourself. You can select different anodized aluminum stock, in several thickness. You can use their lettering fonts, or submit your own.

They even give you FREE CAD software to design the panel. This software will also give you the price of each unit as you design it. When you're done with your design, you just email the file to FPE along with a credit card for payment, and they produce it for you with a 7-day turnaround.

I think this is a great concept and allows you to really give the car a nice professional finished look rather than having all the additions look like they don't belong. I designed a panel for my BMW 2002 so I can use an iPod and also house the switches for my fog lights and electronic ignition which will blend easily with the dash in one of the center console storage shelves. It hasn't arrived yet, but I can post pics once it does.

It should really be of interest to those with vintage cars, and of course it is not just restricted to your car. Your Boat, Bike, PC and other things may benefit from this too.

Hope you find it useful.

Cheers!

What a great idea. I wish I had had it. I have a small CNC router that cuts thin aluminum and any plastic with ease.
There are several motorcycle wheel companies that allow you to send them sketches or CAD files and they just CNC mill the spokes of in stock wheels. They email you CAD drawings from your sketch for approval.
How easy was it to use the supplied CAD program?

Really very easy to use. That and the fact that they have several templates included which you can work off of.

Try it yourself - you can download the software and use it as much as you want with no obligation to buy anything. That doesn't happen unless you actually send them a design to machine. Who knows, the software may work in your router too.

Cheers!

I currently have three CAD programs and two CAM programs (For machine programs from CAD files)
My favorite is Solidworks. My new CAM program, BobCAD V23, works directly from Solidworks solid models. I just got it and I'm working on my first project with it now. If it works as advertised, I may be able to do low production number plastic parts, such as molded plastic dash/interior parts............

I've been thinking about making a mounting plate so I can move my XM Radio. I downloaded the program and in about five minutes had a black anodized AL plate with a couple of counter-sunk holes drawn up and it'll only cost $16.77.

Thanks for the link, LB.

This is pretty cool! I just need to find something to use it for.