HOW TO MAKE MONEY 3D PRINTING CAR PARTS
⬇️ Grab the FREE iPad display holder Shapr3D CAD file here.
⬇️ Or grab the iPad display holder STL file here.
📘 Learn the basics of Shapr3D CAD modeling here.
🚀 Design your first one-of-a-kind car part in just one day. Workshop (Bonus Ends Soon).
From plastic clips to cold air intakes and even custom dashboard components—like a iPad mini mount for our BMW E30—we started designing parts that didn’t exist… and that’s when a wild idea hit us:
Could we actually sell these 3D printed parts to fund our build?
Before jumping in, we did what any good seller does: Make 3d printing car part profit tools and perform good research.
3D PRINTING CAR PARTS PROFIT CALCULATOR
STEP 1: STUDY THE PROS
As we searched for small businesses selling 3d printed car parts, we stumbled across Car Chains 3D—a small but mighty brand making $4,000/month selling custom 3D printed car mounts.
Watch the owner interview here on YouTube.
Their custom 3d printed screen mounts sell for $150-200. This shows us that automotive enthusiasts are will to paying for clean, problem-solving solutions.
STEP 2: SPY ON EBAY
We also wanted to see what 3d printed car parts people are actually buying on open markets like eBay.
So head to eBay, type in a custom part like “BMW e30 custom cluster gauge” and filter by “Sold Listings.” Boom—you’ve got real-time data.
You can also click on an eBay seller, filter again on “Sold Listings” to see what other 3d printed parts they might be selling.
STEP3: DESIGN YOUR PARTS
The next step is designing your parts and the easiest way to make a sale, is solve a problem for someone.
Just don’t copy it—improve it.
We used this method to spark ideas like the need for a radio delete plate with empty switch panels or designing an iPAD holder that would mount directly to our radio delete insert.
If you’re struggling with an idea, don’t worry. We’re giving you something to start with for FREE.
Grab the FREE BMW e30 iPAD holder Shapr3d CAD design file here or the STL model you can try 3d printing yourself.
Learn the basics of Shapr3d CAD modeling here.
Want to learn how to design your 1st one-of-a-kind car part? Check out our workshop here.
STEP 4: BUILD YOUR LISTING
Using eBay's “Sell Similar” feature makes it easy to launch quickly. You can find a similar part and make the appropriate modifications.
The eBay AI description works well, but I like modifying the listing with a bulleted list of features. Here’s an example:
Material (ASA filament for better UV resistance)
Color/Texture
Features / Function
💡 PRO TIP: If you don't own a 3d printer, try a print-on-demand service like PCBWay.com for your designs.
EBAY VS SQUARESPACE SELLER FEES
eBay search can get your 3d printed car part exposed to thousands of potential buyers, but it comes with a hefty fee.
eBay collects up to 13% of the total price regardless if shipping is included or not. The only positive is eEbay also handles collecting and baking in sales tax, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Now you could sell on your own website using something like Squarespace which charges around 10% with a monthly website subscription fee if you plan to promote products yourself.
You’ll just have to make sure you collect appropriate sales tax and purchase your own shipping labels.
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