FILAMENT SELECTOR TOOL FOR CAR PARTS

What filament should I use for car parts? Great question, so we made a filament tool selector to help you pick the right material for your next car part. Plus we added a 3d printer selector tool too.

MAKE A SELECTION

Choose your specific automotive 3d printed part application. The tool will help provide information on recommended filaments with additional information on:

Filament Selector Tool • Automotive

v1.1

Select your part environment to see recommended materials ↓

🧰 INDOOR AUTO ACCESSORIES 🧭 INTERIOR CAR PARTS 🌤️ EXTERIOR CAR PARTS 🔧 ENGINE BAY CAR PARTS

Best Uses: Indoor automotive accessories (tool organization, auto-themed coasters, phone holders)

🧰 INDOOR AUTO ACCESSORIES
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
PLA	2750 MPa	Up to 134° F	Low	Low	Optional	$20 (1kg roll)
PETG	2050 MPa	Up to 156° F	High	Medium	Recommended	$20 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (Moderate heat): interior dash parts, radio delete plates, cluster gauges, interior accessories

🧭 INTERIOR CAR PARTS (Moderate)
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
PETG	2050 MPa	Up to 156° F	High	Medium	Recommended	$20 (1kg roll)
PETG-CF	2910 MPa	Up to 165° F	High	Medium	Optional	$32 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (Extreme heat): interior parts exposed to high solar load/black dashboards

🧭 INTERIOR CAR PARTS (Extreme)
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
ABS	1880 MPa	Up to 212° F	High	Medium	Optional	$20 (1kg roll)
ABS-GF	2860 MPa	Up to 230° F	High	Meduim	Optional	$30 (1kg roll)
ASA	1920 MPa	Up to 212° F	High	High	Optional	$30 (1kg roll)
ASA-CF	3740 MPa	Up to 230° F	High	High	Optional	$37 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (Extreme heat + UV): exterior trim, flaps, mounts, fender flares, plastic replacements

🌤️ EXTERIOR CAR PARTS
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
ASA	1920 MPa	Up to 212° F	High	High	Optional	$30 (1kg roll)
ASA-CF	3740 MPa	Up to 230° F	High	High	Optional	$37 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (Moderate engine bay heat): hose clamps, fuse box covers, plastic replacements

🔧 ENGINE BAY CAR PARTS (Moderate)
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
PC	2310 MPa	Up to 442° F	Medium	Medium	Required	$40 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (High engine bay heat): intake-adjacent and cylinder-head-adjacent plastics

🔧 ENGINE BAY CAR PARTS (High)
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
PA6-GF	3670 MPa	Up to 359° F	Medium	High	Required	$60 (1kg roll)
PA6-CF	5460 MPa	Up to 366° F	Medium	High	Required	$80 (1kg roll)
PAHT-CF	4230 MPa	Up to 381° F	High	High	Required	$95 (1kg roll)

Best Uses (Extreme engine heat): components mounted to valve cover/intake manifold

🔧 ENGINE BAY CAR PARTS (Extreme)
Filament	Stiffness	Heat Resistance	Water Resistance	UV Resistance	Dry Before Print	Avg. Cost
PET-CF	5320 MPa	Up to 401° F	Medium	High	Required	$85 (1kg roll)
PPA-CF	9860 MPa	Up to 440° F	Medium	High	Required	$150 (.75kg)
PPS-CF	7160 MPa	Up to 507° F	High	High	Required	$130 (.75kg)

3D FILAMENT TOOL DETAILS

• Filament Stiffness: How much force a part can take before breaking. Higher MPa = better strength.

• Filament Heat Resistance: Temp that part can withstand before softening, deforming, or losing strength.

• Filament Water Resistance: How well the part holds up to water.

• Filament UV Resistance: How well the part holds up to water.

• Dry Before Printing Requirements: The manufactures recommendation if the filament should be dried prior to 3d printing

NEED HELP CHOOSING A 3D PRINTER?

With nearly 100s of different model of printers to choose from selecting the right 3d printer for printing car parts isn’t easy…

So we put together a 3d printer selector tool based on budget, filament, and size requirements that provides recommended 3d printers from Bambu Lab, Elegoo, and Creality.

3D Printer Selector Tool • Automotive

v1.1

Pick budget, materials, and size → Get a tuned recommendation

🧪 3D Printer Selector Tool v1

1. What's your 3D printer budget? Under $300 $300 - $1150 $1500+

2. What material do you plan to print with?

PLA/PLA+/PETG/TPU ASA/ABS/PC/Nylon Carbon or Glass Infused Fiber

3. What's the maximum size you'd like to print? Up to 7x7x7 inches Up to 10x10x10 inches Up to 12.5x12.5x12.5 inches

⚡ Get Recommendation

Tuned for automotive car part use

💡 For details on making your own car parts, check out our other resources

1. ✅ Custom radio delete plate with switch inserts.

2. ✅ Modern LCD digital dash built with a Raspberry Pi

3. ✅ Single DIN iPAD holder + space for charging cables

MORE 3D PRINTING CAR PARTS…

DESIGN CAR PARTS

3D PRINT PARTS