I don't know if this is the right forum for this, but I've been trying to do some research into making a custom body kit for the RX-8. What I want to do is create a kit that looks like the Mazdaspeed prototype 8 (the White 8 with the hood scoop and mean looking front end).

So far, from what I can gather the biggest challenge will be creating the mold. Some people have recommended to attempt to hand craft the piece out of styrofoam which can then be cured and used to create a mold. However, I'm no artist and there's no way I could sit there and shave the design into foam. What I may be able to do, however, is create the piece in Autocad. If I could do that, I just need to dump the file off to a company that can use it to create the mold.

I've been searching for companies to do this, and have come across some fabricators. However, one interesting site (emachineshop) seemed to have some promise.

I'm also thinking, however, that accurately modelling the piece in Autocad would be very difficult. However, I was thinking that if I used 3D scanning on the current nose of the car I could tinker with the result. This may be costly, however, and I'd need to find someone who could scan the nose as is.

If anyone has some advice for a newb I'd love to hear it. I'd really love to play with a project like this, and hell it seems a lot of people on here would love to have the kit, so maybe I can even pay off the production costs by selling it when and if I ever get it done. If I get lucky, it'll be before they release the car lol.

Thanks guys!

P.S. If the moderators think this thread would do better somewhere else, please move it there...I didn't know where else to put it.

The money involved in this is pretty expensive. There's a reason why most kit companies here in the US just copies the ones from Japan... look at how many clones of MS are out there now. If you have the money to fiddle with this project, good luck. It's going to cost a few thousand at best if you do it yourself, if you try outside help and do it as best as possible, expect around $10k to get the process started.

I agree, It's a good intention but just too expensive, we have to hope for new designs to come.

Well, I figure I could recoup 10k or so...I just need to figure out how to go about doing it and then I'll go about strumming up business once I have the process and costs worked out.

it'd take alot of time, cots alot of money and not too sure about the market for it.... at least here in australia anyway.
unless you can come up with a different design that will suit the lines of the 8 and a company offers full or partial sponsorship... than that'd be a goer ;)
good luck with it and would love to see the designs you came up with :)