3D models of truck chassis?

Hi all, I'm not a user of Autocad or really any 3D stuff, but as a graphic artist, I know who to ask for help. I'm also a backyard hotrod builder and have a project that is at a point where I need to cut & join halves of two different chassis. One is a

1988 Toyota 4x4 1/2 ton PU and the other is a 1950 Willys 4x4 Wagon. What are your suggestions for finding someone who can measure the frames I have and make 3D renderings of them so I can get nice accurate options of where to make my cuts & other considerations (like gas tank placement, etc). I was thinking some local trade school, but they might not get around to doing something along those lines in a classroom setting for months. I don't have the kind of money that I'm guessing it would take to hire a mechanical engineer to do this professionally, so any ideas where I could turn are greatly appreciated. If anyone here is in southern Wisconsin, I'll buy beer & pizza if you want to give it a whack. I'm not looking for mil-spec, just reasonably accurate 3D models of 2 frames that I can overlay each other and see where crossover points might be to speed things up as well as having detailed documentation of how this particular build was done (possibly to help others). I guess I could completely strip both chassis in my driveway (major mess) and physically lay one on top of the other, but I'd prefer to do it on my PC if I could. I don't need full chassis Autocads or anything, just the frames themselves. I'm sure Toyota has 3d models of their stuff, but I doubt they freely share them with anyone. Thanks for reading this far!

Cheers,

- Jeff G

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Reply to
Jeff Gross
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Jeff Do you have access to a digital camera or a scanner? If so just take pictures, try to keep the scale constant although it can be changed in software. Then take the prints and mark some major dimensions on them for reference. i.e axle center lines and distances to crossmembers from the axles etc. You can then just play with them in a graphics program, or if you have Autocad you can load the picture as one layer and then trace the outline for your Aced model. I have used this approach with success ( the graphics package). I did have to make several trips to the shop for additional measurements but it worked.

Reply to
Bob Workman

I have just did this kind of thing I put the front frame and engine out of a chev 4x4 to the rear half of a 68 international How I ended up doing it is with both frames side by side and a measuring tape and pad and pencil it is perfect wheel base and perfect hight by ajusting rear end hight to do it right your going to have to remove the frames anyways so just forget the computer and just do it!

Reply to
John

As a Mechanical Designer with loads of 3D experience, I have to agree with John. The ONLY justification for 3D Modeling is for more built-in options down the road for production equipment (with the exception of REALLY sloppy, inaccurate eye candy for the "suits" or video games and such).

As for me, I would whip out a 2D layout on Autocad. The only reason that I like CAD layouts over paper is the option of turning off layers with stuff that you aren't worried about at a particular moment.

A warning- Most CAD jockies these days are just interested in quicky making something that looks representitive. Accuracy means absolutely nothing to them. If you invest in a bad model, you will only have an unreliable mess.

Reply to
Ron Hammon

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