A new cupholder solution for the MX-5 ND

I bought my 2016 MX-5 Sport a few years ago used. It was a previous track car (I have learned after the fact, but should have known much sooner), and many objects were deleted from it, the cupholders being one. I am not a track guy, and I am a big energy drinker while driving guy, so I needed the cupholder. I looked online, and used OEM ones were $60! That's insane! So instead of spending $60, I bought a BambuLab P1S, spent a year learning how to CAD, and eventually 3D printed my own.

 

That did not satiate me

I added a phone mount to the cupholders (Unfortunately I likely won't ever sell that, there are too many phones out there to make a custom mount and the space given is so limited that it is just too difficult). I found out you can use the front cupholder and the center console cupholder interchangeably. I made more holders. I made a huge one. It sucked. All of them sucked.

But they were better than nothing at the time. Eventually, them sucking so much made me revisit the entire thing. With the help of a man named Stefano on Facebook, we remeasured and remapped the entire surface area of both the passenger side and driver side cupholder slots. After a few more test prints, I managed to create something I finally enjoyed having, a piece that uses both slots for stability, and can hold both large and extra large sized cups while also holding my car keys, wallet, cigarettes, whatever! 

 

I posted these to Reddit, and everyone loved them. I grew up on open source software, and release all my files under GPL 3.0 license when available, and "Public Domain" licensing otherwise. This means anyone can download these files, print them yourselves, modify them, sell them, do whatever you want with them. I do not care what you do with information, it is not mine to tell you what to do. But soon, I was hit with many message from people wanting to buy these! "But it's free! What do you mean buy them? It's free!" Frankly, I should have realized that most people do not have a 3D printer and those that do, usually do not upgrade it to the point of printing what is considered "exotic materials" in the 3D printing world. So against my better judgement, I started this shop. I do not really enjoy selling stuff, as I've ran online shops before and it is just something I do not enjoy doing. I also did not enjoy this project hogging up my printer for a week straight to print off the measly "inventory" I am starting off with (11 total pieces lol!). But, this car has brought me so much fun and I think others love to share in the fun, so I ultimately decided to sell them for a little bit as something to share the MX-5 love and to give myself something to do in my spare time. 

 

I didn't really know how to price these, and I think my own prices are obviously pretty high to begin with, but I can't exactly shut my 3D printer down for a week, printing 24/7, and sell these to break even or make a few dollars unfortunately. These prices are somewhat set as a deterrent, and a way to give me some time to restock inventory in case these are more popular than I am expecting. As time moves forward as well, I will raise the prices each restocking of inventory until people quit buying them. (EDIT: I have changed my mind since then and I have now fixed the prices where they are and do not intend on increasing them unless material cost goes up) I do not want this to be my job. Again, I have uploaded every single one of these files for free, and someone else is more than welcome to take over selling these things so I don't have to!

I hope you guys all understand!

 

Thank you :D

 

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