Report: 3D Parts Can Lower Car Value

May 22, 2019
A recent report notes that a scan of a single part can become a digital blueprint that anyone with a special machining tool or 3-D printer can use to churn out a replacement.

May 22, 2019—A scan of a single part can become a digital blueprint that anyone with a special machining tool or 3-D printer can use to churn out a replacement, as noted in a recent report.

The value of a car, of course, is based largely on scarcity. The ability to inexpensively make formerly hard-to-find parts diminishes the scarcity and can drop the value of a collectible car — sometimes by hundreds of thousands of dollars and, in extreme cases, millions, according to the New York Times.

While technology like 3-D printing makes car collecting less expensive and more accessible, it has also made it easier for counterfeiters to pass off “replicars” as more valuable originals, helped drive the price of unrestored “survivor cars” to astronomical heights and cleared the way for car manufacturers to remake parts that are questionably deemed “factory original.”

Printed parts can be made relatively cheaply and — except under very careful examination — are often indistinguishable from original parts.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.