Another alternative:

How about an unfinished hinge with the correct shape as viewed from the side plasma cut from 3/4" 4340 steel . . . i.e. you could lift the car with them.

http://www.thecubestudio.com/pictures/Hinge3D.jpg


Mounting holes would be drilled already, but unfinshed with sharp corners. There won't be a left and right, you will add a 1/4" thick washer to either one side or the other of the pivot to make them left or right.

We are talking in the $40 per pair neigborhood, you supply some elbow grease to finish them as you like.

Each owner could decide how he wanted to finish them. Use as is, grind, file or belt sand to your own taste, take to a polishing shop, powder coat, chrome plate, whatever.

These could be ready to rock in about 30 days.

The local machinist who was going to make the $150 (estimate) pair could still finish them for you if you want a ready to bolt on and look pretty set.

Let me know

It wont work, look at my CAD drawing again, (top right corner) the glass mounting surface is canted at about a 3 to 5 degree angle to match the surface of the glass....
The link you provided is basically a 2D version, we need all 3 angles to be machined....

http://arizonavette.net/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=13171

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Gone, but not forgotten

I've been engineering prototypes for a very long time, Dawg. I know how to do this.

Your CAD drawing cannot be used and the little 3D model I made is only for the purpose of estimating the material cost and cutting cost for a blank. We're talking about 15 minutes of my time, so don't expect an accurate rendered visualization that I would charge hundreds of dollars for.

The model does not show the mounting hole, but I said in the post that the mountng holes would be done and the part would useable as-is.

I can get this done, but we have to be realistic, there is no corporate R&D budget to draw from here and as I mentioned before someone is going to have to spend money up front. That somebody will likely be me, and I'm not going to spend thousands on modeling, analysis and 3 axis milling so that I can have a garage full of exact repro's that nobody will buy.

The message is clearly that people want function over originality and I think $150 is at or near the top end of what people want to pay.

So far I count 8 'interested', 9 'buy' and 1 'it wont work'. You don't go upstairs with numbers like that.

Maybe a lot more people just want an ugly hinge that works and cost 40 bucks. Those who want pretty can pay the extra bucks to get pretty. Maybe some people (like myself) already have one of these:
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=p ... lpage=none

and would have fun posting their own unique 'how I finished my hinges' story.

If we go with "ugly, but fits and doesn't stretch", it can actually happen in 30 days without taking away anyone's ability to have their set fully machined or smoothed and plated or powder coated if they want to spend the extra cash. And I'll front the money for the production.

Dawg, you know a lot of people, so why don't you contribute by takeing the 3D image and obtain estimates to finish it, both chrome and powder coat. You know the size of the part, the material and which edges need to be smoothed over.

I have three options posted. The forth option is that I make a set for my wife's CE and maybe a few extra sets. So it will depend on the responses.

Steve, I was in no way questioning your ability, and I have never engineered anything to this degree. When I saw your link I thought it represented the prototype, and not just a rough draft. I guess I should have just asked about the area I was looking at instead of pointing it out the way I did....

Do you know that I took your original post that was at the bottom of another thread and split it off so it would be just about your hinges???
I just went through it and my count is about 21 yes(including me) 9i, and 2 or 3 maybes...All of the replies are from the email that I asked our admin to send out to the rest of the members here.
Link to current thread.
http://www.corvetteaddiction.com/82ce/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162

If you say they will fit I'm in for a pair.I'll make them look pretty if need be.I just want my window to work!!!!

Again I don't mind getting some. It's the cost that has me thinking and waiting. My rear hatch opens but a replacement is good to have around just incase the originals break.

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