Additive manufacturing, 3D printing In relation to classic car registration

Spare parts for classic cars at a reasonable price are rare. This is quickly followed by reaching for cheap duplicates from the Far East. Additive manufacturing of classic car parts offers a suitable alternative to poor quality and worn or already aged used parts.

“Will my car lose its H – plate if I use 3D printed parts?” We answer these questions in the following article.

When we use reproduced spare parts, we naturally ask ourselves the question: am I allowed to do that? In principle, everyone is free to attach whatever they want to their vehicle, as long as it does not contravene road traffic regulations.

In the course of a professional restoration and the preservation of value, one should know that there is a big difference between visible and non-visible/functional components.

Components with a deeper function, e.g. a gear or a crank, here the function is in the foreground and the component can be replaced without any problems. 3D printed components also meet the mechanical requirements of the manufacturer. Strength and temperature requirements are particularly important here when selecting materials. Tables on the strength of the materials are of course available from us.

Components in the visible area can also be reconstructed. The manufacturer’s own design protection of spare parts expires after a period of 25 years, which means that spare parts from classic vehicles are outside the period of validity.

Material mixes or paint finishes are also not a problem, from a manufacturing point of view. However, caution is advised, as certain designs, logos, components are protected or subject to a directive prohibiting reconstruction. An examination will always be made in relation to the individual case.

With modern technology, it is possible to reproduce the components in a contemporary manner with exact mechanical properties. It becomes particularly interesting in the case of special conversions. If a conversion was demonstrably carried out more than 30 years ago or the components of the conversion are contemporary, it is possible to reconstruct these parts.

Safety-relevant parts are an exception. Safety-relevant parts are demonstrably subjected to various tests and are thus subject to strict restrictions. Here, it is essential to use tested parts. In general, it is possible to retrofit safety belts to vintage cars, even without losing the H-registration.

Conclusion: It is not possible to make a general statement about which parts may be explicitly retrofitted. A short research is required. On the part of additive manufacturing, there are few restrictions.

Please also visit our other articles on the topic of 3D printing and reconstruction for vintage and classic cars.