5 Budget-Friendly Car Accessories You Can Print at Home Faster Than Ordering from Amazon

Your vehicle is an excellent environment for utilizing your 3D printer. Whether you need practical items like sunglasses clips or phone holders, or more playful creations such as sauce cup holders, here are five entertaining projects you can 3D print for your car.

Sun Visor Sunglasses Clip

The Ideal Spot for Sunglasses

Let’s kick off this list with a fun yet functional 3D print for your car. Everyone owns sunglasses, and often their storage leaves something to be desired. For instance, my wife tends to keep hers in the center console of our vehicle.

While it’s possible to purchase a sunglasses holder from an online retailer, you can create one yourself in approximately 30 minutes. Numerous designs are available for printing a holder that attaches to your sun visor, and most are quite effective.

One key point to consider is the material you use. PLA, a common 3D printing material, starts to warp around 50°C (122°F)—a temperature that can easily be reached inside a car during summer. Therefore, it’s advisable to choose a more heat-resistant filament like PETG, ASA, ABS, or PET to ensure durability in higher temperatures. Although you can use PLA, be aware that it might warp in the heat.

Grit Guard for Washing the Car

Protect Your Car’s Paint

Next, let’s discuss a practical item—the grit guard. If you’re unfamiliar with what a grit guard is, it’s a device that sits at the bottom of a five-gallon bucket to keep your wash mitt or cloth from coming into contact with the bucket’s bottom.

Why is that important? As you wash, dirt and grime settle at the bottom of the bucket. If your wash mitt or cloth touches this area, it can pick up that grit and risk scratching your car’s paint job.

With a grit guard, the abrasive materials remain below the barrier, allowing you to wash your vehicle safely. This is an ideal solution for auto enthusiasts who love keeping their cars clean while protecting their paint.

Fry and Sauce Holders

Prevent Spills While Driving

If you’ve ever attempted to eat fries or dip sauces while on the road, you may have thought, “Surely there’s a better way!” Well, there is—by 3D printing vent-mounted sauce holders and cupholder fry holders.

The vent-mounted sauce holder attaches to your car’s air vent, providing easy access to your dipping sauce without the risk of a spill. It’s designed to hold the sauce all the way to the rim, ensuring minimal chance of accidents while driving.

The fry holder is particularly handy. French fries seldom fit into standard cupholders, and if they’re fresh, they can be too hot to hold. With the cupholder fry holder, you have a designated spot for your fries, keeping them secure and accessible.

Air Vent Phone Mount

Why Buy When You Can Print Your Own?

Phone mounts can be found in abundance, but you might not always want to spend money, especially if you need one quickly. Instead of paying for one, consider creating a 3D-printed air vent mount. This option requires no additional parts or accessories, like suction cups, making it a straightforward and cost-effective solution.

In just one or two hours, you could have your phone mount ready for use, and it can also help keep your phone cooler during summer trips. Additionally, there are even designs for magnetic phone mounts that you can print and use with a compatible MagSafe charger.

Darth Vader Tow Hitch Cover

Add Some Flair to Your Tow Hitch

While it’s not essential to cover your tow hitch, leaving it bare can feel unexciting. A 3D-printed cover, especially one themed around Darth Vader, can offer a fun and distinctive twist. You can easily print this model to fit over a standard two-inch hitch ball, providing uniqueness while you travel.

Although it won’t prevent your shin from hitting the hitch, it will add character to your vehicle. So why not print one before you embark on your summer adventures?

Maximize the Use of Your 3D Printer

3D printers are versatile machines capable of a wide range of creations. Your car is an excellent opportunity to utilize this technology. By 3D printing items that you would typically purchase, such as a phone mount or a tow hitch cover, you not only save money but also time. If you haven’t yet explored the world of 3D printing for car accessories, now is the perfect moment to start.