OFFTOPIC - Open source and DIY parts
 

Howdy,
I've got into Blazers and I'm thinking of doing a custom build starting from a solid, galvanized frame. The idea is tempting, and enjoyable, but probably has as much of economical and prospective meaning as driving the Blazer for another 15 years. :)
One of the biggest problems I'd have to face are the spare parts:
1. Price. It is well known, that building a car from spares would go far beyond the price of a new ride.
2. Quality. It would hardly make sense to work on the build using cheap components. As, for example, I'd prefer polyurethane suspension components over the regular ones.
3. Accessibility. The 3rd factor would have to be a compromise of the two others above. Plus - as for me - I am in Europe, so every broken piece is a PITA.
I think I might have a good option here. Why not to follow DIY?
Let me take a control arm sleeve for example. It consist of a:
- metal insert, that may be machinized easily on a lathe
- polyurethane bushing, that can be casted. I had found once an excellent tutorial on casting written by my fellow countryman Michał Zalewski: Guerrilla guide to CNC machining, mold making, and resin casting

Well, beginnings are always difficult, but imagine an open source database of the automotive parts[1]. You may:
-download a model of whatever You actually need,
- adapt the model to your needs,
- mill that model into a machinable wax and
- cast what You actually need

[1] Yes, I am a great fan of an open source idea and "Free as in freedom" of Richard Martin Stallman.

I like the idea very much.

Being a LINUX guy for more than 20 years now I know what can be or can't be done in open-source.

Would be nice to see a project coming that way.