Designing my own parts 1 --

I want to take you along on this journey and show you what it takes to design and build your own car part. In this case, I'm developing a rear brake caliper bracket for the Foxbody Mustang, because there is nothing on the market that suits my needs.
The Foxbody Mustang has some options for a big brake kit (BBK). One of the best options, in my honest, educated opinion, is to use the Brembo, four-piston front brake calipers from a 2014 Cadillac ATS. I believe it's one of the best options, because not only is it a beautiful caliper, but it's powerful, built by a reputable manufacturer AND there is a company that has already developed an adapter kit that allows this caliper to bolt right up to an SN95 spindle. I found SN95 spindles at a junk yard, bought the adapter kit from S&S Engineering and easily mounted the 2014 Cadillac ATS Brembo front calipers. The rear brake calipers are not this simple and straight forward.
There are options for up-sizing the rear brake calipers, but none of the available options suffice. They are either two small to complement the big, Brembo front brakes, or there have been numerous failures reported. To me, that means there are no real good options for the rear brakes that complement or match the performance of the front Brembo calipers. Until now. I decided to take matters into my own hands and develop a rear brake caliper bracket that will allow the 2014 Cadillac ATS rear brake calipers to bolt right up, just as easy, or easier, in fact, than the adapter kit you can buy for the front. This will be a challenge, because even though I'm an academic engineer, I have never used Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, and I have no real-world experience designing a car part. That's where my journey really begins.
I downloaded FREE 3D scanning and CAD software from Polycam and Autodesk, respectively, and began my educational journey using new-to-me, complicated software. As it turns out, my engineering background helped me understand the available tools in CAD. And my aptitude for learning new things yielded a printable prototype in a matter of just about a week. In fact, with the resources we have on the internet and RUclips, specifically, I think anyone can learn how to use CAD and develop their own parts.
This will take a number of iterations to accomplish proper-fitment and integrity. Transferring the 3D scanned part to Autodesk Fusion 360, recreating the part in CAD, and then transferring that to the real world is not quite an exact science. It requires lots of measurements and testing to ensure a strong, well-designed and implemented part. And my goal, after rigorous testing, is to make this design available to the masses who also choose a superior option for their Foxbody BBK.

[@davidbellamy9055]

This is a fascinating video. I've known you for a lot of years Art, but you continue to surprise me with your talent and skill. This is not an easy thing to do, but you seem to have picked it up very quickly. Can't wait to see all this all turns out.

[@artwerksgarage]

Wow, thank you, Dave! That means a lot to me.

[@matthewzimmerman5889]

Please tell me your going to sell these when you get done

[@artwerksgarage]

Yes sir, that's the plan. Spread the word.

[@matthewzimmerman5889]

@@artwerksgarage definitely will be looking forward to that

[@artwerksgarage]

Please share this vid and information with your friends. The more likes and encouragement I get the more likely I'll be able to produce these.