If the part is shaped such that a fairly simple mold will work, fiberglass is a very inexpensive way to mold things. Most people think fiberglass is for making hardtops or boats, but it can also be used for small parts. Here's an example I did recently.
I've been working on an MB/GPW-style grille for the TJ and I wanted to reproduce the original marker lights, which look like this:
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I decided to use modern LEDs and make a bezel for them to duplicate the look of the originals. The first step was to make "mold masters", this photo shows one of the LEDs and the masters for the bezels:
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The final bezel will fit over the LED like a cap. I made two masters so I could mold two at once in the final mold.
Then I made a mold from those masters.
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The molding process:
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Popped out of the mold:
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Done. On the left are a set of parts: LED, mounting ring, fiberglass bezel, and on the right the parts are assembled.
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Total cost was only a few dollars for the fiberglass materials.
I've done small parts like this many times. My latest fiberglass small-part project is a TJ switch panel design. Here are a few concept sketches of the panel, which would permit the installation of multiple switched or gauges plus a single-DIN radio. This would be a console that overlays the factory center stack and protrudes a bit. This quarter side view illustrates that; I've drawn this one with an aluminum panel:
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Here's how it would work - the factory plastic gets cut out at the red dashed line and the new panel goes over the hole.
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A concept view with a single-DIN radio, a gauge and some switches:
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Another straight-ahead view. Might be able to fit two single DIN devices in there, this concept shows a radio, a CB and some switches.
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It could also be a way to install a double DIN device along with some switches.
The panel could be cut out for any combinations of things - a single DIN radio, or maybe multiple gauges or lots of switches, or a single double DIN or whatever combination needed that could fit in the available space.
The panel could be aluminum as shown, or it could be painted metal or it could be plastic, it really doesn't matter since it's just a flat piece of material. The housing would need to be form-fitted to the factory shape so it looks like it belongs there.
This is a fairly simple fiberglass project and very inexpensive - no expensive 3-d printer required, or expensive injection mold. Cost of molding each part will be a few dollars. And once finished and installed you'd never know it was fiberglass.
