Repo sill mats with metal plate and studs.

[Frank Elder]

http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/article/Do-it-yourself-restoration-Reproducing-parts/

Interesting process. Chrysler/DeSoto/Dodge, on mention of plymouth. Lot of ads to wade through so make sure you scroll all the way down.

[thrashingcows]

Very cool read...are these the same ones offered on E-bay I wonder?

[Lee Exline]

I am going to have to do this to make these mats for my UTE. Luckily I already have a lot of experience with this process. The only question I have from the article is why are they using the heated upper platen? The only thing I can figure is to speed the curing process? The black stuff they use a RTV room temperature vulcanizing compound but heating it will speed up the process.

I use the same silicone rubber (the purple stuff) for my parts but most of the parts I make are rigid parts not flexible like the door sill mats. Actual cost per the project would be well under a grand so I do not know why they are stating $5K? That would even include building a custom table like they have done. Be sure and use Platinum based mold rubbers not tin based as the tin based degrade much faster. I have some molds that are over ten years old and still producing quality parts.

A NOS part would be the best to start with but if you have a talented enough modeler they would be able to fix an old one or recreate the form in wood.

There are lots of good videos on Youtube that cover project like this, granted this is a advanced project and any new comer should practice on easier pieces first.

Watch videos by Polytek development

http://www.youtube.com/user/PolytekDevelopment

and smooth on

http://www.youtube.com/user/SmoothOnInc

Smooth on has better videos but I have found the Polytek products to be better. I use the process to make parts for these little cars Junior Central