Scale models · 2026
3D printed scale model cars and motorbikes
How do you get a scale model of your own car or motorbike 3D printed?
A scale model car or motorbike is almost always printed in resin, in several parts that are painted separately and then assembled: at 1:18, a car is about 25 cm long and a motorbike about 12 cm. There's no fixed price: it depends on the modelling (if there's no file of your vehicle), the scale and, above all, the paintwork. Fabrishare is a maker network: you post the project for free and get offers with price and lead time within 24–48 hours.
How big is a scale model at each scale?
Length of the model at each scale, worked out for a car of about 4.5 m and a motorbike of about 2.1 m. It's the first thing to decide: the scale sets the size, the technology and much of the price.
| Scale | Car (about 4.5 m) | Motorbike (about 2.1 m) | Usual technology |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:8 | about 56 cm | about 26 cm | FDM for the body, resin for the details |
| 1:12 | about 38 cm | about 18 cm | Resin in parts; FDM for large bodies |
| 1:18 | about 25 cm | about 12 cm | Resin (the body in parts if it doesn't fit) |
| 1:24 | about 19 cm | about 9 cm | Resin |
| 1:43 | about 10 cm | about 5 cm | High-detail resin |
1:18 is the most common scale for a display model of a car; for motorbikes 1:12 is widely used. Below 1:24 you need high-detail resin, and above about 25 cm the body is printed in several parts, because it won't fit whole in most resin printers.
What can be printed for a scale model?
Of the 110 registered requests between May and October 2026, 3 were for replicas and collectibles, including a 28-part diorama and a 1/400 scale piece for another diorama.
Your own car or motorbike
A model of your vehicle, with its shape and colour, for the shelf or as a gift. You need a 3D model of that car or bike: bought, or modelled from photos.
Wheels and tyres
Wheels in another design or size to change the look of a kit, with matching tyres. Small resin parts, printed as sets.
Lost or broken kit parts
The mirror that snapped, the part missing from the box or the one lost during the build. From photos and measurements, a maker models it to the kit's scale.
Engine and interior
Engine blocks, seats, dashboards and steering wheels with more detail than the kit's, for display models.
Versions no kit offers
Conversions: the body of another version, a spoiler, different headlights. Original parts that turn a kit into the car you were after.
No file
If you only have photos of your vehicle, some makers model from scratch; the modelling is charged separately.
No STL file?
How is a model of your own car or motorbike made?
First, the 3D model
Many well-known cars and motorbikes have 3D models for sale in file marketplaces: if you find yours, check the licence allows someone else to print it for you. If there isn't one, a maker models it from scratch from photos of the front, side, back and top, and the vehicle's real dimensions. That's the work that weighs most on the price, and it's quoted separately.
One of the jobs that has gone through the network was a model of a motorbike for its own owner, to be painted in the colours of the real one.
In parts and by colour
A scale model isn't printed in one piece: body, chassis, wheels, interior and details are separate. That way each part is oriented to print at its best, painted in its own colour without masking, and assembled at the end. Windows are made in clear resin or cut from acetate sheet.
In your vehicle's colour
If you want it painted, give the manufacturer's paint code: it's usually on a sticker on the door frame, under the bonnet or in the boot. With it, the maker finds the matching modelling paint.
No brand logos
The model reproduces your vehicle's shape and colours, but not the brand's logos or badges, which are registered trademarks. It's a model for you, not a product of the brand.
Scale model parts: what your kit is missing
For modellers building plastic or resin kits who need a part that isn't in the box.
Ask the kit manufacturer first
Some manufacturers sell individual parts of their kits through customer service. If yours is available, that's the simplest route; if not, it gets modelled and printed.
Photos, measurements and the scale
For a lost part, send photos of its twin or of where it goes, with a ruler alongside, and the main dimensions taken with callipers. Always give the kit's scale (1:24, 1:12…): the maker models at that scale and leaves just enough clearance for a good fit.
What doesn't get printed
Whole commercial kits aren't copied, and neither are other manufacturers' resin parts (what modellers call recasts). What does get printed: original designs, files whose licence allows it, and parts modelled afresh from the real vehicle.
How much detail can a 3D printed model have?
In resin the detail is very fine: grilles, seat stitching, bolts and engraving come out well even at 1:24. The limit is anything very thin: at scale, a mirror, an aerial or a wheel's spokes end up a few tenths of a millimetre thick, and below about 0.5 mm a resin part is fragile and can break when the supports come off.
That's why makers thicken those areas slightly in the model, or suggest making them from wire or photo-etched parts, as modellers do. In FDM the layers show more: it suits large bodies that will be sanded and primed, not fine detail.
How much does a 3D printed scale model cost?
There's no fixed price: two models at the same scale can cost very different amounts. If you already have the STL, the calculator gives you a ballpark straight away; each maker sets the final price in their offer. What moves it most, in order:
- The modelling, if there's no file of your vehicle: usually the biggest part.
- The paintwork: painting each part in the original colour and assembling it takes hours of hand work.
- The scale: in resin, print time is set by each part's height, so the bigger the scale, the more machine hours.
- The number of parts: each one is printed, cleaned and finished separately.
What to send when you order your model
- 1
The vehicle
Make, model, year and version. If it's your own car or bike, photos of the front, side, back and top.
- 2
The scale or the length
1:18, 1:12… or the final length in centimetres. Work it out with the table above.
- 3
The file, if you have it
STL, 3MF or OBJ. If there isn't one, say so: the maker quotes the modelling separately.
- 4
The finish
Unpainted, primed and ready to paint, or painted and assembled. If painted, the paint code.
- 5
The date, if it's a gift
Between modelling, printing and painting, a finished model takes days of work: order with time to spare.
How to order your scale model
- 1Post your project for free with the file or photos of the vehicle, the scale and the finish you want.
- 2Makers in the network send you their offer with price and lead time within 24–48 hours.
- 3You compare, choose, and the maker prints the model and sends it to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 3D printed model of my car cost?
There's no fixed price: it depends on whether the vehicle has to be modelled (the biggest part), the scale, the number of parts and whether you want it painted. Post the project with photos or the file and compare offers from several makers; if you already have the STL, the calculator gives you a ballpark straight away.
Which scale should I choose for a model of my car?
1:18 is the most common: a 4.5 m car comes out at about 25 cm. At 1:24 it's about 19 cm and at 1:43 about 10 cm. For motorbikes 1:12 is widely used, which makes a 2.1 m bike about 18 cm long.
Resin or FDM for a scale model?
Resin almost always: it gives the fine detail and smooth surface a model needs. FDM makes sense for large bodies, at 1:8 or bigger, that will be sanded and primed.
Do I need a 3D file of my car?
No. If there isn't one, a maker models it from photos of the front, side, back and top and the vehicle's dimensions. The modelling is quoted separately and is usually the biggest part of the price.
Can it be delivered painted in my car's colour?
Yes, if the maker paints: ask in the project and give the manufacturer's paint code, usually on a sticker on the door frame, under the bonnet or in the boot.
Can it carry the brand's logo?
No. Logos and badges are registered trademarks and makers don't reproduce them. The model has your vehicle's shape and colours.
Can a part missing from my kit be printed?
Yes: send photos with a ruler alongside, the measurements and the kit's scale, and a maker models it to fit. Ask the manufacturer first, as some sell individual parts. Commercial kits and other manufacturers' parts aren't copied.
How much detail does resin give?
Very fine: grilles, stitching and bolts come out well even at 1:24. Anything very thin, below about 0.5 mm, is fragile; the maker thickens it slightly or suggests wire or photo-etch instead.
How long does it take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours and each gives its lead time. If the vehicle has to be modelled and painted, allow several days of work; if it's a gift, order with time to spare.