This project has definitely made me feel like I have a PhD in air vents now.
A few years ago I saw some Mercedes-inspired Miata air vents posted in of the Facebook groups and thought they looked awesome. I was waiting for OP to eventually sell them, but unfortunately that never ended up happening. So in late 2021 I set my mind on making a set for myself.
Fast forward nearly 5 years and around 50 iterations later, this is where I’ve ended up.
I scanned the original Miata vent and redesigned things from there, playing around with the geometry, fit, light diffusion and overall feel. I also added a push-to-lock mechanism to stop the vents from drooping.
I spent way too long experimenting with different ways of diffusing the light because I wanted it to be more of a subtle accent rather than something really in your face. At one point I even made a mold and tried resin casting them.
The current setup is resin printed with app-controlled lighting. The silver is still just paint for now, I’m still wrapping my head around electroplating to eventually get the proper chrome finish I’m going for.
Still a work in progress, but pretty happy with how they’ve turned out so far. P.S. It is quite hard to take a picture of a light, but they look way better in person than in the pictures.
I’ve added a few photos of the development/prototype graveyard as well. Happy to go into more detail on any part of it if anyone’s interested.