When I started my upcycle project, I knew I wanted to make a cardboard model of the AE86 from Initial D, but I wasn’t really sure about how to go about it. I was able to get some measurements by measuring a side view of the car, but I wasn’t sure how to go about properly dimensioning it in 3D. I knew that it wouldn’t make sense to just start cutting, so I made a model in SolidWorks to ensure the model would have have an appropriate width. In order to get an idea of the proper dimensions, I looked up the dimensions of the real car and used the ratio of length and width to find the appropriate width for my model’s length. Below are a few images of the CAD models.

Once I felt that the sides were properly spaced and it looked normal, I created a floor and roof piece to complete the shell. Not only did this give me a better idea of what the end product was going to look like, but I was also able to create a flat lay of the bent roof piece, which later allowed me to cut a perfect roof piece that fit well with the bends. Finally, I made models of the wheels to once again ensure proper dimensions.

I also made these models just in case I decided to laser cut the cardboard rather than hand cut, as DXFs are very easy to make based on CAD models. I ended up deciding to hand cut the pieces, so I had to figure out how I was going to get an outline on my material. I ended up simply cutting out the side view I used to make the model, as this would be more accurate than my crude model, and was more accessible to print. Right before I was about to cut the pieces out, I realized I had a white pizza box that would save me a lot of time coloring, so I moved my cutouts over to the new material and started cutting.

This was as far as I got for the time being, but I had a decent idea of how I was going to wrap it up moving forward.