Snorunner NLA Part Reproduction
Mail-In Scanning · Vintage Powersports · NLA Part · MJF Nylon · Bring a Trailer
The Part Doesn't Exist Anymore.
Now It Does Again.
A powersports shop was restoring a vintage Snorunner snowmobile for sale on Bring a Trailer. One part was no longer available from any supplier. They mailed it to Nashville. We scanned it, cleaned the mesh, delivered production-ready files, and the client had dyed black MJF nylon prints in hand for $250 in scan data. The restored Snorunner sold.
The Problem
Vintage Snorunner. One Part. No Supplier. Anywhere.
The Snorunner is one of the most collectible vintage snowmobiles ever built — compact, lightweight, and now decades out of production. When the powersports shop sourcing parts for a restoration hit a dead end on a specific component, no aftermarket supplier, no new old stock, and no reproduction existed. The only option was to make one.
For collectors and restorers selling on platforms like Bring a Trailer, where buyers are educated and condition matters, a missing or incorrect part is a significant value problem. The restoration needed a part that was dimensionally correct, visually authentic, and durable enough for a vehicle that would change hands and potentially be used.
Mail-in scanning was the obvious path — no need for a site visit, no mobilization cost, and the part could be returned with the vehicle undisrupted.
Original NLA part — received by mail at Schimmel Engineering Nashville 37206
The Workflow
Ship It. Scan It. Get Files Back. Print Anywhere.
This is the mail-in scanning workflow at its most efficient — a single part, cleanly captured, cleaned to production quality, and returned to the client with files they own permanently. From those files, they can print on demand with any manufacturer, in any quantity, for as long as the design is needed.
Raw scan data in VXElements — high-density point cloud capture
Cleaned mesh — noise removed, surface geometry preserved for production
Production-ready mesh — watertight, clean surfaces, correct orientation
DXF mesh cross-section — also delivered for laser cutting if needed
Once the client has the files, they own the design. They can print one part or a thousand, shop any manufacturer globally, and never pay for scanning again. The $250 is a one-time cost — not a per-part cost.
The Result
MJF Nylon. Dyed Black. Correct the First Time.
The client ordered their own prints directly from Craftcloud, a global on-demand manufacturing marketplace, using the files Schimmel Engineering delivered. They selected dyed black Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) nylon — the best consumer-accessible print process for functional powersports parts, offering isotropic strength, watertight geometry, and a smooth surface finish that takes dye evenly.
Print cost through the client's chosen vendor: $90 per piece plus shipping. The client owns the design file permanently and can reorder at any time, from any manufacturer that accepts STL or OBJ input.
The restored Snorunner — with the reproduced part installed — was listed and sold on Bring a Trailer. The restoration was complete.
The Snorunner — restored, complete, and sold on Bring a Trailer
Project Summary
Cost Breakdown
| Service Type | Mail-in 3D scanning |
| Vehicle | Vintage Snorunner snowmobile |
| Part Type | NLA — no aftermarket source available |
| Scan Equipment | Creaform HandyScan Black Elite, ±0.025mm |
| Software | VXElements, VXModel |
| Deliverable | Watertight STL/OBJ mesh + DXF cross-section |
| Scanning & cleanup (1 hr) | $130 |
| Additional cleanup (1 hr) | $80 |
| Return shipping with insurance | $20 |
| Customer ships in | Customer cost |
| Total — files delivered | $250 |
| Client print cost (MJF, per piece) | $90 + shipping |
Why Mail-In Scanning for NLA Parts
You Own the File. You Can Print It Forever.
The most cost-effective entry point into precision scan data for any NLA or vintage part is mail-in scanning. No site visit, no mobilization cost, no travel time. You ship the part to Nashville, we capture it at ±0.025mm metrology grade, clean the data to production quality, and ship it back with files you own permanently.
For vintage vehicle restorers, powersports shops, and collectors working on Bring a Trailer, eBay, or private sale vehicles — the math is straightforward. A $250 scan file that enables on-demand reproduction of a part that doesn't exist anywhere else is not a cost. It's an asset. It increases the resale value of the vehicle and eliminates a sourcing problem permanently.
We scan parts from any vehicle, any era, any condition. If it's physical and you can mail it, we can scan it.
Have an NLA Part That Needs to Be Reproduced?
Ship it to Nashville. We scan it, clean it, and send it back with files you own. From $130 for mesh data. No site visit required.
Start a Project Mail-In Scanning