Building a Racing cockpit

[GT VIRUS]

as the title suggests: i'm building a cockpit to prove my incredible nerdyness. It's going to be a Formula one style cockpit using MDF and a seat from whatever car i can pull one from. I'm just wondering if anyone has any tips for me before i start this bedroom project.

[norbs]

I am sure there are some templates floating around somewhere

[ysu]

a million. Every racing forum has at least 2 of these threads, probably even arse has a historic thread

[KNAPPO]

GT im considering doing the same.

Im using a semi cockpit at the moment. The wheel is bolted to the desk but im using a car seat from an old Ford we had which is attached to a custom base which has a foot well style setup with the A1's in it. So the seat and pedals are one unit. But now im living with the Mrs and she dosnt mind the sim racing im thinking of getting a 2nd monitor and building a purpose built cockpit.

I love the look of this thing, best cockpit ive come across so i think it will be my inspiration.
http://www.virtualroadster.com/

Grab the Autosimsport pdf mag "Vol 3 Issue 6" and read thru pages 35/38
http://www.autosimsport.net/backissues.php

I will probably go with a woodern construction with solid sides, not 100% sure yet tho.
But i have a mate who can do the welding for me so a steel one is not out of the question but it would weigh a bit.....

Keep us posted with your progress dude.

[GT VIRUS]

found f1designs.us which has the exact cockpit i want to build and something askin to templates. I didn't find much in the way of accual templates of the RSC sub-forum, just alot of pics showing the build (which are still helpful). Carpetting the inside would be nice but proberly a little too expensive for me (unless anyone knows where i can get it dirt cheap in adelaide).

The hardware ep for ass was a little dated, but showed me how many quality products are out there i forgot about. Its a pity i cannot afford a good set of pedals right now, but i buttkicker is on its way, and hopefully a trackIR soon after (if anyone has one FS.... ). Would love to get the SLI box (the external one just released) as well but thats a long way down the line.

[w00dsy]

make sure to wear a mask when cutting mdf as the dust is hazardous.

[Hz-Lab]

lmao. i have been considering doing this also. Aswell as a couple other guys i know. must be all the rage.

[Righteous]

How many of these people are Single Hz? Unfortunately I have well and truly been neutered in that regard

[Vilante]

I've always wanted to do one, I'll be watching this thread closely

[w00dsy]

lmao. i have been considering doing this also. Aswell as a couple other guys i know. must be all the rage.

and you called me a nerd when i said i was getting closer to 7000 posts

[NeilPearson]

. Would love to get the SLI box (the external one just released) as well but thats a long way down the line.

if thats the CXC Simulations one, STAY AWAY!

i have one, had to send it back for repairs, and it broken again a week after i got it back. so i dont use it. plus in LFS u cant use it and LFSRelax at the same time, so i didnt use it all.

[GT VIRUS]

Wasn't aware of any problems with it, but thanks for warning. Were you using the wheel mounted one? I've heard on a couple of issues with them, but not the external version. I don't use LFSrelax so that wouldn't be an issue, but still worring.

Might have to look at alternatives. I'm sure there are others out there.

[NeilPearson]

i have the wheel mounted one yes, but i hadnt mounted it to the wheel the 2nd time round, it was sitting behind the wheel, also cut out the faceplate and screwed it on so it was secure and not open to elements.

its a shame because CXC looks to be really promising, and they are really nice guys, but yeah the software took forever to come out and the issues i have had has turned me off

anyway, I really want to make myself a cockpit, im jealous of you i dont have the room sadly.

[GT VIRUS]

I really don't have the room either. I'm making the room for it

This thing is accually going to make room, as my sim gear will no longer just be lying across the floor.

Would love ideas for other things to put in it (that i can do myself ), as i really want this to be something cool. Holiday projects are soo fun (YAY FOR UNI )

[NeilPearson]

haha awesome sadly my pc is in my bedroom, well sadly cos i have no room, its awesome like that otherwide


not sure if u have a G25 or not, but if u do, u NEED to make room for a shifter on the side of it.

also Try make some speaker stands behind the seat, get some nice surround sound happening. (with cable hiding things down the side. cable = the sux)

From the stuff i read at RSC its desirable to build movability into it, ie pedal angels etc. just incase u feel uncomfortable in the initial settings, u can change it. Seat sliding back and forth/pedal angle/pedal distance to chair etc.

[NeilPearson]

if ure after something like this



http://www.f1design.us/04_Sim_Racing/SIM_MK1/index.htm

Chris from CXC has posted a thread with a list of some cockpits with plans

http://forum.racesimcentral.com/showthread.php?t=316243

[GT VIRUS]

Ha didn't take you long to find what i'm planning I'm hoping to get some money though to go off to an auto-wreckers and find me a seat tomorrow

[NeilPearson]

i been eying off that thread for ages now I want to make a GT one not a Formula tho

[GT VIRUS]

Hmmm glad i've been doing tests tonight. I've attached a 2nd monitor that i stole from my mums old computer to my gaming rig and have spend the night trying to get it working properly! grr's. Am currently deciding on which one i should use on the cockpit and which one as the normal monitor, and also if i can force all my games to load on the 2nd monitor (allowing my gf to have the net up while i'm gaming ).

[Shaun]

GT that won't work, as soon as she clicks on the other monitor your game will be minimized

[GT VIRUS]

Yeah just tried that one out. However it still works fine for movies (albeit a little laggy).

[GT VIRUS]

Yay went shopping today Ending up buying a go-kart seat to use in the cockpit. Its an XL (which makes me feel fat) but is nice and snug and should suit the set-up well. am now about to begin taking measurements and starting to finalise the design.

[NeilPearson]

alot of people use car seats, but they can get expensive, especialy for a good one. so yeah a go kart seat would be awesome!

[GT VIRUS]

original idea was to use a sports seat, but couldn't find a good (re: cheap) one, and just thought of the idea while driving past a kart shop.

[GT VIRUS]

Just been shopping! Now have all the materials (short a couple of bolts for the G25) to start building. Materials turned out in the region of $75, but being a poor uni student who just moved out of home, i had no tools, soo i've spent proberly another $100 on basic tools (hammer, saw, power drill etc). But still will start the build tonight or tomorrow depending on tiredness. Dimentions of the cockpit design are 600x1200x550mm. It is basicly the design used at f1designs.us, but a bit more basic (aka no angled bits to it). Will copy the plans if anyone wants them)