The 90's Arcade Racers - Twin LCD Racing cabs

[BadMouth]

Working theme is 90's Arcade Racers. 
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/896834116/the-90s-arcade-racer

I sponsored the game at a level where I get a copy of all the artwork to use however I want.
Soooo....there's a lot of nice high-res artwork already done. 

Started out with my old converted Virtual On cab and an Initial D cab.  It took a while, but eventually found another VO seat base so the seats would be the same height.



Bases are nearly identical.  The Virtual On one is pretty rough.  I regretted not fixing it up for the previous incarnation.


The Initial D base was in pretty good shape, but some of the spot welds under the decals were sloppy, so I ground them down.


They're far from perfect, but at least the look nice and clean now.  I started out using semi-gloss paint, but couldn't get it to look even.
Gloss went on a lot more evenly.  Just happened to have 8 shiny new chrome feet in my shed too! (not attached yet)


I don't care for the original Virtual On black ribbed floor material that I used last time.   Even the new stuff looks filthy now and is impossible to clean.  I'd planned to have the bases completely together, but decided to find some other material first.
The more time the paint has to cure and harden, the better anyway.

The sides will utilize the Initial D plastics with new decals.  I had planned to re-use the sides of the Initial D cab and cut the sides of the Virtual On cab down to match them, but demolition of the Virtual On cab didn't go as smooth.  The Initial D sides are useable, but they're coated, so I might be better off just using them as a template.



So basically, this will look like a standard pair of Sega Model2/3 cabs, but wide enough to house 32" screens.
Only the outsides of the pair will have the plastics, the inside sides will just have t-molding.  This is how the older Sega pairs were done.

Keeping the PCs in some cheap $18 cases from Newegg.  Went ahead and threw in DVD drives in case they're needed to load new games.
I've also never been able to get the Sega Rally Revo no-dvd crack to work.   



Specs:  3.4Ghz Althlon X3, 2GB Ram, Nvidia 9800GT

I wish I could build a pair of killer systems, but I just don't have the money right now and already had these matching PCs from other emulator setups.  I did spend $30 each on the 9800GTs hoping they would help out on newer games.
They currently have XP64 on them, but I'd like to move to Windows 7 so the Gaelco games in the newest version of Demul would be playable.  I have one copy of Win7, but I'm not sure how well it's going to work with only 2GB.  Don't really want to spend money on more DDR2.

My test bed to set up networking and widescreen.  I'm hoping to have enough spare time to write a tutorial of setting up each emulator.

[Brian74]

Looking good BadMouth  Soon as I finish my other cabs Im going to start hunting down another Model 2 cab to do the same thing.

[BadMouth]

Looking good BadMouth 

Thanks.  I'm trying to make them new and shiny.  Today I ordered stainless steel hardware to replace all the cruddy looking bolts.
If they aren't shiny enough, I'll polish them!  All the metal trim will get polished until it looks new.

Also splurged on some black diamond plate mat to replace the crud filled ribbed mat currently on them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261269574437?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

Probably won't be any updates until that stuff comes in.

[Pinball Wizard]

Looks like a promising build. I'd love to see a tutorial at least on the networking aspect of the games, I've had interest in it, but never gotten a direct answer on how to do it.

[Brian74]

Looks like a promising build. I'd love to see a tutorial at least on the networking aspect of the games, I've had interest in it, but never gotten a direct answer on how to do it.

I think there is a thread for model 2 networking in this section of the forum at the top. I had it working at one point, but it was laggy. I already have 3 ps3, so I will use them with my setup. I just have to find someone cheaper to make my shaft. 160 is hard to justify.

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[BadMouth]

Getting the base of the two cabs to look the same involved making a new front floor section for the Initial D cab.
Luckily the angled trim pieces from the Initial D could be cut down to match the ones from Virtual On.

I decided to make new front floor sections for both cabs and leave less of a gap on the end than they originally had.
The rear floor section that came with the second Virtual On seat base was more severely water damaged than I'd realized before, so I ended up making a new one of those too.
I didn't see much point in taking pics of the process of making replacement parts using the old ones as templates.

New floor mat down, trim polished, new stainless steel hardware in place:
(still missing some carriage bolts on the far one since I mis-counted when I ordered)


The rubber mat is exactly what I wanted, but it stank pretty bad when first unrolled.   Definitely plan to air it out somewhere outside your house if using it in your main living area.  After a week of it airing out, it either doesn't smell as much or I've become accustomed to it. 
Be careful not to over-tighten the hardware on these cabs.  You're just holding the trim on, not holding the cab together.



The driving position is a bit higher than expected.  I knew the Virtual On seat bases were taller, but I didn't think the cloth seat was much thicker than the Virtual On ones.  They are a good two or three inches taller.  I tried the seat without Virtual On base, but didn't care for it.
If designing from scratch, I'd have the seat bases about half this height which is probably close to what is on the regular Sega Model 2 driving cabs.  I'm sticking with the VO bases though since I already have them and forked over more than I'd like to admit to get a second one. 



The old footbox sides are just there to experiment with pedal angle and other ergonomics.
Once that is worked out, I'll cut out new ones which will be shaped slightly differently.

Next on the to do list is ergonomics & maybe some software setup.

[severdhed]

Awesome, I'll be watching this one

[BadMouth]

Spent yesterday wrestling with the Windows 7 installation.  It seemed fine before updating, but after all the updates some Windows background BS would hog the hard drive access to the point of nothing else being able to function.  Looking at performance monitor, it seemed to be nothing but logs, reports & report queues.  Disabling everything I could think of made no difference.  The only other thing I could find online suggested that the hard drive had issues.  I thought it was a longshot, but after swiping the HD from the PC for the 2nd cab and reinstalling Win7, it seems ok.  Sucks that I wasted a day messing with it, but relieved that it's working now.  This crap happens when re-using old parts I guess.

Loaded up the Steam download queue before going to bed, then spent most of today installing PC games. 
The SimBin games I picked up at a discount store activated on Steam which was kinda nice.
I'm very satisfied with how the new games perform on this PC.


I went ahead and configured the games for a Logitech G27 which I'll probably use in the cab. 
I'll have to go back later and change certain things that will be handled by a keyboard encoder.
As they're configured, the shortcuts will be moved from the desktop into a folder and launched from the front-end.

I still have a few more old ones that have issues installing on newer OSs. 
Also have to add a half dozen no-cd cracks, but need to install antivirus first.
A few only work with xbox360 controllers, so I'll have to install the workaround for that.

Squeezed some extra money out of the budget to splurge on leather seats which should be here in a week.
They were $389, but all the cheap seats were $230.  So an extra $159 to get what I really want instead of making do.
I didn't like the felt like material the red seat is covered with and definitely wouldn't like pleather.
These are the same cheap seats,...but covered in leather.  Hope I'm happy with them.


I'm liking the all black and a little chrome look.  It will continue to the front.

[opt2not]

  Those seats look awesome. Hopefully they're comfy!

I don't reply to the driving forum too often, mainly because I don't have a cabinet to contribute any information. But I have been lurking around all the threads here and you guys prompted me to sell one of my cabinets recently to make space for a driving cabinet!
Though, I'm having a hellava time finding one in my area that isn't a twin (I only have room for a single).

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all ends up. 

[Brian74]

Chrome and black are sexy lol! Btw, where did you get that rug?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[FALSE]

I wish I could build a pair of killer systems, but I just don't have the money right now and already had these matching PCs from other emulator setups.  I did spend $30 each on the 9800GTs hoping they would help out on newer games.
They currently have XP64 on them, but I'd like to move to Windows 7 so the Gaelco games in the newest version of Demul would be playable.  I have one copy of Win7, but I'm not sure how well it's going to work with only 2GB.  Don't really want to spend money on more DDR2.

I'm trying to get rid of some 1 Gb sticks of DDR2 if you need to bump up the ram some.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134669.0.html

[BadMouth]

I'm trying to get rid of some 1 Gb sticks of DDR2 if you need to bump up the ram some.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,134669.0.html

Thanks, but only have 2 slots and have 1GB sticks in there already.

Chrome and black are sexy lol! Btw, where did you get that rug?

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Neon-Galactic-Bowl-area-rug-Fluorescent-under-Black-Light-3D-kids-room-Dif-Sizes-/271121027752?pt=US_Area_Rugs&var=&hash=item3f201292a8

I have a 6'x6' piece.  It appears full brightness with just one 4ft blacklight mounted in the rafters. 
The plan is to paint the floor of the arcade area black with this in the center and machines around the perimeter of the carpet.
I bought UV paint and stencils to add rockets and stars where the painted floor will be visible around the driving cabs.
Also going to add a popcorn scented candle and speakers playing the arcade ambience tracks. 

It should only take a day and I really want to get it done, but I know I'm better off waiting until the driving cabs are closer to done so I don't scratch up the floor working on them.

[Brian74]

Oops ) meant the floor mat for the cabs

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

[BadMouth]

Oops ) meant the floor mat for the cabs

Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 2

That's funny.  I started to answer it like that, then it dawned on me that you said rug, so I went back through the pics to see if my piece of carpet was in there somewhere and it was. 

I posted a link for the mat earlier:

Also splurged on some black diamond plate mat to replace the crud filled ribbed mat currently on them.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261269574437?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

5ft was enough for both cabs.  The title of the listing is a bit confusing, but it is sold by the linear ft.  So if you order 5ft, you get a 5' long piece.

It still smells when I open the basement door, but not as strong as when it was first unrolled.
The stuff is exactly what I wanted and perfect for this application, but it does smell.
My advice it to buy it two months in advance and air it out.

Gbeef found some bbq mats that worked.  I doubt they smelled as strong as these.


EDIT: The price of real diamond plate aluminum is probably comparable if you check with a local fabricator.

[TopJimmyCooks]

That's the smell of burned rubber!

[BadMouth]

        

This is the auction I "won" for $389
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400575922408?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

(Buy It Now price of $894)

This is what I received today
http://www.ebay.com/itm/X2-RECLINABLE-RED-STITCH-BLACK-CANVAS-TYPE-R-STYLE-RACING-BUCKET-SEATS-SLIDERS-/170898753664?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27ca5c0880

(Buy it now price of $260)

deep breath......

Sent them a message on ebay.  I should not be stuck paying return shipping!
Awaiting their response. 

[Malenko]

that sucks

[TopJimmyCooks]

the ol' bait and switch!

[TKW4rr10r]

       

Sent them a message on ebay.  I should not be stuck paying return shipping!
Awaiting their response. 

I have had very little luck with e-bay lately. Shipping costs on returning botched orders or defective equipment is complete BS in my opinion, and has cut into the little profits I was hoping for funding some of my projects. Been using them since nearly the beginning, and find myself ordering more from Amazon in recent years.

[BadMouth]

Vendor emailed me a return label for the seats. 

Somehow when I contacted the seller through ebay and clicked the "Item didn't match the description", ebay labeled it as a refund request.
Hopefully they ship me the leather seats like I ask and don't just issue a refund.

I'm still setting up the first PC, but this issue with the seats has taken the wind out of my sails a bit.

[Malenko]

just distract yourself with the awesome neogeo build till the new seats come. I'd also email the seller and tell him you are expecting your leather seats 

[TopJimmyCooks]

Dude, go to the junkyard and get a seat from a 1987 ford escort for $10.  Get a milk crate with some old newspapers on top for the twin.  then, when your leather seats finally arrive via china post from Hong Kong, it will be such an upgrade it will put the wind back in your sails bigtime!

[BadMouth]

I don't think this is going to end well.  I sent the seller a message to clarify that I wanted my leather seats and not a refund.
They responded by telling me that they are out of stock and offered a different model leather seat (that they sell for less than what I paid).

Of course, I check on ebay and they've got 6 auctions of the same seats paired with brackets/harnesses and another auction for just the seats that says 10 or more available. I told them I'd wait if necessary, but at this point I think they are trying to get out of giving me those particular seats for the amount the auction ended at.

I have the red seat in the earlier pictures to use for the time being.  Guess I'll go ahead and mount it as a stand-in.

[TKW4rr10r]

Yeah that's some red flags right there. They can't list what they don't have. And offering you something you could have already got for cheaper???
May be better off cutting your looses and getting your money back if they are being this shady already.

[BadMouth]

Yeah that's some red flags right there. They can't list what they don't have. And offering you something you could have already got for cheaper???
May be better off cutting your looses and getting your money back if they are being this shady already.

Yeah, I'm afraid if they do ever send the right ones, they'll send damaged ones that they can't get full price for.

I've heard sellers complaining about paypal always taking the buyers side and reversing payments.
I might just find out.  Gotta look up the time limits.  Don't want to expire while seats are travelling back and forth across the country via ground shipping.

The UPS guy hasn't picked up the wrong ones yet. 
I thought about telling them I'd keep them if they refunded half my money, but I really wanted to make everything going into these cabs exactly what I wanted instead of what I came across a deal on.

[TKW4rr10r]

Don't settle, if it's not what you wanted it will bug you until you decide to sell them.

I believe PayPal is 45 days from the time of sale, but you always want to try and resolve with the other party first. This makes you look better to their mediators if you do have an issue.

[DLinkOZ]

I can definitely tell you that Paypal will side with you, as the buyer.  Few years back I sold a phone with a cracked screen.  It was clearly stated, and even a massive close-up pic of the damage.  I also listed a 15 day return policy.  The buyer filed a complaint that he received a damaged product (even though it was understood via the auction), and didn't return the phone for a few weeks beyond my return policy.  I still lost with only a single chance to give my side, not recourse.

[BadMouth]

still no bid pics, just seat vendor drama. 

"I can assure you it is out of stock. The price for that listing was increased to $900. If you look at all our listings for seats, they range from $200-$400. We do order these in bulk quantities so it'll be coming in from overseas in a cargo container. Estimated time of arrival is within 6 weeks. I can offer you a discount on it as well if you wish to wait. Let me know."

(they have a listing for the same exact seats for $900 and it shows 10 or more in stock with no mention of a delay in shipping if purchased)

I replied asking them to clarify if by discount, they mean they would refund part of $389 that I already paid,
or are they saying that I owe them more since they increased the price after the auction ended? 

Also stated that I wanted it resolved before the time limits on ebay and paypal buyer protection ran out.
Gonna check into that now.

seller is dptmotorsport

[Malenko]

report them to eBay for the bait and switch. They sent the wrong seats and wont send you the right ones.

[BadMouth]

report them to eBay for the bait and switch. They sent the wrong seats and wont send you the right ones.

At this point, I don't seriously believe that I'll get the seats.  I'm just going back and forth with them to see how far they'll take it.

The buyer protection says that you're covered if you contacted the seller within 45 days of purchase, so I might still be covered if I wait 6 weeks for the seats "to be restocked".  If ebay confirms this in writing and the seller says they're willing to ship me the exact seats that I paid for, then I might wait it out on the longshot that they actually deliver (95% sure they won't).

I started the dispute process when I received the wrong item.
If I decide to stop messing around with them and get my money back, I'll escalate it.
It depends on how interesting their next reply is. 

[TopJimmyCooks]

get your money back and have done with it.  they are a low percentage seller (98.8%) .  You will never get satisfaction.  I never buy anything important from a store with less than 99.5, otherwise this crap happens.   

[leapinlew]

7/10's of a percent is the difference between a low percent seller and a reputable seller?

[Rick]

7/10's of a percent is the difference between a low percent seller and a reputable seller?

Of course! And 87.45% of all internet statistics are made up on the fly.

[CoryBee]

7 of 9 is a hottie

FTFY

[TopJimmyCooks]

7/10's of a percent is the difference between a low percent seller and a reputable seller?

Yes. Was I not clear? 

I've bought a variety of different items from ebay, from small sellers and from conglomerates like this car parts store.  Anything less than 99.5 from a "top seller" means they have a decent amount of problems.  Unconfirmed, but I suspect that the top seller status allows their % to skew upwards above what it really is. 

Some individual selling his stuff, better go for 100% otherwise you just have no predictor of how it might go. 

[BadMouth]

Seller said the discount would be off the $389 that I already paid if I waited for new stock to arrive (est 6 weeks).
Called eBay and they informed me that the buyer protection expires 30 days after opening the case.

Tempting, but I'm not much of a gambling man, so I requested a refund.
I assume they're not going to do that until after they get the seats I returned,
but at least now I know what the deadline is for turning it over to buyer protection if I don't have my refund by then.

[Malenko]

so they arent going to get into trouble for

A)Sending you the wrong seat
B)Not sending you the right seat
C)Lying to you about availability of the seat you won

?

[BadMouth]

so they arent going to get into trouble for

A)Sending you the wrong seat
B)Not sending you the right seat
C)Lying to you about availability of the seat you won

?

Probably not.  What type of feedback I leave depends on how fast I get the refund.
I'll probably leave feedback to the effect of them not having the stuff in their auctions in stock.

Lots of parts websites do that.  They just order it from their distributor when they get your order.
They usually get shipments from the distributor every day or a couple times a week, so you're none the wiser.
I once had my order for a motorcycle innertube backordered by three different websites because they were all using the same distributor who was out.
I called ten different ones before I found one who actually had it on the shelf.  (www.americanmototire.com)

6 weeks out is crazy though. (if they are indeed not in stock)

JC whitney shows a seat exactly like the red one I already have for $132 shipped.
I might just go that route if I can't find a deal on leather. 

[TopJimmyCooks]

arcade emulator.net does it as well but at least you know going in that that's the case. 

[BadMouth]

After I called ebay just to ask how long the buyer protection was for, they forced the refund and closed the case. 
Looking at other seats on ebay, there are four or five sellers with the same address. 
Finally found one that I kinda liked on the east coat, look at their feedback and..."seller didn't actually have the seats".

Oh well, now that I have my refund, onto more reputable retailers....
I ended up ordering a pair of these from Summit Racing:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-g1159-2/overview/

Not real leather, but they look real nice in the video.

Last night, I went to temporarily mount the red seat and was excited that the sliders had bolt holes 11" apart front to back.
Unfortunately didn't think to check the width.  1/2" too wide for the original SEGA holes. 
Managed to scratch the base messing with it, so now that needs repainted.
Going to wait for the new seats before modifying anything, but I'm pretty sure they'll be the same spacing.

PC is set up with about 40 PC games.  Emulators are halfway set up.
I'll probably just throw my redline racer Mala layout on it until the theme comes together more.
Once this PC is done, I'll just clone it and change the Windows activation key.
Then we can start with the networking.

It will probably be the end of the month before I actually start building the front sections.
I was hoping to at least have a shoddy stand-in framework done by now to test out the ergonomics.