"Streets of Rage - Robinson Edition" : Racing Cab Project

[ghetoprobe]

For the marquee housing I used security bolts and rubber washers - I didn't want to crack the plastic in case I got a little overzealous.

[ghetoprobe]

All put together for a test-fit! 

Progress!!

[BadMouth]

Looks awesome and makes me feel very lazy for not working on my own. 

[Le Chuck]

This is gorgeous! Great execution.

[ghetoprobe]

Thanks, BadMouth.  Get back to work!    I want to see what you come up with next.  You're working on a two-player racing setup, correct?

Le Chuck, your builds are insane.  I'll have to post the "Mario Bros" micro cabinet I built.  Didn't realize this forum was for those, too! 

[ghetoprobe]

Got some corner protectors from "Twisted Quarter" on eBay (which is also where I got my t-molding).  The rear corners of the cab were kind of chewed up and I really didn't feel like taking the time to fill them when they were likely to get messed up anyway.  These corner protectors look nice and now I don't have to worry as much if I choose to relocate it.

[ghetoprobe]

A $30 spring arrived from Australia!  Under normal circumstances I would never spend $30 on a spring, but the time and effort saved by buying this was well worth it.  The company, GTEYE, must have put some time into perfecting the spring pressure so I just went with it.  And I'm so glad I did!  The stock springs in the G27 pedals are "squishy" and make the pedals feel like a toy, not like a real car at all.

The spring I ordered was for the brake pedal, so the stock brake spring was moved to the clutch, and the clutch spring moved to the gas pedal.  MUCH BETTER.  Now it feels on-par with my Civic SI's pedals.  Very happy with my purchase.





Old springs on the left, upgraded springs on the right...

Brake :


Clutch :


Accelerator :

[BadMouth]

Hmmm.....I wonder if you could duplicate that progressive spring for the brake by heating and squishing one end of a longer spring?
Would probably take more than $30 of my time to figure it out. 

[ghetoprobe]

Hmmm.....I wonder if you could duplicate that progressive spring for the brake by heating and squishing one end of a longer spring?
Would probably take more than $30 of my time to figure it out. 

That's exactly what I was thinking.  It's just inexpensive enough where I'd rather pay for one than try to find/craft one myself.  At $40 I would have started researching the art of spring-making.

[ghetoprobe]

Alright, time to do a little work on the dashboard/control panel.  First up; drill some holes.  After measuring and making pilot holes, I almost began drilling standard 1.125" holes for arcade buttons.  Then I realized that the pushbuttons I'm using aren't nearly as wide as the standard arcade buttons, they're only 15/16".  I would have been a very sad panda if I hadn't caught that. 

Let's test-fit some pushbuttons!

[ghetoprobe]

NEXT!  Time to wrap the dashboard in faux carbon fiber vinyl.  At $5/shipped for a 12"x60" roll, I just can't believe how good the quality is.  Even the adhesive is pretty good. 

[ghetoprobe]

On to the t-molding:  As I said in a previous post when cutting the t-molding slot, I'm sticking with black t-molding on the dashboard to help make things blend a bit better.  I want the driver's attention to be on the screen and the lit control buttons, not a loud, orange stripe in the middle of the console.

[ghetoprobe]

At first, I kind of wanted to do a padded dashboard like BadMouth's, but I just couldn't envision a good way of going about it without already having a plastic dashboard.  After some thought (and trial and error) I think I figured out way to make the dash a little more interesting than just the flat carbon fiber look.  I looked around for days trying to find something "interesting" that would fit with the look of the dashboard setup.  We had two DVD organization trays in our entertainment center, each with a vertical "fin" that held the DVDs in place.  We don't own DVDs any longer so I pulled both trays out and cut the "fins" off.  They help give the dashboard a more three dimensional look.  Once again, I relied heavily on "Gorilla Glue" and my precious Irwin clamps.

[ghetoprobe]

While we wait for the "Gorilla Glue" to dry let's run some speaker cable.  I used a 12-pin Molex connector between the cabinet and the seat base.  4 pins for the RGB LEDs, 4 pins for the rear speakers and 4 pins for "future growth" - nothing planned yet, just wanted to leave myself options.  I also took the opportunity to tidy up the cabling and start mounting it to the cab with cable clamps.

[Fursphere]

Thats a nice looking cabinet!   

[ghetoprobe]

Thanks!  Its finally starting to come together.  Feels like an eternity getting this thing built.

[ghetoprobe]

The Samsung UN32H5500 I got doesn't leave a lot of options for airflow.  A few small slits on the top and a few small slits on the bottom - both of which are right where the mounting bolts go.  Genius!  I ended making two horizontal mounting brackets as thin as possible while still feeling solid enough to keep the TV in place.  These two pieces get locked in place by two vertical boards running up the sides of the cabinet.  It works, it's solid, and it was the best/quickest solution I could come up with while still keeping the original mounting bolts in the sides of the cabinet.

The bezel of the TV is completely hidden without obstructing any of the screen itself, it came out looking really nice.  Also got some tempered glass from a local shop.  A little on the expensive-side ($50), but fits perfectly.  One thing to note when buying your own glass;  tell them NOT to etch their logo onto the glass.  Luckily, the company's logo on mine hides up in the top channel so you can barely see it.

[ghetoprobe]

Almost time to install the sub woofer.  I wanted to do a quick test-fit for the sub woofer's shelf and the steering wheel's sliding base to make sure they didn't run into each other.  It's a Christmas miracle!!  There may be an 1/8th of an inch between the two.  That's toit!!

[ghetoprobe]

For whatever reason, I have a mental block when it comes to labeling cables.  I always dive right in, start pulling them throughout a project and realize... oh crap... where do these go?  Multimeter time!  Sub woofer is now installed and cabled.

[ghetoprobe]

Here's the quick, temporary shelf for the Playstation3.  Anyone know how to get a PS3 to start-up directly to the disc that's already loaded in the drive?  This new media-center crap is frustrating.  I just want a good, old-fashioned console that plays games!

[Fursphere]

http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/support/general/detail/linked235346/item64301/Automatically-play-disc-content-when-you-start-your-PS3/

I think?  I've never tried it with mine. 

How do you feel about the sub woofer bouncing the PS3's hard drive around? 

[ghetoprobe]

Thanks Fursphere!  I think it may be because I have multiple user accounts and no auto-login.  I appreciate you taking the time to look that up for me!

I'm not really worried about the hard drive. The PS3 is temporary and should only be in there for a few months.  If it dies, so be it, they're under $100 to replace now.  When I build the PC it'll have SSDs running everything.  I actually think I'm more concerned about the TV getting rattled - should be fine though.  I'll be sure to post if I blow anything up!

Thanks again for the PS3 tips!

[ghetoprobe]

It's time to drill a hole for the "start" button.  The button threading wasn't long enough to pass all the way through the black plastic fin and 3/4" MDF.  I had to recess the nut pretty far to make it work.  Also found my nut wrench from a previous build.  Best $2 I ever spent.







 

[ghetoprobe]

Installing the rest of the buttons was a little rough.  Each nut needed a 1/3 shaved down so the feet of the button would fully travel up and down.  Once the buttons were in and performing well I drilled the four holes for the RAM mount.

[ghetoprobe]

Installing the RAM mount...

[ghetoprobe]

It's going to be a tight fit behind the control panel.  Feet were installed, LED-wiz+GP installed, wiring for the button mappings installed and tested.

[ghetoprobe]

I've wired normal pushbuttons in the past, but I've never worked with an LED-wiz+GP before.  Here are some pics of the lights all wired up.  I also put in a DC-to-DC step-down converter to bring the 12v from the PC down to 6.3v for the pinball LEDs I'll be using.  Doing a quick test with a 9v battery, it seemed to work great.  I also tested the LED-wiz+GP and everything worked flawlessly.  The button mappings and sequenced illuminated lights all seemed to be working great. 

I know the pictures aren't the best, but for those who have wired lit buttons before, please critique my wiring/setup and let me know if you see anything amiss -  I'm mainly concerned about the connection between the power supply/step-down/LED-wiz. I'll also be putting a fuse in the line after the step-down.  Last thing I want to do is burn up my LED-wiz.

(The step-down converter is off-center so the voltage display wouldn't be blocked by the LED-wiz's USB cable.  I want to be able to pull the back off the cabinet and see exactly what's going on.)







Buttons are lit :

[jackiabu]

Great job you doing man

[ghetoprobe]

Thanks jackiabu!  So close I can almost taste it!

[ghetoprobe]

Tidied up the wiring behind the steering wheel and permanently mounted it to its base.  FINALLY!  It's been a long time coming and I'm almost ready to actually play-test this thing!  Merry Christmas to me!

[Fursphere]

I hate the way Logitech designed the G27 - where you have to un-bolt it to unplug it.  Seriously dumb design. 

[ghetoprobe]

I'd have to agree, but for $200, not everything can be perfect.  It just held me back from mounting the steering wheel until the very end of the build.  Now that it's locked in place I'm really hoping it will never have to be removed.

I've never used a G27 setup before so I'm really hoping it performs well.  I really don't want to have to invest in a Thrustmaster T500RS.

[vandale]

A $30 spring arrived from Australia!  Under normal circumstances I would never spend $30 on a spring, but the time and effort saved by buying this was well worth it.

I had the same issue. I used RC shock absorber springs from various 1/8th RC models until I got the feel right. Its a good option as you can get a set of 20, ie 5 sets of 4 springs all at different rates etc for $10 on the local auction sites. Could be a good option for budget conscious folk

Chur

[Fursphere]

I'd have to agree, but for $200, not everything can be perfect.  It just held me back from mounting the steering wheel until the very end of the build.  Now that it's locked in place I'm really hoping it will never have to be removed.

I've never used a G27 setup before so I'm really hoping it performs well.  I really don't want to have to invest in a Thrustmaster T500RS.

I'm completely happy with mine - with the exception of the wiring setup.     

The belt drive setup of the Thrustmaster is probably better, but at a HUGE step up in price.  And Thrustmaster is really hit and miss with me. 

[ghetoprobe]

I used RC shock absorber springs from various 1/8th RC models until I got the feel right.

What a great idea!  I would never have thought to look at RC car shocks.  One of the few hobbies I haven't gotten into (yet).  I really need to learn how to ask questions before blowing money on overpriced things. Thanks for the recommendation, that will definitely be my approach next time.

[Fursphere]

I used RC shock absorber springs from various 1/8th RC models until I got the feel right.

What a great idea!  I would never have thought to look at RC car shocks.  One of the few hobbies I haven't gotten into (yet).  I really need to learn how to ask questions before blowing money on overpriced things. Thanks for the recommendation, that will definitely be my approach next time.

Try to resist!!     The R/C hobby is one of the most expensive hobbies I know of if you get into it.  Always something new and shiny (and expensive) right around the corner.  I used to race 1/10th scale a little and I couldn't believe how much cash I went through in a short period of time.  lol 

Stick to arcades...   

[vandale]

Try to resist!!     The R/C hobby is one of the most expensive hobbies I know of if you get into it.  Always something new and shiny (and expensive) right around the corner.  I used to race 1/10th scale a little and I couldn't believe how much cash I went through in a short period of time.  lol 

Correct, and then at the end of the investment you are left with dated vehicles, half worn and stuffed parts, batteries and motors with minimal resale value. At least with arcade machines when you do sell you at least break even, that is if you have done it right

[ghetoprobe]

Sorry for the terrible pictures, the glass makes photographing this thing very difficult at this stage.  The dashboard is now installed, though it won't be lit or even usable until I get a PC in here.  I'll eventually have some custom vinyl "start" and "view" decals cut for around the buttons.  Should make it look a little more cohesive.

[ghetoprobe]

Some of you may have noticed the RAM mount on the right side of the control panel.  A little earlier in this thread I had mentioned wanting to get as much racing-sim packed into this cabinet as possible without taking away from the "arcade" look and feel.  My solution was to use a RAM mount so I could easily add/remove additional accessories that I would use for the more advanced racing games (iRacing/Assetto Corsa/F1 2014/etc.).  When we throw a family party, I just unplug the peripheral and we're ready for the 5-year-olds!

If you've never heard of them, Derek Speare Designs (DSD) make some great button boxes that are relatively inexpensive.  I guess I could have built my own with a spare iPac, but, meh, I'd rather just buy one and mod it to my liking.

Ended up going with the "2014 Track Boss" (since it has the nice bezel included) and I was pleasantly surprised with the construction and materials.  Just like everything else in this project, I pulled it apart the moment it arrived.  I bolted the RAM mount to the back of the box and tested the fit.  It is solid as a rock when mounted to the dashboard and can easily be removed in about 10 seconds.  DSD really makes a great product, love it!!

[yotsuya]

Ahhhhhhhhhhh....... I thought that RAM mount was a mini-joystick.