Who will build me a multi-racer PC?

[MTPPC]

I'm in need of a PC setup and configured for an empty crazy taxi cabinet.

Here are my specs:
3.4GHz minimum -  Overclock OK if burnt in and thoroughly tested.
Input: A-Pac
Output: standard VGA to a TV probably 800x600?
No Force Feedback
Hseq for the crazy taxi "paddle" shifter
Model2
MAME - RTR stutter-free
Boot to a frontend that can be operated without a keyboard.

I basically want about 20-30 good driving games between both emulators.

The unit may be shipped without ROMs, but the front end and MAME/Model2 configs should be complete (no nag, etc.)

I know someone out there has a PC that can be cloned or a machine that has been replaced with an upgrade. I'm paying $150 and if it comes in good, $50 happiness bonus!

Can someone help me out or am I barking up the wrong tree?

[Barry Barcrest]

For that money you might be able to get a configured drive but certainly not that whole machine.

[MTPPC]

I'd be happy with a configured drive.

[DaredevilDave]

A 3.4 Ghz machine isn't exactly a doorstop, I think $150 - 200 for that and a drive specially setup for racing is a bit optimistic

I'm new here, and by the time my setup is "complete" it will be practically priceless to me (though I could come up with a number I'm sure haha). I might give it away free to a few friends though. But it isn't the setup you need, of course.

I looked a bit and found zero free (or otherwise) pre-configured MAME setups, and I'm guessing that's why (hard work). I'm glad though because if something goes wrong I can fix it.

But like I said, I'm new, so I'm still getting a feel for the community. Good luck!

[thomas_surles]

The best way to know the ins and outs of everything is to roll it yourself. If you get stuck somewhere just post about it here and someone will help.

[MTPPC]

Just forget it. This is the same nonsense one must always suffer with mame.  I've got my emulators up and running and it only took 9 hours. I'm sure it will be complete in another 30 or 40.

[JDFan]

Just forget it. This is the same nonsense one must always suffer with mame.  I've got my emulators up and running and it only took 9 hours. I'm sure it will be complete in another 30 or 40.

Perhaps that explains the lack of interest to do it for you for $150 including Hardware !!  - expecting to get a couple hundred dollars worth of hardware put together and then putting in a weeks worth of labor in to set up the software and get it all working together for the "Fun of it" is not going to get volunteers falling over each other to be the "lucky" one that gets to do it ! 

[yotsuya]

Don't forget the $50 bonus!!!!!

[BadMouth]

I'm glad you're making progress on your own.
This isn't the usual case of "I had to set up all my emulators, so should you"

With plain joystick cabs, everything is just a digital switch and there was the JAMMA standard.

Driving cabs really are a different beast.
They were all wired in different ways, need different sensitivity settings, etc.
The controls people will use with MAME are all wired in different ways and will need different settings.
Half the games will be running on emulators other than MAME.

Unless someone has the exact same control setup as you, it's just a huge PITA to try to set up a computer to work with your setup.
You might have had better luck if using a Logitech G27, but even people who are using those have them paired with keyboard encoders for extra controls.
You're also extremely limited by using only the controls on a Crazy Taxi. 
If you happened to have the exact same setup as someone else, someone probably would have stepped up.

Someday I'd like to have a preconfigured front-end available with a package of all the needed pics and vids.
Someone would have to maintain it and answer all the questions from people who didn't read the instructions though. 

[MTPPC]

It's really more the pain of finding the files and getting the file structures right... As it is, I have an old school dell all set up.It only cost me 2 days of my life, but the PC (hardware and software) is done besides some in-game configurations.

http://pinballmd.com/computer-hardware-and-software-for-racing-multi-game-completed/

[ant2]

Keep going, it's also best you learn the hard way as you will want to upgrade emulators, get new ones etc.
Each time that happens some game stops working,  a control needs to be re mapped, it doesn't start the same or something else!

For example in my set up i can't get the arcade demul games working in full screen. If i do the controls just don't work, made no sense.
In the end i wrote a script to go in to windowed mode, move it to my center screen and make it the size of the center monitor.

I can go on all day, probably took 6 months worth to get everything running as I wanted,  all the artwork, videos etc

Then i back up the thing every few months in the fear that one day the drive will fail!