Retro Racer - Playmates 1985 - "Fun-to-Drive" Dashboard Toy Pi3 Mini Racer

[gstav]

Hi guys!

Since I completed my () and () I'm now happy to announce my third project -  a Pi3 based racer which I have named 'Retro Racer'

>>>> DIRECT LINK TO YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE <<<<

Thanks to badmouth's racing thread I managed to hack a pc gamepad's tumbstick pot. to the wheel which makes it a "270° wheel" with analog steering and return springs for auto-center when released.

I also managed to integrate the vibration motors for excessive steering and when turning the ignition key. 

5"LCD HDMI touch screen
Pi3 "Motion Blue v4"  image running Attract Mode
32gb Evo+ card

Closed up and ready for some Outrun on MAME. Analog steering - engaged! 


Potentiometer and the pull springs for auto-center. also the V-shaped profile which activates the vibration motor when overturning the wheel triggered by the "antenna" in the center.


A gut shot from the inside of the cab opened up


This is not a build log as the project is completed, but I intend to post som in detailed pics of the steps completing it as, for what I have seen, this is the first Pi dedicated toy racer cab completed(?)

Some important parts from eBay can be found here!

Happy to hear what you think.

This post is most likely to be changed and updated as writing this from my mobile device. 

I re-posted this thread here as I think it's more fitted here? Moderators could maybe remove/move one of them, as it was also posted in the "Raspberry Pi & Dev Board" forums 

Regards

/Gustav Wingburen

[shaolindrunkard]

If its completed you should post some pics of it, completed... Looks cool though. Funny I think I'm using the same font as you are for "Retro Racer" on my marquees for my projects...

[gstav]

hehe! Thanks! will post some more detail pics of it. But as I have them also in the video (how do I show a youtube vid here directly btw?)
so I kinda feels like repeating it again. But it would be in higer quality of course.

it is a font called Outrun Future from dafont.com

[shaolindrunkard]

Yeah that's the one I'm using. Go to YouTube and click share, copy the link to the post and then remove the "s" from "https"

[Howard_Casto]

It doesn't show up in most browsers though... that method is depreciated.  We really need to find a better method. 

Anyway... looks really cool man.  It's something unique and I'm all for that.  Out of curiosity where did you find the monitor?  I've been looking for some tiny hdmi displays for a while now. 

[gstav]

Thanks friend! 
It's a Waveshare knock off, like this one. Good for it's size and prize 

[Howard_Casto]

Yeah that's a bit more reasonable..... been looking for a small hdmi display to do a mini tv for the nes classic, but I'm not paying 50 or 60 bucks just for a novelty display piece. 

[MrThunderwing]

Oh man, that looks awesome. I've always hoped to see someone make a fully working MAMe cabinet out of one of these -


but this is the next best thing. Also, I'm always after cool arcade game type fonts, so cheers for the info about that Outrun Future one.

[gstav]

Oh man, that looks awesome. I've always hoped to see someone make a fully working MAMe cabinet out of one of these -


but this is the next best thing. Also, I'm always after cool arcade game type fonts, so cheers for the info about that Outrun Future one.

WOW! Is this yours!!?? Epic cab! But I guess one have to place a smaller screen than my 5" in that beauty though! 

[MrThunderwing]

Nope, not mine, just a generic photo from the internet - there was an After Burner one as well. They were released by Grandstand over here in the UK and Tiger Electronics in the US. I've always liked the look of these mini-cabs (in a crappy, cheap, plasticky sort of way), but the actual LCD versions of the games were utter shite by all accounts.



YouTuber Ashens does a very amusing review of the table top Outrun on his channel.

[gstav]

Nope, not mine, just a generic photo from the internet - there was an After Burner one as well. They were released by Grandstand over here in the UK and Tiger Electronics in the US. I've always liked the look of these mini-cabs (in a crappy, cheap, plasticky sort of way), but the actual LCD versions of the games were utter shite by all accounts.

Hehe! Cool cab indeed!
I was thinking of modding my own Space Cockpit from the same era 1985
But I guess it would be a blasphemy as it still works. Still have the box for it too!! *crazy*
N ot that many shoot'em ups for horisontal placed monitors either and 5" is as big as it would get.
But it shure would be cool with some After Burner or 1944 The Loop Master.

[Howard_Casto]

'That looks remarkably similar to a Space Harrier cockpit.