sim racing cockpit - version n1

[n3wt0n]

I have been wanting to jump into the sim racing world for a very long time and for Christmas my kids and wife gave me a push by gifting me a used G27 wheel, shifter and pedal set. I have purposely tried to ease myself into sim racing so I see myself building a few versions of different chassis as I get better and I get the urge for better equipment. This is going to be a build log of my progress not just for the initial build but for modifications I make to the chassis over time and for new versions I create. Thanks for reading and if you have questions please ask away.

version n1

The main goal of version n1 was to be a playable sim racing chassis that didn't take up a lot of space, didn't require a lot of money to build, and didn't take a lot of time to build. With all of that being said I did want it to be a clean, sturdy build. This was an introduction to sim racing - a hobby that could potentially cost thousands of dollars just to get into if you spend like crazy. That isn't my style and I wanted to be sure that it would keep my interest after the build was complete. I completed the build in an afternoon and I definitely spent under $75 CDN for the materials (not including g27 of course). I have now played Dirt Rally, RaceRoom and Assetto Corsa for hours on the chassis without major issues. It's definitely a lot of fun.

The seat is a passenger side seat out of an Acura Integra. It is comfortable while still looking aggressive. The seat maintains its stock rails and can be moved back and forth just like it did in the car. I started by mounting 2x4 to the bottom of the seat. The mounts are not flat or even so it took some time to get this right. It was probably the part that I spent the most time on since this set the seat angle and it had to be comfortable for long race sessions. Then I built a box frame from 2x4's to build up from.



Then I started to build up the sides from 2x4s. Measuring where I would like my wheel mounted I added 2x4's that would support the shelves. Clamps helped greatly as I did it all myself.



I then added the first shelf that the wheel would be bolted to. I used pocket holes to attach it to the side rails that I put on in the last step. Because it was attached to the sides of the rails I was able to sit in the seat and adjust the angle of the shelf to what felt best before screwing it in. I also put an angled piece on the bottom for the pedals. I feel this makes the pedal angle even better than it would be if it was flat on the floor. Both the pedal shelf and the steering wheel shelf were made out of 3/4" MDF I had in the garage.



I built a shifter mount from 2x4 and 3/4" MDF. It's a really simple design and once it was built I realized it was going to be too close to my leg when sitting in the seat so I spaced it out when attaching it to the frame by adding another piece of 2x4. There was a lot of sitting and playing "air car driver" when figuring out where things were supposed to go and this was especially true when placing the shifter.



To finish off version 1 I added another shelf for the monitor using 3/4" MDF. It not only added a place to put pretty much any size TV but it also tied everything together and helped make it incredibly sturdy.



And that brings us to a finished version 1 of my sim racing chassis. I now have something to play on while I finish a couple other arcade related projects around here. I also have something to play while I design and build version 2, 

[05SRT4]

Cool setup n3wt0n

Ive been messing with PVC pipes to make something.

[drventure]

I've been wanting to do this as well. PVC pipes won't cut it with the SO.


Where'd you get your seat?

[n3wt0n]

Cool setup n3wt0n

Ive been messing with PVC pipes to make something.

Thanks. I have seen some pretty good PVC builds on the interwebs. I would like to see someone here build one so I would know if they were sturdy enough or not.

I've been wanting to do this as well. PVC pipes won't cut it with the SO.
Where'd you get your seat?

I got my seat from the drivers side of an Acura Integra at the wrecking yard. It was between that seat and another from a Hyundai Tiburon. The nice thing about the wrecking yard is that you can try the seat before you buy it. 

[baritonomarchetto]

Cool. That technically is not a simulator (there should be some moving part to return the road/car feeling), but it's very well built and extraordinary for the budget. With racing sim things start getting complex when messing with seat motors and software integration. Good luck

[n3wt0n]

Thanks Baritonomarchetto. Maybe version 2 will have some motion... time will tell. 

[dgrams2000]

Very awesome.  Replied with more info in my thread http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,154718.0.html 

But I am a fan of your work.  Simple... Cheap... Sturdy looking...   It's a winner!

[pbj]

Now paint it black.

[Howard_Casto]

Relevant:

[Mike A]

Any reason to play that tune is good for me.

[n3wt0n]

Any reason to play that tune is good for me.

Agreed! Thanks Howard.

[Scotty_C]

very nice! Quick n simple, and very effective!  What games do you plan on playing?

[n3wt0n]

very nice! Quick n simple, and very effective!  What games do you plan on playing?

Thanks. So far I have been playing Assetto Corsa, Raceroom, and Dirt Rally. I thought Assetto Corsa would be my favorite but I am really digging the world touring car championships time attacks. The time attacks have proven handy for learning the different tracks.

[05SRT4]

time to get a VR kit now, next level bro

[n3wt0n]

time to get a VR kit now, next level bro

It's funny that you mention that. I just tried a friends Oculus Rift on my build but my graphics card (EVGA GTX960 2GB) just couldn't keep up in Raceroom - even on really low graphics settings. Even still, I can see how VR takes things to the next level.