GT control panel Question

[pezkore]

I am about to purchase an older GT cabinet (from the 1990 version) with the intention of switching out the PCB with a GT 99'. The problem with this is that the trackball is very close the the screen, which makes playing the game problematic. I was wondering how easy it would be for me (though i have VERY little experience with this stuff) to either build my own control panel and switch it out, or to buy a control panel from a larger GT cabinet to attach to mine.It is a smaller than usual GT cabinet, the moniter is only 19". I think it was orignally a Track and Field cab. I am hoping to eventually have a control panel that sticks out so that i wont smack my hand on the glass, although i realize it cannot be AS big as the standard GT control panel b/c of the width difference, but the same general idea. Let me know what you think.

[Smack]

Have you considered scouring around for a cab similar to the mini one shown in this arcade flyer for a GT Fore! cab?

It's got me thinking...

http://www.arcadeflyers.com/?page=flyerdb&subpage=flyer&id=2399&image=1

Maybe you could get a similar type cab and modify it. As far as the swapping the PC stuff out I'm not too sure about that kind of stuff either.

You could get away with a smaller cab if the monitor was slanted and lower like that one.

Smack

[pezkore]

Well, i did look for a cab like that but i was operating on somewhat of a budget, and i actually bought the cab today, so that is now somewhat out of the question. unfortuanatly, i cannot include the pic of the cab with this posting (or at least i dont know how), but if you could see the cab it would give you a better idea of what i am talking about. The moniter is slanted, but there is a 4 inch drop from the moniter to the control panel that is backed with wood, so your fingers are basically butted up against a 4 inch tall wooden wall. This is why i want to replace the control panel with an extended version, so that i can play with a full swing rather than with my thumbs.