My DIY Racing Cockpit

[Niximus]

I recently picked myself up a G27 racing wheel and decided to have a go making myself a racing cockpit for it.

I jumped on Gumtree and found this exercise bike fairly cheap.

I have taken it apart and used some scrap MDF to make a mount for the wheel, pedals and gear stick.

It is working really well.

The next step will be attaching a seat from an actual car. I picked up a free front seat from a Magna (also off Gumtree) and I'll be attaching that in place of the current seat.

 

[Smoooothy]

nice work. i've been wanting to do something like this too

 

[KAYNE]

This looks awesome well done! I think I could get into racing games if I did something like this although the mrs wouldn't be too impressed at all!

 

[SugarShane]

Looks real cool. I've been wanting to do something like this too. I got as far as getting the wife to bring home an unneeded chair from her work which should suit, but never any further. No idea where to go from there. I like using the wheel but the main issue is getting in a comfortable spot to use it, and still being able to use the pedals accurately.

 

[Niximus]

Looks real cool. I've been wanting to do something like this too. I got as far as getting the wife to bring home an unneeded chair from her work which should suit, but never any further. No idea where to go from there. I like using the wheel but the main issue is getting in a comfortable spot to use it, and still being able to use the pedals accurately.

Yeah, I had been playing at my computer desk, but it wasn't very comfortable, plus the issue of pushing myself backwards whenever I had to brake really hard made it kinda sucky.

As far as where to start, if you have a G27 I'd definitely take the pedals out of the plastic thing and mount them upside down. I know that racing cars really do have pedals coming from the floor, but my experience is with normal card with the pedals from the top , so this feels more natural to me.

I also bought a replacement spring for the brake pedal. The original spring's coils are the same all the way through, which is fine, but it is hard to know how hard you're braking. The spring I bought has closed coils at one end so that it takes more force to brake harder and feels more real. I then put the original brake spring in the clutch, the clutch spring in the accelerator and put the accelerator spring away in case I want it later

Apart from the bike frame, the rest is just MDF I cut up and screwed on, so as long as the frame is sturdy, it should be pretty easy

I think for the seat I'm going to get something a bit more sturdy, but I'll see what I can find. When that is on it will be able to move forward/backward and recline.

Also planning a cup holder

 

[Niximus]

This looks awesome well done! I think I could get into racing games if I did something like this although the mrs wouldn't be too impressed at all!

Thanks. My fiancée is used to me coming home with stuff and declaring that I have a new project so that bit wasn't an issue

Starting this project while the up stairs skirting is still bare and the bathroom tiles are awaiting installation though.....

 

[HugeJohnson]

Steering wheel looks a little high for the T.V position?

 

[SugarShane]

As far as where to start, if you have a G27 I'd definitely take the pedals out of the plastic thing and mount them upside down. I know that racing cars really do have pedals coming from the floor, but my experience is with normal card with the pedals from the top , so this feels more natural to me.

I've got the Logitech GT but the pedals look pretty similar.

 

[Niximus]

Steering wheel looks a little high for the T.V position?

It's just the angle I took the pic from. When I sit in the chair I can see over the top of it and see the whole screen.

 

[Niximus]

I've got the Logitech GT but the pedals look pretty similar.

Yes, they are pretty much the same.

The spring I bought came with instructions for both the G27 and the GT.

 

[picko]

My neighbour bought a G27 well a couple of years ago. First he had it rigged up on a kids plastic table. The he bought hundreds of dollars of timber and built a frame. Then he bought a bunch of metal with the intention of building a better frame. Then he gave up and bought a pre-built race seat with inbuilt speakers. He likes to spend money.

 

[PP34]

Looks awesome. If I ever get into racing games, I'd love to do something like this.

 

[funk44]

ive got a g27 with a wheelstand pro, paid a small fortune for them both as the prices were massively inflated prior to GT5 when i bought it

works really well though, awesome using it with dirt 3 (not my picture)

(not my picture)

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Nice.. Wouldn't mind doing one of these myself...

 

[Golden G]

ive got a g27 with a wheelstand pro, paid a small fortune for them both as the prices were massively inflated prior to GT5 when i bought it

works really well though, awesome using it with dirt 3 (not my picture)

(not my picture)

I looked at buying one of those stands but I did not like the pole between my legs so I bought one like this

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/NLR-Stee...AU_Video_Game_Accessories&hash=item1c39f7baa4

 

[Niximus]

Have now added the actual car seat

 

[smiths]

You need those racing seatbelts

oh, and a cupholder

 

[sacka]

Have now added the actual car seat

Looking good. Are you going to do something with the cords just to tidy it up a bit?

 

[NUFC Tiger]

top effort Nick85!

How much do you think you paid all up (if you don't mind me asking?). I think the pre made cockpits you can buy are pretty expensive and are usually upwards of $3-4k!

 

[Niximus]

Looking good. Are you going to do something with the cords just to tidy it up a bit?

That pic makes them look a bit worse than they are. The bulk of the cords sit in the little box bit at the front, but three stick out. One goes to the pedals, as it is made to fit within the original housing for them, it is only just enough to put them into that configuration, and not much I can do to tidy it, short of rewiring it.

The other two are the power and USB, in the pic I have looped them back over the thing so it probably looks a bit more untidy that it usually does.

 

[Niximus]

top effort Nick85!

How much do you think you paid all up (if you don't mind me asking?). I think the pre made cockpits you can buy are pretty expensive and are usually upwards of $3-4k!

Thanks

It wasn't very expensive at all. The bike was the most expensive part (apart from the G27 itself). I picked that up on Gumtree for $80.

The car seat was also off Gumtree, but that was free.

Most of the MDF was off cuts I had laying around, though I did buy one bit for the base which was around $12. Then <$10 on bolts

 

[NUFC Tiger]

Thanks

It wasn't very expensive at all. The bike was the most expensive part (apart from the G27 itself). I picked that up on Gumtree for $80.

The car seat was also off Gumtree, but that was free.

Most of the MDF was off cuts I had laying around, though I did buy one bit for the base which was around $12. Then <$10 on bolts

Nice, sounds much cheaper than buying a pre made one!

How do you find sitting it it?

 

[Niximus]

Nice, sounds much cheaper than buying a pre made one!

How do you find sitting it it?

Yeah, it is great, feels like an actual car with the real seat in.