CHEAP Cockpit Alternatives ONLY

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vtec_guy
Is that just foam over the wheel? whatever it is it makes the wheel look awesome in those pics. I really need a seat now, I want to make my setup ook really neat and spotless like all of your's.
I drilled holes in the side of my table and used cable ties to secure all the cables out of the way which has made it look a little neater, i'm thinking of painting it but need to sort out paints.
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Thanks for your compliments. I'm always enjoying DIY stuff. Paying a lot of bucks when I can do it, pfffff! :dopey:
The stuff on the wheel is Lexan (hard plastic sheet easy to cut with a jigsaw) I found near my garage (people throw everything, it is a treasure outside sometimes!)...
I wanted to paint it with colorful paints but my girlfriend ask me to keep it low profile, because it is always in our living room...
 
ppucci
Just loved your microswitches mumbo-jumbo :) Wish I had time and knowledge to change my wheel, but it seems it will take a lot more than I tought. Not to mention the permanent risk of screwing it up and loosing my DFP :(
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Aren't those weird microswitches?
It is a very tiny springs attached to a very small metal plated that can go down as soon as you push the spring and make contact...
Great design (not mine!).

You know, I modified a lot of stuff and rarely screwed up! :sly:
You have to be logical, patient and observing all the time how the mechanisms are working...
Experience will give you more self-confidence! :)

For sure, the warranty is void yet on mine! But I dont care because I'll always be able to keep it in good shape.
BTW, greasing carefully all the gears inside reduces the noise greatly!
 
nurburgring
You know, I modified a lot of stuff and rarely screwed up! :sly: You have to be logical, patient and observing all the time how the mechanisms are working... Experience will give you more self-confidence! :)
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I pretend to start with something less expensive! :D A DFP here in Brazil costs US$310,00... :(

nurburgring
BTW, greasing carefully all the gears inside reduces the noise greatly
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What kind of grease do you use? White grease? Normal grease? Any special grease?
 
nurburgring
Thanks for your compliments. I'm always enjoying DIY stuff. Paying a lot of bucks when I can do it, pfffff! :dopey:
The stuff on the wheel is Lexan (hard plastic sheet easy to cut with a jigsaw) I found near my garage (people throw everything, it is a treasure outside sometimes!)...
I wanted to paint it with colorful paints but my girlfriend ask me to keep it low profile, because it is always in our living room...
Click to expand...

nice, so is it stuck over the regular dfp bit thats in the middle? or is it like a replacement cover that clips on or something?
 
ppucci
I pretend to start with something less expensive! :D A DFP here in Brazil costs US$310,00... :(



What kind of grease do you use? White grease? Normal grease? Any special grease?
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Ouch! It is very expensive...
Here in Canada, I can find it now for around US$120.00! :)
I understand you: do it with cheap stuff first.

I used normal mechanic grease, but I was super careful when applying it! Bit by bit in small quantity, slowly turning the gears on the same time! Too much is very bad for the electronic components.
 
vtec_guy
nice, so is it stuck over the regular dfp bit thats in the middle? or is it like a replacement cover that clips on or something?
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I removed the central part with all the buttons and put it on the side of the DFP base...
Two screws (hex heads, on the pictures) are there to keep the homemade cover on the steering wheel!
I love that smooth and light design. :)
 
*sigh*

Trying to make a cockpit, not a wheel stand. Using the Wal-Mart video rocker for a seat. After two attempts I'm still not happy with the results. The biggest issue is (my wife speaking now) "It takes up too darn much space" followed closely by "Gad, is that ugly!"

The key element is that whatever I build has to have a "storage mode" where it can be whisked away so when her friends come to visit, it doesn't look like hubby is a "racing dork." <grin>

So now I'm looking at commercial models. Short list below. Am I missing any?

playseat $300 - www.playseats.com
sparco $600 - www.gtcockpit.com
hyperdrive $150 - www.hyperdriveamerica.com

Tx!
 
Wrath0110
*sigh*

Trying to make a cockpit, not a wheel stand. Using the Wal-Mart video rocker for a seat. After two attempts I'm still not happy with the results. The biggest issue is (my wife speaking now) "It takes up too darn much space" followed closely by "Gad, is that ugly!"

The key element is that whatever I build has to have a "storage mode" where it can be whisked away so when her friends come to visit, it doesn't look like hubby is a "racing dork." <grin>

So now I'm looking at commercial models. list below. Am I missing any?

playseat $300 - www.playseats.com
sparco $600 - www.gtcockpit.com
hyperdrive $150 - www.hyperdriveamerica.com

Tx!
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Forget the commercial ones. These are not "foldable".
Hinges are the solutions for you! 💡
Look what I did: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showp...9&postcount=699

Post some pics of your cockpit, people here will be good to give you some DIY solutions... :)
 
nurburgring
I removed the central part with all the buttons and put it on the side of the DFP base...
Two screws (hex heads, on the pictures) are there to keep the homemade cover on the steering wheel!
I love that smooth and light design. :)
Click to expand...

Nice, I rly like that wheel, it looks so clean and simple. I'd do that to mine if it was a regular wheel shape. (in case oyu havent seen mine is a f1 wheel)

And yea, post some pics of your cockpit, theres so many creative drivers in this thread that im sure will find a solution.
 
Here's a design that i dreamt up in the last couple of minutes. It needs a lot of developing but the materials shouldnt cost yo umuch more than £3 (dunno how much in $).
Anyway here it is. It uses my pedal box design:
cockpitdesign8pi.jpg
 
vtec_guy
Here's a design that i dreamt up in the last couple of minutes. It needs a lot of developing but the materials shouldnt cost yo umuch more than £3 (dunno how much in $).
Anyway here it is. It uses my pedal box design:
cockpitdesign8pi.jpg
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Wow! That a great idea! :) :dopey:

I'll do one for me the day I'm going to play LAN mode to my friend's house. Seats like this one are like CAN$2.00 at the salvation army...

I will buy 2 of them, cut the feet to keep the seat more inclined and few inches above the ground on one, and keep the frame of the other to put my steering wheel...
 
Some great looking setups in here. I have had GT4 for all of 3 days and this has got me thinking...I have lots of wood lying around, so who knows. I can easily get a decent seat, like maybe a bucket seat with armrests from a buddies Astro van... :D I have only 2 problems. A) Where to store it (I usually have an urge to overdo some things) and B) I dont have a steering wheel. Need to get one...

Edit: Just checked. The Logitech Driving Force Pro is $115 locally. I need a job! :indiff:
 
xgarage
Here is my Not cheap Cockpit Alternative. I just don't know where to post it so I think this is not that expensive and it's really the best overall seat to enjoy the racing game like in haven. I did a little tweak to make it a little more stable...now I got a rock solid setup!

183-83041_IMG.jpg

183-83042_IMG.jpg

183-83045_IMG.jpg
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Sweet tv i have the same one!!! :)
 
im filming a video of me using my wheel, complete with foot-cam, wheel-cam and shifter-cam. I can only upload it/edit it at my dad's house tho so it wont be up till wednesday/thursday.
 
I can't take pics of mine because when my PS2 died, I put everything back where it was.

It was nothing especial. I had my tv set over my white office desk and the wheel clamped there. Didn't cost me a thing although the tv was too close.

Then two days ago, I clean the lenses and give it one more try and GT4 works now. :eek:

Then comes the fact that I am moving in a week so I have no reason to move things around.

For the moment I had my wheel clamped over this little table with wheels but the force feedback is too strong for the poor thing.
 
Here is a cheap alternative. I put my wheel on one of my sawhorses. Just got the wheel today actually...since the pic was taken I have decreased the width by about 10 inches and cut about 3 off the legs. Just need to raise my TV up now. This is a temporary solution till I build something a lil sturdier/better looking. Lovin my new DFP...

 
I made this cockpit since GT3 first came out and well planed ahead of time. but back then it had the older driving force on instead of the "driving force pro" thats currently on now. (pic below.) I've always wanted to post my cockpit ever since way back in the days but I never had access to a digital camera till my girlfriend bought one. ended up borrowing her cam 3 months ago and took a few quick snap shots. reason why it took me so long to post these pic because she took the cam back after I snapped these pics and didn't get access to the pics till today and the pictures didn't turn out that great. since I didn't really know how to use all the options on that digital camera but hopefully you get a good idea of what I've created...?

it took me about 2 1/2 days (over the weekend) to make this thing and 1 day of thinking up the design. all of the measurements are taken from the actual car that I got the parts from. the e-brake works (since GT3), the red hazard button act as the "start" button, the defrost is the "select" button, and although the needles don't move for MPH, RPM, temp, and fuel the lights work for the gauges which was added later when I got the driving force pro... I'd also like to finish up my long forgotten H-shifter (like Werner Winkels) that I wanted during GT3 but never fully understood the servo timer. had every part but missing the one important thing lol (which I mentioned here: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1585432&postcount=534 ) the clutch pedal is setup for triangle button but why you ask...? I found an earlier thread about the triangle button working as a "type of" clutch but later found that it only worked for "GT4 prologue" but left that feature on my cockpit any how and can be used for reverse, kinda weird but too lazy to mess with that right now, I'll work on that later lol.

other things I'd like to add in the near future are, a decent CD deck so I can play my own songs and turn off the GT4's, add a panel above the deck with extra option buttons (L1, L2, R1, R2, triangle, square, circle, and x) for future racing games. would also like for my cockpit to pitch while turning, brake, and throttle. been doing some research but no luck. usually find that stuff for plane/jet cockpits. oh yeah one more thing, the bass shaker is something I want to add soon...! the only way I can feel it is if I blast the surround sound but my neighbors might complain lol.

spent on cockpit: $10 total (plus blood, sweat, and some moments of cussing)

-DFP $80 (used)
-3/4" wood $20 (home depot)
-flat black paint $5 (home depot)
-1lbs box of screws $3 (ace hardware)
-pair of wheels $2 (home depot)
-buttons/wires [from misc electronic gagets] "free"
-1988 Corolla GTS AE92 [whole car] "free"
(NOTE: sold car to the junk yard for $100) 👍

if you're wondering about the free items mentioned? well you can look for free cars and electronic parts online for donations... found mine at craigslist.org under "free stuff" :sly:

setup:
-27" TV w/S-video
-v10 PS2 w/DMS3 mod chip
-200GB maxtor HDD w/PS2 online adapter
-HDadvance 2.0 DVD
-Sony 5 point surround sound system

(the pics below are kinda old and the shift nob was removed since I chopped it lower that day and a few more other misc stuff wasn't installed till after that pic...)
 

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chinko
^lol!!!! that is sweet as!! i love it!
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thanks chinko :)

by the way, not in order but here are a few more pictures showing the wheels attached to the front of the cockpit and cut out handles on the back rails (lift and move), side view, center console opened for storage, a close up of the e-brake, and the back view of the cockpit when you're getting smoked lol.
 

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Kouki_AE86
(the pics below are kinda old and the shift nob was removed since I chopped it lower that day and a few more other misc stuff wasn't installed till after that pic...)
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What a great job you did!
If I had more space in my home office...
 
Kouki_AE86
spent on cockpit: $10 total (plus blood, sweat, and some moments of cussing)

-DFP $80 (used)
-3/4" wood $20 (home depot)
-flat black paint $5 (home depot)
-1lbs box of screws $3 (ace hardware)
-pair of wheels $2 (home depot)
-buttons/wires [from misc electronic gagets] "free"
-1988 Corolla GTS AE92 [whole car] "free"
(NOTE: sold car to the junk yard for $100) 👍
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OK, you win the prize! Excellent work, Kouki!
 
Thats an awesome cockpit kouki, With your neatness and nurburgring's electronics knowledge, you could make an incredibly real cockpit. Awesome stuff.
 
nurburgring
What a great job you did!
If I had more space in my home office...
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yeah its slightly bigger then your average cockpit due to the center console portion. as you can tell in the pictures if you can look close enough, the TV is in the closet lol. to save more space when not using the cockpit, I usually stand it up vertical against the wall. you'll also notice in one of the pics the small wheels I attached in the front of the cockpit and cut holes in the rear of the cockpit for my hand so I can lift it up like a wheel barrel to move it or stand it up. wish I took pics with my girlfriend's cam when I had the chance, oh well... maybe next time when I get a hold of it when she isn't using it :dopey:

Duke
OK, you win the prize! Excellent work, Kouki!
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thanks Duke 👍

vtec_guy
Thats an awesome cockpit kouki, With your neatness and nurburgring's electronics knowledge, you could make an incredibly real cockpit. Awesome stuff.
Click to expand...

thanks vtec_guy, well so far everything works like the way I planned it out as far as the main electronic stuff that I've wanted but the only 2 things I'd like to see is the dash board gauges to working along with the game with actual speed and RPMs, the fuel and temp I can do without but its a plus if it did :sly: the second thing that I've been working on since GT3 came out is trying to figure out the "servo timer" on Werner Winkels site: http://www.beepworld3.de/members15/werner71/direct_gear_shifter.htm I have it in my cockpit but its missing the "servo timer" since I don't fully understand how or where to get that part(s)? not to knock on sequential shifters but I'd like to have a "nonsequential" shifter to complete the "sim" in my cockpit simulator.

so far...
-gauges light up.
-e brake works.
-hazard button is the start button.
-defrost button is the select button.
-NOS button (forgot to mention that in my earlier post) it doesn't show in any of the pics I've posted since it was installed later that week after the picture taking.
-clutch pedal is allocated as the "was clutch" triangle button for GT4 but that only worked for GT4 prologue, so its only a reverse pedal. which I personally think is kinda dumb but I'm too lazy to mess with that at the moment. its just quicker to reverse with that pedal instead of looking for the triangle button...

but thanks to nurburgring's idea: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=1766226&postcount=748 I've always wanted to remove the front button panel on the DFP wheel since I grab the corner buttons while drifting, not often but it happens... :dunce:
 
You should do what nurby did and do a controller hack to make the handbrake work. Thats some pretty impressive wiring there. I dont see how you could make the speedo work with the game tho, is that even possible?

There's a load of pretty neat stuff on the frex site, id like to buy some stuff from there but I dont know if any of it will be compatible with my williams wheel which is almost exactly the same as the dfp.
 

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