Hi all, Here's a mail, that I got, that I replied to, concerning starting a DIY-project like mine. I post it, because theres a lot of info, that some might want.
Mail question *******************************************
hey there njesper
first of all, i would like to congratulate you on producing such a high quality seat for GT, top class stuff there
the reason i am pm'ing you is that i plan to build my own racing setup. however, this is not to be the average joe sort of effort. even though i haven't even begun to draw plans up yet, i envision that the final product will encompass a realistic dashboard with centre console containing my personal stereo, along with a clock in the centre of the dash where the tach would be. hopefully i will be able to hook up both my DFP on the dashboard as the steering wheel and a widescreen tv where the windscreen should be. also i plan to place surround sound in it if the project gets going.
what i plan to do is take this a step at a time. in other words, make the cockpit stock and apply the dfp, then consider the stereo and surround sound and extra's.
i would really like it if you could give me some tips on building a cockpit as this is my first attempt and after seeing yours i can see you know your stuff thanks alot make and congratulations again
regards
Mail answer*******************************************
Thanks for your nice coments squeek,
I understand your situation. I was exactly there, two months ago. I have never build one like this before.
First of all I would suggest you to read the whole thread, because actually there is a lot of info in it, if you want to build your own.
That said, here is some startup advice:
1. Envision all that you can.It is wonderful, and it makes you want to build a very complex hobby-project. Do not stop dreaming.
2. BUT!!! in the meantime while you dream of all those extras, start thinking about what you really want as basics.
I looked in alot of carbooks, and dreamed about the white leather-covered shaft tunnel with that nice little aluminum gearshift, like in the old countach, but the problem was, at the same time, I dreamed about an LMP 900 chassis, with aluminum interior, racer stripped to the bone!
My girlfriend actually helped med alot, by saying: Hey, you are talking about so many nice cars, but you have to make some decissions, or else, you will kill your dreams, by flooding them with more dreams.
So I decided to go for something black GT-series like, and "a bit" of aluminum for the shaft tunnel. And suddenly, when I knew what to aim for, and haven choosen, I could split the dream down into segments.
3. Do the BASE thing first: I did the black stuff first. And chose wood, that I could paint black, because it was the easy part, and then on the side, I could continue dreaming of the next step, th aluminum part.
And suddenly, I had the BASE of the project! You have to build this first, because you start to get a lot of questions anwered, and you can then start imagining where all the other things could be attached.
4. Seriously consider, that this project can get expensive. You don't know how many times, I have visited my local wood/screws store, "just" to get some extra screws, tools n stuff, and it all adds up. So be aware of how much money you would like to spend.Screws n stuff is expensive!
Perhaps I'm too much of a perfectionist, but I don't do anything, if it can't be made proper, and that means, if I spot a box of nicer screws, than the one I've already got at home, well, then they just slip into my shopping basket. It's innevitable
BUT YOU DECIDE the costs.
5. Don't use car-spray cans, if you don''t have a carport, or some open area in the garden. It makes a really big mess, you have to use a lot of cans on covering the MDF-plates, because they suck up all that paint in a split second. My advise: Use plasticpaint for house panels, and a nice little painroll. The result is amazing. It covers really easy, just sand it lightly after first layer, the finish will be nice, because MDF is really smooth to begin with.
6. Buy materials for the base, and buy a seat first.
Best regards, Jesper
)
) so that I can incorporate speedometer, tachometer, gear-position, and other cool stuff in the dashboard!
