Ideas / wanted features for a racing rig.. (?)

[Mr Latte]

Keep your feet on the ground guys...

The "Racing Frame Cockpit" market is already filled with many options at all price points. Stands - Frames - Motion Sims.
To have a design completed is one thing it then needs tested and ready for actually selling which alone would require several builds and likely the best bit of at least a year in development. I speak from experience of running a business.

Also if building to sell than building to own personal preferences is completely different. As a business youd have to do it to cost and keep it not only as simple and easy to manufacture as possible but also to a price point. Certainly no easy undertaking and in a business sense being able to actually make much profit after all costs inc materials/running expenses/advertising from it would be quite difficult if selling at a competitive price point.

Not trying to be negative just find talk of this and the idea of designing one for a business/sales purpose arent quite the same.
Still Im interested to see your design and glad to help in giving ideas or sharing ideas with you...


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[Timppaq]

Keep your feet on the ground guys...

The "Racing Frame Cockpit" market is already filled with many options at all price points. Stands - Frames - Motion Sims.

To have a design completed is one thing it then needs tested and ready for actually selling which alone would require several builds and likely the best bit of at least a year in development.

Also if building to sell than building to own personal preferences is completely different. As a business you have to do it to cost and keep it as simple and as easy to manufacture as possible and to a price point.

Certainly no easy undertaking but interested to see your design.

You're right that there are many cockpits around already. But from personal experience, there must still be a gap to fill as there is no suitable option for me. I think of me as a bit "extreme" as far as this thing goes, the things that are important to me might not be the things that the most of the casual players have in mind when looking after a cockpit. I'm mostly going after the perfect driving position and the rigidness of the whole structure. Basically the things that will affect your "performance" while driving are the things that I first try to get right I've learned that there is quite a big difference having good and absolutely perfect driving position, at least it is like this for me.

Luckily I have build a few cockpits already and have learned a lot from those, so I'm hoping that the first proto will be very close to a finished product. And I'm already 110% sure that I'll be loving the rig, and I am primarily doing this to get a perfect rig for me.. If somebody else would find it interesting, so be it. My current rig (DIY also) have served me well, but it's time to step the game up a notch. The costs are not clear yet, hopefully I'll have a better understanding of that this week.. but that is again another thing that comes after the more important things (Important factor of course, don't get me wrong. There are many things now being done the way they are to make the manufacturing a lot cheaper)

Even though I want my rig to be as adjustable as possible, it also happens to serve the case of someone else thinking if they would fit in the rig. So I'm kind of going the other way, not making as simple as possible, but making it as adjustable as possible with as simple parts as possible. In my mind the features don't need to be simple even if the parts are simple. Granted there are some complex parts involved, but the key with those is the way of manufacturing. You can do amazing things in a very simple way, you just need the tools for it.

Certainly not an easy undertaking, but I'm really loving the challenge! 👍

 

[Mr Latte]

Its good to see you looking at it in a serious way.
Im not saying somone cant come up with something that could sell well.
Sebastian from the WSP company is a fine example of how individuals can create a good product.

They seem to of had good success with their product but again had a background that helped.

Its just on here a few times people have posted rigs that they pimp on here to try then and sell. Yet they havnt considered what as a "business" that would involve and the costs it would require. You then have materials to be sourced and at a price, contracts business relationships, funding and then possibly a small team of people to help with manufacturing, shipping, support etc. All of them will not work for free, rates, electric and how do you then advertise are all costs to consider.

Just look on these forums how Fanatec get such abuse as they struggle in many of these areas regards service. Why have they still not got a larger team of people to handle things better?

If your into engineering that is good but you should consider getting business start up experience and looking into seeing if this is what you want, to do and if its viable to run as a business and make profit. Again it depends if your wanting to sell 5 of these, 10 or whatever and that would be a good place to start.

 

[Timppaq]

I guess that goes without saying if you're equipped with normal amount of common sense 👍

 

[Mr Latte]

What sound system are you for using I see its yet to be sorted?

I recommend you do not underestimate having a good sound system and how this could increase the cockpit and immersion.

No matter how fancy or adjustable a race frame is. Basically a seat,wheel,display is positioned within them but apart from the benifits in adjustability and comfort it does very little to really enchance the experience.

This is an area Im amazed more here are not looking to improve on by using subwoofers or buttkicker devices as it adds an extra dimension to the experience and creates a more enthrilling fun factor. Seriously if anyone here is considering a d.i.y rig then put a decent sound system and Buttkicer high up on your list.

 

[Timppaq]

Sound system is vey important, yes. There will be room for speakers on the platform where the screens will be standing. Hard mounting the screens from the threaded holes on the backside would require quite a complex structure and I think I will not include that kind of thing for now. So it then also solves the problem of locating the speakers (if those are not very large). The back speakers are another thing that needs thinking still..

Definitely will look for the buttkickers more closely soon. 👍

Here are some possible anodising colors that could be possible to use for the profile.. any favourites?

 

[Mr Latte]

Im a sucker for black and chrome or even a bit of white/silver

Buttkickers UK Supplier

 

[zed300]

The anodising should complement other colours used, namely the seat.
This could be any of the colours available.
Kinda like the E200 and E310 though. A little bit Benz...ish.
A tan leather would look good with them..... Maybe.
Hard to say unless i'm looking at it.

 

[Timppaq]

The seat & the vinyls / boards will be black, so maybe all black might be too much? Even thought about E132 to give the rig some attitude, but we'll see. On the other hand, all black can't really go wrong so hard to say yet..

 

[Timppaq]

1.seat stand
- adjustable height (200mm movement) [ok]
- adjustable angle (from 0 to +12deg.) [ok]
- easily fittable to any proper racing seat (that has runners) [ok]
-...​

2.wheel support
- adjustable height [ok]
- adjustable angle [ok]
- adjustable distance from the seat (independent) [ok]
- ...​

3.pedal support
- adjustable angle (12 - 56deg.) [ok]
- adjustable distance from the seat (independent) [ok]
- ... ​

4.shifter holder
- fits both sides [ok]
- adjustable height (120mm movement) [ok]
- adjustable distance from the seat (3 positions) [ok]​

5.accessories
- TV stand (optional for 3 screens) [ok]
- keyboard support [ok]
- place for three PS3's [ok]
- cup holder [-]
- sound system mounting holes [-]
- setup for inverted pedals [ok]
- ...​

6.other properties
- fake leather & carpets? [-]​

Almost done ​

- the speakers will be located on the display platforms, the back speakers will have to be mounted to the seat if one wishes to use them
- cup holder will most probably be one bought from some store. No use doing it yourself when it can be solved with $5..
- fake leather can be used for the boards, but I won't be adding it.. would create a lot of work. That will have to be left as DIY if wanted.
Only small details needed to hone still and then just need to wait for the querys to return for the final estimation of the costs..​

 

[zed300]

Alright
Really looking forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[Mr Latte]

Great to share similar interests....

 

[Timppaq]

Planning & designing these things is fun for me.. When the end product is ready, the feeling is awesome 👍

btw, so far I've managed without a single weld. So it should be possible to pack it into a reasonably small package (should be easy to mod too for the same reason if needed)

 

[Mr Latte]

If you were selling have you got any ideas on price point?

 

[Timppaq]

Not really yet, but should be a much less than anything with same features on the market. Should. (querys out)