Project Simulation | DIY Cockpits Plans | GT and F1 Style

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@ Alvaro - I don't have exact numbers and I am out of town. The steering height is solely dependent on the driver. I like mine high, with my eyesight just above the steering wheel. Hope that helps.

@ Roadster2 - Thanks man!

@ Sandman - I am preparing for an externship this coming October which ends June of next year, so no pre-built units. Not for now.

Although I may consider building a few ones (with custom decals like above) if I get the free time. Maybe runs of 2-3 units per month. But that's hypothetical. No guarantees.


Update: I am out of town, so I am unable to work on the project, but I have finished all side panels. Just figuring out the wheel and pedal mounts at the moment.
 
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I have a question or two. What program are you using to make the projected images? Will the steering wheels be like that of the image or is that just for aesthetics as far as the picture goes?
 
Masi_23
@ Alvaro - I don't have exact numbers and I am out of town. The steering height is solely dependent on the driver. I like mine high, with my eyesight just above the steering wheel. Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

Ok, thanks a lot, and of course it hepls because now I have a reference point. It's the only thing I've been strugling with.
 
Software used was sketchup. The steering wheels are just for aesthetics; to show where the intended position should be.
 
No problem, LMS.

Anyway, I am home after a long trip. I am still mulling over the wheel mount, but I did a quick mock up of the cut pieces so far and sat on the rig - I could honestly say that it was very comfortable even without any padding. I would personally just add padding around the bum as it may get sore after a long race stint (I think).

The shape of the seat was perfect, at-least for me. Not to brag, but I have some pretty beefy quads/calves from football and track, but laying down, the height of my legs (knees at highest point), skin to skin, was only about 100mm, give or take. There's a clearance of about 150mm with the planned wheel mount; that's about 50mm with either a T500 or a CSW. A G27 will have a bout 100mm+ of clearance.


EDIT

Here's a pic. Nothing special. Shows two main divisions; Seat rest and Core. Don't be fooled, it's actually pretty stable, and with proper bracing, this will be rock solid. I sat in it (5'8" - 170lbs), no screws and all, and It held me pretty good.

Also, didn't show the nose as I made a mistake and ran out of MDF. Will have to go tomorrow and grab a new board or two.

9428160180_3912609a5f_c.jpg


By the way, I talked to a contact and it looks like the cost of machining (CNC) the parts is pretty reasonable - should bode well for a DIY kit? Time will tell.
 
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Hello!
This looks very promising. If you were to send it out as a CNC machined kit, that would be GREAT! Using MDF board is also a terrific idea, as it is hard, stable and thick enough to build a rig. (I've used it to build extended soffits, for lighting, in the kitchen.) Also, with the proper bracing, perhaps provided in the kit, along w/a really good set of directions, this would be a terrific project, to say the least.

Thank-you again for all of your thoughts, efforts and perseverance.

Sincerely,

Agent007
 
Hi Agent 007,

I won't guarantee a Pre-built DIY kit in the near future, but i'll make sure I dont pass up
any opportunities to make it possible. The DIY plans meanwhile is a sure thing.

Thanks for the kind and encouraging words!

As for the current status of the rig; I have figured out a simple solution with the wheel
mount but I will not reveal specifics until I know its good to go; would like to reveal the
cockpit when its all structuraly complete.

Thank you for everyone's support and patience.

Best regards,
- Masi
 
I was just driving home today I thought about this thread! I like the progress pic, coming along nicely :cheers:

To anyone who is concerned with adding even more stability, use a proper wood glue and its easy to learn how to add wooden dowels. Use both of these techniques before the securing the screws and it will not only be sturdier, but will be quieter and have less vibration. Liquid nails works well, but for me I prefer good old tried and tested Elmer's Wood Glue (great for cabinet making too).

The other thing I noticed from that picture is that the shape of the back support is for my younger days, I will definitely have to alter the contour to provide an old man with a little more lumbar support!
 
@ Sandman - Thanks!

@ Lemans - the backrest is very comfortable. Just a bit of foam and its perfect! Although I'm only in my early 20's, maybe that's why :D

@ Enzo - looks great, but may hike up the overall expenses. You can still do it if you prefer and have the money.

As for the current status of the rig - I had to cut new panels as my initial design was lacking a bit of width @ the wheel mount. It should be more stable with the added millimeters. Please bear with me as I am in the middle of a tough stretch @ school so progress will be a bit slower than initially planned.

Best Regards,
Eric
 
Hi Masi glad to see your doing well with these projects still. Gonna buy the prints and start doing my own soon :) just been real busy with studying and revising so been real tired and busy,esp with being a family man to 3 kids.

So far I've got my seat and 3x2.1m 42mm lenths of PVC pipes, and a few elbows.

Just been picking up random parts when I've seen them.
 
Enzo730
Is plywood feasible as well? Looks like its more expensive than mdf though
Click to expand...

MDF has a much smoother finish and is a very dense material. It can be a problem screwing into the edge as it easily splits. This though can be overcome simply by pre-drilling a hole and using the correct MDF woodscrews.

MDF has served Hyperstim well for many years on their Hyperstimulator rigs.

MDF can be a real,real pain in the backside to get a decent paint finish (hence my previous post about the possibility of using pre-printed vinyl sheets) but you can find Hyperstimulator rigs on Australian sites/forums where they have used a car body shop to spray the pre-assembled panels, using a two part epoxy paint. This looks to have produced an excellent finish and very hard wearing.
 
Roadster2
MDF has a much smoother finish and is a very dense material. It can be a problem screwing into the edge as it easily splits. This though can be overcome simply by pre-drilling a hole and using the correct MDF woodscrews.

MDF has served Hyperstim well for many years on their Hyperstimulator rigs.

MDF can be a real,real pain in the backside to get a decent paint finish (hence my previous post about the possibility of using pre-printed vinyl sheets) but you can find Hyperstimulator rigs on Australian sites/forums where they have used a car body shop to spray the pre-assembled panels, using a two part epoxy paint. This looks to have produced an excellent finish and very hard wearing.
Click to expand...

Looks like its gonna be tricky
Thanks
 
Picked up some useful info on another forum re the MDF finishing; they recommended using a company that painted kitchen doors. Again it was a two-pack paint but they would be more used to painting MDF panels than an auto body shop and would probably be cheaper.
 
Roadster2
Picked up some useful info on another forum re the MDF finishing; they recommended using a company that painted kitchen doors. Again it was a two-pack paint but they would be more used to painting MDF panels than an auto body shop and would probably be cheaper.
Click to expand...


This company in Ohio is doing some great work by powder coating MDF at low temperatures. Check out the results± http://www.dvuv.com/...ts/uvmax-gloss/ Am looking into possibilities here in Europe for this as well!!!

8430224810_b591295d3f_o_zpsd8354aa9.jpg


Cheers mates
 
Powder coating is expensive and isn't neccessary because the rig is indoors, and doesnt have to worry about stones being kicked up from other cars that could chip the paint (hopefully). The best solution IMHO is to use a thick coating of sandable primer and sand it as smooth as possible, then apply a self-adhearing vinyl wrap for an extreemely high gross finish that has perfect color uniformity with very minimal prep work compared to painting mutiple coats and wet sanding that take hours or even days.

I haven't tried it yet myself, but there is actually a vinyl sheet that simulates the look of carbon fiber and even includes simulated carbon carbon weave texture! Then, you could put a VERY thin coat of paint over it to re-create the detailed look of how you can still see the carbon fiber through the paint on a real race car.
Linky:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058DIDTY/?tag=gtplanet-20

Edit: Although... I just looked at that DVUV website and I did kinda like that company from Ohio's mission statement, because I am a sucker for companies that push sustainability through green design and application. I support those companies whenever I can.
 
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Nice idea
Over here its easy to get from a hobby store
I don't think many people will be wrapping the whole rig with cf unless you have lots of cash
 
lemansfanatic
Powder coating is expensive and isn't neccessary because the rig is indoors, and doesnt have to worry about stones being kicked up from other cars that could chip the paint (hopefully). The best solution IMHO is to use a thick coating of sandable primer and sand it as smooth as possible, then apply a self-adhearing vinyl wrap for an extreemely high gross finish that has perfect color uniformity with very minimal prep work compared to painting mutiple coats and wet sanding that take hours or even days.

I haven't tried it yet myself, but there is actually a vinyl sheet that simulates the look of carbon fiber and even includes simulated carbon carbon weave texture! Then, you could put a VERY thin coat of paint over it to re-create the detailed look of how you can still see the carbon fiber through the paint on a real race car.
Linky:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058DIDTY/?tag=gtplanet-20
Click to expand...

The powder coating looks fantastic but too expensive!

Vinyl sheets are great. I've coated some parts of my GT cockpit with a couple of layers of Lacquer, and it looks like the real thing. Although I haven't tried your suggested technique, I may consider testing it to see how it goes. Vinyl is a great way to protect the very fragile surface of MDF, although it can get expensive also - especially with the top of the line 3M Di-Noc. There are a lot of generic ones floating around in the market, but it doesn't have the same strength and durability; though with proper protection, it should be adequate.
 
""Powder coating is expensive and isn't neccessary because the rig is indoors, and doesnt have to worry about stones being kicked up from other cars that could chip the paint''

I don't know mate, I have never seen an MDF car that was powder coated driving down the street :)

This company, according to them are pioneering the process in the United States and their focus is on indoor use, ie: kitchen doors and various furniture pieces. I don't know what the prices are, but if I believe their YouTube video there is little to no prep work on the panels before powder coating which would suggest that the price would be competitive by nature.



Vinyl wrap sounds good if you haven't got too many compound curves and tight radii, my own rig which is nearing completion has a lot of complex shapes, I don't know if it would work on mine, I might be wrong. Here is what I hope it will look like once completed, obviously completely red, Gimp is good but I am not good enough to get the whole look done. Cheers mates

68be2ed5-55ce-40ee-866b-6e2da379d7ed_zps5994b8e7.jpg
 
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Hello!

This may be off-topic regarding painting MDF.

My concern is proper thigh support. If it is adequate and long enough, it will then be able to "hold" your leg in a relaxed position and thus prevent fatigue. Then, with your foot resting on a heel support, you could remain in the cockpit for quite a while and be comfortable.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts and efforts on this project: I look forward to building it when the plans are available.

Good luck in school!!!

Agent007
 
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