Build-a-pod (plans inside)

  • Thread starter ericleroi
  • 64 comments
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it looks very nice in red and black!
I am planning to make only the front part because i have a great chair already so i don't need the seat. I will post pictures by the time i'n going to make it, not much time right now:(. but great plans and i think it will have much more enjoyment to it when yu have created such thing yourself.
 
Hi brent4booyeah, the seat was expensive, 112 pounds but worth every penny as I've spent so much time sitting in it! I didn't realise bucket seats could be so much more comfortable that regular car seats which don't seem to suit by back very well. I got it from here:

www.sportseats4u.co.uk

I had a really good experience with them.

Hi Daniel_Elessar, good luck with your build and I'll look forward to seeing your pictures!
 
These are just what i was looking for. Cant wait to start. Could you explain the buttkicker alittle bit. Where do i get one? how do I hook it up? how much? thank you.
 
Hi LikeStig, the Buttkicker is a device which transmits low frequency sounds into something which can be felt. For example, the growl of an engine or the vibration of a car going over rumble strips or bumps in the road. Once you've felt the extra immersion factor you get with this, you'll really notice when it's not there. There are several types of unit, the Gamer being the cheapest (significant difference in price; far cheaper in the USA than Europe where it's about £100 - still well worth it though). There's also the mini LFE and the standard LFE, the latter being considerably more powerful and expensive. The Gamer unit comes with a clamp to attach it to a pole or office seat whilst the LFE allows a better attachment to flat surfaces. I still haven't got around to replacing my Gamer unit with a mini LFE yet but hope to do so once I've paid for my holiday which should be soon. I would recommend attaching the unit directly to the base of a seat as the effect is far better.

The unit is driven directly from line level signal input so effectively it's a case of inserting a 'Y' or signal splitter cable in the sound signal path from the console to the output device (i.e. tv or amplifier). It only works with the phono output though. This feeds into the Buttkicker's own dedicated amp which has a gain control to adjust the level of effect.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi all. Nice design. I was thinking if i were to follow your design and build one of those, would it be feasible if i used seats with sliding brackets and glued the base to the footwell. I'm not entirely sure about that but i thought it might be easier when my friends come to play. I'm planning to use the xbox 360 wireless steering wheel on it.

And i would also like to ask, how long did u take to build it and what cutting tools you used to do this.

Thanks for replying.
 
Hi Crusher, I can't see any problems with using sliding brackets at all. It may be better to extend the footwell and screw this into the inside of the seat base to make it more secure rather than glue it (or do both preferably). You may want to check the width of the MS wireless wheel to make sure it fits on the top shelf.

The basic build took a couple of days but this was working without plans. The painting and varnishing was done over the course of about 2 weeks to let everything dry properly.

I used a hand held circular saw and a jigsaw for cutting the wood.
 
Hi, Thank you very much for posting your plans. I am now planning to build a cockpit like this but with a few add ons. This si the best looking and best built cockpit Iv seen and im very happy you posted the plans.
 
Thanks very much for the comments and I'm sure you will get a huge amount of enjoyment from building it and using it. I've been using mine practically non-stop for about 10 months now and still love it. I'm planning to update it a little bit soon with an adjustable set of hanging pedals now I have the NIXIM mod and I'll post plans when it's complete. The idea is to integrate it as cleanly as possible with the existing structure. I'm also going to update the dash with some buttons and the CSX shift indicator which I've just ordered:

http://www.cannonsimulationtechnologies.com/new-page.htm

This won't work on GT unfortunately but will on other PC sims.
 
Im thinking of making the Pod a little wider and fit a sort of centre console running along side of the driving position making it feel like a sort of single seater and also I will make a hole to moount the shifter onto. Also got plans to put a cup holder for a beer in there to lol. Ill post pictures of my ideas and give me your feedback.

And great cockpit the best by far.
 
wow, this is ingenious

hopefully i can give this a try when i'm off school

just a quick question, how heavy is the unit?
unfortunately i dont have a TV solely for GT5P and I'll have to move the cockpit out of the way when im not playing it
 
If you plan on keeping it modular and not using a base like I am, it's not too heavy, I'd say luggable, more awkward to carry than anything else. I have mine on a base which is foam backed and can be slid across the floor out of the way when not in use .... which is practically never!
 
lol , i had the basic idea when i did my POD , make it movable so i can take it outta the room when im not using it... its bin about 4 months that i have it and i never even moved it an inch
 
thanks for the clarification
cant wait to get started on mine!!!

hey ericleroi,
i got a quick question
how did you affix the G25 pedal stand to the wood base thats angled?
 
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ericleroi; Just wondering if you have made any new sim rigs.
I am always looking to build my next 1. i just stumbled on your rig, its kinda what i had in mind for my new 1. just i plan to make the new 1 very portable.
Please send me some photos of any new rig you have, thanks
regards;
Peewee.
 
Just waiting for my G27 to arrive in the next 24-48 hrs, so thinking about starting on this asap. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to invert the pedals using this plan or shall I go down a different plan route?
 
I have a friend who used Ericleroi's design to make his pod. Great plans, very solid. He helped me make the seat base for mine as well. Here are some pictures of his pod:

5336916139_9885a31fa5_z.jpg

The shifter stand was his own design though

And the seat base on my rig:
5337530340_fcbf805699_z.jpg
 
Great to see that these plans are still useful! Regarding the inverted pedals, if you're not too tall, there may be sufficient room in the nose to position the necessary support for the pedals. Hope that makes sense.

I really do intend to make a mkII at some point this year when the weather improves. I'll post plans again but hope to do a more professional job on these next time.

Great job on the build btw.
 
ericleroi... just wanted to say great design on the stand. I know this thread is a few years old, but I haven't found a better design out there yet. I just received my G27 and will be starting a build similar to yours on Sunday. I am just trying to figure out the best way to incorporate a permanent arm rest / shifter mount. I am also going to go with an inverted pedal mount. Have you done any upgrades to your rig?
 
Hi thedigitel, I have changed the shifter mount. I built a curved L section and attached it to the seat base. I'm not at home for the next few days but will take a picture when I return to show what it looks like. A lot of the designs seem to have the shifter mounted quite high up which, In my opinion, doesn't reflect the position that you find in a regular car.
 
Sounds good, I look forward to seeing the pictures. I have finished my seat base, and will begin construction of the floor and sides this evening. I'm thinking about building the shifter mount into one side of the wheel stand so that I can use the chair and base as an extra seat in my gaming room.

IMAG0132.jpg
 
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Hi, These plans look great I'm getting my drawings and materials together to start building.

I was wondering how tall are the people using the pod? I'm 6'1 and I think that 100cm would be a little short. I guess if you get the elevation of the seatbase right then that wouldn't be as much of a factor.

thanks,
 
rise888
And the seat base on my rig:
5337530340_fcbf805699_z.jpg
Click to expand...

Is your seat really stable with just the base right under it? I'm figuring out how to build my own seat base, but I am currently thinking about connecting it to my wheel stand. You can have a look at my plans in this thread. Do you think the green part will be necessary, or will it be enough with the yellow part? Thanks for your advice.

@ericleroi I love your design, I really wish my cockpit wouldn't have to be foldable...
 
despawn
Is your seat really stable with just the base right under it? I'm figuring out how to build my own seat base, but I am currently thinking about connecting it to my wheel stand. You can have a look at my plans in this thread. Do you think the green part will be necessary, or will it be enough with the yellow part? Thanks for your advice.

@ericleroi I love your design, I really wish my cockpit wouldn't have to be foldable...
Click to expand...

Between the weight of the seat, and the base, and the you sitting in it, that setup doesn't move much, especially if you put rubber feet on it! I totally ripped off rise888's setup for my own, except a different wheel, seat and living room of course.

I was thinking someday I might make a platform that the seat/base and RSWSv2 would sit on tho, keep the spacing constant... but as a big guy myself, I like the sturdiness and the ability to move things around for comfort and usability. When I do that I'll probably do a detached shifter stand as well.
 
@Gunstar: I'm more concerned with the seat tipping over if you lean to much backwards than the whole thing jumping around the living room. I guess I'll have to test it myself to be 100 percent confident, and in my design the connection isn't much hassle to make. Thanks for your input, appreciate it.
 
despawn
@Gunstar: I'm more concerned with the seat tipping over if you lean to much backwards than the whole thing jumping around the living room. I guess I'll have to test it myself to be 100 percent confident, and in my design the connection isn't much hassle to make. Thanks for your input, appreciate it.
Click to expand...

If you like to lean your seat way back, just be sure your base is longer in the back to compensate... it can be flat in front, and angled to your need in the back.
 
ericleroi
Thanks for your comments, and glad to be able to help people! I still have some add-ons to the details/plans to post which will include a plinth (easy to construct) and a shifter stand. Here's what they look like before painting:

ShifterMount001.jpg
Click to expand...

coolest shift stand i see so far good looking, practical quick shift between American and European cars love it
 

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