POLL - Cockpit Materials

  • Thread starter Thread starter Divinus
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Divinus

Divinus

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Divinusable
Hello fellow GTP'ers,

I have following this forum for a while and must thank you for what i have learned so far.

Here is the thing:
I want to build my own cockpit to play Ps3 games (mainly GT5). Space is not a problem and i don´t want anything between my legs (well, you know what i mean). I want the cockpit to be comfy and stable at the same time. I already have the seat (taken from a focus) and i am expecting to buy the T500RS when they launch the H-Shifter (some of you will say that moment will never come ahah)

Meanwhile I am focused on the design and the materials for the cockpit and want to hear from you. About the design i have seen a lot of good solutions however any tips will be great (i.e - i think i'll do a place to rest my left feet like the real cars)

The big question is what material should i use. Quality-Cost, stability, easily upgradable, how it looks, how hard is it to mount (very important) and things like this. I want to know what do you think it's the best material and why.

Thanks,
Divinus
 
To me wood and plywood make the best building material for a solid cockpit, especially if room is not and option. You can do so many things with it and upgrade/change things down the road, and is fairly cost effective. You just need to build it strong, I'm not talking about just a skimpy frame. Imagination works best.
 
I used wood to build the basis of my cockpit. I chose it as it was firstly cost-effective, can be sanded and cut to any shape imaginable and is also very easy to paint. I also added some plastic parts for visual appeal but for the basis, I wouldn't overlook wood as it is sturdy and the reasons listed above. Although other materials look better, most of the time you spent a lot more time modifying them with angle grinders etc, whereas with wood it is very modular and easy to change. A good coat of paint is essential though, as un-painted cockpits simply lose a lot of visual appeal.
 
There are a number of good materials that you have listed, the question is what are you most comfortable or skilled at building with?

If I had access to a welder, or a cheap means of going that route I would have, and probably will in the future. For the time being a PVC and MDF rig is working great. The PVC is easy to work with and light weight. When combined with a MDF floorboard, pedal and wheel mounts, it has a nice, finished look that the PVC alone did not have.

Also, you must consider the weight of the rig for where you will be placing it and if moving is going to be a concern. A fully built wood rig, particularly one built to replicate an arcade cabinet, will be real pain to move versus a frame-only rig like you would get with 80/20, metal or PVC.

Good luck with your build.
 
Same here. If I knew how to weld I could have gone with square metal tubing. As I don't, I went PVC. I was originally going to go with wood, but it would have ended up being very heavy and much more complex than PVC. 80/20 is also extremely expensive unless you're making a small stand. You'd be better off getting the $1300 RennSport cockpit.

In the end I'm glad I went with PVC. It's cheap, easy, and the 2" SCH40 piping I used is very sturdy. No noises, no swaying and it's very comfortable and portable.
 
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I used steel tubing (pictures on my profile page) all pictures using same basic setup. If you look close you can see that just about everything can be adjusted up/down forward/backward. Have yet to finish the seat stand also going to change the pedals for a better feel with adjustment.
 
Depending on your equiptment available, use either steel tubes or welded steel. Its strong enough that you can then be sure it won't break like wood possibly could. Also you won't get splinters with metal.
 
Thank you guys.

MoparMike
There are a number of good materials that you have listed, the question is what are you most comfortable or skilled at building with?
Click to expand...

Well...:sick:

I am studying economics so... building things isn't something i could do easily.
Well, observed that you could have stability and comfort with all materials. There are pros and cons about every material.

I don't know how to weld...so metal is out of question. (i just ask to see if there is a big diference in stability and if is worth it to pay for someone to build it)
I might give it a try with PVC tubes, but they seem not strong enough...or maybe with wood, but i don't know how to cut either. lol

I know i will learn a lot building this and i will enjoy it.
I am just waiting for the shifter of T500RS. If another shifter is released sooner maybe i get another wheel. The shifters now on the market seem a bit obsolete. I will post pics then.

Divinus
 
Metal is the best, but a combination of PVC, and wood can work great, just plan your design well, I didn't and I've ran into a few problems with my build, its been 2 weeks since I've started my build, and I don't know if I'm going to finish, but mind you I over complicated it with wanting it to fold up into a closet. Just build it to be rigid, and you'll be set.
 

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