HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit

**Ben** · 05-22-2007, 08:13 PM

EDIT: For those of you wondering why I spelled c0ckpit with a ZERO...the forums censor the word c0ck, so without the ZERO, c0ckpit looks like ****pit.

I have made some random posts about this c0ckpit in one of the other threads but a lot of people have been asking me questions and wanted to see other pictures. This thread will just be one post with all of the pics / info about the c0ckpit so you can make your own

.

First, I made a custom table out of PVC pipe and a shelf to mount the steering wheel to. It was originally designed to pull right up to the couch. After a few days I realized I had a racing seat in storage from my race car and I modified my table to accomodate it. All I had to do was lower the table about 1.5 inches. The instructions below are designed for a seat like mine. If you want to use a couch, just make it a little taller.

You can make your own for $30-$40.

Supplies:
2 x 10 foot PVC pipes (1 1/4 inch)
6 x L connectors (90 degree elbows)
4 x T connectors
4 x 3" long bolts /w nuts
4 x 1.5" long bolts /w nuts
2 x metal u-clamps that will wrap around a 1 1/4 inch diameter PVC pipe
1 x 24" x 11" shelf

The dimensions are:
~32" long
~28" wide
~21.5" tall (this is determined by your seat. If using a couch, 23" would probably be good)

To build it, you need to cut your PVC pipe in to 11 pieces (these lengths are APPROXIMATE):
2 x 20" (side, front)
2 x 8" (side, back)
1 x 24" (back)
2 x 11" (front)
2 x 16.5" (vertical pipes in middle of side)
1 x 26" (diagonal pipe in middle of front)
2 x 10.5" (top)

Instructions:
1) Start creating a rectangular base by taking the 24" pipe and connecting 2 L connectors on each end.
2) Connect the 8" pipes to the other end of the L connectors and then connect 2 T connectors to the other end of the 8" pipes with the T's facing UP.
3) Connect the 20" pipes to the other end of the T's that are on the ground.
4) Connect the other end of the 20" pipes to 2 L connectors.
5) Finish the base by connecting the 11" pipes together with a T connector and putting the other ends of the 11" pipes in to the 2 L connectors from the last step.

You should now have a rectangle that measures approximately 32" x 28" with 2 T connectors facing straight UP and 1 T connector in the front facing diagonally UP / towards the back.

6) Insert the 26" pipe in to the T connector in the front of the base.
7) Insert the 16.5" pipes in to the T connectors on the side of the base.
8) Connect 2 L connectors to the 16.5" pipes from the previous step.
9) Connect the remaining 2 10.5" pipes together with the remaining T connector and then connect this to the vertical and diagonal pipes from steps 6 and 7.

You should now have a complete frame. All that's left to do is mount the shelf on the top of the frame.

10) Drill 4 holes through the middle of the shelf and the PVC pipe, 2 going through each 10.5" top pipe. Space them however you want, but try to make them symmetrical. Send the 3" bolts through the holes, and attach a nut on the underside of the PVC pipe and tighten them.
11) For more stability, you can install a u-clamp. When looking down at the shelf from above, drill 2 holes in the shelf in the middle of the 2 screws you installed in step 10. You want 1 hole to be above the pvc pipe, and 1 to be below the pvc pipe. Send the 1.5" bolts through the shelf, through the holes in the u-clamp, and put a nut on the end and tighten.

You're done!

The PVC table should look something like this:

As you can see in the pictures above, I had to put my seat on books to make it an appropriate height. This was fine for a week or so, but it was a pain to move the seat out of the way to watch TV because I had to move about 30 books a long with it!

The solution I came up with was to make a wooden base frame for the seat.

The whole frame costs about $12 to make.

Supplies:
1 x 24" x 20" x 1/2" plywood
1 x 8 foot 2x4 cut in to four 2 foot pieces.
6 x 3" wood screws
4 x 2" wood screws

Instructions:
1) Put 2 of the two foot 2x4's on top of each other and put the plywood on top of them. Line them up to the edge of the plywood and screw three 3" screws through all of the pieces (1 screw at the bottom, middle, and top). Repeat this for the other side.
2) Flip the frame over so the plywood is on the floor, place your seat on the 2x4's, center it, and send the four 2" screws through the holes in the sliders / seat bracket and in to the 2x4.

That's it!

It should look like this:

The next thing I did was raise my pedals up a bit and put them at an angle. This made the pedals more comfortable and feel more realistic. Originally I did this using books (just like my seat) but I later made a pedal stand out of wood.

You can make your own for about $15.

Supplies:
1 x 14" x 14" x 3/8" plywood
2 x wooden wedges (2-3" tall, 11-14" long)

I couldn't find the wooden wedges at home depot, but I had some old building blocks from when I was a kid and they worked perfectly.

Instructions really aren't necessary, just screw the wedges in to the plywood and the final result looks like this:

All in all, the whole setup cost about $60:

PVC frame / table: $30
Wooden base frame for seat: $12
Wooden pedal stand: $15
Racing in a Recaro Pro Racer HANS while playing Forza 2: Priceless.

Here's some pics of the final setup:

lokutus1 · 05-23-2007, 01:01 PM

nice! thanks ben! i'm going to build one of these and use my sti seats since i just put in some brides in my actual car.

***Horhay*** · 05-23-2007, 01:27 PM

$60...haha, plus the seat and wheel setup, not to mention the TV and 360...speaking of which, where do I find a SUPER cheap (but still decent for this application) seat?

Dos531 · 05-23-2007, 01:50 PM

Well you dont need any real racing seat so something from pep boys or ebay should work fine for this application.

Tim Flat4 · 05-23-2007, 02:18 PM

If you guys want to see some gnarly c0ckpits and hardcore SIM racing wheels/pedals you should check out Racing Sim Central Forums @ http://forum.rscnet.org/forum.php?

Drag-On · 05-25-2007, 08:17 AM

Great How-To. I was planning to build a custom ****pit for MS steering wheel but this saves me the trouble of having to plan it all out. Thanks Ben!

Stephisto47 · 05-25-2007, 08:28 AM

As far as seats go, Pep Boys, Auto Zone, or Discount Autoparts would be a good choice. They have "nice" seats for under 100. Perfect for this!

loworbitSI · 05-26-2007, 08:55 AM

Mine:

Stephisto47 · 05-26-2007, 03:25 PM

Ya'll really get into this...

2f2fskyline · 05-27-2007, 08:01 AM

Just built my own racing setup
basically used ben's setup just a couple differences and used the MadCats Wheel and AK Rocker Chair

look close and there is also a pic of Sigma7 car

**Ben** · 05-27-2007, 10:55 AM

Nice

willtec888 · 07-31-2007, 09:18 PM

WOW Crazy set-ups

Ben.. NICE TV.. I WANT what brand?

**tyler_sti** · 07-31-2007, 09:25 PM

Sick. I wish I had one with an athentic recaro..

**Ben** · 07-31-2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willtec888

WOW Crazy set-ups

Ben.. NICE TV.. I WANT what brand?

Samsung 56" DLP

SoaReS · 08-03-2007, 03:15 PM

I got the same samsung in 46"

05-22-2007, 08:13 PM	#1
Ben Retired Admin Car: 2006 Audi S4 Fav Mod: Weight Loss Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,850 Join Date: Dec 1969 Trader Rating: (11)	HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit EDIT: For those of you wondering why I spelled c0ckpit with a ZERO...the forums censor the word c0ck, so without the ZERO, c0ckpit looks like pit. I have made some random posts about this c0ckpit in one of the other threads but a lot of people have been asking me questions and wanted to see other pictures. This thread will just be one post with all of the pics / info about the c0ckpit so you can make your own . First, I made a custom table out of PVC pipe and a shelf to mount the steering wheel to. It was originally designed to pull right up to the couch. After a few days I realized I had a racing seat in storage from my race car and I modified my table to accomodate it. All I had to do was lower the table about 1.5 inches. The instructions below are designed for a seat like mine. If you want to use a couch, just make it a little taller. You can make your own for $30-$40. Supplies: 2 x 10 foot PVC pipes (1 1/4 inch) 6 x L connectors (90 degree elbows) 4 x T connectors 4 x 3" long bolts /w nuts 4 x 1.5" long bolts /w nuts 2 x metal u-clamps that will wrap around a 1 1/4 inch diameter PVC pipe 1 x 24" x 11" shelf The dimensions are: ~32" long ~28" wide ~21.5" tall (this is determined by your seat. If using a couch, 23" would probably be good) To build it, you need to cut your PVC pipe in to 11 pieces (these lengths are APPROXIMATE): 2 x 20" (side, front) 2 x 8" (side, back) 1 x 24" (back) 2 x 11" (front) 2 x 16.5" (vertical pipes in middle of side) 1 x 26" (diagonal pipe in middle of front) 2 x 10.5" (top) Instructions: 1) Start creating a rectangular base by taking the 24" pipe and connecting 2 L connectors on each end. 2) Connect the 8" pipes to the other end of the L connectors and then connect 2 T connectors to the other end of the 8" pipes with the T's facing UP. 3) Connect the 20" pipes to the other end of the T's that are on the ground. 4) Connect the other end of the 20" pipes to 2 L connectors. 5) Finish the base by connecting the 11" pipes together with a T connector and putting the other ends of the 11" pipes in to the 2 L connectors from the last step. You should now have a rectangle that measures approximately 32" x 28" with 2 T connectors facing straight UP and 1 T connector in the front facing diagonally UP / towards the back. 6) Insert the 26" pipe in to the T connector in the front of the base. 7) Insert the 16.5" pipes in to the T connectors on the side of the base. 8) Connect 2 L connectors to the 16.5" pipes from the previous step. 9) Connect the remaining 2 10.5" pipes together with the remaining T connector and then connect this to the vertical and diagonal pipes from steps 6 and 7. You should now have a complete frame. All that's left to do is mount the shelf on the top of the frame. 10) Drill 4 holes through the middle of the shelf and the PVC pipe, 2 going through each 10.5" top pipe. Space them however you want, but try to make them symmetrical. Send the 3" bolts through the holes, and attach a nut on the underside of the PVC pipe and tighten them. 11) For more stability, you can install a u-clamp. When looking down at the shelf from above, drill 2 holes in the shelf in the middle of the 2 screws you installed in step 10. You want 1 hole to be above the pvc pipe, and 1 to be below the pvc pipe. Send the 1.5" bolts through the shelf, through the holes in the u-clamp, and put a nut on the end and tighten. You're done! The PVC table should look something like this: As you can see in the pictures above, I had to put my seat on books to make it an appropriate height. This was fine for a week or so, but it was a pain to move the seat out of the way to watch TV because I had to move about 30 books a long with it! The solution I came up with was to make a wooden base frame for the seat. The whole frame costs about $12 to make. Supplies: 1 x 24" x 20" x 1/2" plywood 1 x 8 foot 2x4 cut in to four 2 foot pieces. 6 x 3" wood screws 4 x 2" wood screws Instructions: 1) Put 2 of the two foot 2x4's on top of each other and put the plywood on top of them. Line them up to the edge of the plywood and screw three 3" screws through all of the pieces (1 screw at the bottom, middle, and top). Repeat this for the other side. 2) Flip the frame over so the plywood is on the floor, place your seat on the 2x4's, center it, and send the four 2" screws through the holes in the sliders / seat bracket and in to the 2x4. That's it! It should look like this: The next thing I did was raise my pedals up a bit and put them at an angle. This made the pedals more comfortable and feel more realistic. Originally I did this using books (just like my seat) but I later made a pedal stand out of wood. You can make your own for about $15. Supplies: 1 x 14" x 14" x 3/8" plywood 2 x wooden wedges (2-3" tall, 11-14" long) I couldn't find the wooden wedges at home depot, but I had some old building blocks from when I was a kid and they worked perfectly. Instructions really aren't necessary, just screw the wedges in to the plywood and the final result looks like this: All in all, the whole setup cost about $60: PVC frame / table: $30 Wooden base frame for seat: $12 Wooden pedal stand: $15 Racing in a Recaro Pro Racer HANS while playing Forza 2: Priceless. Here's some pics of the final setup: This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad. Last edited by Ben : 05-22-2007 at 08:19 PM.

05-23-2007, 01:01 PM	#2
lokutus1 Spec C Club Car: 05 WRB WRX STi Fav Mod: FYI, I'm a dude Location: Burlington, MA Posts: 2,350 Join Date: Mar 2005 Trader Rating: (10)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit nice! thanks ben! i'm going to build one of these and use my sti seats since i just put in some brides in my actual car.

05-23-2007, 01:27 PM	#3
*Horhay* Unobtanium Member Car: 2005 CGM STi Fav Mod: Process West V-Mount IC Location: 1st state Posts: 962 Join Date: Dec 2004 Trader Rating: (6)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit $60...haha, plus the seat and wheel setup, not to mention the TV and 360...speaking of which, where do I find a SUPER cheap (but still decent for this application) seat?

05-23-2007, 01:50 PM	#4
Dos531 Professional STI Racer Car: 06 Evo IX SE Fav Mod: My skillz Location: Redlands/Riverside CA Posts: 668 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (3)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Well you dont need any real racing seat so something from pep boys or ebay should work fine for this application.

05-23-2007, 02:18 PM	#5
Tim Flat4 Professional STI Racer Car: '94 STiL? Location: Misery, MO Posts: 607 Join Date: Oct 2006 Trader Rating: (1)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit If you guys want to see some gnarly c0ckpits and hardcore SIM racing wheels/pedals you should check out Racing Sim Central Forums @ http://forum.rscnet.org/forum.php?

05-25-2007, 08:17 AM	#6
Drag-On Grassroots STI Racer Car: '06 Aspen White STI Fav Mod: RCE Tarmac 2 Location: So Cal Posts: 569 Join Date: Jul 2006 Trader Rating: (7)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Great How-To. I was planning to build a custom ****pit for MS steering wheel but this saves me the trouble of having to plan it all out. Thanks Ben!

05-25-2007, 08:28 AM	#7
Stephisto47 Spec C Club Car: 2007 SWP STi Fav Mod: Cobb AP v1.03!! Location: Ft. Myers, FL Posts: 1,217 Join Date: Apr 2007 Trader Rating: (2)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit As far as seats go, Pep Boys, Auto Zone, or Discount Autoparts would be a good choice. They have "nice" seats for under 100. Perfect for this!

05-26-2007, 08:55 AM	#8
loworbitSI Professional STI Driver Car: 2004.5 Subaru WRX ST Fav Mod: 17x10s Location: Columbus OH Posts: 418 Join Date: Aug 2004 Trader Rating: (3)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Mine:

05-26-2007, 03:25 PM	#9
Stephisto47 Spec C Club Car: 2007 SWP STi Fav Mod: Cobb AP v1.03!! Location: Ft. Myers, FL Posts: 1,217 Join Date: Apr 2007 Trader Rating: (2)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Ya'll really get into this...

05-27-2007, 08:01 AM	#10
2f2fskyline Amateur STI Driver Posts: 39 Join Date: Sep 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Just built my own racing setup basically used ben's setup just a couple differences and used the MadCats Wheel and AK Rocker Chair look close and there is also a pic of Sigma7 car

05-27-2007, 10:55 AM	#11
Ben Retired Admin Car: 2006 Audi S4 Fav Mod: Weight Loss Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 2,850 Join Date: Dec 1969 Trader Rating: (11)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Nice

07-31-2007, 09:18 PM	#12
willtec888 Junior STI Driver Car: 05 STi Location: Queens NY Posts: 91 Join Date: Nov 2006 Trader Rating: (2)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit WOW Crazy set-ups Ben.. NICE TV.. I WANT what brand?

07-31-2007, 09:25 PM	#13
tyler_sti Gold Member Car: '07 CMG STI Fav Mod: Not knowing how to "spell" hah Location: los angeles Posts: 3,737 Join Date: Aug 2006 Trader Rating: (15)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit Sick. I wish I had one with an athentic recaro..

08-03-2007, 03:15 PM	#15
SoaReS S204 Racer Car: 05\|WRB\|STi Fav Mod: Cobb Stage 2 Location: H-Town, NJ Posts: 3,814 Join Date: Aug 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	Re: HOW-TO: Custom racing c0ckpit I got the same samsung in 46" This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.