New Racing Simulator!!

wow for 11k thats a bit much! You can do the same for a fraction of the price

1. Momo Force wheel/pedals $107 usd amazon.com
the setup is USB so it works on ps2 and PC

2. basic home theatre/stereo $1,200 for a 5.1 system cheap bose,sony etc
or you can spend more if you are an audio lover like me

3. PS2 ~$150
4. TV 50" to 65" 16x9 2-5k
5. Sparco/Recaro market price

It looks nice but I'd rather get the F355 International Edition sit down arcade which has 3 screens(each screen is 480p), paddle shifter and 6spd manual with clutch which goes for about 5k according to the folks at Dave and Busters.

 

Oh yeah forgot to mention.. the software is only Play Station2 Gran Turismo3... great game but for 11k I expect more...

 

pipecrash
i played the 355 arcade game last year in florida and it was incredible! totally realistic in all aspects and a great way to learn a track before actually driving on it. where do you get one?

 

I drove it....it kicks ass, and I hate games. But I would get one if i had space for it...and my next house would make a space for it.

The guys behind it are pretty sharp. Many years in electronics

 

Eh...for $11k you can make a MUCH MUCH MUCH better simulator, and I mean MUCH better.

1. Big tv, a couple grand
2. Components from BRD racing including fully interactive steering wheel, 3 pedal setuo, fully working shifter, seat, etc.

I'm going to be putting one together in a year or two, using a PC as a basis, as they still outperform all consoles.

 

I dont know where you can get the F355 International Edition sit down arcade but I assume various arcades will sell them as the game is aging. But its still very cool.

If you wanna go the console route with F355 you can play it on Dreamcast or Playstation2. You can pick the game up used for ~20 bucks.

I totally agree that for 11k one can build something alot better than a glorified PS2 gran turismo3 with a subwoofer in yer butt

 

I'm sure its a nice sit down sim but for fscks sake the software is a PS2 with Gran Turismo3. I can configure the wheel settings and gas/brake threshhold settings using the game software insted of the dashboard layout with buttons. Looks nice but 11k can be spent better IMHO.

 

You could do it even cheaper than that. Buy a $79 home theater from Wal Mart and 25" tube TV for less than $200. You can get a sport seat at Pep Boys for ~$150.

 

Also GT3 as is can be configured to have a screen on the front, left and right side. I believe it needs 3 playstations for that config. However for the price tag this should be included and would greatly contribute to the driving experience.

Further, there should be at least a sequential gearbox and a fake clutch pedal to complete the simulation, even if it doesn't do anything with the current software.

AW

 

This idea has been discussed before, without a motion control system, it just a glorified game controller. True, you can build your own for far less, (I working on one now to work with my PS2.) But this system looks way too busy. It’s got a definite cool factor for those that can afford it. 11,995 seems way to steep for me.

 

I sold my PS2 and games so I could buy three tank fulls of GT100. Money well spent. Smells much better than my couch also.


Craig

 

I hooked my computer up to my 61 inch big screen with Rotel amp/tuner, Magenepan surround 5.1, polk sub, Logitech Momo steering wheel and did it for alot less than that. Mine is awesome. I love it.

 

Here is a picture of my system (Gilles27 driving): PC based, F1 2002 Challenge and a LCD projector. Underneath the self made skin is the metal rig Solipsist is showing in his picture.

I would love to use the same setup for my XBox and Gotham City racing, but the XBox steering wheel is just crap. No feedback, feels like a toy. Well, it is...

 

Speaking of driving simulators, how about this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=2482481447&category=6212

 

This is the 3rd or 4th time that item has been up for sale on EBAY.

 

Having done this for five years, I'm happy to fine tune it for you...

 

The bigger problem (aside from the high costs) with a sim like this is, that you corner yourself into their software. These sims (like any computer software) get outdated fast and are only interesting, if kept up to speed. That's why a generic setup is better.

During F1's winter break I normally reconfigure my system with upgrades in hard- and software. About once a year a new and better F1 sim comes onto the market. Often that requires an upgrade of the PC running it. Also usually after a season of heavy driving the wheel and with it the pedals need replacing.

Wit the new software you have to find new car setups, that by itself is a huge task.

 

Andreas/Will, where do you get the metal 'rig' in Wills picture? That would be cool to put in front of my big screen.

 

Forgot the name of it, but they advertise in Forza. It is really, really good. I built my first sim without it and constantly had to redo the monocoque each time I got a new wheel/pedal set. With this rig you can adjust positions etc and switching wheels is a lot easier. Only caveat is, that the steering column is too flexible and tends to wander around. So in my case I put in an additional horizontal stabilizer that connects it to the side walls of the cockpit. Now the steering stays in one place, which is essential for precise cornering.

Similar comments can be made about the pedals. You need some additional way of keeping them in place (normally just bolt right through their base plat form). Otherwise your feet will lack the precision for braking and acceleration.

 

Just found it:

http://www.bobearlracing.com/

If you want to use it as is, I'd suggest you mount the rig on a hardwood (3/4") board so you can run a U hook around to get the wheel support stabilized.