GT86 Inspired Racing Simulator Build

[Keethos 842]

Well, after initially wanting to do this back at Uni for my final year project but not being allowed to do it (because is wasn't "Academic" enough), only to then discover a nice seat in the attic of my brother's house a couple of years later when I started working at 3D Scanners UK, I thought that I'd give it another go and to use this seat as part of the racing simulator that I could build......fast forward 4 years and I've finally got round to actually doing it.

So when I first started working at 3D Scanners UK, as a way to learn PolyWorks and to practice using different scanning systems, I thought I'd challenge myself by scanning this seat that I had found from my bothers attic so I could reverse engineer the seat. This was so that I could then import the seat into a CAD package like SolidWorks to design the frame around.....sadly that never happened and the seat has been sat in the corner of my room for the last 4 years. I was also originally going to buy a Fanatec steering wheel setup but I couldn't afford it at the time and then along came another car plus mods and real trackdays which meant that again, the project never took off.

This is the raw scan data using a laser line scanner connected to an articulated arm.

This is the data after it had been meshed to make what we call a polygonal model (a model made up of triangles or "polygons")

And this is after many hours reverse engineering from a scan into a solid CAD model by creating what we call a curve network in a way that it creates 4x4 NURBS patches.

However recently I purchased a Logitech G29 at a pretty low price and after being called out by my friend Darren who is a games designer for Codemasters on the new Dirt Rally game on the Dirt Rally Road Book blog, I thought it was time that I kicked started the project again. So after having scanned my seat, I then set out to scan the Logitech G29 peripherals.

Now I initially started to umm and arh about just buying an off the shelf racing simulator but then it hit me, I've scanned all this stuff....why don't I scan the interior of my 86 so I can get the exact driving position I currently have rather than hope that these off the shelf racing simulators would offer something similar (plus the enjoyment of building one yourself).

So I started to scan the interior of my car, aligned the scans of the Logitech G29 peripherals and the seat to the positions of my interior driving positions, dimensioned up the scans for their positions and angles and then exported all this out into SolidWorks.

Within SolidWorks, I started design the racing simulator using aluminium extrusions and positioned everything in relation to the scans that I had imported. I also had some design criteria that I had to include such as being at a certain height due to the height of my TV and adjustable seat and table top for when I'm not racing.

The design was changed to make construction a lil easier and to generalise some of the parts rather than having lots of unique parts.  Not only that, since this is inspired by my 86, the pedals would need to be pointing in the right directions too i.e. hanging upside down rather than pointing up.

After a couple of further minor design tweaks, I assembled the parts together along with modelled up brackets etc so I could easily generate a bill of materials of the required extrusion lengths and quantities, number of brackets, T nuts and bolts, then set out to get prices.

Here you can see the overlap of the original interior scan of my 86 compared to the designed racing simulator that I hoped to build.

[Keethos 842]

The aluminium extrusion was all brought from a company in Leicester who for a lil extra would cut all the bits to the correct lengths but the brackets from them would have been extortionate so I ended up ordering them from China which took a while but were mega cheap compared to the UK. The extrusion on the other hand would have been mega expensive from China primarily due to the weight and size of the stuff.

Here are all the 30x30 extrusions that I brought all laid out.

The various 30x30 and 30x60 brackets from China along with a boat load of cap screws and t nuts.

Some interior L brackets that will need modifying so I can use them to help support the small plate for the steering to sit on, this plate can either lift up and be flush with the rest of the table for everyday/keyboard use or they can hold the plate at a set angle for the steering wheel to mount to and face in the correct direction to me.

After a lot of modifying of brackets, the corner brackets all had extra bits sticking out of the flat faces (which you might just make out on the brackets to the right) to prevent the brackets from twisting but because I need to rotate most of these 90deg or whatever funny degrees I needed, I had to sand down these knobbly bits.

Once all the components had arrived, I then eagerly start to put her together starting with the seat frame first.

80% of the seat complete

Mock test of the seat mounting to the seat frame.

Parts for the front frame all laid out on the floor.

Sadly, due to my own incompetence, I took the dimensions of the brackets and extrusions from a different source which meant that some things arrived bigger than I originally anticipated, so I had to rejig some bits to fit together and luckily I was allowed to take a load of unwanted bolts from work that were long enough for the bigger parts.

Part way through, I also modified the racing pedals by literally swapping the clutch and accelerator pedals around so when you flip the pedals upside down, they were in the correct order.

Another issue I came across was when I had some 12mm thick MDF brought and cut from B&Q, the guy at B&Q missed out a panel of MDF that I the drawings for which was even handed to him.....he just ignored it or completely forgot....and because he had the drawings I forgot too so again, I had to rejig some of them too but it all eventually came together.

The only thing that remains to be done is the arm rests which I have the pieces for and the foam but I just need some fabric and staples to put everything together. But I've been using it so far and it is glorious!!! Many people will not understand why, some will but think I'm crazy, but I'm sure there will be those who geek out at stuff like this either way, it's all about the journey. Being able to design something and actually create it is always a great feeling, it's just a bonus that it's a racing simulator that I use to play Project Cars and Dirt Rally with! Hope you enjoyed the story!!!

[Lauren 2259]

Wow that is very impressive Keith! When I saw it on FB, I didn't understand what was going on, but this must be the ultimate simulator setup. I love it that you've done it on the GT and your actual driving position. Briliant.

[Nicebiscuit 655]

That's so cool! So much more fun to make stuff than to buy it as well. Now all you need is someone to accurately map Blyton onto one of the decent racing sims...

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[Ade 517]

This is amazing stuff. Project cars, Abudabi and the 1970s lotus F1 car with all aids off is fun! 

[nerdstrike 186]

Cripes, looking superb, while simultaneously feeling like adult meccano. Inverting the pedals was smart, but you'll need a big-ass screen to not look tiny at the end of your frame.

[Keethos 842]

51 inches about a meter away from the steering wheel....that big enough?

[nerdstrike 186]

Next up, heated seat?

[Kirsty80 16]

This is great! love the write up, very intresting, always wanted to move in to 3D cad, from programing.

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[Willtl 54]

Make sure you immerse yourself in the latest games like Night Driver and Pole Position so you get a real sense of driving.

 

 

[rob275 1817]

You should definitely get an 86 seat for this! Perhaps keep an eye out for one going cheap(ish) good effort though!

[Keethos 842]

Next up, heated seat?

Thanks all.....heated seats are a definite no no for me, even on a real car....my room is usually roasting anyways and I don't like the pissed ones self feeling

[Keethos 842]

This is great! love the write up, very intresting, always wanted to move in to 3D cad, from programing.

Sent from my E6853 using Tapatalk

Plenty of 3D CAD packages out there to play with if you know where to look And they're usually not too difficult to pick up and learn, plenty of tutorials and videos about on YouTube and the likes.

[Keethos 842]

You should definitely get an 86 seat for this! Perhaps keep an eye out for one going cheap(ish) good effort though!

Will definitely be keeping an eye out....still want a left hand drive drivers seat so I can stick on the passenger side to lift the seat up for rear passenger feet.

[Andy Mac 32]

That is superb. Top job.