]I plan on ordering a Playseats Evolution racing cockpit very soon (within the week) but I want to have everyone talk about the different cockpits.
There is the Playseat and Playseat Evolution cockpit, the VRX cockpit, the Sparco/GT4 cockpit, and many more.
What do other people own, have used, or just have interest in?

EDIT:
This is what I now own, and have for a few weeks.




Roughly what I see (camera at where my head rests in seat)


Mounting the wheel: screws through holes already in mounting plate, JB weld on nut and bolt to keep plate from tilting.


Pedals mounted with screws partially in and washers holding it all in place.


Lastly, how I fit in here:


Impressions:
I love it. It works very well, the pole never gets in the way, but it took a good amount of modding to mount the 360 wheel. After that experience, it works wonderfully. I love that the seat comes apart from the rest of the unit so I can use it as a chair, and the harness really adds to the feel. If you dont want it of course you can throw it over the shoulder supports and its out of the way.

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http://forums.forzamotorsport.net/forums/thread/28455.aspx

My expericen has been to build your own.  I am very very tall and that's the only way to get one that works for me.  Plus custom is less expensive, more comfortable, more customizable, you son't have to wait for it to come in, just build it in a few hours.

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max sig img size 115h x 480w. Thanks

its prolly cheaper to design and build your own with Hardware from Home depot etc...

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Skate Zilla
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http://www.youtube.com/user/SkateZillaHD

Hmmm, I'm looking forward to making my own setup next holidays - although I need to study my stuff first.

Mister, that is a VERY nice set-up, especially that you have done it yourself so well.

Diskreet, how much is that set up $$$ wise??

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d-suhiti:

Diskreet, how much is that set up $$$ wise??

It's $300 from almost everywhere, but maxwho(dot)com offers free shipping. I was going to make my own but I have nothing to cut, weld, or drill with at my college apartment and I'll probably be here till the beginning of the summer. I figure buy it now while I have the money and have it. Plus, the seat folds and it can get really compact, so when I come home for summer, unlike some home made setup, it will fit in my civic.

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I bought the base Playseat, not the Evo, but I picked it up for $250 from gogamer.com. With shipping, it came out the same as maxwho.com.

*wish**wish*

nope, still can't afford it.

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Forza Motorsport 2 LCE: ordered.
1991 Nissan Skyline GTR: on its way from Japan.

I love living in Canada...

lowe0:

I bought the base Playseat, not the Evo, but I picked it up for $250 from gogamer.com. With shipping, it came out the same as maxwho.com.

The only reason I want the Evo is because the wheel support looks much sturdier. I bet the base one has some play to it. Of course, you don't have a bit metal pole between your legs, but thats a price I'll pay for stability.
Write a short review though!

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the evolution is pretty nice. not as sturdy as i thought it would be but it still pretty awesome

mounting the steering wheel is a PITA. you need to use velcro (which means you have a few mm of play).

the seat itself is ok, nothing too great just alright.

fit wise its perfect. you can fit a 6'8 person into this setup.

stability wise, they could have improved just a slight bit, but its pretty awesome overall.

owace:

the evolution is pretty nice. not as sturdy as i thought it would be but it still pretty awesome

mounting the steering wheel is a PITA. you need to use velcro (which means you have a few mm of play).

the seat itself is ok, nothing too great just alright.

fit wise its perfect. you can fit a 6'8 person into this setup.

stability wise, they could have improved just a slight bit, but its pretty awesome overall.

Thanks for the review. I've decided to ordered one!

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My dream plan is to build something like the old day arcade-type inside seaters like the old pole position. Could use some plywood and get creative!

Could also slip in a killer surround sound system with speakers right behind the seat.

POLE POSITION ARCADE GAME

Or, if money is no object, why not buy something like this?

HOME PRO RACER

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Regards,
Tom

You nailed it. The major issue actually isn't play in the steering support - it's the tiny crossbar past the pedal plate. There's a pro upgrade that basically adds an aluminum platform, but that eliminates a great deal of the Wife Acceptance Factor, and costs $150 besides.

It does a great job of holding on to the wheel, however, even without the velcro (I only used it on the pedals. The wheel plate is too narrow, so I might add a board or something to bring it all in line.

I looked at the Evo, but the center post would drive me nuts.

so are these worth the money or setting the wheel on the table almost the same thing?

is it worth $300?

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Keep it clean

Do not get a cockpit that uses a pole between the legs. You will *hate* it.

 

If you had 30k I would recommend this one

 

http://www.force-dynamics.com/images.php

 

...but it wont work with Forza....

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Keep it clean

I'd rather the post between my legs than the cheaper feel of the normal version. I can't afford $250 + $150 so I'll pay the $300 and get the better looking, more stable, but pole-between-legs EVO.
Plus, a few older race cars had poles there and the drivers did just fine.

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After some research I went with http://www.bobearlracing.com/ racing cockpit.  There are a couple features I really like about it.

1. It's very comfortable for long racing periods and my left leg doesn't get tired having it perched just above the brake.
2. There's less flex in the steering column than other seats I've tried, though it's not perfectly stiff.
3. I can stand it on it's end (without detaching any of the steering wheel components) and put it a corner very easily so it doesn't take up much space.
4. Other than setting up your steering wheel, it takes zero assembly.

The only issue I have is that with the MS wheel I use, if you want to solidly mount it to the base, you'll have to do a little work, but I think that's the case with all the setups I've seen.

Good luck in whatever you choose, a racing cockpit definetly adds to the immersion.

Let me add this to the mix of my choice, and then you guys can comment more:
I have a TON of automotive decorations and furnature; posters, a flag, an end table made of nascar tires, and 2 RSX leather seats converted into chairs. Unfortunatly the RSX seats are too high and I dont have any tools to cut the bases properly. So not only do I want a cockpit I can race with, I want one I can take apart and use as a car seat chair. The Playseats Evo pretty much checks all the boxes, and the white one looks better than anything else i've seen.
That pole still bugs me a tiny bit, so I have to ask: How does it work with your setup? Is it really that bad?

1 last comment: I do plan on using some nuts, bolts, and screws to get a really stable mount for both the wheel and pedals. No cheap velcro if I can figure a way around it.

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I was thinking of getting the Playseat Evo as well, but like some others, don't want the steering pole between my legs. It might not be that big of a deal, but to me, it seems like it would get in the way.

I was also looking at doing a cockpit using PVC and then painting it black. The only problem with that, is I don't want to get a seat from a junkyard. I want to get a relatively cheap seat, kinda like the playseat without the base. I would not spend the kind of money to get a Sparco seat.  Anyone know a decent seat that would be around $100, and that I could use for a homemade cockpit?

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"Get to the gone"

Go on a car enthusiast forum and check the for sale parts. you can get used seats for crazy cheap from cars like civics, integras, 240s, etc

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eschumac:

Do not get a cockpit that uses a pole between the legs. You will *hate* it.

 

why you say that? i am pretty happy with my seat. i just wish i could bolt it down or something.

maxwho FTW!!