Episode 1
I started a thread in 2017, nearly 3 years ago, looking for inspiration for my next cockpit (https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/extremely-adjustable-cockpit.134678/). It should have a seating range that goes from office chair to typical 20 degree layback GT seat to modern F1 without requiring 10 to 30 minutes to adjust, like Next Level's F-GT cockpit ($500 US). Pro Sim's Evolution II would fulfill the desire, but I sure don't want to pay the price of a car to get one!
Pieces of the puzzle began to fall in place when I realized that your head will move around during a seating change, so having some way to raise & lower my triple monitors was a requirement. Heck, it was a necessity just to see parts of the central monitor blocked by the steering wheel when I want to do regular computer work! I filled this requirement by mounting the triple screens to an electric sit/stand desk frame: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KKUPZ9K/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1ID932JV3FHA5&colid=2PHOY7H4MGWI0
Then I spent a couple years cogitating about motor arrangements for positioning the seat. In the meantime, the 35-year-old car seat I've been using in the existing rig has begun disintegrating. The seat came from a Toyota Tercel and I had it reupholstered circa 1999 for a different project, then used it for the current simrig which I built in 2008 or 2009. So the need for a new seat has become more urgent. Apparently urgency can somewhat spur the brain into action because I finally realized that electric recliners have the necessary hardware that could be adapted, so I began looking at secondhand electric recliners on craigslist.
After watching several candidates appear & disappear on craigslist, I learned that a fully functional recliner could be had for under $100 US. Cheapest I saw was $35, with most being between $50 and $100. None of them had screamed "buy me" until two days ago. This final candidate was a Human Touch Perfect Chair PC-085. This model has been made for probably a dozen years, but it has a fatal flaw in that the upholstery is bonded leather; bonded leather typically fails in about 5 years of use, flaking off like scabby skin. But the motor and mechanism continues working, so owners should get rid of them cheap when it becomes ugly because they don't want to pay $700-$800 US to get new pads every 5-6 years. Refurbished models are still available and they sell for $999-$1300. My seller was the second owner, the chair was made in 2008, he had covered the ugliness with a blanket, and he let it go for $55 US!
By removing the upper seat pad (Velcro at back and in seat crack) and the headrest bracket (2 Philips machine screws), and then reclining so neither footrest nor seatback were taller than the armrest, it fit into the back of my Subaru Outback. Plenty light for two people to lift and maneuver, but too wide to fit through a standard house door without laying on its side and jockeying around doorframes.
That was yesterday. Today I've measured and videoed the movement and contemplated what's next. The range of motion is just about perfect and it only takes 10 seconds to go from F1 seating position to GT seating position. The headrest section can be tilted forward manually, which is necessary in the F1 position; forgot to raise my feet off the footrest in the pic, but had done initial tests correctly.
The remaining challenges:
I started a thread in 2017, nearly 3 years ago, looking for inspiration for my next cockpit (https://www.racedepartment.com/threads/extremely-adjustable-cockpit.134678/). It should have a seating range that goes from office chair to typical 20 degree layback GT seat to modern F1 without requiring 10 to 30 minutes to adjust, like Next Level's F-GT cockpit ($500 US). Pro Sim's Evolution II would fulfill the desire, but I sure don't want to pay the price of a car to get one!
Pieces of the puzzle began to fall in place when I realized that your head will move around during a seating change, so having some way to raise & lower my triple monitors was a requirement. Heck, it was a necessity just to see parts of the central monitor blocked by the steering wheel when I want to do regular computer work! I filled this requirement by mounting the triple screens to an electric sit/stand desk frame: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KKUPZ9K/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1ID932JV3FHA5&colid=2PHOY7H4MGWI0
Then I spent a couple years cogitating about motor arrangements for positioning the seat. In the meantime, the 35-year-old car seat I've been using in the existing rig has begun disintegrating. The seat came from a Toyota Tercel and I had it reupholstered circa 1999 for a different project, then used it for the current simrig which I built in 2008 or 2009. So the need for a new seat has become more urgent. Apparently urgency can somewhat spur the brain into action because I finally realized that electric recliners have the necessary hardware that could be adapted, so I began looking at secondhand electric recliners on craigslist.
After watching several candidates appear & disappear on craigslist, I learned that a fully functional recliner could be had for under $100 US. Cheapest I saw was $35, with most being between $50 and $100. None of them had screamed "buy me" until two days ago. This final candidate was a Human Touch Perfect Chair PC-085. This model has been made for probably a dozen years, but it has a fatal flaw in that the upholstery is bonded leather; bonded leather typically fails in about 5 years of use, flaking off like scabby skin. But the motor and mechanism continues working, so owners should get rid of them cheap when it becomes ugly because they don't want to pay $700-$800 US to get new pads every 5-6 years. Refurbished models are still available and they sell for $999-$1300. My seller was the second owner, the chair was made in 2008, he had covered the ugliness with a blanket, and he let it go for $55 US!
By removing the upper seat pad (Velcro at back and in seat crack) and the headrest bracket (2 Philips machine screws), and then reclining so neither footrest nor seatback were taller than the armrest, it fit into the back of my Subaru Outback. Plenty light for two people to lift and maneuver, but too wide to fit through a standard house door without laying on its side and jockeying around doorframes.
That was yesterday. Today I've measured and videoed the movement and contemplated what's next. The range of motion is just about perfect and it only takes 10 seconds to go from F1 seating position to GT seating position. The headrest section can be tilted forward manually, which is necessary in the F1 position; forgot to raise my feet off the footrest in the pic, but had done initial tests correctly.
The remaining challenges:
- I'll need to shim up the rear of the seat to achieve a desk chair position.
- The footrest needs to come off or my feet will never get into a pedal box and the pedal box will need a lift.
- Similarly I'd also like to cut down the armrest sides so it's possible to slide in/out from the sides, but I'm not yet sure if that eliminates support for the motor or guides. Plus the up/down switch needs to be relocated since it is at the front of the left armrest.
- Narrowing the chair is desirable as it is about 3 inches (7.6 cm) too wide and I feel a little lost in it.
- And, finally, I'll have to reupholster the whole thing.
