SIM
 

you can build a nice 80/20 rig as well, i just built one, assembly is easy and has some great adjustment ability. A direct drive wheel is great as well as good pedals.

My SimSeats is nice and has been trouble free and easy to build. Definitely worth the upgraded pedals. I had them use one of my out dated seats from my Cup car too.

Stu

Based upon my research, I'd put Fanatec above Thrustmaster (if $ no issue), and in full disclosure, I'm looking at upgrading from Logitech 920 to the Fanatec setup. Was considering Fanatec new direct drive, but looks like availability has been pushed back 6 - 9 months as they sort out an electrical issue. Can't comment on SimSeats.

https://www.simracingbay.com/

direct drive steering wheel.

How much do you guys budget for a decent rig (non motion/hydraulics) starting from scratch?

$7500-$9500 is what I ask people to budget for a decent static sim, put together by someone else and supported... That last part is important. Don't care how much of a geek you think you are.

This setup won an iracing championship a coupe of years ago

Yes, there is a syringe to remove and to add fluid. Makes a big difference.

http://perfectpedal.com/products/per...stment_kit.php

I’ll walk that estimate number back a little.

If you have a good computer, or are racing on a less expensive sim already, than of course you can build up one or upgrade for less. The simple addition of $1K worth of pedals to an existing Thrustmaster, Fanatec or even Logitech wheel is a benefit out of proportion to the cost, as is a GPU upgrade or display upgrade.

It’s just like a car, a slippery slope. Most of the drivers who choose to investigate purchasing a sim for driver training and familiarity want to get good stuff, all together, right NOW! The time it takes to tweak calibrations, set up the computer for optimal sim performance and even load and optimize the sims themselves (and I would recommend more than just iRacing) is worth spending money on from the get go.

Ten years ago, I sold quite a few kits of components that I assembled, loaded, installed at their home and supported in the $5500-7500 range, with a good seat and frame, triple monitors (Rift wasn’t out yet) and pedals. It was a tough business model and got in the way of my primary work, at-track individual coaching. There were others that could do it better for less, Sim Seats being one of them. They’re still here, and I recommend them.

Static sims are still one of rhe best training tools around. The motion units, by far, sit dusty and unused in the corner after the novelty wears off and the motion becomes a distraction... just my .02

I used an existing computer with integrated graphics, a G27 set and a single monitor to be very competitive in iRacing a few years ago; I was all in for a marginal $300 or so.

It depends widely on what you want the sim to do. I "drove around" my set up; no feedback from the brake pedal and limited graphics information made it hard work which was in some ways a good thing. If you want to realistically replicate your car on track, you'd have to spend some money. If you want to learn new tracks and have some fun driving around and/or racing while waiting for spring you can do it much cheaper. Just like with cars, the answer is "how much do you want to spend?"