We have a lot of ongoing projects around here. Here’s where you can find details of each one and the latest updates for ongoing projects.
A racing simulator seat designed for use with VR, made from an old Miata dash, center console, and seat.
Our personal workspace, which is an ongoing project itself.
The LE5pard: Ecotec Miata Race Car
This 1991 Miata started life as a Spec Miata, received a Honda K24 swap, and then a Chevy LE5 Ecotec motor. Always a work in progress, this is the car we race in NASA’s ST5 class.
Latest project updates
- Shop Improvements: Building a Wire Spool Cart and Teardown BenchIt seems a lot of projects in the shop are making things for the shop itself. The latest creations are a wire spool cart and a teardown bench. The spool cart was put together with some spare 1″ tube steel left over from our zombie defense fence project. The design is pretty straightforward. Rods (spare … Read more
- Shop Improvements: Camera Mounts for the Corners
I whipped up some aluminum mounts for 360 security cameras, for mounting on the corners of our metal building. I had some scrap 0.90 aluminum sheet, so I used the brake and band saw to create some mounts. The top support curve was actually a left over scrap from a race car splitter, which I … Read more - Miata Sim Rig: Wiring the Lights and Testing it Out
When I built the frame initially, I went through the house measuring each door frame to make sure it would fit. However I failed to plan for the overall width of the dash, which extends several inches past the frame. After some creative tries to get it through the doors, we had to remove the … Read more - Miata Sim Rig: Painting and Reassembly
The last big task before tearing it down for paint was to build a floor. I used 3/4″ plywood since it was available in the scrap pile, which is why it’s in two pieces. I added another unistrut crossbeam, since this is where the pedal force will be concentrated. A with that, it was time … Read more - Miata Sim Rig: Building a Frame and Mounting the Controls
With the dashboard and center console removed from the Miata, it was time to cut it down to a more manageable size. It has to fit through a door after all. I used a 5″ metal cutoff disc to sever the internal frame and cut off the passenger side of the dash. I also trimmed … Read more