im sure you could build a nice piece of kit to bend long pieces.

its 3 wheels, with a bottle jack on the middle one and a large wheel on another as a handle.

I will see if I can find a picture... should be able to build the roller for ~$50 plus bottle jack.

 

apparently its a harbor friehgt tubing bender im thinking of... probably cheap

 

Tubing Roller

 

Or, you could just miter sections of the square tubing to do sort of a segmented arch. Would be good practice welding it all together. You could grind down the welds if using stick or it would be good tig practice before you move to aluminum if you're going to do that.

 

that wont have a smooth arch, if you can live with that.

Also, learning to weld is good, but your going to pull your hair out trying to weld that much.

3 or 4 mitres for a half octagon type shape might be a compromise.

 

That's sorta what I was thinking. shoulda been more specific...

 

Not a fan of the segmented pseudo-arch.
I think I found a solution though; local DIY garage that has a TIG machine you can rent by the day, maybe they'll have a tubing bender as well.
Of course, that still leaves me trying to get an 8.5' wide arch home....

 

Put top down. Instant pickup truck. Problem solved.

 

I would like to acknowledge that we have spent more time on fences than manifolds. Not that I am arguing.

Thick gauge sheet metal into an arc? A friend, A torch and a jig to bend it to (forgot the term I'm looking for, a buck?). American Chopper style.

 

There's a local minitruck shop that makes frames this way. Curved sections cut with a plasma cutter and dressed with a flap wheel on a side grinder, flat/ bent sections cut from strip/ sheet and bent as they weld it. It sounds hood rich, but is fast and strong when finished.

 

Built my first welding table. I will make a bigger beefer one eventually.


Also started on my racing sim setup. I got the bottom frame built so far. Tomorrow I will run and pick up more metal and then hopefully start building the mount for the steering wheel and shifter.

 

I have the steering wheel mounted. Tomorrow I build a spot for the shifter and then I test it out.

 

You'd better brace that wheel mount or you'll end up snapping it right off, at the worst possible moment.

 

I'm sure he'll be putting some gussets on it.

 

With lightening holes I hope!

Looks like a cool project. I think I need to build myself one of these too. Both Miatas are busted right now and I'm having severe withdrawal.

 

Lightening holes in the gussets with dimple dies would be baller and make it look professionally made.

 

for your next iteration, buy a tube bender and build the whole thing out of 2 bent pieces of metal with just a few cross pieces.

haha no kill like overkill.

Looks cool. Im not a gamer, but I can appreciate the effort for this having used an old Logitech wheel on playstation where you had to use your legs to hold the wheel in your lap.

 

The frame for the rig is made out of 1"x1" 16gauge square tubing. The back bars that hold up the steering wheel are welded on 3 out of the 4 sides. When putting pressure on the steering wheel there is a little flex. I want to add in some sort of bracing, but I don't want to take of any space for leg room. While I could sit comfortably in it with sides holding up the steering wheel, I would like some of my bigger friends to also be able to sit in and fit in. I think I may try to put triangle brace on it and see how that works.

Does anyone have any suggestions for where to put the shifter? I am torn if I want it same level as steering wheel being directly to the right, or a little lower sitting.

 

I'd want it low like it would be in a real car.

 

I would put it somewhere near where you would find it in a real race car. Close to the steering wheel, but not right up next to it.