Hello all, first post here
I am beginning a semi-commercial project to replicate the controls ( gearchange mechanism, pedals ) of a 'generic' historic racing car for use with computer simulators. I haven't quite decided how they will work yet and need the help of some knowledgeable people.
Firstly the gearshift. I'm thinking of producing this in two styles - a gated shifter with a mechanical lockout for reverse positioned on the gate as seen on many Ferrari's and other sports car based racers. This should be reasonably straightforward - I am struggling to find good clear images of this style of shifter though - can anyone help ?
The second style of shifter is more problematic. It's the kind you would mainly see on open wheel racing cars, very often associated with a Hewland box.
As far as I can figure out there is what I'll call a torque tube which rotates to provide movement in the lateral plane and a rod running inside the tube that slides to give fore and aft movement. Am I right ? I have managed to find more images of this kind of shifter than the gated type, but I cannot for the life of me see anything which would work as a reverse gear lockout. How was this performed ?
The final consideration for the gearshift would be its 'feel' - I have no access to any historic sports or racing cars and if there are any owners of this type of car who could provide input, or if anyone has links to online copies of roadtests I would be very greatful.
The pedals are a lot simpler, I'm looking mainly for as many pictures as I can find of the different style of pedal shapes, and the spacing between brake and accelerator. The simulator I personally use ( rFactor ) can be set up with a software plugin that requires heel and toe to match revs on downshifts, and a surprising number of people use this for the sake of realism. I have experimented to find pedal spacings that work well for me - but as I have limited movement in my ankle from a bike crash most other folks would find them a little awkward.
Finally I'd love to hear stories about from people who have driven, or own a historic sports or racing car, with regard to the feel of the controls. I want to get this right ( generic, but right )
I can document the building of the shifter and pedals in the simulator section of the forum as a 'thank you' for your help...if there is any interest that is.