u/Icy-Fact4810

A small funny note about the first picture: the setup was honestly so improvised at that stage that it probably looked at best more like a “temporary project corner” than something you’d call sim racing standards. It was not very functional, very scrappy, and definitely not the kind of thing that would win any cockpit beauty contest, but it got the job done to a point.

I started with a very basic sim setup as you might notice 😆 and slowly built my way toward something that actually fits me.

So I got me the X80 from SimXPro.

I’m 191 cm tall and was concerned that i might not fit into the rig, but as you can see, I'm also limited on space.

Spoiler: I was right. I fitted in, but it felt more like wearing too tight shoes or undies. But it was just fitting in his room. I guess you get the picture.

So, at first, I was really just looking for a few extra centimeters of space for my body size and also for a perfect wheel position because the wheel simply didn’t fit me properly as it was. Ergonomics was the main problem from day one, and that is exactly why I only ordered the add-on set in the first place, which turned out to be a huge win.

So, instead of chasing a dream showroom build, I had to make a smart compromise, and the add-on set became the key that made this conversion possible in the first place.

What made this work in the end was the leftover 660 mm element from the wheel support from the basic set. Without the add-on set and the leftover 4080 660m profile, this specific conversion would simply not have been possible. It allowed me to close the back of the frame where the seat is mounted, instead of leaving that section open in a way that just didn’t feel right. That change improved both the rigidity and the overall layout of the rig much more than I expected.

The CSL DD is now mounted with a proper side-mount setup, which feels much cleaner and stiffer, and it's adjustable to the point. I also mounted the Mercedes W207 seat directly to the frame instead of using the extra seat support railswhich gave me a few extra cm's on the rig. Keeping the seat slider active was important because it finally gave me the fore/aft adjustment I needed as a taller driver. The electric seat adjustment still works after

I clamped on a 12v 30a Power Supply so I can fine-tune the seating position and angle even more.

The current hardware setup is:

SimXPro X80 aluminum rig.

Fanatec CSL DD 8Nm.

Fanatec wheel and pedals.

Mercedes W207 seat.

Xbox Series X.

Seat slider and electric seat adjustment are still functional.

My recommendation is still a limited one: I do recommend the X80, but it is only together with the add-on set, and only if you understand that it’s a modular solution that needs a bit of thought. But without the closed frame, it's a lot harder to build up too. The base frame is good, and the profiles are extra good quality, but the add-ons are what made this build possible and what really turned it into something that works for me.

The conversion reference is here:

https://www.aluxprofil.de/fanatec-csl-dd-side-mount-konfigurator/a4125