[PHOTOS] Malaysian Dad Builds Mini 'Go-Kart Rig' At Home From Scratch For His Daughter
He used leftover materials from his own sim rig that he built.
By Tamara Jayne — 18 Feb 2021, 05:14 PM
With most people under lockdown, some have found different ways to keep themselves occupied at home
One of whom is Chris Aaron, a Malaysian dad who has been using this time to fix lights, re-paint, and re-model parts of his home, as well as build two simulator rigs for himself and his daughter.
Being a strong advocate of DIY projects, Chris shared that he loves teaching his kid to be handy around the house
He started off by building his own sim rig with the intention to teach her the basics of how to handle a car at a young age.
However, it became a challenge when he realised his daughter, Abby could barely reach the pedals and steering wheel.
That's when he set out to make her own sim rig, or what he likes to call a 'Kart Rig'.
"I'm not the kind of person that buys something like this off the shelf. So after having put my main 'sim rig' together, I realised I had almost quite a few parts left and joked with my wife that I could actually make Abby (my soon-to-be five-year-old daughter) a rig of her own," he shared in an interview with SAYS.
"I kept looking for a way to add things like pedal extensions to my rig so that she could drive it. But as soon as I realised that she could have her own rig, game on," he said, jokingly adding that he's grateful his wife approves of most of his projects.
With the help of his daughter and basic knowledge from YouTube, he began the building process by sketching out the concept of a go-kart-like simulator and took it from there
Since he was left with 40% of the materials from the first build, he got the remaining items he needed like aluminum materials from Shopee, bringing the cost to around RM600. The steering wheel set and TV monitor cost him a couple of hundred more.
"It may sound a lot to some, but in the sim racing world, I'd say it easily gets a lot more expensive than that – I know, because I happen to have burnt quite a big hole in my wallet setting up my own rig!"
They used a stool while waiting for the seat on Shopee to arrive.
Image via Chris Aaron (Provided to SAYS)
"Knowing five-year-olds and how rough they can be sometimes, the final product ended up being a mix of a go-kart style thing with a more conventional rig – it was the only way to get the kind of strength I needed to accommodate a kid letting loose on Mario Kart."
These DIY projects have allowed Chris to cultivate family time and a chance to teach his kid that if she wants something done, all she needs are the right tools
The 36-year-old revealed that though Abby likes her Barbies and a bunch of Tomica toy cars, she also loves getting her hands dirty with the work – even if it's for the three minutes of attention she can spare.
"Abby is no stranger to my several toolboxes, how to use power tools, and getting a barbecue fire going (all under close supervision, of course)."
"I'd like to think that I've somehow influenced her to also appreciate cars, tools, DIY work, that sort of thing," he said, adding that "it doesn't matter what toys or games she's playing with really... just as long as she's having fun in a positive way, I'm all for it".
"Basically, I think every dad wants to pass on their passions to their children, and my appreciation for motorsport, racing, playing music, and building things are no exception. The second my kid shows even 1% of interest in either of these things, I'm usually at about 110% in dedication to her interests. Haha!"
Being a firm believer that if you don't want to buy something, then build it, Chris shared that he's thankful to have been able to take time to learn and source the materials of his own
"Some overambitious sellers these days are ever-ready to rip off someone who knows all too little about such things and the materials/costs involved... YouTube and Shopee are fantastic things."
"So don't buy one, build one. If you don't know how, let me know and I'll help you. Really."
