Cockpit Layout

I currently run a foot brake and converter drive in my altered but I'm thinking of putting the hand brake back in the car and go to a clutch. What is a common setup as far as placement of fuel shut off,fire bottles and parachute levers?
My brake handle has a lever and I have another lever on my left side that I currently use as a fuel shutoff. I'm just trying to decide where to put everything so it's easy to get at

 

This is how I run my altered.

Brake lever on right, with fire bottle lever mounted on it (my thinking is, if its on fire grab the fire then brakes, rather than having to swap hands!)

Fuel shut off on top chasis rail on left just in front of the cage

Chute levers on the tinwork on the right (again, any issues pull chutes then ready on the brakes)

 

Our car is laid out the same way.

Nathan

 

Layout

I have a different theory on the cockpit layout. My brake handle is on the right with a secondary lever mounted to it for the fuel shutoff. The parachute levers are on the tin right next to the brake handle. My fire bottles lever is on the left under the top frame rail. My thought is that on every run I use the brakes, parachutes and fuel shutoff so I put all of them close together and all of them can be done with one hand. I don't use the fire bottle every run so I put it on the other side. After having several unplanned fire bottle discharges and the resulting costs and hassle I wanted the fire bottles where they weren't too easy to accidently activate. If I put the fire bottle lever on the brake handle I am sure I could accidently catch it when grabbing the brake handle. Dave Germain

 

The downside to this setup is if you have to run the auto-shutoff box. Your fuel shutoff will pinch your fingers.

 

Shut Off Box

Good point Justin. I worried about that too but you can adjust the lever so it wont get your fingers or an even easier way is to use a gizmo Greg Miner builds. It is a link that connects to the fuel shut off that is slotted. It uses an air cylinder to shut off the fuel if the safety box activates it but it won't pinch your fingers. Works great and he sells it as a kit. Nothing to it set up and installation. Dave Germain