Davy,
Like some of the others here, I am a big FDS fan and I just received my B737 MIP Stand with Custom CDU Bay and many other related items. I am very happy with Peter and Steve.
However, when I started going for the cockpit 3 years ago, I was looking at the do-it-yourself idea and I can say I switched to built components later. For one, it is easy to plug in a EFIS and MCP with an USB cable, configure some software and you're flying with them, as opposed to making those yourself, working with "whatever" hardware cards and trying to figure it all out. You spend more time troubleshooting and less flying. I don't mind fixing things, but the hobby is flying a simulator and maybe fixing some things, not fixing everything and hope to fly!
Finally, and to say the least, I have seen many companies pop up on the radar and some are great and others are...well, not so great. The old saying still goes "buyer beware". Also, my main point is this, and maybe someone else might know about this, a few years ago a company started up and the owner was just getting into this and he had some awesome skills in fiberglass work.
He took real cockpits and made molds from them, as well as other interior parts. He now has a company called AeroDeck Engineering. If I had the money as you suggested and if AeroDeck is as good as the website suggest:
http://www.aerodeckengineering.com/P...s/products.php
I would buy it all from them because the cockpit looks really good; then again for $150,000 you could get a real pre-cut sim with everything here in the states if you look hard enough (check out
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/aphs/).
However, since I am an FDS fan like I said, I'll stick with them because not only do they have good products, they have great support and that is what matters most! That I'd swear too! You call or email them and they'll email you or even call back within a few hours, even on weekends or way, way after midnight (if PC or Steve is up); all just to make me happy. So, that is where my money will continue to go...
John