Anyone out there ever make their own go-kart?

[redhawk47]

Interesting timing - I just told this story last week.
I was living in El Paso as a teenager and found a Briggs & Stratton washing machine engine in the desert near my home. Lugged it home and got to work. Had some wagon wheels, and a pully that I bolted to one of them. Had a V-belt that was about 3 ft c-c, and a 2x12 that was six ft long. Three foot front axle wired to a 2x4, bolt in the center, and steered with my feet. I had a mid-engine gocart! My Dad had a bunch of water pipe the right size, so I experimented with exhaust system configurations. I later put the engine in my Soap Box derby car.

[Mike Tashjian]

Rebuilt a Carter Brothers for the kids back twenty years ago.  It had a eight horse motor and some good sized tires.  The kids loved it and had a blast with it.  Lessons learned.  You never have enough power.  Carts will flip if a wheel catches, so be careful.  And be aware that kids will not be bothered by no suspension and every adult that drives it will.  After driving four wheelers at a friends camp and one out West, I would buy one of those if I was going to ride for any length of time.  They are far superior in every way.  Mike

[dguzzi]

Propane powered?  I have a honda 18hp V twin that needs a home. Shipping might kill the idea....

[Toecutter]

Hmm... maybe an old snowmobile engine and transmission...

or a forward mounted reverse trike?

[Muzz]

Propane powered?  I have a honda 18hp V twin that needs a home. Shipping might kill the idea....

Just what I need! However, as you say, shipping would kill the deal.

[dguzzi]

Its one of those projects with no round toit.  Horizontal shaft electric start propane vtwin.  Shipping to NZ would certainly be costly!

[Muzz]

Its one of those projects with no round toit.  Horizontal shaft electric start propane vtwin.  Shipping to NZ would certainly be costly!

Horizontal shaft 18 hp is exactly what I want, although it would need to be petrol. As you say, freight sadly would rule it out.

We have an old (1970) Power Pony lawn tractor. They were built here in NZ and were a mini tractor that you could attach many accessories to.  These included a hydraulic bucket on the front, a rotary hoe and usually, a mower deck. Came in two motor sizes, 12hp and 16hp, the 16 being a flat twin Briggs, which is what ours is. The decks came in two sizes, a two blade and a three blade. The three blade (which again is the one we have) has a 5ft wide cut, which covers the ground pretty quick.

Having been owned by a council in an earlier life it is beginning to show it's age, and an 18hp would be a great upgrade. I can see an 18hp Loncin in it's life at some stage. We repowered the 4hp Briggs pushmower with a 5hp Loncin and we are really impressed with the way it goes. Way more power than the flathead Briggs and uses half the petrol.

[JohninVT]

When I was in high school I built a go-kart using a Dolmar chainsaw(I think 80cc) running a chain to a bicycle sprocket and tractor cart axle.  It was front wheel drive and the go kart was basically two platforms, each platform having an axle with a hinge between the platforms so they could turn independently...sor t of like how a front end loader is hinged but the front one was lower so it could turn under the rear.  I used mountain bike wheels.  The chainsaw engine was on the front platform.  The saw was offset to the right so I could run the throttle and there was a vertical grip on the left.  I laid on the back platform and steered with my hands on the left grip and chainsaw. 

It was without a doubt, the single most dangerous thing I've ever constructed and that includes the propane powered golfball cannon I built to skip golfballs across the lake.  I have no idea how fast it would go but it felt like laying face first on a Flexible Flyer going 200mph.             

[Chuck in Indiana]

It was without a doubt, the single most dangerous thing I've ever constructed and that includes the propane powered golfball cannon

Good one, John. When this thread started, I just *knew* there would be some outrageously dangerous stuff.. 
Kids.. gotta love em. Grand son Max is currently here in Indiana building a rocket.  I'm watching out of the corner of my eye, just in case. 

[Lannis]

Kids.. gotta love em. Grand son Max is currently here in Indiana building a rocket.  I'm watching out of the corner of my eye, just in case. 

I'll wager that the upcoming "Anyone out there ever make their own rocket?" thread will have at least as many responses as the go-kart one.

The dangerous, illegal, stupid tales I could tell .....

Lannis

[Sasquatch Jim]

Waaay back when, I built one for a friend.  It was a hurry job and to go more easy with the work , I welded it upside down.  We then flipped it over and put in the engine.  I got in for a test ride and started the engine.  I roared away and was nearly thrown out when I turned the wheel right and the machine went left.  So much for building upside down to work more quickly.  We played with it for about an hour laughing like snot then fixed it.  We decided we didn't want it to kill anyone.