Hot Rod project...going back to my youth

[GrabberOrange69]

I had this little bugger when I was 10 years old - lots of great memories. It's a Dart Kart, a pretty slick frame. Anyway, dad dug it out of the storage and gave it back to me. As you can see, there is no engine. I had 2 different configurations: a 2.5 HP and a 5 HP setup. After I left home, my younger brother grenaded the 5 HP Briggs, so it's got no motor now. I'm thinking a big metal flake red paint-job and a new 5 HP briggs!

What do you think?

 

[HT413]

Sweet! But unless you were full grown @ 10 years old, you might want to go 10 hp?

 

[Hemi Rebel]

Put a HEMI in it!

 

[RustyRatRod]

Yeah I was kinda thinkin you were bein a sissy with the 5 HP thing myself. At least an ungoverned 8 HP. What's wrong with you? lol A KZ900 would be good too.

 

[cngordon]

Very Nice. I would be interested in making something like that for my grandson. It appears like it only has a flat tube steel floor. Could a 5 to 10 year old sit in it with out bending it in the middle ? Could you post another picture or two showing the area where the engine mounts ?

Thanks.

 

[coloradodave]

I vote for twin Mac 10s.

 

[Budnicks]

cool toy/hand me down

That would make a great piece for a yougster... I had a few homemade go-carts from age 6-13 y/o & a couple Taco 22 {2.5hp B&S} & Taco 44 {5hp B&S} Mini-Bikes {fun a hell} as a young crazy speed freak kid... I had an older cousin Joe, that hung around my step father Bob allot {S/S Drag Racer & Union Pipe Fitter/Welder} & The deal was, I got most all the stuff, "hand me down", Bob made for Joe, when Joe grew out of them, they were all "fun as hell"... One shifter/clutch go-cart had, larger 10" wheels & tires from a Golf cart, big & littles, side pontoons, disk brakes, Nerf bars & 2 McCullough's 101cc engines, easily went like 70-mph+ {freaken' rocket ship}, other 1st one, had an old Tecumseh 12 hp rototiller engine, centrifugal clutch, it looked very similar to yours, but only went about 25-30-mph, plenty fast for a small go-cart & a young kid...

 

[Northwest]

I rode in my son's go kart - similar to yours. F%$@^# thing almost fused my spine going over bumps!! Dude - my body just AINT gonna take that abuse - cause I'm not 10 anymore. Need suspension - lots of it - or lots and lots of advil and maybe some dental work to boot! :toothy10:

 

[Cranky]

Up until about 8 years ago, we had 3 yard carts with one (mine) being somewhat modified and it ran pretty hard. It had a pivoting front axle and that helped a ton with the ride. Anyways, I rolled that sucker on a 29 degree concrete banked turn and never heard so much steel banging on concrete in my life! It messed me up pretty good and took several months to get my back half way to normal. My wife and I raced each other pretty hard and she knew how to spin me out lol. Eh, decided to get rid of them back about a year later and the trail bikes went away last year. At 62, I'm getting a bit more mellow finally....and the kids quit running them too so, it's all gone.

 

[ZR9B]

very cool..had a few as a kid....now I have a few mini-bikes ct 70.. Rupp hustler.. RV 90 and a few old dirt bikes.....It never gets old.

 

[Bubber]

I vote for twin Mac 10s.

Now there is something I had not heard in a looooong time!

 

[GrabberOrange69]

Great inputs all!! Yep, I think it's gonna need more power. Heck, if you divide the power to weight with my youth, I'd definateley need 10HP just to get the same acceleration. Lol

We also had a Honda Trail 50 and a Tote Goat. My little brother got the little 50 (which still runs great after we fixed the leaking gas tank), but the tote goat got grenaded early on in the backwoods in Washington State.

- - - Updated - - -

Very Nice. I would be interested in making something like that for my grandson. It appears like it only has a flat tube steel floor. Could a 5 to 10 year old sit in it with out bending it in the middle ? Could you post another picture or two showing the area where the engine mounts ?

Thanks.

Adults can ride it without bending it at all - Dad was 200+lbs and occasionally rode it, especially when we were tuning it out. Kids are no sweat. I'll shoot a photo of the engine mount this weekend.

 

[glassman]

I vote for twin Mac 10s.

Wow, I haven't heard of a Mac 10 for ever. That's what I had , and it was an unbeatable combo Mac 10 / Dart Cart / direct drive, no clutch, push start.

 

[GrabberOrange69]

Very Nice. I would be interested in making something like that for my grandson. It appears like it only has a flat tube steel floor. Could a 5 to 10 year old sit in it with out bending it in the middle ? Could you post another picture or two showing the area where the engine mounts ?

Thanks.

Here ya go: