Finally found a kart...well sort of...

[Metalbender]

Well I've been searching for a kart for some time now...seems that there aren't as many around as there was when I was a kid...anyhow while standing on my porch yesterday I watched a truck drive up the street with a kart in the bed...

I walked a few houses up and asked the guy if he wanted to get rid of it and he told me that he had gotten it for his son, he had to do some work to it for his kid to ride it this summer...and now the kid wanted something different...

Without even looking at it I had struck a deal with the guy...I mean its a kart his kid had rode all summer...what all could be wrong with it right? Well cash exchanged hands and we unloaded it...at this point I'm as happy as a lark to have even found one for a Christmas present for the kids...yea I could have paid $2,000 for a new one but that was way out of my budget...once the guy left I began looking it over...this thing has had the arse beat off of it! Not to mention some less than stellar fab work...

I'm still pleased with the purchase and after looking it over I think I may have just saved little Jimmies life! I cant believe somebody would turn their kid loose on this thing! Anyhow its getting tore down completely and all the hack work will be removed...I haven't decided if I want to take the salvageable pieces and build a frame from scratch or if I want to fix this one...

If anybody knows what this kart is would you please let me know? I know there's some vintage karts that are extremely rare...which if that's the case I'll fix the frame...if its a homemade kart its getting scrapped...let make a game of this...How many issues can you find in the pictures posted below? Yes I've counted but that don't mean that I noticed them all either...let the scavenger hunt begin!

 

[Metalbender]

Hopefully I haven't double posted pics here...if I have I apologize for that...now the question is where to begin...

 

[firemanjim]

I think thats a Murry go kart....
I wish my fab skills where as good as the PO's.... I dont think i coulda done a better job...... lol
You got some work ahead of yeah, but its a decent kart start i reckon. Do you mind if i ask what it set ya back? And what size motor is that supposed to be?

 

[MetalMech]

Yeah you got some work to do, but not sure its as bad as the one I was looking at recently.

 

[Metalbender]

I don't know what the motor is...I'm thinking either a 3 or 5 horse...I'd say a 5 but not sure...I bought 4 new wheels and tires today as the tires are all shot not to mention the wheel bearings are non existent...I'm in about $100 with the new wheels and tires (their harbor freight models $7 each) I'll start stripping it down in the next few days...then I'll decide my next step with it...

 

[jandj]

Take the wheels back, they won't last more than a day's worth of good use. Get something designed for karts.

 

[Metalbender]

Ok...thanks for the heads up on them...is the bearings weaker or something? the tires are exactly the same as on the rear...the rims are steel (well as close to steel as china gets I guess...) the rims on the cart are aluminum and trashed...figured they'd hold till I got everything sorted...I cant buy the tires for $7...just figured the tubes and rims was free and I got a deal on tires...

 

[OzFab]

And what size motor is that supposed to be?

It's either a 3hp or 5hp B&S but, no idea what's goin' on with the starter

Yeah, it's rough but, I don't see anything that's unfixable... despite the PO's lack of skills

 

[sideways]

Seeing that makes me feel a whole lot better about my fabrication skills!

I have the same kart!

I got it from the tip yearssss ago, I've actually been doing a heap of work on it the last week or so. Sorry, but I have no idea what it is. Yours is the first one I have seen that is the same.

Where are you from? I assumed it was some aussie built kart seeing as no one knew what it was. Mine was light blue originally, it looks like yours was too.

Yours is in a whole lot better shape than mine. When I got it none of the wheels turned, the steering was rusted solid, the floor had disappeared and it's got more than its fair share of booty fab. It seems to have done a million miles, the pedal pivots are massively worn as are the knuckles (which are home made replacements).

I can certainly understand why they modified the steering, the stock spot is terrible! Not as terrible as their fabrication though! As you can see, mine's had a lump of C channel welded to it to get the motor away from the seat, they must have had a compact 2 stroke or something originally.

I had wondered how the brakes worked, mine had none of the brake gear. For the drive some one has used roofing screws to attach a pulley to the rear hub.

If you ever find out what it is, please PM me and let me know!

 

[Poboy kartman]

Yeah you got some work to do, but not sure its as bad as the one I was looking at recently.

I don't know about that. While anything is repairable- I'm just not liking this kart either. It would have to be historically valuable or sentimentally for me to even mess with it. Just my opinion- karts are like life- they are what you make of them. I just see a lot of problems and work and not that much value- but again- that's just me and this is coming from the bottom of the totem pole.

 

[Half-breeder]

.... motor 'appears' to be a motor off a tiller(shaft sticking out of starter would turn "clockwise" for a reversing gear)... rare motor if that is what it is.

 

[sideways]

I don't know about that. While anything is repairable- I'm just not liking this kart either. It would have to be historically valuable or sentimentally for me to even mess with it. Just my opinion- karts are like life- they are what you make of them. I just see a lot of problems and work and not that much value- but again- that's just me and this is coming from the bottom of the totem pole.

Meh, sort out the steering shaft mount (which he would have had to do anyway, it's mounted to low from the factory), sort out some tie rods, get the briggs going or fit another motor and you've got a functioning kart! From there it's just cosmetics. That's really not much work for a project go kart!

.... motor 'appears' to be a motor off a tiller(shaft sticking out of starter would turn "clockwise" for a reversing gear)... rare motor if that is what it is.

I think that "shaft" sticking out of the starter is an impact socket stuck on there for easier starting. Effectively, it still turns the same way as the output shaft anyway.

The tiller setup would drive off the cam like the attached pic.

 

[Orange Krate]

It's not that bad, just sitting at step 1 of what looks like many cycles of our motto: Wrench, Wheel, Wreck, Repeat. The main thing is that it's complete.

It's not the rare tiller motor...those have the counter rotating shaft on the same side as the standard shaft. It is some sort of auxillary PTO though, still probably a tiller motor and looks to be 3 horse to me.

 

[Half-breeder]

AHHHHhhh.... I see it now. Had a long day. Was wondering y shaft looked 'big', and stubby...lol, and I 'was' wondering where I seen a shaft w/ one of those holes at the end-side, kinda reminded me of a socket.... Der!... now I know... and they 'say' that's half the battle...lol.

 

[Metalbender]

I'm in WV of the USA...I guess my posting of these pics has at least helped somebody already...if for nothing more than a reference...sideways so far wins the prize as sure enough that is a impact socket the po beat onto the starter...

 

[Orange Krate]

Ah, Sideways #12 post was not up yet when I replied...I totally missed that it was a socket though LOL!

What part of WV? I have an affection for Cairo and West Union.

 

[Metalbender]

Charleston

 

[OzFab]

I can certainly understand why they modified the steering, the stock spot is terrible!

Maybe so but, I can think of half a dozen better ways to fix that problem...

 

[sideways]

I'm in WV of the USA...I guess my posting of these pics has at least helped somebody already...if for nothing more than a reference...sideways so far wins the prize as sure enough that is a impact socket the po beat onto the starter...

Good to know there's at least one in U.S too, Must be U.S made or one of the Taiwanese imports from the 60s or 70s.

Please fix it up!

Maybe so but, I can think of half a dozen better ways to fix that problem...

Al least it didn't involve tape or cable ties..... But they probably could have done a better job using them.

 

[Metalbender]

If they would have I think I wouldn't have so much to do on it...seeings that there's only 2 of these (at least known to exist) I can't scrap it as its not in me to do that...which means I got a lot of late nights before Christmas gets here...