Countin the Cost

[Orange Krate]

My wife says to me the other day, “I’ll bet you’ve spent more on parts than you have on go-karts.” I figured it up and she’s right. Of all the amounts I can remember (purchase prices and major parts orders) I came up with$1,470 on karts and $2,165 on parts (A big chunk of that has been in the last month in preparation for my upcoming web series, another was going a little overboard when Nothern Tool sold off their parts at half price.) A lifetime total of $3,635. I now have 11 karts in my collection and my own parts store which comes out to $330 a piece. Not all of them run and two may never. So, it kind of gives you a good idea on the value of a complete, running and driving go-kart doesn’t it?

Almost $4,000 seems like a lot but over my 27 year go-kart career that’s only $0.37 per day for my daily obsession. More than 10 times less than a bad Starbucks habit.

So I ask you:

How much have you spent on go-karts in your life?

What was the highest you ever paid for a kart?

Lowest?

Me:
$1,470 karts + $2,165 parts = $3,635
$250 highest
$25 lowest

 

[landuse]

I am not too sure of the exact costs, but parts are DEFINATELY more expensive than buying a roller with everything on it. Just the tyres of TC could be more than what you could potentially buy a roller for

 

[OzFab]

Me:
$1,470 karts + $2,165 parts = $3,635

When you think about it, that's an average of $330 a kart which isn't too bad.

So far, my cheapest kart owes me $300 & I haven't done anything to it yet.

When I started my daughters kart, I bought around $300 in parts machines, only some of which went into the kart; I still have almost enough parts to make a mini buggy (engine, transaxle, wheels & other miscellaneous bits & pieces) & I sold off the rest for a return of about $100.

Then I put about $100 worth of steel into it so, it probably only owes me around $300.

On the other hand, the AmEx frame cost me that much but, in total, it owes me around $800.

So,
1st build - $300
AmEx - $800
Shifter - $300
Buggy - $100
Total - $1500 (round figures)

So far, I've been lucky (or clued-up) enough to have had to buy very few new parts, almost everything I got free or very cheap &, of course, there's no time involved here, that would add up to somewhere around 500 hours...

Great idea for a thread

 

[Poboy kartman]

Since I'm fairly new (or should I say newly reintroduced ) to karting, my expenses are incredibly low to this point. They aren't likely to get much higher until my third (and first ground up) build, when they will go through the roof. That kart alone will probably equal an above mentioned outlay in cash and hours.. ( If it ever gets built).

I got into gun building awhile back, and bought some old Mausers and played around with making hunting rifles out of them. Just the parts and time racked up to quality used rifle range. Adding in the cost of tools brought it up to more than a tack driving new rifle. But hobbies aren't all about making money. ....