First Kart OBSESSION!

[Predmon]

I will be posting updates... hopefully daily of this restore. I picked up the Kart for $100 with no engine. Since I will be saving this Kart for my daughter when she is old enough the Grand parents have offered to buy a new Honda engine for it. I was just gonna go with a harbor freight engine that has been recommended on the forum. We will see. Even if I purchase the engine myself I should still have only $300 to $500 in it. Below are my plans for parts.... please suggest any helpful info or ideas.

1) New Paint
1) New Decals
2) Restore seat
3) New Wheels or Sand and Paint old wheels??
4) Sand and repaint frame
5) Engine
6) Sprocket, Clutch
7) New ROUND steering wheel?

 

[landuse]

How are the brakes functioning, and what sort of drivetrain are you going to use? Centrifugal clutch or TC? What gear ratio are you looking at?

 

[Predmon]

Thanks for the response. Glad you mentioned brakes as I forgot about them. The brakes are the old metal feet that press against the tire (as pictured below). I never liked them and was wondering if a disc conversion was possible?

Not real familiar with gear ratios so any advice on drivetrain setups would be appreciated. I would like to do a live axle conversion to get away from single wheel power. I am thinking torque converter if not too much fame mod is needed. Do you recommend the centrifugal clutch or torque converter? Thanks again for the response and help. I greatly appreciate it!

 

[Predmon]

Frame Pics as mentioned in above post.

 

[ballinchestr]

The Harbor Freight engine is probably the best deal. its really reliable and it starts first pull. It was like $100 when I got it.

 

[Predmon]

Thanks for the tip!

 

[landuse]

Thanks for the response. Glad you mentioned brakes as I forgot about them. The brakes are the old metal feet that press against the tire (as pictured below). I never liked them and was wondering if a disc conversion was possible?

Not real familiar with gear ratios so any advice on drivetrain setups would be appreciated. I would like to do a live axle conversion to get away from single wheel power. I am thinking torque converter if not too much fame mod is needed. Do you recommend the centrifugal clutch or torque converter? Thanks again for the response and help. I greatly appreciate it!

Converting to brakes to disc might be a little harder with a dead axle (due to space limitations), but if you are going to convert to live, then it should be pretty easy. Where are you going to be riding the kart. Live axles are better suited to offroad environments due to the handling of live axles. If you are riding on tarmac, then a live axle doesn't always do so well.

A TC would work fine. I would still gear it at about 6:1. That means something like a 60T axle sprocket and 10T TC sprocket

 

[OzFab]

If you are riding on tarmac, then a live axle doesn't always do so well.

I have a live axle on my kart & it does ok on tarmac :toetap05: Not to mention, every race kart in the country rides on tarmac & they all have live axles. It all comes down to the steering setup...

If you end up using a HF 212cc Predator (as suggested by ballinchestr) adding a tav2 should involve zero frame mods. Disc brakes, on the other hand, could be only a pipe dream since you have a dead axle setup.

scrub brakes are rubbish but, with the current setup, the only other choice you have is band which could prove difficult with a torque converter in the way.

Wait for others to chime in, they may have better ideas...

 

[landuse]

I stand corrected. I will go back to my corner now. LOL. Just kidding....

 

[OzFab]

 

[Predmon]

Thanks for the advice/tips... MUCH appreciated. Converting to a live axle would be no problem as I have the equipment (welding machine, other tools, etc...). But to answer your question landuse, the kart will not really be ridden much (at least not by me). It will be years before my daughter is old enough to ride something like a powered go kart and I am 6'6" tall so I wont be squeezing into it. So long story short, I think I can move forward just using the already installed dead axle. I just want to restore it for the fun of it. My wife and I will be donating the finished product to a local fundraiser or charity that way it can help raise money for something that needs it and also give someone an opportunity to use it. So with keeping the dead axle, I will have to keep the old scrub brakes as Fabroman mentioned. So with everyone's tips so far it looks like I am going to go with the following:

1) Harbor Freight 212cc Predator Engine (going pick it up today)
2) Keep "dead" (single wheel power) axle
3) Keep "scrub" brakes
4) New plywood, cushion and cover for seat
5) Change steering wheel to a small diameter round wheel
6) Sand and repaint frame and body
7) Duplicate replacement decals
8) Either sand and repaint the original stock wheels and new tires or purchase a new wheel/tire combo to clean up the look (if I can find some reasonably priced wheels/tires)
9) Centrifugal clutch or torque converter and gearing as suggested by landuse

The most expensive item is going to be the duplicated replacement decals (at least that is my guess). I am bringing the body by a local graphics company tomorrow so they can photo and measure them to quote me a price.

 

[Predmon]

Oh... I found the original sticker on the bottom of the frame. The original manufacturer is MIDWESTERN INDUSTRIES, INC. from Fremont, NE. I have tried to research them but I am being led to believe that they are no longer an existing company.

Does anyone know what a kart like this would have cost brand new when it was originally sold? And/or what the thing might be worth once it is restored? As I mentioned in my previous reply... I am not looking to make money on it as I will be donating it but whatever organization or charity that will be using it to raise money would benefit from knowing its value. I am thinking someone could raffle it off to raise money.

 

[OzFab]

6) Sand and repaint frame and body

8) Either sand and repaint the original stock wheels and new tires or purchase a new wheel/tire combo to clean up the look (if I can find some reasonably priced wheels/tires)

By the look of it, you may be better off sandblasting...

By the time you sand/blast & paint the rims & replace the tyres (they're probably old & perished?) you're probably better off to find some replacements

 

[Predmon]

Thanks for the input Fabroman. You are right also... The stock wheels are rusted so bad they will look bad even after blasting them. But you got me thinking on the sand blasting. My brother n law works for a shipyard here in South Louisiana so I contacted him after reading your reply and asked him if he could help. He's gonna blast the frame, coat it with a neutralizer, coat of primer and one coat of flat black paint for me for a fair price of $30 and a case of bud light! Not too bad! I think that will do a more detailed job than me and a grinder... Plus easier on me. Thanks again for the reply!

 

[landuse]

thanks for the input fabroman. You are right also... The stock wheels are rusted so bad they will look bad even after blasting them. But you got me thinking on the sand blasting. My brother n law works for a shipyard here in south louisiana so i contacted him after reading your reply and asked him if he could help. He's gonna blast the frame, coat it with a neutralizer, coat of primer and one coat of flat black paint for me for a fair price of $30 and a case of bud light! Not too bad! I think that will do a more detailed job than me and a grinder... Plus easier on me. Thanks again for the reply!

score!!

 

[OzFab]

Awesome! Yet more proof that it really is who you know not what you know