Help identify vintage kart please

[eheine20]

Greetings from Wisconsin. Can anybody help me identify this frame. I picked it up from my neighbor who lost interest in the rebuild. He believes it’s a 70s manco but I can’t find anything comparable. Any help would be great. I know the fifth frame has been stretched about 5 inches and the rear “roll cage” is an afterthought .

 

[madprofessor]

Good-looking left rear tire, steering wheel, seat padding, and whatever that Viper 212 is. Any other part of it you want to save?
Regardless of the original manufacturer, you've got what can be a basic platform for building out anything you want. If you want to know who the OEM was, is that for curiosity, parts ordering, ideas, or (please say no) a full restoration?
I'd love to start a new project with a ready-to-go base like that. Make it a stew of imagination and have a blast with that.

 

[eheine20]

Just more curious what it is. Or what it started out as. I know with it being lengthened already nothing OEM is going to work.

 

[madprofessor]

I know with it being lengthened already nothing OEM is going to work.

Hoping some others will chime in here, that's a really good point. Extending the wheelbase will always change the steering geometry. I only know enough to explore it on paper, others here have a lot of practical experience with altered or original geometry on karts. I will say this, wider is better, no matter how you look at it. Keeps you sliding sideways instead of just flipping over.
Just go safe with everything. Diagonally reinforced rollcage, 4-5-point safety harness, full coverage helmet, gloves, maybe even racing goggles. You shouldn't even be able to spell barefoot, much less ever do it. DWBarefoot.

 

[eheine20]

Can anybody point me to threads involving building a longer front porch. I’m 6’2 and am cramped. I’d like to see other options before I look at making it longer.

 

[Denny]

I don’t know that you will find any threads about building a bigger porch here. Most people just do it or lengthen the kart in the center, and never talk about it again.

 

[eheine20]

Guess I was hoping for a photo or 2 to look at. I will keep searching

 

[panchothedog]

How much more room do you need ? Looks like you could move the pedals forward a couple of inches. No good picture of the back of the kart, look at moving the seat back. Does the engine mounting plate have meat on it where you can lengthen the slots and back the engine up a bit. Going to a remote fuel tank can free up about an inch and a half with a slanted seat back like on your kart. The fact that it has already been stretched once I don't think it would be a good candidate for a second. You could just get a bigger kart, or is the only reason you got this one because the price was just too good to pass up.

 

[eheine20]

It was free. Motor was $30

 

[Denny]

That frame is not a Manco from what I can see. But in looking at it more you could most definitely lengthen the front porch quite easily without having to change anything except gas and braking rods. All you would have to do is just cut off the stuff welded in front of the axle which consists of just the front crossmember. Then weld on 2 pieces of pipe the length you want to extend the porch and weld the crossmember you cut off to that. You would not even have to change the wheelbase or steering at all. Just make the control rods longer and move the pedals out. Plenty of room for your clod hoppers!
Moving weight forward on a Gokart is always a good thing. One thing I would not do though is drill through the frame to mount pedals. I would add little plates to go through. I don’t like to do anything that will allow water to enter the inside of the frame.

 

[eheine20]

Do I then plate over the tie rods so they are hidden? I assume so. I understand everything else but this.

 

[ezcome-ezgo]

No hiding. Kart Law dictates all mechanical operations be exposed to man and nature.

 

[Denny]

No need to hide the linkage for the steering. You will need to plate the bottom of the porch though. But you knew that already.