Help Making go kart out of Green Machine

[WillTheKing96]

Hey guys, this is my first post and i am very new to this whole thing, so go easy on me.
I recently saw our green machine laying dusty in the basement and tried to hop on it but but it was too small. I decided i would use the frame and wheels to make a go kart. I have rearranged the setup and much work still needs to be done, but i am posting in the hope that anyone here can help me out. My initial problem is still space. the seat is still way to close to the steering and i have nowhere to rest my feet. Any advice or reconfigurations that do not require an extensive amount of effort would be much appreciated. If i find the camera i will post some photos shortly

Thanks in advance,
WillTheKing96

 

[Russ2251]

Green Machine

? Could you elaborate? What is a Green Machine?

 

[j.concepcion54321]

do you mean that you have one of the 3 wheeled versions made by huffy?? I made a go kart out of one of those and it was pretty cool! Where the front wheel(drive wheel) mounts, i just cut that off, and then chopped off the front end of an electric scooter(the steering column) and welded the 2 together. turned the seat around and i just zip tied it to the frame and i was good to go. i have some pictures laying around of the build, just never posted them. if you have any questions on taking it apart or something let me know. by puttin the seat on the scooter rear end i ended up gaining a few extra inches that helped me alot with the room. I havent used it though because i lost the charger for the scooter. it only did 10 miles per hour but it was still a cool project

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Jeez- I remember the Green Machine from when I was a tyke! But weren't they all plastic? I gotta do an image search- maybe they updated them?

EDIT- yeah, okay- my memory works fine. They WERE originally all plastic. They have been updated. Good- I was going to accuse you of being entirely insane for "modifying" a plastic toy!

 

[kendelrk]

toystory i thought the same thing

 

[Bluethunder3320]

im lost.

this?

 

[B man]

im lost.

this?

yes thats exactly something you could build a kart out of.lol

 

[sexyvicta]

its those plastic trikes that drift trikers use the wheels off when they build drift trikes.

 

[WillTheKing96]

Pics and elaboration

hey guys, thanx for the replies. I have attached a pic of the kart so far, not much but may help you to understand what i am trying to accomplish. Also, i have attached a picture of a piece of plywood i cut out today, i will bolt that onto the frame to form a solid base i can use to mount my electric motor and brakes (when i get that far!). Any help would be great

 

[WillTheKing96]

forgot to mention, with the addition of the plywood i can now use the back half to attach my seat, so space is no longer a problem. Now my biggest issue is what motor i need and how should i wire and set it all up. I would prefer a 12v motor if possible and am aiming to ride around my street and nearby at a good pace, but doesn't need to be extremely fast. Any sites would help, i am in AUSTRALIA.
Thanks again

 

[Bluethunder3320]

i would go for 750-1000W and 36v minimum in something like that

 

[WillTheKing96]

thanks bluethunder, any recommendations or pictures/prices for this type of motor?

 

[Bluethunder3320]

heres an 800 watt. its about 100 bucks. im not sure if you can get it shipped to AUS.

http://www.scooterparts4less.com/web_electric/800watt36v_motor.htm

 

[WillTheKing96]

cheers for the link, i know this sounds crazy but i really am new to this, how does the wattage affect the speed of the kart?
Also, does this motor mean i will need 3 x 12v car batteries to power?

 

[WillTheKing96]

Hey, im about 50kg, how do you think this motor will go?http://www.motiondynamics.com.au/dc-motors-12v-36v/12v-24v-36v-dc-motors-en/dayton-350w-24v-dc-motor.html
keep in mind the kart is quite light and i want to ride around some flat streets near my house...cheers!

 

[Bluethunder3320]

wattage is sort of like "CC" ratings on an engine. (the size) but no actual comparison between electric and gas.

the more wattage, the more "juice"

the link you posted is for a motor found in electric scooter sized vehicles.


geared right, youd be able to hit 10-15 MAYBE depending on alot of factors. (just to say the approx. range)

it wont have good acceleration though unfortunately.


sacrifice speed for acceleration
sacrifice acceleration for speed

its all about the gear ratios.

 

[WillTheKing96]

Okay, so if i bought a 800w 36v motor like this one:
http://www.extremetoys.com.au/review/product/list/id/37/category/40/
i could go much faster?
Also, will i have to use 3 x 12v car batteries to power it?

 

[WillTheKing96]

When you say 'geared right' do you mean the number of teeth on the sprockets?

 

[landuse]

When you say 'geared right' do you mean the number of teeth on the sprockets?

Yup

 

[number 37]

you don't have to use 3 car batteries to power it, but you have to have a 36 volt power source. The easiest way is to run three 12 volt batteries in series (+ to -) to get there.
Larger batteries will usually have a longer reserve capacity (your gas tank), but you could use smaller motorcycle sized batteries, but you really want to use batteries that are designed to be drained most of the way and then fully recharged, usually called "Deep Cycle"