Kart Rods

[Kelly Wood]

moving on...

Success... X2.

Sarge is a runner and I drove it 2 times today. The first run was really just going slow to make sure stuff worked basically a break in.

After coming back, it sputtered a bit and I knew something would eventually surface.... but I had to see what this beast would do.

So, low on gas, I topped it off and hit the neighborhood... with the straight pipe.

Performance report:
1. Handles quite well, cornering is predictable, turns really well with little push.
2. Power is pretty good, 13 up front and a 54 in the back, it gets up there & moves.
3. Nothing fell off or broke.
4. Something is in the carb, time for a little cleaning... I did nothing to this engine when I bought it... I just knew it ran.

Now I know what I have... and ole Sarge here is a pretty throaty one and I'm happy..

Ending the day, I threw down a good run in Urban defiance and the whole neighborhood was-a-watchin.

A good day.

Now sarge has 2 marks on her. (I mark them for each good run)

Thanks for watching.

Keep on karting

Kelly(kartrods.com) wood.

 

[exenos]

Cause, kartrods are Urban racers that conform to a set of rules. 5 to 6.5 HP blocks are all that's allowed.

Put it in a police styled cart and play cops'n robbers

 

[Kelly Wood]

Does the 10hp run?

No spark whatsoever.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Put it in a police styled cart and play cops'n robbers

I'm sure I will... if anyone in this bloody town would ever challenge me.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Very nice! The helmet's a great touch, too!

 

[DaiSan76]

No spark whatsoever.

Alright, thanks.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Very nice! The helmet's a great touch, too!

Thanks, that helmet has seen a lot. I wore it in Desert Storm 22 years ago.

And the way I figure it, I'd rather have it continue to journey through life with me than rather than sit in the closet forever collecting dust,... plus it doesn't fit in my military medals/timeline display case.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Oh... That's THE helmet, is it? Well then- that certainly makes it special!

 

[exenos]

I'm sure I will... if anyone in this bloody town would ever challenge me.

Next time you take them for a run, bring a extra helmet and offer one of the bystanders a run, they might catch the bug.

 

[Kelly Wood]

I think I'll wait on that for now... But good idea. In 2 weeks, the newspaper guy that's doing the spread on all this will drive one of them for the story shoot and I have a friend that's crazy enough to drive Brown Thunder.

we'll see how it goes.

Onward.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Continuing on...

Well, I've been home for 2 days with the first real cold I've had in years... and what do I do?

Get creative.

With sarge's carb all gummed up, I go searching for stuff to overhaul it and all is well there. Then there's this 1969 briggs I have sitting here. No spark, in shambles, not usable... by me anyway.

But the carb... that's a different story. It's got that old pull choke and it has character.

So, stitting at my little work table, I pull out the dremel and start cleaning it up. Why?

The beginnings of the first KartRods (urban guerilla) kart racing trophy. Yup, the trophy for each race is an old polished turd, mounted on a nice base and a nifty aluminum plate, hand stamped with an old stamping kit I have.

A pic of the carb, I haven't made the rest.

So, seeing that kartrods are really just parts thrown together & polished up a bit... there's only 1 trophy per race, the 1ST PLACE one... the Polished turd award.

Maybe we'll throw a little valve cover breather on there as a mini air filter. Should be a looker worthy of the shelves of any thrift store.

Pretty cheesy eh?

 

[machinist@large]

......Pretty cheesy eh?

I LOVE IT!!!!!!

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks!

Anyone got any old weird unusable carbs they want to donate to this cause? Show me a pic!

 

[Kelly Wood]

Continuing on...

I think I've been sitting on my butt too much at night so this evening, I didn't. Out to the carport with a brew in hand and cleared the bench. Time to fix sarge's carb.

I've never messed with a briggs flathead carb and as much as um, some people tell me they hate them... it wasn't all that much to do.

After getting it all off, sure nuff, something was stuck in the main jet. So, on with the 3 whole parts it takes to fix this up and a good cleaning, it all went back together (and much cleaner) then filled it with oil... Royal Purple XPR. It's a tad expensive but since we use it at the track, I figured we'd give ole sarge here some love cause this engine I think has seen some abuse in its day.

Clean tank, clean everything, in with the gas and mounted it back on the chassis.

A few pulls later and she's idling like a champ and very responsive now.

Time for test drive #3... 4

and 5... and with everything blown out, sarge is quite fast, predictable and now reliable. 2 pulls works every time now. It's front end seems to track nicely and turns on a dime... and the backfires are specactular. I'll have to mess with the clutch or replace it with something different but it's pretty good for now. (and this was a rusty hunk o'crap clutch I found in a bucket)

By the 5th run of the evening, it appeared I had a few fans... 2 groups of folks at their houses flagged me down and 2 of them came to my place. One of the flaggers was a military guy that just got home from a tour of duty... So, one vet to another (and younger one) I shook his hand and we talked a bit. I guess ole sarge here has a certain effect on folks and every one of them just loved her. (yes, Sarge is a girl)

I think the best part of the last ride (and the evening) was when I blew by some old codger yelling "slow down" as he watered his pansy garden. LOL

Success, and some interest.

2 rides good to go, 2 to finish. Good to go for the Newspaper story.

Thanks for watching.

 

[Kelly Wood]

And continuing on...

Yesterday was race day at our local track so My daughter I braved the storm and headed for it hoping it would break, and it did, a little. Our first race was on rain tires and she pulled a 3rd in her first race, 2nd in her 2nd... and for the main, after some fierce competition... 1st place. Pic 1.

Leaving Sunday for me, YAY!

The morning started out with cleaning up the race mess from yesterday then it was on to my rides... ALL DAY LONG!

Seen in picture 2, the one I call Brown Thunder was torn down to the basics and it got a new coat of pain, sured a lot up on it and it's almost ready. It's the hardest one to build because of all the artistic touches and attachments.

Picture 3, what's left over from that beast of a 2 seater I picked up a week back... The rear end was just messed up so I took the front end and made the beginnings of a trailer for Ole Sarge. I cut the steering rods and just welded them into place allowing for minor adjustments using the threaded steering rod ends, then just wrenched down the kingpin bolts. After cutting that up, I spent a bit scrounging up 2 wheels, tires and patching 2 tubes for it.

I now know why I'm building a trailer... I took sarge to the track yesterday and people just loved her. Kids and parents alike stopped by to check it out. Even though she's not done yet, she's in trials and running so I took it to just cruize the pits... thus, a trailer could be helpful.

More on it soon. What should I put on this trailer? Anyone wanna give me some ideas?

Picture 4, 5 and 6 are the little things I added on Sarge today.

Polished up the clutch to just give it a little shiny here & there.

Then the little vents added & painted up... then...

on the lower left side...

her little machine gun. (made from the inside of a busted muffler)

Finished up the day with 7 runs in sarge, she's pretty solid now.

Thanks

 

[machinist@large]

Everything and the kitchen sink?

I now know why I'm building a trailer... I took sarge to the track yesterday and people just loved her. Kids and parents alike stopped by to check it out. Even though she's not done yet, she's in trials and running so I took it just cruize the pits... thus, a trailer could be helpful.

More on it soon. What should I put on this trailer? Anyone wanna give me some ideas?


Thanks

Glad things went well over the weekend!

So, are going to stick with the military theme or have a little fun with it? If so, I would pick up a US made Goldenrod brand oilcan (all steel) and paint it to match; maybe another ammo box for tools. I don't know where you could find a miniature jerry can for fuel though.

If you decide to have some fun with it, how about a stainless kitchen sink for a body? If you could make it look like you just "Liberated" it from a counter somewhere, so much the better!!

Just my ramblings for it (more may come to me.......)

Pat

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I absolutely love how Sarge came out! That could be the best theme build I've ever seen.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks man... and...

CRAP! I missed a pic and it's out of order... oh well.

Here's the POS trailer. LOL

Sorry about that.


A hot rod is nothing you buy ready to assemble. If it is, you're doing it wrong... it's something you make. KartRods.com

(and no, I'm not gonna make the trailer steering functional, that'd be stupid... and it's not a fire truck)

 

[Kelly Wood]

Glad things went well over the weekend!

So, are going to stick with the military theme or have a little fun with it? If so, I would pick up a US made Goldenrod brand oilcan (all steel) and paint it to match; maybe another ammo box for tools. I don't know where you could find a miniature jerry can for fuel though.

If you decide to have some fun with it, how about a stainless kitchen sink for a body? If you could make it look like you just "Liberated" it from a counter somewhere, so much the better!!

Just my ramblings for it (more may come to me.......)

Pat

Interesting, thanks!

 

[B.M.800]

I'm sure I will... if anyone in this bloody town would ever challenge me.

Put it in a police styled cart and play cops'n robbers

I can see it now.... a new sport of high stakes racing. Honestly that sounds like fun...
Load the players up with some paintball guns...

More on it soon. What should I put on this trailer? Anyone wanna give me some ideas?

A cannon(functional) of some sort...