Kart Rods

[Kelly Wood]

Continuing on:

Now with an itch for the 6" wheels on the back, I figured I better do this right... and my next project has to compete with Sarge.

As each kart rod takes shape, and as I collect parts here & there, each one gets upgraded as I go. Better parts from this & that end up on the runners and the crappy "starter parts" end up on more up & coming creations. Call it a cycle if you will.

With the wheels on Sarge looking good, I had to go a bit further... and I missed the look of the Manco's...

Seeing I have some rims that I've been saving for a vintage project... but they're just too beat to ever put on a vintage anything... I decided to bang them out & use them. They have enough dings & dents in them that they'd be just perfect.

After straightening a few rough edges, I painted them up, then I swapped rims. There was another reason too though. One of the rear hubs was bent a little and I wanted it straight... and these old wheels are straight.

Now Sarge has both a mean street fighter look and the 6 star pattern to boot.

Any vintage guy will recognize these wheels as they often fetch big bucks on sleaze-bay. They're Hands wheels and they are the beefiest and heavy rims one may ever see.

Having said that... Eat me vintage guys. Sarge is so much cooler than most vintage rides (to me) that I'm proud to have these babys on here.

This frees up the other 5's & 6's for Unit 51. Just need a straight rear hub now... and that elusive Murray Flat Face pedal car body.

Now I'm happy with Sarge... for now.

As usual, thanks for watching.

 

[Kelly Wood]

And with that, I'm outta here. It's been good knowing some of you. Good luck with your creations and rides. Be safe.

Moderators, feel free to deactivate my user name and close/lock this thread if you wish.

My email is kawood100@gmail.com if anyone wants to contact me. My creations & saga will continue on my little personal site as time permits.

Signing off,

Kelly

 

[mckutzy]

OK?
WTF, why are you leaving not coming back?

what the heck happened?

 

[itsid]

Much better (the wheels) than the flat ones on friday if you ask me

But what's that? not returning....????? WTH?

'sid

 

[Kelly Wood]

Call it a moment of weakness last night I guess. Just in a bad place lately and I got down on myself.. and I'd been drinking. A great combination eh? I probably do that too much and I had a little angry moment with myself.

Truth is: I kind of feel like I'm just typing to myself. Even though there are comments here & there, it got to me and... well, I went to typing.

I'm not going anywhere. I figured the street kart racing thing would take off, but it just isn't going to. Too many pussies in these parts. I'll be shutting my site down because it's really just a waste of time... and dealing with failure sometimes just flips me over.

No worries though, a day out & some time to think... and I'm ok. Sometimes the creative block gets to me. It's an artistic thing I guess.

Back to business... even if there aren't that many following. I gotta put this stuff somewhere, so I'll thank y'all for just putting up with me.

In the future, I'll be toning down my replies because I tend to get a bit harsh sometimes... for that, I apologize to anyone I've offended.

Onward...

Today after some time out, I've been struggling with the next project. So many thoughts swirl around and even though I'd taken that sad sack of crap to a rolling stage, I just wan't happy with it. Sure, with a flat face pedal car front it'd be great but still, just a sad sack of crap still... and not quite the look I wanted.

So, the sad sack of crap has become something more useful... A test bed. It's just a roller with steering & brakes and a big open area to mount any engine to test... and that's all it will ever be... a crash test dummy.

Back to the flat face... I think I found a body. With any luck, I should get it in a week. In the hopes of finding one, I set outside to check a few things. The flat face, at the front, is 16 inches wide. To accentuate the use off this part, I wanted to use a frame that would go under all of it, not around it.

And I found it. If anyone remembers Brown Thunder, then turned into that gray & white thing... I measured the frame. Bingo, 16 In wide, exactly.

The frame is built well, and has driven, so I know it all works.

A few mods later, and it's waiting for the flat face front end. It has a neat 50's flare to it and should make one nifty cop car... or something with some flair.

Moment of weakness gone... Stay tuned.

Pics suck and it was nearing dark... but if you can, picture the front end on this thing, it's got a slanted forward kind of look and with the rear end, it should come together. We'll see.

Kelly

 

[itsid]

Call it a moment of weakness last night I guess. Just in a bad place lately and I got down on myself.. and I'd been drinking. A great combination eh? I probably do that too much and I had a little angry moment with myself.

He, angry moment because of drinking.. tell ME about it!
My friends an I are having a guyday (u not a) every three to four month.
that was saturday all day,
having a great day, drinking just one more before we go home (several times...) and on my one AM, 30min walk (aka way home) my mom called
her husband died just minutes before; I had to go directly to the hospital and well just be there for her...
being slightly drunk and tired as hell that is not an easy task, I can tell!
So what started as the best day in months got to be the worst I've experienced in decades because of just a beer or two...
And yes.. angry with myself because of that; not just for a moment!

Let's quickly change topic again..

I like the new wheels even better than the Mancos.
I'm still unsure about the bag though.. the spare wheel was just too cool
I'll need time to adjust

And about your page.. yes, that's a shame; really!
But I think you shouldn't shut it down; in fact I think you should just convert it to a blog'esque site with a comment feature instead of a forum.
This way you can keep the info (generate page hits incl the benefits) and in case you need to communicate more than what's possible in a weblog, you can still send them over.

Your karts are great, the things you achieve with basically rotten pieces of steel are amazing, and I love following your thread (okay.. egocentric german on the loose; sorry)

I'm a little sad, that unit 51 will never happen
at least not with that frame;
it looked right for that purpose to me.
And I liked the idea.. it was some sort of
"Need for Speed - Kartrods style"
some fancy racers and a Cop.

Oh well.. maybe brown thunder will do nicely, let's just see a mockup soon

'sid

PS I'm glad you'll stay

 

[Kelly Wood]

Just wait until you see what the new & improved Unit 51 looks like with the front end on. It's amazing and has a certain look that's both unique and truly 50's.

As for the bag on Sarge, I built a frame for the inside off it keeping it nice & square, and padded inside... this way I can carry stuff, like my camera around at the track and keep it safe... and there's lots of room in it for more stuff!

As for the spare tire... well, a 2nd military unit is planned.. and it'll have the spare. Sarge is too bad-*** to turn back now.

 

[machinist@large]

Call it a moment of weakness last night I guess. Just in a bad place lately and I got down on myself.. and I'd been drinking. A great combination eh? I probably do that too much and I had a little angry moment with myself.

Truth is: I kind of feel like I'm just typing to myself. Even though there are comments here & there, it got to me and... well, I went to typing.

I'm not going anywhere. I figured the street kart racing thing would take off, but it just isn't going to. Too many pussies in these parts. I'll be shutting my site down because it's really just a waste of time... and dealing with failure sometimes just flips me over.

No worries though, a day out & some time to think... and I'm ok. Sometimes the creative block gets to me. It's an artistic thing I guess.

Back to business... even if there aren't that many following. I gotta put this stuff somewhere, so I'll thank y'all for just putting up with me.

In the future, I'll be toning down my replies because I tend to get a bit harsh sometimes... for that, I apologize to anyone I've offended.

Onward...

Today after some time out, I've been struggling with the next project. So many thoughts swirl around and even though I'd taken that sad sack of crap to a rolling stage, I just wan't happy with it. Sure, with a flat face pedal car front it'd be great but still, just a sad sack of crap still... and not quite the look I wanted.

So, the sad sack of crap has become something more useful... A test bed. It's just a roller with steering & brakes and a big open area to mount any engine to test... and that's all it will ever be... a crash test dummy.

Back to the flat face... I think I found a body. With any luck, I should get it in a week. In the hopes of finding one, I set outside to check a few things. The flat face, at the front, is 16 inches wide. To accentuate the use off this part, I wanted to use a frame that would go under all of it, not around it.

And I found it. If anyone remembers Brown Thunder, then turned into that gray & white thing... I measured the frame. Bingo, 16 In wide, exactly.

The frame is built well, and has driven, so I know it all works.

A few mods later, and it's waiting for the flat face front end. It has a neat 50's flare to it and should make one nifty cop car... or something with some flair.

Moment of weakness gone... Stay tuned.

Pics suck and it was nearing dark... but if you can, picture the front end on this thing, it's got a slanted forward kind of look and with the rear end, it should come together. We'll see.

Kelly

Please stay.... please stay.... please stay...

I would be the first person to be fully understanding about life.... well, sometimes life and your personal plans just refuse to jive. While I have no clue about the karting scene in your local, I can fully sympathise with your previous post. I'm over two years out and still paying for my one screwup involving drink; I'm over the worst of it, but it's going to cost me for a long while to come....

Kelly, you are on the short list of people I've met on this forum that I hope to meet in person someday....

 

[Oxymoron]

FWIW, I always pay attention to your posts. I don't interact often because, honestly, I'm intimidated. I just very recently got started in this hobby, and I'm nowhere near being on the same page... all I can do is read your book. It's interesting. I like your flare, your style. You're on another level.

Drinking? Don't even want to talk about it. All I'll say, is that I have joint custody of my youngest son, and when he's not here with me.... beer is.... abundantly. It's how I cope with not waking up to his smiling face every morning.

You say you're too harsh sometimes. Well, I goof around with people too much sometimes. I mean no harm, but I should probably ease up. Tone and inflection are very hard for me to convey through the written word, and I should keep that in mind.

You're an artist. I dig what you do.... even when I don't comment. I dig what a lot of people do and don't comment, actually.

Sorry, getting wordy....

Anyway, glad you're sticking around.

Sent from my XT1060 using Tapatalk

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks a ton. Yes, I have an ego.

Continuing on... a crappy mock up of what I'm goin for. From Pic 1, to Pic 2. The reason I posted the old photo off Brown Thunder is because the angle of the picture was very close to a pic I have of the Flat face body I'm so very hoping to get... so I used that and began drawing for a bit.

Kinda has that "hot roddy" feel to it, don't ya think?

Let's have some fun.

 

[itsid]

Okay.. I'm convinced
I admit, I liked the "wings" of the crappy one, but a fitting nose is indeed a good thing.

With nerf bars and white rims (or white pinstripes for that matter) I'll like it

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you to get the flatface you're after

'sid

 

[landuse]

I am with Oxymoron about being a bit intimidated by your kart knowledge and artistic flair. just don't have any constructive comments, because you know a lot more than I do.

Just looking at your thread views, you have over 16300 views, and those are unique. I love the thread and dig the projects....

 

[itsid]

I am with Oxymoron about being a bit intimidated by your kart knowledge and artistic flair. just don't have any constructive comments, because you know a lot more than I do.

Well Kelly said to me,
that this is not as much about knowing as it is about ideas.
That's why I simply don't care that he knows more than me...
but just post what I think about it.

'sid


PS or in short terms: "Join in!"

 

[Jim-L-L]

Hey Kelly your builds are great and I guess like most people I don't comment but always keep a watch on your posts, believe me you have inspired me to build my own kind of Kart rod someday soon. Keep up the good work and please keep posting !
p.s. It's always best to stay off the web when you're munted ! : )
Jim

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I feel all better now.

Come on flat face... I'm waiting.

 

[Kelly Wood]

While we're waiting for ole' flat face... I'm brainstorming for a theme for the next kartrod.

For those counting, there are 4 kartrods currently, 2 are daily drivers if you will. To be finished are Unit 51 (the cop car) and bonneville spirit, waiting for me to get just the right day to do it.

2 of them have no real themes, they're just parts thrown together and they proved themselves to be worthy. Those were Urban Defiance (the first) and Bonneville. The other two, sarge & unit 51 have themes.

There are 2 others planned (another military job with trailer and minibike to match)

5 others have failed (a yellow & black thing, a purple one, and 2 variations of the red baron with two different frames) yet one of them became a test bed. So, 4 failed.

And I'm feeling the themes are the way to go.

So, we'll continue this saga with small detour. (possibly into the wrong side of town, running over a hobo, taking out an orphanage and resting nicely against a dumpster)

Give me some ideas.

Kelly

 

[itsid]

While we're waiting for ole' flat face... I'm brainstorming for a theme for the next kartrod.

For those counting, there are 4 kartrods currently, 2 are daily drivers if you will. To be finished are Unit 51 (the cop car) and bonneville spirit, waiting for me to get just the right day to do it.

2 of them have no real themes, they're just parts thrown together and they proved themselves to be worthy. Those were Urban Defiance (the first) and Bonneville. The other two, sarge & unit 51 have themes.

There are 2 others planned (another military job with trailer and minibike to match)

5 others have failed (a yellow & black thing, a purple one, and 2 variations of the red baron with two different frames) yet one of them became a test bed. So, 4 failed.

And I'm feeling the themes are the way to go.

So, we'll continue this saga with small detour. (possibly into the wrong side of town, running over a hobo, taking out an orphanage and resting nicely against a dumpster)

Give me some ideas.

Kelly

No red baron? ever?..
*sniff*

The former unit 51 testbed crappy kart thing
(boy; you really should just number them )

That one could be a nice 80s BTTF themed kart,
a flux capacitor, some bendable tubing and maybe some LEDs and you're set.

Or, and please excuse me getting ridiculous..
what about a "superhero" kart?

No seat but a padded floor, no pedals but pegs near the rear axle, the loweset steering wheel ever or even better.. handles near the spindles,
I don't know if it's doable, but if it is;
then you're the one who could.

riding it belly down.. that'd be scary as hell, but most likely unique
"Flying" three inches off the ground...


Oh oh oh...
For the military themed one you intend to do:
How about tank treads for the rear axle...;
a second "rear axle" and some cheating with caster wheels should make a nice tank tread.


Okay I think I got carried away

Sorry

'sid

 

[landuse]

I like the idea of riding a kart on your stomach. You might have to have the controls on the wheel, like the Odysseys, or you can rig something up to push the throttles and brakes with your feet at the back

Hmmmmm....intereting...

 

[Jim-L-L]

I like the idea of riding a kart on your stomach. You might have to have the controls on the wheel, like the Odysseys, or you can rig something up to push the throttles and brakes with your feet at the back

Hmmmmm....intereting...

The RAF tried it in the 50's good idea but didn't pan out !
(the “prone position” to evaluate the advantages of coping with the effects of gravity while flying lying down. The adoption of a prone position cockpit in future combat aircraft designs appeared attractive for two reasons. Firstly, such a configuration enabled the frontal area of the airframe to be reduced and therefore reduced drag. Secondly, aircrew can withstand greater 'g' forces if not sitting upright)

 

[Kelly Wood]

Cool ideas, keep em coming!

For you 'sid. Numbers.

Kelly