Kart Rods

[Desertduler]

I found your next project.

Stereo tuned pipes! lol

 

[Kelly Wood]

No thanks. I'm not into Enduro's.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update:

Not tons to report, just lots of little things.

The weekend was racing and the first actual time on the track with my kids new Briggs LO206. Call it a shake-down run but it performed well. We took 2nd and my kid has some competition this year... 3 challengers so far. Check the 1st photo... this was at mid-straight away where FOUR Junior 2 Racers ended up 4 WIDE for the first turn. One of them didn't make it... The one on the outside. My kid is #11 in there somewhere. LOL

So, put stuff away as usual, then I got all sunday to myself... (after of course buying the wife something for Mothers day... which is weird to me... she's not my mother.)

Anyway, I put some proper and functional brakes on the semi and changed a few things around.

So I'll happily report that the Semi is finished for now. It now joins the others as Runners to be tinkered with when I get bored.

I then grabbed Urban Defiance's motor off the shelf. She's been in storage for a year and cleaned it up. Summer is coming so it's time to get it back out. It's my 2nd favorite one and I plan on having at least 5 runners this year.

Then it was onto a clean up of Sarge. She has stuck it out in the rain with me at the races for the past 3 weeks and... well, I usually take sarge with me to the track because the place is huge and it's great transportation at the facility.. and she always draws some kind of crowd. A little rust on Sarge, but that's ok. It's the fastest of them all and the most reliable.

Ok, so I have 3 others to do. Unit 51, the Baroness, Bonneville Spirit. I should be able to nail them down by mid summer.

... and I said I was gonna do 8 of them.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update:

I've always wanted to do this... and I mentioned it way back in this thread.

I think it was near the beginning where I stated my hatred for the tri star wheels. I don't know what it is about them, I just don't like them.

Sure, they're tough wheels and they do their job, they're round, they work... but I hate the way they look.

Time to do something about it.

A while back I took Sarge's original Manco wheels and gave them to my vintage buddy that wanted a set because he couldn't find what he wanted, nor did he want to pay a fortune when he did find what he was looking for. That was when I gave sarge the bigger and much cooler wheels that I had (The Hands Vintage race wheels... they're worth more than Sarge herself... lucky me, I only paid 100 bucks for the whole kart they were on...)

... and now I feel like something is missing.

Sarge rocks with these big wheels but it also has a neat look with the knobbies & manco wheels.

So where to find mancos?

Urban defiance has always had a rear set of manco's so it was time to get to what I wanted to do.

Time to replace UD's rear wheels with a set of original tri stars. These were the first wheels it ever ran with so I thought it appropriate.

Out with the remaining 2 front chrome (and rusty/bent) wheel halves that have no hubs. (see? Ya gotta read the whole thread to find out where all this came from...)

Cut, grind, drill... VIOLA. UD has a nifty set of rear wheels now... and I have the measurements for discs so I can have a few extras made... for Bonneville spirit. It sports a full set of tri stars.

Now onto the search for 3 manco front wheel halves.

Thanks for lookin.

 

[machinist@large]

As I've stated before, your artistic leanings blow me out of the water. I can appreciate what you've done (as well as what you plan to do); can I equal it?

I know enough to know that I'm pretty comfortable being a nuts & bolts guy; I've built some wild stuff in my career, but most of the world would just look at it and go "Eh....."

You, on the other hand, are a solid technician, who has the ability to take something , rework/ modify/ puree & reconstitute it into something the main stream looks at an goes "WOW!!!"......

Pat

 

[Orange Krate]

So where to find mancos [...]3 manco front wheel halves

I had a set that would’ve worked…but they’re no good to you now

Alright good buddy, I’ll keep my eyes peeled

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update... after some time.

Honestly, I'm starting to hate the racing scene. Even though I know its only a few sour apples, it ruins the whole thing for everyone.

We change to the new engine and follow the rules and there's already cheaters. Top that off with one kid (the cheater) misunderstanding me and his daddy decides to start calling me names because his boy is too stupid to tell what reality is. Mind you, this kid is new (and I helped them out the first race with free parts even...) now these arrogant F*&(%# are 1/4 track ahead of everyone and boy are they arrogant. Coming from me, that's REALLY arrogant.

My kids kart is messed up and I'm just tired.

Time to put it away for a few weeks and recharge.

Today we see the return of the first Kart rod herself, Urban Defiance. She's been on leave for a while so I thought it would be fun to pull her out & give her some love, additions, a few stickers and more tick marks.

First up, a new motor. The original Greyhound I used on it is going to the semi and the Semi's motor will be on the cop car... which is next.

With racing going to the Briggs, I have 2 excellent honda gx200's so I took mine & broke the seals... and put it on UD.

Now she has a way fast engine, killer throttle linkage, a tank that's actually mounted instead of held on by a ratchet strap... and FINS to boot!

Memorial day weekend... I drove all three all weekend long and Sarge was with us at the races... and at Millers this weekend, was a national motorcycle event. Sarge was seen by thousands of people. It was just great fun cruising through the pits on sarge, checking out all the killer bikes & swag... and them rockstar chicks too.

Anyone that's followed along knows I kind of like attention... and today, I got just that. No less than 20 or so folks stopped me just to check Sarge out... and once I stopped, I had a crazy crowd just checkin it out.

Seems like the folks liked Ole Sarge.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update:

Just some pics and a quick story.

As much as I love the dual engine plan, it's not happening right now. It might happen down the road, but for now, I just want to get the Baroness running... with something you've seen a while ago... The Tecumseh.

Why? Because it looks killer, plain & simple.

The gas tank, courtesy of a vintage kohler motor I pulled from the dump one day.

Pics, more soon.

She is a work of art.

 

[machinist@large]

Any particular reason for the change? You've got a rep for being pretty meticulous, so I know there's logic behind the call.

Pat

 

[Kelly Wood]

Any particular reason for the change? You've got a rep for being pretty meticulous, so I know there's logic behind the call.

Pat

A while back when I had the Tec on it and I just liked the look... so that's the only reason really.

I'll still do the dual setup, but my goal this year is to have 6 runners by summer's end.

... and the dual setup is going to be on something else.

You see, Bonneville Spirit is just a normal kart frame, nothing special about it and that's just not my thing. Sure, it's neat looking and the front end will certainly stay as it is. I've been trying to figure out just what to do with it. It's back end and the whole thing is almost too small to fit in... So, since the "dual inline engine" idea came about, I can use it here.

We're gonna extend the back of Bonneville and build it specifically for the dual inline setup... staggered motors & all... allowing for the low end "take off" motor, then the high speed motor... or some variation of that whole mess.

... and I have just the parts to do it.

Then it's off to the salt flats... MUA HA HA HA

 

[itsid]

:toetap05:

Okay.. tonight I sob myself to sleep.. and it'll be YOUR FAULT!

'sid

 

[Kelly Wood]

:toetap05:

Okay.. tonight I sob myself to sleep.. and it'll be YOUR FAULT!

'sid

Now now... no need to get all sad. Have I ever disappointed you? (don't answer that)

I'm sure you'll dig it.

Besides, it's too small for me to drive...

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update: 5 days off...

Introducing: Bonneville Spirit. The dual purpose ride for the Salt Flats run... and put the big buggy wheels on it and we have a slammed lake bed runner.

The engines are just sitting on a piece of wood but the beauty here is a full flat surface for whatever motor I feel like putting on it.

For the Dual Engine setup, clutches both run inboard and it all lines up. Dual engine setup is a go.

At a lengthy 59 1/2 IN wheelbase, this is gonna get interesting.

 

[Kelly Wood]

and a mockup...

 

[itsid]

Now now... no need to get all sad...

my two favourite karts ... all ruined *sob*

Have I ever disappointed you? (don't answer that)

I can answer that... NO.. you didn't;
but this time you're trying really hard

I'm sure you'll dig it.

Besides, it's too small for me to drive...

Yeah, very likely I will...

Making Bonneville longer might actually be a good idea,
and a twin engine.. I totally understand that too.
but as far as I'm concerned Bonneville asks for a SBS twin.

And only a two seater like the baroness deserves an inline twin IMHO.
one engine on the passenger seat..
that layout was just perfect (to me that is)

The TEC is nice .. as a placeholder... and that tank actually has "Semi" written all over it

Just my humble opinion...
and it's actually the first time in a loooong while I'm not 100% sure that it's going to work for me in the end.
(not that it matters much of course )

I'm eager to see

'sid

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks for the thoughts.

On we go...

Update:

Just a day off and it's the bitter work of doing this... meaning, the little details & such. Nothing big to report.

Part of today was sorting through what I'm using and what I'm not so I now have a pile of stuff that won't be used for now.

The Baroness now has a nice pretty tank too.

The best part... working on one with the rest of them present... my hot rod army.

A few pics.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Kelly Wood]

Update:

Day three.

With the roofers doing a new roof for me, I'm continuing on with the Baroness.

More little stuff today but she's taking shape now.

1. Intake curved pipe attached to the filter cup, filter on right.
2. Pipe ground down and attached right.
3. Front clip assembled and mounted to the internal framework for it.
4. Inner turbine fan completed and mounted
5. Machine gun in place (held by zip ties for now) and gunners handle in place.
6. Right side rear strut mounts in place and mounted
7. Rear axle in place with all hardware... minus a brake caliper mount
8. Motor mounted, I had to cut the mount but it's on and tilted now giving the look I wanted.
9. gas tank in place... mount to be made soon.
10. Fuel lines & pump in place... now remember, I just shoot from the hip here and just look how the fuel pump turned out with the pump lines... anyone... anyone? (hint, it's a design of some sort)

If I think back now what's gone into this one...

1. Front hubs from who knows where
2. Front rims that are hard to find a hub to.
3. 1 Manco frame
4. 1 rear portion of a bug stinger frame
5. 1 motor mount from... I don't remember now
6. Bearing hangers from a Yamaha RC100
7. A mailbox
8. A baking tin
9. A fan from a honda clone
10. A cap from a water proofing spray can
11. A Tecumseh H50
12. Exhaust bend from an auto parts store
13. Mikuni fuel pump
14. Fuel tank from a junked Kohler I found at the dump.
15. Steering hoop from a fun kart frame to make the seat back
16. PVC pipe
17. Control handle from a 1957 Mercury outboard motor control set.
18. A set of used go kart galaxy 6" rear rims.

And a bunch of other crap... and as usual, a lot of the nuts & bolts don't match.

She's a work of art.

Thanks for looking.

 

[machinist@large]

The way you have the fuel pump mounted really sets off the engine; it just seems to imply that the Lady consider's anything "Yerf" to be just a potential food source...

Does she prefer hers grilled, fried, or sushi style?

 

[Kelly Wood]

Thanks, yea she's looking good.

Update:

Check em out (pic 1) an actual set of Hurst Airhart vintage brakes with matching original disc. This was a trick to get just right but I think it's there. I figured I better use them rather than throw them on ebay since they were collected for my wannabe vintage kart project... that, and I cut the bug stinger fun kart in half and the rear end IS the rear end for this beast.

Next, I've been toying around with the tail fin(s) & where to put it/them... and I think I have it.... Problem is... how to attach it just right.

Off to the Shed of witchery I say.

Even though I cleaned it out a few months ago, I kept all the aluminum and cast pieces I'd collected over the years from the vintage boating I'd done... and I'm looking for something in particular.

I figured I'd use some kind of aluminum trim/thingy to mount it and have it adjustable. To start, one handlebar mount from somewhere. It clamps onto the rear set brace and has a nifty bolt built in. Next (what I was looking for) was some sort of channel shaped piece of aluminum...

... and what do I find? An old small cast aluminum outboard motor mount. It's gotta be 50 years old and as I stared at it... I saw past what it was and found what I wanted. See the rest of the pics.

A killer mount for the little rudders.

On we go, thanks for looking.

 

[Poboy kartman]

What can I say?????

Keep truckin' Kelly.......