New user with a kart

[Dwoody]

Hey, I'm a new user because I recently got a kart. This was the place to get the answers I needed about my kart. In the early 80's as a teenager I had a red, single wheel drive kart that had, I think, a 3HP. I learned about chain stretching, adjusting the engine for chain tension and how the centrifugal clutch works. When these things would brake, my kart would sit until my dad would get parts, I think from Hamilton Brothers on Piedmont Road in Atlanta. Here are a couple of photos of my 1st kart.....

 

[Dwoody]

My 1980's Go kart

1980's kart

 

[Hellion]

I'm sorry, we can't accept members who were spoiled with go karts as children. We only accept those who, now having the time and money, can revisit the childhood they never had.

So sorry.

 

[Crash87]

That’s awesome man!

 

[Dwoody]

Super Wheels by Carter

This year I started watching CraigsList for a go kart, like I had, when this one showed up. Single seat, right price and not far from home. I was a little scared about buying a kart, I wasn't sure I would still fit on it and a little strange being a 50+ year old buying a kart for myself. When I called and went to go see it, I had to have it, but it must fit in my CRV to get it home and to take it places to ride. It all worked out, here are the photos from CL, seller said it had a different steering wheel.

 

[950speed]

I'm sorry, we can't accept members who were spoiled with go karts as children. We only accept those who, now having the time and money, can revisit the childhood they never had.

So sorry.

Welp I guess it’s time to delete my account, ‘‘twas a fun time.

Lol

 

[BigWes]

Does that thing have a full size car battery on it? Dude that thing is heavy ain't it...what engine does it have? You know if you put a Torque converter on it you'll have lots more fun.

 

[Hellion]

...I was a little scared about buying a kart, I wasn't sure I would still fit on it and a little strange being a 50+ year old buying a kart for myself...

The original karts were designed by and for "serious adults" to have fun on, so kids were never really put into the equation until later on with the rise of the yard karts.

I just show a pic of McQueen or some other dude on a kart to show the way it's supposed to be. You're supposed to have your knees in your chest, the kart's supposed to be small, cramped and nimble, etc etc.

There he is. The King of Cool.

 

[Hellion]

It looks like there's an obvious clue to the make and model of your kart right on it. I see a Super Wheels sticker on it.

But the single strut brace for the steering wheel and other details clue me in that it's a Carter Brothers kart.
A Super Wheels model #1215 most likely.

USA Made, in Alabama!

http://www.bmikarts.com/PDF/Carter-Bros/CarterBros/SuperWheels(Model-1215)/1215.pdf


EDIT: Yours is a live axle so my best reckoning is it's a model #1215.

 

[Dwoody]

This is what it looked like after I had it a few days. I painted the red steering column black and added some padding. The steering wheel was from a car and the kart had a horn with a button. It came with 2 sets of wheels, 5" slicks & 6" turf savers. The guy had put the Carroll Stream engine on last year, used it, then parked it for the winter. When he bought the engine with starter he installed a lawn/garden battery to crank it.

 

[Dwoody]

He started it up for me, it stalled when I tried to gas it. After it warmed up, I took it for a ride but didn't know it was on half choke to make it run. Got the kart home and removed the carb to clean it, but it still wouldn't run right after reassembling it. It had 2 gaskets between the carb and manifold and one was blocking the a port, left it out and it runs great. It does have a live axle!

 

[mckutzy]

Thats kinda crazy, a small block clone with electric start...Dont see too many of those here...
Thats cool...

 

[Dwoody]

When buying this kart the seller said another buyer asked if the seat was adjustable, he said no, but we looked and saw it could be adjusted. So when the seller installed the electric start engine, he didn't realize he could have moved the seat forward. Instead, who knows how long he spent, he installed these plates so the engine w/starter could be mounted. In the 3rd photo, the copper wire is holding up the brake rod because it was laying on the brake drum.

 

[Hellion]

That's kind of a neat mod when you think about it. He just added more room on the frame.

Are you gonna keep the plates on there or remove them and move the seat forward so you can look like Roy Orbison?

What about that ridiculous battery?
I like recoil starters, kick starters and hand crank Model T's....makes me feel big and manly

 

[Dwoody]

Thanks, here is what I found....

It looks like there's an obvious clue to the make and model of your kart right on it. I see a Super Wheels sticker on it.

But the single strut brace for the steering wheel and other details clue me in that it's a Carter Brothers kart.
A Super Wheels model #1215 most likely.

USA Made, in Alabama!

http://www.bmikarts.com/PDF/Carter-Bros/CarterBros/SuperWheels(Model-1215)/1215.pdf


EDIT: Yours is a live axle so my best reckoning is it's a model #1215.

Thanks, here is what I found....

 

[Hellion]

Well that is very cool. A genuine Carter Bros. ID tag. I don't think I've ever seen one. Most of the time the karts people find show evidence of being covered in 5 or more previous coats of paint or it's just nowhere near original condition.

Thanks for the pic. That's one for the record books---a positive ID.

 

[Dwoody]

Next step to mount engine on orignal plate.

The engine and battery seemed to be bouncing a bit. The chain would come off sometimes. The chain tension would change when tightening the engine bolts with the series of plates. It would stall sometimes around corners and I felt like the steering wheel needed more dish to it, like the original. I was having so much fun riding it, I was afraid of remounting the engine. 1st step was to move some of the starter parts. Photos: New steering wheel, wood block for support and battery relocated.

 

[Dwoody]

Moved the starter switch

The seat was back as far as it could go, it's frame was touching the welded engine plate. I removed the starter switch from the engine and made extension wires to mount it on the steering column. After starting it in the new location, it would not turn off, the switch was no longer grounded, so I added a green ground wire. I was still reluctant to move the engine and rode it for a week like this......Doesn't it look better with this steering wheel?

 

[Dwoody]

Engine remount

With the starter moved I was ready to mount the engine directly to the plate. I removed the seat, sanded a bit and found the original sticker with model number and painted on some black. Then I removed the engine and plates. Remounted the engine, it needed to be all the way towards the back. Needed to adjust the clutch out for alignment. When I went to put the seat on, the single hole in the seat frame didn't line up with the frame slots. Drilled single holes in frame to mount the seat moving it up about an inch, leaving a little room between seat frame & engine. The kart had a new feel with the engine running, good vibrations!

 

[Dwoody]

In these photos you can my 2nd attempt at holding the brake rod off the brake drum. I removed the copper wire holding it up and installed a window lock on the engine plate. This not only held up the rod from touching the drum, slight adjustment up would keep the band from touching all the way around.