I'm attempting to show my great nephews the fun and satisfaction of building from scrap parts the first engine propelled go kart they would have. My experience was a kick popper maytag washing machine engine that would run on kerosene or something similar. From several bicycles I got the chain and sprockets and through some enginuity and my uncles old lincoln welding machine and torches I was able to fabricate a frame and steering which consisted of screen door metal cross rods and tighteners and an old pedal car steering mechanism for the steering wheel we used the bicycle handlebars. It looked liked junk but it worked. The old pedal car would be worth a lot of money today and the maytag engine also. Me and my friends would play on that thing about 30 minutes a day and work on it the rest of the day. But we where having fun. A man that lived about 2 miles from me took the idea and built up one of the largest go kart manufacturing businesses in the US. This was in the mid sixties. I was always tearing into things to see how they worked and putting them back together. I would like to know if any of you had a similar exsperience?
Old school go karts
- Thread starter Turkey
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What was the name of that man or his business? Come on now, don't be coy.
My brother was the chief tinkerer back in the day but we didn't get much exposure to mini bikes or go karts or anything powered with small engines until much later into our teens, when we were less likely to suffer mechanical mutilation, road rash or some other serious injury. My father was not going to allow any of that nonsense and he didn't bless us with anything of the sort.
You lived during the go kart boom and heyday. Congrats!
Gobble, gobble!
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