anderkart
Moderator
Yeah your probably right.
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I got a feeling this kart was built a long time before my brothers :
(and that's one hot-babe riding it too!
The early days of DIY go karts.
- Thread starter anderkart
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Yeah your probably right.
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I got a feeling this kart was built a long time before my brothers :
(and that's one hot-babe riding it too!
Orange Krate
Active member
This is good fodder for me film! Thanks!!
bighead
New member
It seem to run into or see/read a lot of 1960 production karts. Not sure when the first production karts were made. But by 1960 and 1961 they made alot of them it seems.
Did you see the vintage 1961 McCulloch Kart restore on American Restorations Show? I watched it last week. Super sweet kart man. Check it out for sure. Bummer was the owner wanted to hang it on the wall and not ride it. Sucks the kart will not be ridding. But nice that it will be around for another 50 years.
Did you see the vintage 1961 McCulloch Kart restore on American Restorations Show? I watched it last week. Super sweet kart man. Check it out for sure. Bummer was the owner wanted to hang it on the wall and not ride it. Sucks the kart will not be ridding. But nice that it will be around for another 50 years.
Orange Krate
Active member
I just heard about it the other day. What did they say it was worth? I just found out that's what I have in my garage right now. You can still see yellow around the edge of the rims. It's not mine though
bighead
New member
I will have to watch it again. I think the guy paid Rick like $4000 to $5000 to restore it.
Here is part of the show. It starts at 3:30. Again this is just part of the show. There is more if you watch the show.
Notice the cool pitman arm at 3:38
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn9Si0MRR50
Orange Krate
Active member
I watched it. Only said $4,500 to restore not what it was worth. Kind of looked like my place with go-karts and old coke machines!
Screendoor
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Man that is sad its going to be hanging on a wall. Great piece of history though.
anderkart
Moderator
Hey I'll try to catch that show on a re-run this week. That dude usually gets top-$ for all his restorations but man, $4000 to $5000 to restore that kart seems like he was pushing it a bit...
anderkart
Moderator
I've scanned some racing programs my bro still had after all these years. I know its kinda hard to believe cause this first one looks so professional and all, but the kids made these early race program all by themselves. They had copies made and handed these out for free at the races held at their little neighborhood track.
This ad for the Defreeze welding shop below is the guy that build most of their frames. He was a cool guy that enjoyed helping the kids, he just worked on their karts in his free time and didn't charge them much.
Looks like their clubs membership was only 10-cents a week! (what a deal)
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Below is the race program from the very first race these kids ran on the new 1/20th-mile track Manzanita speedway built for them. They'd previously been racing on the same 1/4 mile track the cars used. My bro told me the kart races were kinda boring on the big track, but much better and more competitive on the new little track.
The story in the lower-left corner of this front page reads:
This week watch the history in the making as the MICRO MIDGETS make their bit for racing fame at Manzanita on the new track cut in for the the young drivers. The rules have been set up and the Insurance for the drivers has been undertaken by A.J.R.A. and they should be commended for starting these boys on their way to racing laurels.
I've learned that 3 of the kids my brother raced with went on to Drag racing and Bonneville Salt Flats competition.
First was a kid named Bud Free, (listed in this program below) he went on to be fairly well known in Bonneville Salt Flat and Drag racing scenes. Another kid was Ted Olson, he also went on to be involved with Bonneville Salt flats racing. A 3rd kid that soon joined my brothers races was Albert Ishenbaugh, he went on to win the 1957 B-Dragster national championship.
I thought some of these old advertisements were kinda cool, you dont usually see so many ads for beer and booze nowadays...
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Here's that 3rd place Trophy my brother won at a Manzinita race:
I was surprised how heavy this thing is. Its like 10" tall and weighs about 3lbs. No cheapo plastic crap here, it seems to be solid Bronze. It'd probably cost $50 to have one like this made in the USA these days...)
but the kids made these early race program all by themselves. They had copies made and handed these out for free at the races held at their little neighborhood track.
This ad for the Defreeze welding shop below is the guy that build most of their frames. He was a cool guy that enjoyed helping the kids, he just worked on their karts in his free time and didn't charge them much.
Looks like their clubs membership was only 10-cents a week! (what a deal)
________
Below is the race program from the very first race these kids ran on the new 1/20th-mile track Manzanita speedway built for them. They'd previously been racing on the same 1/4 mile track the cars used. My bro told me the kart races were kinda boring on the big track, but much better and more competitive on the new little track.
The story in the lower-left corner of this front page reads:
This week watch the history in the making as the MICRO MIDGETS make their bit for racing fame at Manzanita on the new track cut in for the the young drivers. The rules have been set up and the Insurance for the drivers has been undertaken by A.J.R.A. and they should be commended for starting these boys on their way to racing laurels.
I've learned that 3 of the kids my brother raced with went on to Drag racing and Bonneville Salt Flats competition.
First was a kid named Bud Free, (listed in this program below) he went on to be fairly well known in Bonneville Salt Flat and Drag racing scenes. Another kid was Ted Olson, he also went on to be involved with Bonneville Salt flats racing. A 3rd kid that soon joined my brothers races was Albert Ishenbaugh, he went on to win the 1957 B-Dragster national championship.
I thought some of these old advertisements were kinda cool, you dont usually see so many ads for beer and booze nowadays...
_____
Here's that 3rd place Trophy my brother won at a Manzinita race:
I was surprised how heavy this thing is. Its like 10" tall and weighs about 3lbs. No cheapo plastic crap here, it seems to be solid Bronze. It'd probably cost $50 to have one like this made in the USA these days...)
anderkart
Moderator
Thanks Dave, my brother never even told me about this until about a month ago. I'm kinda amazed all this was all going on way back then too!
Screendoor
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awesome man. I love this thread!
Orange Krate
Active member
Kenny Youngblood got his start in go-karts
rcarteraz07
New member
That's crazy!! For about 6 months last year I lived at 35th Ave and Southern... I drove down 35th ave every day! Not much there at Broadway but a burger king and buy here pay here car place. Then again back then everything else that's there now wasn't there!! lol
bighead
New member
Here ya go....
Attachments
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Iwo_Jima_12.jpg -
motorwagon_800.jpg
I love how that advert says that your money will be "cheerfully refunded.."
bighead
New member
edit
anderkart
Moderator
Those pics are cool Bighead 
I wonder if that wagon kit had brakes?
Yeah they had big plans to build houses/apartments where the Manzanita track was, but the EPA shut it all down due to soil contamination. After 50 years of racers dumping/spilling fuel and oil at the track, It'd had worked its way 50 feet into the soil and would have cost a fortune to dig up and haul away to a toxic materials dump site.
I wonder if that wagon kit had brakes? Yeah they had big plans to build houses/apartments where the Manzanita track was, but the EPA shut it all down due to soil contamination. After 50 years of racers dumping/spilling fuel and oil at the track, It'd had worked its way 50 feet into the soil and would have cost a fortune to dig up and haul away to a toxic materials dump site.
rcarteraz07
New member
Those pics are cool Bighead
Yeah they had big plans to build houses/apartments were the Manzanita track was, but the EPA shut it all down due to soil contamination. After 50 years of racers dumping/spilling fuel and oil at the track, It'd had worked its way 50 feet into the soil and would have cost a fortune to dig up and haul away to a toxic materials dump site.
Wow.. No wonder that spot is so void yet right down the street there's just nothing but new houses and stores and what not!
jamyers
Well-known member
I have an old book on how to build your own gokart, I think it was printed in the late 50's. I'll dig it out and post some scans.
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