I am building a wooden go kart, now rear drive, not like the front drive front engine topic says. Not gonna happen. I figure this beast of a kart may weigh over 100 pounds, it is made out of stud type wood and beams, all of which are strong and heavy. I need something with plenty of low end torque. I think I could do it with a 5 horse, but it would be lugging, and I would have to keep my foot planted to the floor. I'm thinking something between 8 and 13 horsepower {vertical shaft tractor engine} would give me enough power to get up to speed with some reserve power on the top end. I need to be able to get out of sticky situations. I know, I know, gears make all the difference, but I'm just going to use a couple of pulleys and a belt. I want raw power. What do you guys think. What engine {even a specific make} would you reccomend? If you need to know more to give me an answer, please let me know.