Would our bankers kill us if they could?

[mindymogul]

As the title implies I'm kinda curious as to how much some of you have dumped into a single build, be it engine, kart, bike, or even some crazy BLEEP hybrid. But since electric builds are cheating as far as money wast… er "Investing greatly" so only internal combustion builds are applicable, and it can only be ONE project. The cream of the crop where you chose to survive off .98c pasta for a month to complete your desires! (And for non-americans can you convert your currency to USD just as a point of reference?. Not required but highly appreciated)

I'll start!

Engine: Honda GL1500 engine w/ slapshift $400 from wrecked bike. Fuel tanks were 2 universal coolant overflow tanks. ($20/bo)
Frame: Custom built using 1.5, 1", and 3/4" round stainless tube. Full detachable roll cage for pavement use. ($1200 to have custom cut, bent, and powdercoated). Made to fit 2 full size seats from Mazda 323.
Suspension: Front steering from Yamaha G1 golf cart, custom independent assembly w/ Monroe Performance Coilovers. Rear Honda Fourtrax differential ($150 for cart, $60 for rear end, then about $300 to have rear axles, pinion hub, and driveshaft custom made)
Electrical: Anzo USA 6" HID light kit ($189), Nilight 9w 4" pod lights ($15) Optronics 6" tail lights (40/set), Misc Electrical ($50-60)
Brakes: Forgot
Tires: Kenda mud tires ($70/ea)
Accessories: 2500lb winch ($89), Trailer hitch ($30 for steel/parts), BOSS 300w bike sound system ($50), 3/8 Plexan windshield and roof panel ($80)

Total Build time: 3 years, 5 months.
Total Build Cost: $3,050 +/-
Worth it? Not really. Only drove it twice until driveshaft snapped and busted the output shaft on the trans.

 

[Budget GoKart]

Eh ive poured over 700$ into my yerf dog 3202

First engine stock predator 212 started twitching and breaking up and running like crap and it wasnt the carb. Second engine i paid 20$ for a clapped briggs 8hp from a trailer park. Third engine was a 420cc 13hp subaru robin for 50$ junk had to wire it and buy a battery so about 60$ more and the tc 50$ and chain 20$. Then ripped that hunk of crap off and traded it for a little mini bike. And now i traded a go kart for a 8hp briggs and full swap and all and paid for nothin. Still doesnt run lol. Thats just the engine not counting the full frame resto

Total invested : Around 700$+ still doesnt run

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

About $220 and counting on my old 70s Bird Engineering Starbird, but I couldn't ask for a better first project! It won the 2019 Build Off, too as a bonus!

Plus wheelspin makes up for all flaws!

 

[Flyinhillbilly]

Just go karts, or do other vehicles count? I have spent a lot on go karts, but my drag car was expensive.

 

[mindymogul]

More so what the forums are centered around.

 

[Kartorbust]

This is why I'm dragging my butt buying parts. I have $100 into CV axles, $60 GM Delco 10si. My parts list is going to be stupid expensive.

I-Beam axle $300
Disc brake conversion $500
Stub axles $142
Seats $75
5 point $230
Push/pull cable $80
Steering box $250

So yeah it's going to be stupid expensive. Which is why I'm spreading the cost over months and a few years.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

I built this kart last fall using a frame I bought at the end of the summer of '18.
It's a Carter 2575 converted into an off road drift kart (for fields not trails).
Frame - $100 (actually I paid 350, but for 3 kart frames and an engine)
Predator 212 - $100 (I had a coupon)
Live axle kit - $380
Max-Torque Clutch - $37
420 Chain - $25
6" tie rod - $10
4.10x3.50-6 Front tires - $85
Homemade seat - $30
Seatbelt - $15
Totaling about $785 to turn this

Into this:


And There are still a few things I'd like to do. Like paint it.

 

[Smerft85]

When everything I do is free or barter of some sort, I don't want to upset anyone, but for the 3 running karts out of my used mini-car lot, I've got maybe $150-200 wrapped up in clutches, chains, bearings and other little stuff between the 3, so on average I guess $50/kart or so to start riding them, a little more if paint is involved.

To be fair I'm the type if a tire still has tread and will hold air for a few hours I'll use it. Used parts that can be cleaned up or repaired easily are welcomed by me and I'm on a very strict budget.

 

[J.S.@SMS]

I'm the same way. The only reason I replaced the tires on the front of the streaker I have was that they were square shaped, not rounded, so they liked to grab in ruts. I did some lawn mowing through some weeds once from that.

 

[Functional Artist]

As the title implies I'm kinda curious as to how much some of you have dumped into a single build, be it engine, kart, bike, or even some crazy BLEEP hybrid. But since electric builds are cheating as far as money wast… er "Investing greatly" so only internal combustion builds are applicable, and it can only be ONE project. The cream of the crop where you chose to survive off .98c pasta for a month to complete your desires! (And for non-americans can you convert your currency to USD just as a point of reference?. Not required but highly appreciated)

I'll start!

Engine: Honda GL1500 engine w/ slapshift $400 from wrecked bike. Fuel tanks were 2 universal coolant overflow tanks. ($20/bo)
Frame: Custom built using 1.5, 1", and 3/4" round stainless tube. Full detachable roll cage for pavement use. ($1200 to have custom cut, bent, and powdercoated). Made to fit 2 full size seats from Mazda 323.
Suspension: Front steering from Yamaha G1 golf cart, custom independent assembly w/ Monroe Performance Coilovers. Rear Honda Fourtrax differential ($150 for cart, $60 for rear end, then about $300 to have rear axles, pinion hub, and driveshaft custom made)
Electrical: Anzo USA 6" HID light kit ($189), Nilight 9w 4" pod lights ($15) Optronics 6" tail lights (40/set), Misc Electrical ($50-60)
Brakes: Forgot
Tires: Kenda mud tires ($70/ea)
Accessories: 2500lb winch ($89), Trailer hitch ($30 for steel/parts), BOSS 300w bike sound system ($50), 3/8 Plexan windshield and roof panel ($80)

Total Build time: 3 years, 5 months.
Total Build Cost: $3,050 +/-
Worth it? Not really. Only drove it twice until driveshaft snapped and busted the output shaft on the trans.

1.) Um...
...have a pic of your build (& break) to share?

2.) Why are you excluding electrics?
"electric builds are cheating as far as money wast… er"

IIRC Bmr4Karts has ~$2,500.00 into his Manco Dingo 285
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=42052

…& I have a little over $1,500.00 into my ElMoto
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=37062

 

[Stew]

I've been keeping track of what I'm spending on my model t fiberglass body build and not counting tools I've bought I'm at $1529.11. That's more than I was expecting for sure, but I don't drink or smoke or do much of anything else so I don't feel too bad about it.
http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=42477

I'm almost done buying things for it, I think just a few cans of paint for the frame and body and a little bit of fiberglass supplies then on to the next project

 

[mindymogul]

I used to have pics of ALL my builds but the pendrive holding everything decided to do the "You bust format Disk :F before you can continue" on all my machines. Including a Manco Scorpion (Those are COMMON up here, and most of them unmolested) powered by a '73 Suzuki GT550 Triple 2 stroke. It was loud, sprayed oil everywhere it went, and made the thing do wheelies off redline. Only issue was it sat 7" inches behind the axle so just like the bike it came off of it HATED anything that wasn't the path of a laser beam.

 

[anickode]

I don't think I've spent more than about $250 on any kart ever.

Freebie engines, homebuilt frames, salvaged parts, and a little ingenuity goes a long way. I make my own steering, spindles, pedals, seats, frames, fuel tanks, exhaust, etc. I like to think it throws back to simpler times... kind of keeps the vintage spirit of karting alive.

Being a welder and fabricator for a living also helps.

 

[Jakebleazard75@gmail.com]

One of my biggest pet pevs are youtubers who do restos when all they do is put on new parts. It's way less entertaining. Have some ingenuity!

 

[anickode]

One of my biggest pet pevs are youtubers who do restos when all they do is put on new parts. It's way less entertaining. Have some ingenuity!

Right?

"Yeah we got this POS little beat up yerf dog, got a big box of free parts from gopowersports we're gonna put on it, along with a predator 670. Gonna cut every corner we can on the fabrication work, spray paint it an ugly color, and go destroy the lawn.".

Then proceed to break it, crash it, or catch it on fire and wonder what went wrong, then laugh about it because it didn't cost them a penny and YouTube is paying them for the content.

Every one of those channels that started out pretty good have just gone continuously downhill. Can't stand even watching most of them anymore.

 

[Kartorbust]

Right?

"Yeah we got this POS little beat up yerf dog, got a big box of free parts from gopowersports we're gonna put on it, along with a predator 670. Gonna cut every corner we can on the fabrication work, spray paint it an ugly color, and go destroy the lawn.".

Then proceed to break it, crash it, or catch it on fire and wonder what went wrong, then laugh about it because it didn't cost them a penny and YouTube is paying them for the content.

Every one of those channels that started out pretty good have just gone continuously downhill. Can't stand even watching most of them anymore.

Ahhhhhh yes, the obligatory 670 build. Seems like only a few of them are doing anything right. Though we have at least 2 members of YouTube go kart scene on here. A few more really, but I think they started on here first, before uploading on YouTube. For the most part, a lot of them are getting better and becoming less hacky (RBG, Rather B Welding). I'm not here to bash, but it does give builders a bad name when others don't put in the effort to make something good. Then it attracts bad attention and then we could end up with another Go Kart crash.

Though I'm trying to figure out how GoPowerSports is staying in business by giving away all those free parts. I mean giving away several thousand dollars to these builders at the drop of a hat. Unless they have to buy more than what they are getting value wise, or GPS has a ton of business (they do get a lot of shout-outs).

 

[Budget GoKart]

Hey me and jt have youtube channels and many others do too like flyin hillbilly. I try to upload frequently but i dont decide videos indiana does

 

[J.S.@SMS]

It's like Cars and Cameras, some of their best projects were their first, like the rat rod wagon. And since then their quality has been going downhill. Though I'm still waiting on the drag rail's 670 teardown.

And speaking of youtubers on here, has anyone seen mrturbo458? His last post was on the bike, and that was last May, though his last video was only 2 months ago.

 

[Flyinhillbilly]

Hey me and jt have youtube channels and many others do too like flyin hillbilly. I try to upload frequently but i dont decide videos indiana does

With as few subscribers as I have, I’m not sure mine even counts, lol.
We have motomule now, so there’s at least one that does top notch work.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Build Break Repeat has also joined, but they haven't posted yet(I made initial contact via PM).
Yeah, I don't think our channels count, Trevor!

I know you guys are annoyed by Carsandcameras, but would you rather have them working as your Frontier customer service agent???

Just remember that this is how these guys make a living, and I'm personally glad for them that they can do that while basically playing with go karts!

As far as causing a bad rap for other kart builders, I think the people they "convert" FAR outnumber them. Sure it's not really amazing or very hard to repaint a kart and throw a bunch of new parts on it, then call it restored, but think of all the dads and kids with the wheels in their heads turning now, thinking: "MAN! I wanna build a go kart!"

And also these guys honestly have a bit of a dangerous living, with how Vasily crashed his buggy and messed up his leg for awhile, RBG's burned down 670 Yerf Dog, and Ike's 65MPH mower flip. I'm not sure any of us have riskier jobs than that.
Plus, have any of y'all ever tried filming/editing 2 videos a week to publish? While squeezing in some semblance of a normal life?? It ain't easy, I'm lucky if I can film and edit one video PER MONTH.

I don't mean to sound too harsh, but try to think that, as dumb as it may be to you, it's very important to them. Plus we get entertainment out of it.