Building a Go-Kart!

[The Woodpecker]

The other day i was speaking to a friend and the conversation turned to the subject of go-karts and how we built them when we were kids and don't see them anymore!

So, even though i have a zillion more important things to do, i have somehow convinced myself that i'm going to build one over the weekend!!!

I think i will have to use bike wheels because the old silver cross prams are a bit of a rarity nowadays, as for the design, i will just make it up as i go along....probably recycle my daughters bike that is just lying there rusting and use whatever scraps of wood i have lying about, just like the good old days

I will stick some pics up when it's done....wish me luck!

 

[Mike.S]

I watched the Red Bull Soap Box cart race on TV the other day - highly entertaining. In case you need design inspiration, here's a short clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5oBz0ZNM6g

and if anything goes wrong it may make you feel better to know there's always someone worse off:

http://www.redbull.com/en/stories/1331602736678/video-red-bull-soapbox-race-london-best-crashes

I look forward to seeing the pics

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

excellent idea.

Me and a mate once built one using an old Yamaha FS1E (Fizzy) 50cc engine and seat was one of those blue plastic school chairs with tubular steel black frame and legs. We welded the frame in the metalwork dept at school. I forget where we got the wheels but it was a very uncomfortable ride, though it went like stink. Absolutely lethal, but great fun.

 

[adzeman]

Ages ago when builders had their own plant yards the mechanics at the yard used to build gokarts from old machinary parts such as vibrator poker engines etc. and race them at lunch times which then became serious and they started racing professionally. My son used to go with them great fun.

 

[The Woodpecker]

Ok well things have gone off on a bit of a tangent :shock:

Started off building a little bogey for my grandson and while looking for some bits to finish it off i spotted my chainsaw which i never use now........... :idea:

I wasn't going to post any pics until it was finished but i could do with some help please! I knew i would have to replace the chain on the saw with a bike chain but the cog on the chainsaw isn't suitable for a bike chain....how do people overcome this?

Handlebars are going to need to be raised, seat put in, 2 more stabilising wheels at the back and brakes, throtttle cable etc sorted and i can probably shorten the length a bit too, if i can adapt the chain pulley!

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Make a replacement sproket for the chainsaw - pillar drill, hacksaw, files, elbow gease :wink:

Regards Mick

 

[adzeman]

I understand now, a bogey! I think this is a Northern term not heard the term in the South. Brings back chldhood memories. Old ironing boards, pram wheels, oranges, racea on the red reck and the black hills (slag heaps) axels made from stair rods nailed on the cross rails, a brake fashoned from a bit of 2x1 are those were the days. Then with the Boy Scouts entering the heats of the soap box Derby with the finals on Vauxhall Bridge London.

 

[graduate_owner]

We never had engines on ours, just pram wheels and a flat board, with the front axle swivelling to allow us to steer. The only problem was always the brakes - as kids we never sussed this one effectively. We had great fun down our back lane though, steep hill and rarely any cars.

K

 

[adzeman]

Great fun but did you call jt a bogey?

 

[The Woodpecker]

Depends where you come from but we always called them bogies or bogeys depending on who you talk to, dandies, trolleys and karties iv'e heard etc.

God knows what iv'e created but it's none of those! I changed the design half way through, swapped the back driven wheel to the front and attached a push chair to the back which is articulated.

It was great fun pushing it around because to steer it you had to lean into the corners , would have been awesome and probably quite lethal if i had managed to sort the gearing out for the chainsaw but it was taking too much time so i gave up and built the little bogie i was originally intending to do in the first place for my grandson!

The grown-up kids will have to wait until i have more time!

I forgot to take some pics so will take some tomorrow hopefully.

 

[The Woodpecker]

Here is a pic of the Bogie i made for my Grandson!

It still needs finishing with a brake lever(thats what the slot near the seat is for), some rope and paint etc!

 

[MIGNAL]

We used to call them 'Guiders' - good old northern term, probably.
I used to be the King Guider builder. A few 5 inch Nails driven at the side of the wheel axle and then bent over it! They were the fastest and the best, beating all comers. I rarely actually went on one. I left that to the idiots. Some of those inclines are pretty steep oop north.