A few weeks ago, Keith and Matt got the crazy idea that they wanted to build go karts. Matt already had most of the tools necessary for the build, but having never welded before, it was certainly going to be an interesting project.
The plan was for Matt to build his first as the prototype then they would likely have all of the kinks worked out when it came time to build Keith’s kart.
Here we have the frame already assembled and on jack stands.
These are some pretty decent welds for being a total n00b.
Matt drilling some holes for the back axle mounts.
LOL, yes that is a school desk. He found an old desk and hacked off the seat and welded it in place. No point in spending money for a seat if you can find one for free.
And finally, the finished product! Well sort of, it still needs a floor pan but that should be coming in the next week or so.
The steering shaft and support bars are hacked pieces from old bicycles and the “wheel” consists of two vertically-mounted handle bars. It might look funny, but it works!
The motor is only 6.5 HP but as you can see in the video below, it’s pretty quick. This wasn’t full throttle either.
Besides the floor pan, Matt is going to add a torque converter which will give it a lot more pep off the line. As is, its a little slow until the clutch locks and full power is put down. Either way, it’s pretty sweet and very cool for a built-from-scratch project.
Work started on Keith’s kart today and hopefully should be finished Saturday. The frame was built today and it’s already looking awesome!
