One man's trash is another man's fun!
It all started when my father got a motor and a controller (not used yet) off a little electric truck some people were throwing away. Also, someone gave him an old go kart frame likely from the 70s. It had surprisingly little rust except for a seat on which someone poorly welded. However, it still was in "throw away" condition.
Throughout the instructable, I'll bold certain things I think will be most useful to know.
I would highly recommend doing projects like this with your children, as it helps them learn things that everyone should know. It breaks the chain of not doing anything for yourself and learning to do it through knowledge and error (and we had plenty of that).
Anyway, before I start, here's a video of the go kart I call the "Rat Buggy" in motion. Excuse the short length; it was meant to be a nice trip around the yard, but the camera didn't get the rest of it. I did as much as I could with what I had.
Also, realize that there are much better ways to do most of the stuff we did. We were mainly on a budget.
Here's a list of tools needed for this project:
-Bandsaw (for cutting metal and thick metal)
-Sawzall (for cutting metal the bandsaw can't get to. One or the other is fine.)
-Grinder (for grinding unneeded metal off and grinding metal to weld on down)
-Welder and welding hammer (Any welder works. I'm using a simple, wire-fed one)
-Sets of wrenches and sockets (for various tasks)
-Other small tools you might need, such as a hammer or clamps
It all started when my father got a motor and a controller (not used yet) off a little electric truck some people were throwing away. Also, someone gave him an old go kart frame likely from the 70s. It had surprisingly little rust except for a seat on which someone poorly welded. However, it still was in "throw away" condition.
Throughout the instructable, I'll bold certain things I think will be most useful to know.
I would highly recommend doing projects like this with your children, as it helps them learn things that everyone should know. It breaks the chain of not doing anything for yourself and learning to do it through knowledge and error (and we had plenty of that).
Anyway, before I start, here's a video of the go kart I call the "Rat Buggy" in motion. Excuse the short length; it was meant to be a nice trip around the yard, but the camera didn't get the rest of it. I did as much as I could with what I had.
Also, realize that there are much better ways to do most of the stuff we did. We were mainly on a budget.
Here's a list of tools needed for this project:
-Bandsaw (for cutting metal and thick metal)
-Sawzall (for cutting metal the bandsaw can't get to. One or the other is fine.)
-Grinder (for grinding unneeded metal off and grinding metal to weld on down)
-Welder and welding hammer (Any welder works. I'm using a simple, wire-fed one)
-Sets of wrenches and sockets (for various tasks)
-Other small tools you might need, such as a hammer or clamps
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Signing UpStep 1: The Frame and Preparing It
This is the original frame that was given to us. The front end was entirely rusted together. It was originally going to be a gas engine, but electric was a personal preference.
First, I tried removing the steering wheel and shaft. The shaft was impossible to remove without welding, so I took a large wrench and banged the shaft and front end to loosen the rust off of it. I then took silicone spray (a lubricant), and sprayed every crack, moved everything to get it all in the cracks, and let it sit for several hours. This loosened it completely.
Here's a video.
Then, I removed the seat by unscrewing the bottom cushion of the modified seat and pulling most of the metal off since rust already got to that. One of the "arm rests" had to be cut off. For cutting metal, a sawzall or a band saw is an excellent choice. A hacksaw is okay , but it's tiring and time consuming.
First, I tried removing the steering wheel and shaft. The shaft was impossible to remove without welding, so I took a large wrench and banged the shaft and front end to loosen the rust off of it. I then took silicone spray (a lubricant), and sprayed every crack, moved everything to get it all in the cracks, and let it sit for several hours. This loosened it completely.
Here's a video.
Then, I removed the seat by unscrewing the bottom cushion of the modified seat and pulling most of the metal off since rust already got to that. One of the "arm rests" had to be cut off. For cutting metal, a sawzall or a band saw is an excellent choice. A hacksaw is okay , but it's tiring and time consuming.
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Cool build.
With one battery, it went at least 10 or 12 mph. The motor works best with two, so possibly double that. Also, with all that mechanical advantage crap, putting a larger gear on the motor and a smaller one on the wheel would probably make it dangerously fast.
As for how long it lasts, I don't know yet