It's hard to tell, but both of those carts sure display the Ackerman affect for anyone who has a hard time understanding it!
I remember being about 15 or 16 years old when an old timer explained to me what Ackerman does and why it is important. Front wheels should be set up so each one is turning a slightly different radius so without setting Ackerman correctly one tire is being drag through the corner and scraping off speed. I am 76 but when my two boy's back in 1984 wanted to start racing karts with the WKA association I was explaining to them what rolling residence was and how to correct some problems that effect it. Getting the toe-in set correctly was also very important and when I used to see new kart racers going down a straightaway with he kart darting back and forth I told him to bring is kart over to my shop and I would fix for Free. Jimbo
Hello, I am looking for some help identifying this kart I picked up Wednesday. I'm thinking Rupp Dart, but there are differences in photos I see online. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Great thread. Thanks, Kevin
It’s got Rupp turbine wheels but nothing else I recognize. I restored this on during the Covid scare.
The trailing cart in the first photo is defying the laws of physics. How does one accomplish this Joey Chitwood type of move? Inquiring minds would like to know. Photo shop? Nice photo though. Bill
A small update, the Mac is back! Where I left off, I entrusted my engine to go kart expert and racer Kent and his machinist buddy Mike. They went all through her with new crank bearings , rings and, gaskets. Carb is now all new internally. I will probably wait till spring, to put her back on ; and get it running.
Bought this today. Bought it off the original owner. Percival Hellcat. Bought in Jan 1961. Came with original paperwork, parts lists and brochures. He said it came originally with the Clinton engine. His dad bought the West Bend that's on it now. There was a model with two West Bends so he bought another to put on it but said he no longer has any interest. He asked to hear it running again if we get it running.
Guy listed it on the local Facebook Marketplace. Right in the same town as me so I was able to get there fairly quickly and he ended up being a friend of my friend that went with me.
Here’s a Tin Lizzie that I modified. I had gotten the original Briggs engine running but couldn’t get it to idle. So I got a predator engine. The wooden spoke wheels were in bad shape. I replaced them with mini bike tires/wheels off eBay. A Friend that works in a machine shop made the rear hubs and drilled the bolt pattern in the rear wheels. The brake is off a HD golf cart . The brake lever is out of an early 70’s Ford truck . The radius rods are early 60’s Chevy truck parking brake levers . I built the frame . Delete if this doesn’t fit .
Had one of those T go karts in the mid 60s. Rolled it twice in the field behind our house. Dad had just gotten into building boats so he repaired the glass fenders. Then he hopped up the little B&S engine a little and changed pulleys and I rolled the high centered thing again. Don't remember what happened to it but after the last roll over, we got into dirt bikes. When our kids were little dad found another for them. I lowered it in the front and put a bigger B&S in it. Our son loved it, oldest daughter not so much, youngest daughter crashed it the first time out and didn't want anything to do with it. Sold it here on the HAMB. There's another one for sale here and I've been tempted to get it for our grand kids. What you did with yours would be fun to do. Building a mini bike right now for my grandson.
The Jalopy Journal
