Projects Fashioned from common household items-Doodlebug rollout

Just got my doodlebug/quadracycle go kart project rolling and steering. Just thought I'd post a few pics. All I've spent on it was 60 dollars for the plywood and bearings the rest is scrounged or made. Riding lawnmower for the drive train and steering was given to me by a neighbour.

Excuse the copper pipe steering link it is for mock up only making a new one today.
I need to add positive stops to the steering and play with the rear wheels a bit. Then I'm going to start adding a T Speedster type body on it to cover all the sharp whirling bits.

 

Love it! I've had daydreams for years of something similar, it's great to see it realized. Are you keeping the wheels? How's it handle? Keep us posted on your progress.

 

looks like fun on a budget, I like it.

 

What drive line are you using?
Do you have pics of that?
Do you have any more detailed images of the construction?
r

 

Here are some pics of the start of the project. It has been a bit of engineering on the fly. Mockup then discard and re-mock. We all know how it goes! The wheels are 26" from two indentical mountain bikes that I pulled from dumpster against my local dumps no scavenging policy ( lawyers at work!) I was actually looking for 20" wheels but they are harder to find
I'll have to pull the deck off again to rig up the gear linkage with a bellcrank to get it up near the driver so I'll take a few pics of the clutch and brake stuff which I forgot to document.

Drive line is belt driven to a gear box then chain drive from there. 1972 "Viking" brand lawnmower with a 5 HP B&S.

Originally I had the axles under the frame but figured with the bigger wheels I wanted to lower it so I made it "underslung".

Frame is an aluminum 19" relay rack for computer equipment ( again given to me)

 

So you just used a longer belt.
Other stuff scavenged from a rider.
Cool.
r

 

i'd love to see some pics of the front end... what are you using for spindles?

 

I like it. Yup ,Yup , I like it a LOT.

I gotta start buying old riding mowers now, way to go, you made me do it!

Jeff

 

Hmmm...

 

I used the mowers original spindles and cut them in half to widen the track. I took the pedal locks and chopped them up to make the steering bellcrank I added new bushings to the spindles as they were very sloppy due to their age. A little slop adds up on the 26" wheels. I worked on the shift mechanism this PM. I'll need to find suitable stock for the steering link so I didn't work on it. I'll take some shots later. I need to add a bit of bracing yet especially in the front as the chassis still twists a bit.

 

Kooool!!!!

 

hey great project!! someone at work might give me a couple of 20 horse riding mowers, thought about something like this. spent three hours putting a drive belt on the*****sman at work today and i saw two words i never thought i would see on a riding mower gearbox, Dana and*****er, I would expect to see that on a car not a lawnmower. anyone tried to build one of these street legal? always a thought of mine.

 

I'm diggin it.
Did you test drive it under power yet? You might have some trouble with the tall gearing the 26" wheels cause. It's like starting out in 4th gear. You might want to go with a larger dia. rear sprocket.