Go Kart project?

**wbks** · 27th March 2009, 17:52

So I've got nothing to do for pretty much the rest of this year and am selling my bikes, and I was thinking about building a large go cart and putting an old junker 600 IL4 or even just an old kdx engine or something in it or something to play on and learn some skills while doing it. But aside from the engine, I'm not really sure what kind of materials I would need, and what kind of equipment? And how much the materials would cost me? And is it too much to expect for someone without any solid engineering skills? Any advice would be great, thanks

**gatch** · 27th March 2009, 18:47

Have you looked up plans on the interweb ?

There is all kinds of groovy designs and in most with a bit of juggling you could throw in whatever bike motor you want.
Would be handy to have a welder and grinder lyin around and maybe someone who is good on a lathe..

**wbks** · 27th March 2009, 18:54

Depends what kind of welder. I'm sure most engineers will not recomend a mig welder for a chassis but the amount of work would require me to buy one. I can afford a MIG quite easily, but not and tiggymcjiggy... All the plans on the net are for little lawn mower powered grass carts. I was thinking more of a box section beast... What kind of price is what ever steel tubing you would want to make something like it?

**quallman1234** · 27th March 2009, 18:57

Mig's fine. Trust me, we weld beams together at work with it, what hold places up like the warehouse etc etc.

Just use a thicker wire. You need to buy the other parts for the thicker wire's as well but they are cheap etc nozzle and stuff. With small mig welders 1.2's pretty much the limit however. Because they don't put out enough ampage.

**wbks** · 27th March 2009, 19:00

So say I got a small cheap mig, for 1.2, do you think that would do? And I guess the steel tubing would need to be pretty heavy/expensive to cope with the heavy welding

**mikeey01** · 27th March 2009, 19:09

First thing I'd do is look at what is for sale in the way of old chassis ($300-$500). Will save you a lot of time / hassle.
You might be lucky and get a rolling chassis

trademe Auctions:
209076544
208340912

Some that have been converted from old sprint kart chassis... into monsters with R1 power plants!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSmxaORvBQI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSmxaORvBQI

Hayabusa powered

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2-ROIibQiI

**BASS-TREBLE** · 27th March 2009, 19:49

I built a barstool racer over my summer holidays. I had no real expectations as far as size went but I found a rolling chassis on trade me for $150. I used the wheels, hubs, axle, spindles and mounts, tie rods etc saving me a few hundred,

**ducatilover** · 27th March 2009, 19:54

I built one, I planned to throw my gpz400 donk at it but it went bang. If you spend enough time designing it you won't go wrong

**wbks** · 27th March 2009, 19:57

Could you give a few details of how you built it? How much steel for how much $$$ weld you used etc?

**ducatilover** · 27th March 2009, 20:19

hmmm it basically looks like this...
I can't be buggered doing details tonight, basically that is the chassis.

argh, wont let me upload

**gatch** · 29th March 2009, 19:59

Mate unless your planning on welding ship hulls 1.2mm wire is HEAPS, 0.9 would be plenty..

I reckon if you do want to build your own frame from shs, than 50x50x2.5 or 3mm would be heaps ! will be a tank tho, will need a 97 tls motor to push it..

ACTUALLY after reading another post in here, if you could find a tq chassis that would be ideal !!

**ducatilover** · 29th March 2009, 20:01

Mine was 25x23x2.5 rhs

**wbks** · 29th March 2009, 20:14

Originally Posted by gatch

Mate unless your planning on welding ship hulls 1.2mm wire is HEAPS, 0.9 would be plenty..

I reckon if you do want to build your own frame from shs, than 50x50x2.5 or 3mm would be heaps ! will be a tank tho, will need a 97 tls motor to push it..

ACTUALLY after reading another post in here, if you could find a tq chassis that would be ideal !!

For it to be ideal it would have to be a very, very cheap TQ chassis!