Can I do this?

[shootistpd27]

I have been addicted to messing with Karts ever since I bought one for my daughter. Now all I do is fantasize about them, not buying a new one, but building one from scratch or by coming up with a frankenbuggy.. I have a couple of questions for you if you don’t mind.
1. Tractor supply has a pedal kart on sale for $75 that is the perfect size for my 3 yr old daughter. I also have a 33 cc Poulan chain saw with which the convenient easy chain tensioner is not so convenient since the chain comes off with every cut. What I would like to do is get the pedal buggy, remove the pedals, (I tried to post a pic but can’t but you can see it on the TSC website), mount the chain saw where the pedals were on the bottom side, or wherever feasible, put on a throttle cable to the floor and let her ride.
2. I found the Honda GX240 with the horizontal shaft. I am not sure because I am new to this stuff, and surely it can’t be that simple, but can I just build a buggy,(which I know is not simple) or can I refab an old one to fit the GX240, simply put a centrifugal clutch on the output shaft, fit it to a sprocket on a rear end and ride?

[lonniehall72@yahoo.com]

What's the price on the gx240? Against buying a used buggy! Cause I am wanting to build from scratch too. But there's so much you need to build a fun yet SAFE buggy. I'm reading all franken buggy posts and pics and asking guys like metalstudman for help and ideas. You have the tools?

[metalstudman1]

pedal buggy-I think it could be done! the GX240 needs a good steel mounting plate, I haven't seen the pedal buggy but I'm sure it's pretty light weight metal where the chainsaw motor wouldn't need much structure to mount.
Back in 1984 I bought a power wheels truck for my son, after a few months it was trashed(plastic wheels wore through), I put a moped engine (I believe around 36cc) in it with regular go kart racing wheels & slicks and turned my 5 yr.old loose!!! 6mph (battery powered) versus over 20mph with the gas engine> short wheel base + sharp turns = rode rash!!! The seat belt only held him in place to get more abuse when it rolled. We still laugh about it now that he's grown.

[shootistpd27]

pedal buggy-I think it could be done! the GX240 needs a good steel mounting plate, I haven't seen the pedal buggy but I'm sure it's pretty light weight metal where the chainsaw motor wouldn't need much structure to mount.
Back in 1984 I bought a power wheels truck for my son, after a few months it was trashed(plastic wheels wore through), I put a moped engine (I believe around 36cc) in it with regular go kart racing wheels & slicks and turned my 5 yr.old loose!!! 6mph (battery powered) versus over 20mph with the gas engine> short wheel base + sharp turns = rode rash!!! The seat belt only held him in place to get more abuse when it rolled. We still laugh about it now that he's grown.

SHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!! Metal!!!!! You don't want the liberals to hear that your child had any unadulterated fun as a kid. They will think you are a terrorist. LOL. I really didn't think that the chainsaw motor would go that fast. Either way I think it would be a gokart for less than a hundred bucks. Just google tractor supply and pedal car, you will see it.

[shootistpd27]

What's the price on the gx240? Against buying a used buggy! Cause I am wanting to build from scratch too. But there's so much you need to build a fun yet SAFE buggy. I'm reading all franken buggy posts and pics and asking guys like metalstudman for help and ideas. You have the tools?

I am buying the tools, specifically for this project. I am at my desk everyday trying to find a way to get this proposal past my wife. As far as the price for the gx240, they can be between 4 and 5 hundred bucks. I could find a used beat up buggy for less than that easy. But I have found with my yerfy, that used and neglected gokarts make for a lot of work, and a little ride. Don't get me wrong, I will get that thing running, but I want to build one. Now I said from scratch but I will be once savvy scavenger. I wont' attempt a rear end but I will love to do the welding, gaslines, brakes etc. Thats where it will get fun. It will be like Johnny Cash' 49-50-51-52 yada yada auto mobile. You know the rearend from a yerf, the front brakes from a ninja, the rear brake from a chevette, and the hood ornament from a Yugo lol. My goal is not to save money, but to enjoy the project and have one mean machine. I probably won't go with the Honda due to its price since I found so many far cheaper. I am not made of money, but this project will take time, and the kart prolly will be when I am done.

[x-bird]

I like your approach, If you haven't already, maybe layout out a budget for each aspect of the kart. (Tires-rims, suspension components and shocks, Frame tubes, engine, seats) so you can show your wife the costs and then spread them out over the build timeline to show it on a weekly or monthly cost basis. Right now, BMI is selling through its inventory of leftover Yerf rear swingarms and engines and they have the 22 inch rear tires (not turf tires either!) mounted on rims for $50 ea. The engines have no reverse, but they're selling them for next to nothing but shipping. I'd consider grabbing one of the subframes with an engine that still has the stock Howhit head on it and maybe find a used GY6 shortcase with reverse. You could swap the head and even possibly the howhit gearing in the transmission, put that in the used one with the reverse and have probably the best GY6 combo for the money.

[shootistpd27]

I am actually having to show that I can make a profit by using the welding equipment. What I am doing right now is converting an old 14 foot john boat trailer into a utility trailer that will carry both or our gokarts, plus be used for whatever we need it for in the future. Comparable trailers like the one I am building now sell for around 2K, but I can find old boat trailers in yards, barns and junk yards that I can get for next to nothing, put about four hundred bucks in them, and sell them for 1200 to 1500. Plus I will be able to do all of the maintenance on our karts. I really want to start my own business but it is because I love fabrication, I kinda regret my choice of being a cop now but this way I can do both. I'm having a tough time running this by her since I just bought a Colt AR 15. Thanks for the heads up on BMI.

[x-bird]

The fabbed low-cost trailer deal is a good one, my neighbor the picker/scrapper does the same, he did about 15-20 trailers over the summer and turned a nice buck on them. His source, and one that should work real good given your location, is to get old tow-behind pop up campers (a lot of time for free) and strip and deck those. Also, visit manufactured home projects (55-over, trailer parks etc) Near the end of the build-out and after, they usually have a biiiiig pile of trailer axles and steel bracing to get rid of.

[lonniehall72@yahoo.com]

I dont know what all your thinking on trailers but ive started collecting for a neat one for a friend. The base trailer is 20' and we are refabing a pop up camper turned side ways leaving him room for 3 4wheelers we are also building a custom rack for his truck for 3 kyaks hot water tank with fold out shower? hes still dreaming up nightmares for me. he liked our rack for our truck that we use to carry our flat bottom boat rods reals once e get there the sides fold up to extend top base were we set up our tent way up off the ground our trailer we plan to have water heater and gas grill leaving room for the toys the freinds allways come along so i may have to double decker this sucker

[shootistpd27]

One ofAl the main problems that I am having with this is the fact that I can make the trailer with no welding, just wood. I know it sounds wierd but I have it down perfectly with no welds. But I have to incorporate it into it to get the welding equipment. I am also going to be taking a welding class at the local votech. Its $200 bucks for 16 weeks, 2 nights a week. I am now stabbing myself in the brain thinking of all of the awesome gokart motors that I have thrown away or sold not knowing what they were worth.