OT-Where Do You Buy A Kart?

About $2,000? How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? -- David G Fisher

What kind of driving are you wanting to do? What kind of tracks are there in your area? I got into oval karting because that's about all there is in Indiana, at least near where I live. For $2000 you can get a really nice used kart. I've got well over $3000 in mine but everything is new. Find a track and go to some races before you even think about buying anything. At the track you can sometimes find the best deals. How fast are they? Depends on the track you are on. I've heard of stock briggs 5hp karts going 92 mph at Winchester. 250 cc shifter kart? I don't want to even think about it. There are more manufacturers than you can shake a stick at. I suggest buying a two or three year old chassis. Anything older will be worn out or just obsolete. Here's a picture of my kart from last year. I had about $750 in it: http://home.mindspring.com/~pdotson/index.html -- Pat Dotson David G Fisher wrote: > > About $2,000? > > How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? > -- > David G Fisher

Oh! And I almost forgot the single most important thing you need to know before laying out a bunch of hard-earned cash for a kart. Whatever you do, you have to realize that as much fun as it is, racing karts is no gpl. :) Pat Dotson Pat Dotson wrote:

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> > What kind of driving are you wanting to do? What kind > of tracks are there in your area? I got into oval > karting because that's about all there is in Indiana, > at least near where I live. > > For $2000 you can get a really nice used kart. I've > got well over $3000 in mine but everything is new. > Find a track and go to some races before you even think > about buying anything. At the track you can sometimes > find the best deals. > > How fast are they? Depends on the track you are on. > I've heard of stock briggs 5hp karts going 92 mph at > Winchester. 250 cc shifter kart? I don't want to > even think about it. > > There are more manufacturers than you can shake a > stick at. > > I suggest buying a two or three year old chassis. > Anything older will be worn out or just obsolete. > > Here's a picture of my kart from last year. I > had about $750 in it: > > http://home.mindspring.com/~pdotson/index.html > > -- > Pat Dotson > > David G Fisher wrote: > > > > About $2,000? > > > > How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? > > -- > > David G Fisher

"David G Fisher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:KK_C8.145732$[email hidden]... > About $2,000? > > How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? > -- > David G Fisher > no answer to yr question, but.... did anybody here race carts back in the glorious 70's? i used to race A-bones and then went to the newfangled Sidewinders.....started box stock 5, some tracks would let you do the 5 with a shaved 4 hp head to get some more hp..... then stock appearing..... then modified whooohooo! 85 mph on the well bank clay of the Sweet Home Go Kart Club near Loris SC. the thing is.... back then, you could get onto the track, engine, weights (i was tiny back then-- hard to believe now) kart, slicks and a quick change hub for less than 500. is the technology that much better now or is it the market that supports this extravagant price for karts? hell, you can get out with a rookie division stock car for a little more (well, some places). i remember being able to take my cousins mac 101aa enduro for a few laps around Rambi Raceway (ahhmm, they may have dropped the rambi by then) but over 100 mph a 1/2 inch off the ground (probably a bit higher) lying down with yr head up... that was pretty damned cool..... we all thought he was the big beans, back on the farm. racing WKA events and all.... two, three thousand? don't any of you people have some old a-bones around.... if you could pick up 10 or 12 or 20 of those cheap,,,, you could start yr own league and track with everybody running near the same speed, for about the same price of one kart......... oh, but i dream....... btw, how much is a 5hp stock briggs and stratton these days? rob

"reverend rob" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:Lj2D8.2611$[email hidden]... > > did anybody here race carts back in the glorious 70's? i used to race > A-bones and then went to the newfangled Sidewinders.....started boxstock 5, > some tracks would let you do the 5 with a shaved 4 hp head to get somemore > hp..... then stock appearing..... then modified whooohooo! 85 mph onthe > well bank clay of the Sweet Home Go Kart Club near Loris SC. > > the thing is.... back then, you could get onto the track, engine,weights (i > was tiny back then-- hard to believe now) kart, slicks and a quickchange > hub for less than 500. > > is the technology that much better now or is it the market thatsupports > this extravagant price for karts? hell, you can get out with a rookie > division stock car for a little more (well, some places). Inflation? $500 in the seventies IS about $2000 - $3000 now.

"Haqsau" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:abj8io$ila3s$[email hidden]... > Inflation? $500 in the seventies IS about $2000 - $3000 now. > then somebody need's to adjust my pay! hehe rob

Prairie City race track has scheduled two vintage kart race weekends. Lots of racers, lots of pre-'75 karts. Lots of fun. Unfortunately for you, it's all the way out on the Left Coast: east of Sacramento, CA. Jim reverend rob wrote:

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> "David G Fisher" <[email hidden]> wrote in message > news:KK_C8.145732$[email hidden]... > > About $2,000? > > > > How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? > > -- > > David G Fisher > > > > no answer to yr question, but.... > > did anybody here race carts back in the glorious 70's? i used to race > A-bones and then went to the newfangled Sidewinders.....started box stock 5, > some tracks would let you do the 5 with a shaved 4 hp head to get some more > hp..... then stock appearing..... then modified whooohooo! 85 mph on the > well bank clay of the Sweet Home Go Kart Club near Loris SC. > > the thing is.... back then, you could get onto the track, engine, weights (i > was tiny back then-- hard to believe now) kart, slicks and a quick change > hub for less than 500. > > is the technology that much better now or is it the market that supports > this extravagant price for karts? hell, you can get out with a rookie > division stock car for a little more (well, some places). > > i remember being able to take my cousins mac 101aa enduro for a few laps > around Rambi Raceway (ahhmm, they may have dropped the rambi by then) but > over 100 mph a 1/2 inch off the ground (probably a bit higher) lying down > with yr head up... that was pretty damned cool..... > > we all thought he was the big beans, back on the farm. racing WKA events > and all.... > > two, three thousand? > > don't any of you people have some old a-bones around.... if you could pick > up 10 or 12 or 20 of those cheap,,,, you could start yr own league and track > with everybody running near the same speed, for about the same price of one > kart......... oh, but i dream....... > > btw, how much is a 5hp stock briggs and stratton these days? > > rob

reverend rob wrote: > > is the technology that much better now or is it the market that supports > this extravagant price for karts? hell, you can get out with a rookie > division stock car for a little more (well, some places). The karts are pretty high-tech these days. They have all the adjustments - caster, ackerman, camber, plus things like rear axle lead and left rear weight jackers for adjusting cross weight. Plus, there are all sorts of telemetry things you can buy. I have a my-chron 3. Data logging at 10 Hz - lap times, rpm, cylinder head temperature, all downloadable to a PC via USB port after the race. > two, three thousand? Yep. For less that $2000 you can be competitive if you buy used and buy smart. New stuff is twice that. > don't any of you people have some old a-bones around.... if you could pick > up 10 or 12 or 20 of those cheap,,,, you could start yr own league and track > with everybody running near the same speed, for about the same price of one > kart......... oh, but i dream....... You see those karts out there. The chassis I was running last year was probably 10 years old, but it had caster and camber adjustments at least. Those things just aren't very competitive anymore. I spent the whole season chasing my tail with that thing. > btw, how much is a 5hp stock briggs and stratton these days? Stock Briggs Raptor 5 hp can be had for under $300. WKA blueprinted 5 hp motors are anywhere from 600-700 to over $1000. Depends on how much you want to spend. -- PD

"Pat Dotson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> The karts are pretty high-tech these days. They > have all the adjustments - caster, ackerman, camber, > plus things like rear axle lead and left rear weight > jackers for adjusting cross weight. > > Plus, there are all sorts of telemetry things you can > buy. I have a my-chron 3. Data logging at 10 Hz - > lap times, rpm, cylinder head temperature, all > downloadable to a PC via USB port after the race. > > > > two, three thousand? > > Yep. For less that $2000 you can be competitive > if you buy used and buy smart. New stuff is > twice that. > > > don't any of you people have some old a-bones around.... if you could

pick > > up 10 or 12 or 20 of those cheap,,,, you could start yr own league andtrack > > with everybody running near the same speed, for about the same price ofone

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> > kart......... oh, but i dream....... > > You see those karts out there. The chassis I > was running last year was probably 10 years > old, but it had caster and camber adjustments > at least. Those things just aren't very > competitive anymore. I spent the whole season > chasing my tail with that thing. > > > btw, how much is a 5hp stock briggs and stratton these days? > > Stock Briggs Raptor 5 hp can be had for under > $300. WKA blueprinted 5 hp motors are anywhere > from 600-700 to over $1000. Depends on how > much you want to spend. > > -- > PD >

hehe, camber adjustments! we carried a small length of a 4x4 post, set it under which ever side needed adjusting and had the biggest guy around jump on it, take a few laps to see how it was and try again. after we had 3 karts, it was separate karts for different tracks. but i guess this is a SIM board, so i'll hush now! rob

Well I was actually hoping it would be a lot like the CPR experience. :-) Thanks for the info. I'm not sure if I'll be getting one any time soon, just looking into it a bit right now. David G Fisher "Pat Dotson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Oh! And I almost forgot the single > most important thing you need to know > before laying out a bunch of hard-earned > cash for a kart. > > Whatever you do, you have to realize > that as much fun as it is, racing > karts is no gpl. > > :) > Pat Dotson > > > Pat Dotson wrote: > > > > What kind of driving are you wanting to do? What kind > > of tracks are there in your area? I got into oval > > karting because that's about all there is in Indiana, > > at least near where I live. > > > > For $2000 you can get a really nice used kart. I've > > got well over $3000 in mine but everything is new. > > Find a track and go to some races before you even think > > about buying anything. At the track you can sometimes > > find the best deals. > > > > How fast are they? Depends on the track you are on. > > I've heard of stock briggs 5hp karts going 92 mph at > > Winchester. 250 cc shifter kart? I don't want to > > even think about it. > > > > There are more manufacturers than you can shake a > > stick at. > > > > I suggest buying a two or three year old chassis. > > Anything older will be worn out or just obsolete. > > > > Here's a picture of my kart from last year. I > > had about $750 in it: > > > > http://home.mindspring.com/~pdotson/index.html > > > > -- > > Pat Dotson > > > > David G Fisher wrote: > > > > > > About $2,000? > > > > > > How fast are they? Approximately how many manufacturers? > > > -- > > > David G Fisher >