Jalopnik: go kart

Mini-Tumbler Built Presumably For Mini-Batman

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Hold onto your Batarangs kids, cause a fab-dork uber alles is selling plans for a mini-Tumbler. Now you can pretend to "build it for your kids" and then wear your Batman costume while driving it around the neighborhood.

There are so many stupid things you can do with this mini-Tumbler, and just think of all the Mini-Me/Batman crossover jokes you can make. Seriously, this is going to make Shriners parades reach a whole new level of surreal hilarity. We can envision wolf packs of these little monsters terrorizing the streets and the 911 calls from confused whitebread suburbanites. This is the kind of thing we want to play with for a while, but couldn't overcome the nerdshame to actually own one. (hanks for the tip Ariel ) [eBay Listing]

Electric Shopping Go-Kart Makes For Speedy, Stealthy Grocery-Getting

Ben Wojdyla — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:45:00 EDT

We're wondered why shopping karts outfitted with fifteen wet-cell Ni-Cad batteries, a 15 HP Etek motor and customized rear differentials aren't more popular. It sure looks like silly, dangerous, high-voltage fun to us.

It's doubtful there's a better usage for derelict shopping karts than to drop a hundred pounds of Ni-Cad batteries in the lower tray, add a crude steering rack up front, pneumatic tires all around and some power-electronics to control a 15 HP Etek pancake motor hooked to a sweet custom differential at the rear all good for a top speed of 35 MPH. This is the kind of awesomeness little boys dream of building when they first imagine the possibility of being an engineer. The confluence of electronics and mechanical know-how and straight-up belligerent awesomeness makes us all warm and fuzzy inside. We'll be keeping our eyes peeled for wayward shopping karts now. (Thanks for the tip Cody)

[EtotheiPiPlusOne]

Go Kart Blasts Through The Isle Of Man At 100+ MPH

Andrew Didorosi — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:30:00 EST

There are no speed limits on most of the roads within the Isle of Man, which is something to think of when watching this video.

Don't blame us for the shot of adrenalin undoubtedly resulting from watching this clip of a go-karting nutter blasting through some urban area located on the Isle of Man. Catch the first part if only to hear racing as narrated by Paddington Bear. [AxisofOversteer]

Six-Wheeled Yamaha R1 Kart Ensures You'll Die Smiling

Mark Arnold — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:15:00 EDT

One of the most awesome death-traps we've seen in a while, this custom 6-wheel go-kart is powered by a 1000cc engine from a Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle. That means there's about 180 HP screaming directly behind you, sending power through all four rear wheels. This thing makes a 'Busa Kart look ordinary. We're somewhat surprised that it wasn't sold, even with its $6,000 starting bid. But then, the seller does say: "I DO NOT SUGGEST THAT ANYONE RIDE THIS KART." Never has going out in a blaze of glory been so simultaneously appealing and appalling.

[ebay via Autofiends]

The Coffin Kart, For Your Budding Little Undertaker

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:40:00 EDT

Got some extra riding lawnmower parts, a surplus child-sized coffin and some free time? Want to solidify your offspring's place at the weird kids' table and have a good laugh in the process? Well friend, we think a coffin kart is just the project for you. Straightforward in its construction and effective at making those nosy neighbors go away, the coffin kart is the smart choice for today's actively morbid parents. Pictorial build guide in the extended gallery below.

[LOQU]

'Busa Kart!

Mark Arnold — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:45:00 EST

What's that you say? Can't afford one of those new V8 Ariel Atom 500s? Well, who says the only way to have an insane power-to-weight ratio with four wheels is in one of those trackday toy cars? They're barely streetable anyways. Just do what this guy did, and mount a Hayabusa engine on your go-kart. It may have a tooth-gnashing, organ-jarring ride, as seen in the on-board video after the jump, but it sure delivers all the thrills you'll want.

[karthayabusa.blogspot]

Teen Outruns German Police In Go-Kart

tingwall — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EDT

German police are saying it was their cars, not their driving skills, that allowed an 18-year-old to outrun them in a go-kart. The teenie-bopper driver led seven squad cars on a 3-mile chase through the city of Moenchengladbach before he lost the fuzz by ducking into an open garage. A spokesman for the department said the kart's superior cornering abilities allowed the driver to get away. However, even superior driving skills are no match for basic common sense as officers later caught up with the suspect while he was still hiding in the same garage. He's been charged with driving without a license and driving a go-kart on a public street, which is against the law in Germany. Apparently running away from police is not an illegal activity in Deutschland. Who knew? [Reuters]

Luxurious Starion Burgundy

Mike Bumbeck — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 18:15:00 EDT

What the Mitsubishi Starion ever had to do with Gallo-Romans or Pinot Noir grapes we don't really know. What we do know is that the burgundy interior is low on the list of desired Starion features among those lusting after the turbo speciality sports coupe. This guy found good use for a velour burgundy interior nonetheless.

Best Use of a Burgundy Interior [kdmperformance.com]

Related:
Feel the Turbo Activated to Serve You Forever [Internal]

And Now, Your Moment of Fez

Davey G. Johnson — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:00:00 EDT

What's more awesome than men of a certain age in tiny cars rocking that haberdasherial classic that never goes out of style, the immortal fez? Not much. Soon to be invading to an Independence Day parade near you, they are of course, the men of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine! Now where's our copy of Frankenchrist? – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
Hi-Noble, Fez Up! Shriners Rock the Parade [Internal]

Reserve Not Met: Go Kart Voyager Vannin on eBay

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Plymouth produced some of the most legendary American cars of all time. The Roadrunner and Superbird are but a few that come to mind. Plymouth was also no stranger to the Vannin craze. Before Plymouth Voyager became associated with boxy eighties minivans, the nameplate was used on the Plymouth equivalent of the Dodge Sportsman. The auction for what looks to be the 70's promotional Voyager shell for use atop a go kart chassis has come and gone, but the reserve was not met. Airbrush on a Star Wars mural, pop in an opera window, and stuff a transverse-mounted 392 Hemi with some centrifugal clutch chain-drive on each end of the crankshaft. You could be the Mayor - of Go Kart City. – Mike Bumbeck

1971 Plymouth Voyager Go Kart Body [eBay.com]

Related:
Concentrated Essence of 70s: The 1976 Truck-In [Internal]

eBay Find: Sweet Firey Geronimo! Jet Powered Go Kart!

bwojdyla — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:45:00 EST

I'm wondering if you can hear that. That funny noise? Yeah, that's me foaming at the mouth from whatever distance it is from you to Detroit. Are you freakin' SERIOUS? Jet powered go kart?! Phew... Phew.... let me take a little breather here. Okay there, now that the blood is returning to my brain, this little number is pretty slick and I'll tell you why. Any Joe Blow can stretch a go kart body and slap a snazzy engine on it, but it takes an artist to built an engine like this. Everyone knows turbos are really great at adding power to anything that makes your heart skip a beat, but did you also know that turbos can be retooled to act as jet engines? Indeed it's true. If you consider ...

...that a jet engine is essentially an open pipe with an intake, compressor, constant injection system, ignition system, and an exhaust system. The magic is that the compressor is powered by the exhaust gasses of compression, which also serve as the thrust. Now that this is established, it's not a long hop to get from turbo to jet engine. If one were to accidentally connect the outlet of the compressor to the intake of the impeller, then connect an injector and spark plug at the right places (along with an oil system) you have the makings of a jet engine. To mount to your go kart. Then you laugh maniacally. Mmmm. Do I really care if the nozzle geometry and aerodynamic routing severely impede the power production? No. Not at all. –Ben Wojdyla

Go Kart Turbine Engine [eBay]

Related:
Fire-Breathing Gas Turbine Jet Kart! [internal]

Fire-Breathing Gas Turbine Jet Kart!

Mike Bumbeck — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 15:28:05 EST

From the gas turbine engine in a wicked small car department comes the Jet Kart. This speedy runner sprang from the collective brain trust of Chy Wright and Henry Donald of sunny Yorkshire, England. Seems the fellas saw an advert for this small turbine, originally used to start the full-size engine on a F4 Phantom fighter jet, and thought putting one in a kart was a bang-up idea. The boys proceeded to cook a few turbines in testing before they mounted one of the 60,000 rpm turbine units into the kart and took it out to a runway for some SUPER JET-POWERED AMUSEMENT! The body is specially designed to create downforce and add stability, as the Jet Kart is not at all intended to be a flying car.

Home of the Racing Kart Fitted with a Gas Turbine Engine [JetKart.co.uk]

Little Rascals for Real: Depression-Era Locomotive Built by Kids

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 12:37:31 EST

Those Little Rascals, always building some kind of contraption to haul around their latest moneymaking scheme or the He-Man Woman Hater's Club collection of BDSM toys (oops, wrong movie). The burden always fell on poor Petey the circle-eyed terrier to provide motivation for their homemade vehicles. If only the Rascals were as smart as these scamps from Minnesota, who built a ride-on locomotive out of a bust-ass coal furnace, an old bed frame an oil barrel and washing-machine gear. The early go-kart, profiled in an issue of Modern Mechanix in the 1930s, only produced a half-horsepower (probably a little more than Petey), but it captured the can-do spirit of the Great Depression, by cracky. – Mike Spinelli

Kid-built oil barrel locomotive [Make]

Gentlemen, Boot up Your Motor Control Modules: The Formula Zero Fuel Cell Go Kart and Race Circut

Mike Spinelli — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 09:00:00 EDT

What will go-kart lovers do when the world goes hydrogen-car mad? According to one Dutch concern, they'll just trade in their two- or four-stroke engines for a fuel cell, hydrogen tank and electric motors. The company's built several incarnations of said karts and is promoting a new racing class, dubbed Formula Zero (for zero emissions), by way of a traveling race-circus of sorts. Got a county fair (albiet a European county) in need of some eco-racing action? They'll show up with a 600-meter racetrack, seating for 1,500, hospitality, pits, hydrogen generation and timing facilities for a full-on kart race. The only thing missing is the roar of internal-combustion engines and the smell of exhaust. But who needs those time-honored racing staples anyway. This may take some getting used to.

Formula Zero - Fuel Cell Go-Kart Series [Gizmag]

Around the World in 80cc or Less: A Crazy, Old Go-Kart Trip

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 10:06:53 EDT

One fine early-fall day in 1960, writer William Glen Davis set off from California to New York (by way of Mexico City) on a street-legal go-kart (good, old days indeed). At a cruising speed of 60 mph (!) — and averaging in the neighborhood of 45 mpg — he dashed, in a sense, across the USA. Maybe he should have started in the spring:

The road was relatively dry until I was within 50 miles of Washington, D. C, when ice and snow patches became more frequent. But the biting cold and the fact that I was driving without a windshield caused me more anguish than the icy roads. Yet, I knew it had all been worthwhile when I finally scooted out of the New York side of the Holland Tunnel and into the Big Town.

It was in that Big town that Davis hooked up with cartoonist Stan Mott (remember the Cyclops?), who fashioned a similar kart, and the two headed to Europe by boat — by way of Morocco. After that, it was over the Alps to Paris. After that, and despite relentless Googling on our part, no one quite knows. Did they make it, or were they caught up in the Paris nightlife and ended up wandering the Left Bank in search of the Algerian man in the beret who won their karts and gear in a back-room Baccarat game gone very wrong? We may never know. [Thanks to Matt for the tip.]

Around the World by Kart [Modern Mechanix blog]

Related:
Build a "Street Legal" Go-Kart [internal]

Build a "Street Legal" Go-Kart

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 11:25:13 EDT

Close your eyes and imagine a simpler time. A time when a TV dinner was considered food, beer-truck drivers were allowed time for beer breaks and an impending nuclear war with Russia led to widespread losses in virginity. All that, plus go-karts were street legal. It almost makes one wish it were 1962 again, but that would mean we'd all be driving seatbeltless in large cars with 70mm harpoons where their steering columns should have been. Happy Birthday, indeed, Mr. President.

Build your Own Street Legal Kart [Modern Mechanix via MAKE]

Related:
Suzuki-Powered Super Kart [internal]

Hi-Noble, Fez Up! Shriners Rock the Parade

Davey G. Johnson — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:04:55 EST

Back when we were wee, family friends used to have a great block party every 4th of July. Fireworks, lotsa food, egg and water-balloon tosses, and of course, mandatory hoonage in mini-mini-minicars by area Shriners. Later on, Tipper Gore appeared on the scene and brought a certain record called Frankenchrist to our attention, which featured a totally incongrous cover featuring a row of Shriners in miniature Cutlasses. Oh, God, the chick next door's throwing a shit-fit again. Oh well, at least we've got the Knitters on the stereo to keep us company and this article from the WaPo about Shriners and their cars.

Shriners Tucked Into Tiny Cars A Dashing Sight at Annual Parade [Washington Post]

Related:
Got the NOS Mower, Brah! [Internal]

Suzuki-Powered Super Kart

Mike Spinelli — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 14:40:22 EDT

How to kill yourself in four easy steps:

1) Move to Germany. 2) Find an old 125cc Shifter Kart Chassis and a 120hp GSXR1100 lump. 3) Weld, fabricate hammer and wedge the two together. 4) Actually try to drive it. Specs and video link after the jump.

This particular death trap weighs 130kg (or about 65kg less than the bike that the engine came out of). It has tiny little disc brakes and normal shifter kart slicks. It does the 0-60 sprint in well under 3 seconds and is claimed to do 170 km/h with your ass about two inches from the asphalt. [To our US readers so heniously alienated by our cut-and-paste hack-job use of the metric system, the thing weighs 286.6 pounds, or 143.3 lbs less than the bike — and the top speed is 105.6 miles per hour.]

GIXXERKART [Ringmini.de]

Gixxerkart video [GPrime]