11-12-2019, 01:02 PM
Good job David, a real nice piece!
One evening about 15-16 years ago, I thought "I wonder if there're any Mc engines or go-karts on ebay?" I had previously never thought to look...
I hadn't had any connection to karting since I traded away my Mc F1/200 kart, Mc 9, a Mc 91 & a box-full of go-fast parts. Like many other things in life, I got the kart 2nd-hand, and there was no active racing in my life, other than what I could get away with on the streets of Detroit (NOT MUCH!) or when my brother could drive me to a parking lot somewhere.
Well I did find an engine on ebay, being sold by Brian Espeset (sp?) and somehow or another, I made contact with Rob Voska & Bob K (who ALSO sold me an engine). Somewhere along the way, maybe on Bob Dinozzi's (sp?) forum, I found the dilapidated remains of a Mc R1 chassis & some bits, and I was on my way to restoring a vintage go kart. It was a mostly completed project around 15 years ago, just needing some details to complete the job:
![[Image: frp_101.jpg]](http://spcarsplus.com/piwigo/galleries/McCulloch-R1_3505_3144/frp_101.jpg)
That's pretty much where my allowable time & money for vintage karting stopped, and reality took over (moving, giving up a career of more than 3 decades and starting a new business, building a house 1100 miles away and another move, blah, blah, blah).
While I'd see the kart collecting dust in the garage, and DECIDE to mess with it every once in a while, I just couldn't get those #$@%& carbs to act right to save my life! I didn't know of any nearby vintage karters to come to my rescue, but when I heard there was going to be a VKA event less than 2-hrs away, I started scheming...
I had hoped that if I registered for the event last January in Bushnell, I could find someone that'd take me out behind the barn and show me how to set the carbs right (I could NEVER make them POP OFF). Mike Birdsell was one of the first to offer help, and Tony Severino got the carbs (2) whipped into shape in probably less than 5-minutes each! As soon as I put them on, the engines lit right off!
By the end of the weekend, I'd participated in 2 practice sessions and 3 heat races, with the kart coming off the track under its own power for every time I went out!
I had the time of my life, and yes, it beat the hell out of me all at the same time!
Point is David, other than being an organizer or reproducer of new kart parts, I feel like I can identify with just about every point you bring up in your opening post. I'm glad to be a participant in this vintage karting movement!
With any luck, I'll be able to make a play-date at Bushnell next month, and I'm hopeful the VKA has another event there early in the new year. If things go extremely well, I'd like to also make the event held at Barnseville, Georgia too, just have to wait and see.
One evening about 15-16 years ago, I thought "I wonder if there're any Mc engines or go-karts on ebay?" I had previously never thought to look...
I hadn't had any connection to karting since I traded away my Mc F1/200 kart, Mc 9, a Mc 91 & a box-full of go-fast parts. Like many other things in life, I got the kart 2nd-hand, and there was no active racing in my life, other than what I could get away with on the streets of Detroit (NOT MUCH!) or when my brother could drive me to a parking lot somewhere.
Well I did find an engine on ebay, being sold by Brian Espeset (sp?) and somehow or another, I made contact with Rob Voska & Bob K (who ALSO sold me an engine). Somewhere along the way, maybe on Bob Dinozzi's (sp?) forum, I found the dilapidated remains of a Mc R1 chassis & some bits, and I was on my way to restoring a vintage go kart. It was a mostly completed project around 15 years ago, just needing some details to complete the job:
That's pretty much where my allowable time & money for vintage karting stopped, and reality took over (moving, giving up a career of more than 3 decades and starting a new business, building a house 1100 miles away and another move, blah, blah, blah).
While I'd see the kart collecting dust in the garage, and DECIDE to mess with it every once in a while, I just couldn't get those #$@%& carbs to act right to save my life! I didn't know of any nearby vintage karters to come to my rescue, but when I heard there was going to be a VKA event less than 2-hrs away, I started scheming...
I had hoped that if I registered for the event last January in Bushnell, I could find someone that'd take me out behind the barn and show me how to set the carbs right (I could NEVER make them POP OFF). Mike Birdsell was one of the first to offer help, and Tony Severino got the carbs (2) whipped into shape in probably less than 5-minutes each! As soon as I put them on, the engines lit right off!
By the end of the weekend, I'd participated in 2 practice sessions and 3 heat races, with the kart coming off the track under its own power for every time I went out!
I had the time of my life, and yes, it beat the hell out of me all at the same time!
Point is David, other than being an organizer or reproducer of new kart parts, I feel like I can identify with just about every point you bring up in your opening post. I'm glad to be a participant in this vintage karting movement!
With any luck, I'll be able to make a play-date at Bushnell next month, and I'm hopeful the VKA has another event there early in the new year. If things go extremely well, I'd like to also make the event held at Barnseville, Georgia too, just have to wait and see.