09-27-2017, 10:43 PM
HI Guys,
Brian Sheridan here:
I'm the guy that purchased the Caretta kart that was on EBay this past week. Very few people bid on it, that's not really surprising, as vintage everything, is starting to slow down in the US. Before I bid, I spent about 3 hours going over all the print, digital pictures, and information that I had on Caretta karts. The frame seemed odd, just like the Kurtis prototype that I bought 9 months ago. It didn't make sense, until I really studied the pictures in the ad. It's a one off, built at Caretta, but it was either a special, built by one of the guy at the shop, or maybe a test kart, to look at open axle designs. All the modifications done to the frame to make it into a 1" open axle kart are professionally done. It's a rear steer kart, when all the rest of the Caretta karts from 64/65 are front steer. the front porch was installed at Caretta, it's a disk brake kart, and it's made to hold two engines. It's also the sprint/enduro, semi laydown version that they made back then, before Caretta Works started making lay down enduro's. So it could be run with or without the saddle tanks. I'm a believer that all Caretta karts/frames should be save, if at all possible. This one needs a front axle, which is no big deal. As of right now, I have no plans to restore it, just repair the frame, do all the metal work, prime it, and hange it on the wall. At some point, some one will want it, and it will get finished and brought back to life. Mean while I'm on the home stretch finishing up the Kurtis prototype.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Brian
Brian Sheridan here:
I'm the guy that purchased the Caretta kart that was on EBay this past week. Very few people bid on it, that's not really surprising, as vintage everything, is starting to slow down in the US. Before I bid, I spent about 3 hours going over all the print, digital pictures, and information that I had on Caretta karts. The frame seemed odd, just like the Kurtis prototype that I bought 9 months ago. It didn't make sense, until I really studied the pictures in the ad. It's a one off, built at Caretta, but it was either a special, built by one of the guy at the shop, or maybe a test kart, to look at open axle designs. All the modifications done to the frame to make it into a 1" open axle kart are professionally done. It's a rear steer kart, when all the rest of the Caretta karts from 64/65 are front steer. the front porch was installed at Caretta, it's a disk brake kart, and it's made to hold two engines. It's also the sprint/enduro, semi laydown version that they made back then, before Caretta Works started making lay down enduro's. So it could be run with or without the saddle tanks. I'm a believer that all Caretta karts/frames should be save, if at all possible. This one needs a front axle, which is no big deal. As of right now, I have no plans to restore it, just repair the frame, do all the metal work, prime it, and hange it on the wall. At some point, some one will want it, and it will get finished and brought back to life. Mean while I'm on the home stretch finishing up the Kurtis prototype.
Hope all is well with everyone.
Brian