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Restoring a Rupp Dart super K
#1
I'm finally getting somewhere on the super K... been working hard to restore the frame to original condition. I had to cut off many bumpers and doo - dads that had been welded on over the years. Metal finishing proved difficult to get perfect, and I had to replace the badly dented pan. I'm going from the Briggs back to dual West bend 580s. 1st pic is with one of the motors mocked up for looks. I just painted the frame this weekend in 3 coats of single stage urethane, and will be assembling hopefully this weekend.

Here is the frame after blasting, and my homemade metal fabrication...

Fresh paint done in my garage spray booth.


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#2
nice work Brian, I really like the custom bending on the new floor pan.  Smile
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#3
nice work look like you may have gone a gauge heavier  on the new pan i did the same on my project
its easier to work with and more resistant to warping and oil canning
Richard Stamile
Oceanside NY.
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#4
The original pan was .060, replaced with 18 gauge which is within a couple thou. It is heavy, in hindsight I may have gone with an alloy pan riveted on, but I wanted the stiffness and originality of the steel. And I got to practice my welding...

Haven't had time to start assembling, and now that the frame looks so good, some of my hardware needs tidying and/ or replacement.

As far as the dual engines -- does anyone have advice on how to rig the throttle cables? I've done extensive googling, and haven't found a good picture of a throttle setup. Using West Bend 580's.
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#5
Brian, throttles are throttles, whatever engine or engines are used. Here is the throttle pull I use on every kart I build here. The rod is threaded 1/4-28, the aluminum cable plate threads onto the rod, and has .078 holes for the steel 1/16" stranded cables, and drill counterbores on the face of the pull plate that faces the front of the kart to seat the little balls on the cable ends. The return springs are easily found. This setup never fails and is easy to make. The holder for the compression fittings is threaded 1/8-27 NPT female pipe thread. Ted


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#6
I also really like how you bent the floor pan. Falls into the "why didn't I think of that?" category!

I'm having trouble picturing the original floor pan to be .060 thick (16 gauge). If that is what you measured, my guess is that it had been replaced at some point.

I'll guess that the floor pan was originally 20 gauge (.0359" nominal). [That's the cue for the guys who really know their Darts to weigh in!]

Nice work!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheet_metal#Gauge
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#7
Here's my original Rupp Roadrunner ....now gone to Los Angeles area to be sold, too short in the pan area for my old body. Fits youngster great though !


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#8
OK as for the pan thickness, I'll admit it was hard to measure anywhere along the edge once I finally ground it off. I went back and checked some areas (still have the part) and it does look like its between .045 and .050, so that would be closer to 18 gauge... what I replaced it with is indeed .060. Guess i added a couple of needless pounds.

Ted- I like that cable setup, hadn't even thought of that. Very helpful, thank you.
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#9
Brian, it's basically a cleanup of an old Dart design. The aluminum cable pull plate is a water jet cut piece, edges smoothed with the belt sander, 5/64" cable holes cleaned up on the drill press, center hole tapped 1/4-28 and the seats for the ball cable ends drilled into the face 1/8" deep with a 17/64" drill bit. I have a DXF file for anyone who wants to duplicate the setup, and who doesn't want to bother making one from 1/4" aluminum strap. Threading the throttle rod is the hardest part. The rod guide and the holder for the cable housing compression fittings has to be designed to fit your particular kart, and the fitting hole spacing is the same as the cable hole spacing on the aluminum pull plate. The compression fitting holes also must be tapped 1/8-27 NPT female thread from the fitting holder face that's toward the back of the kart. TJ
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#10
Update: Kart is coming along. Found too much runout in the original brake drum and sprocket hubs, so changed to Azusa mark4 hubs and split sprockets. I'm finding that I changed enough parts to make assembly a bit more trial and error than I originally assumed. And I've made more trips to Home Depot and the hardware store than I care to mention for new bolts/ nuts.  It is fun rebuilding something on a table in my basement though.... 

Left to do: chains, rear wheels, fuel lines and tank pickup, throttle cables. I'm going to leave the original seat on it for now, even though it isn't quite up to the standard of the rest of the Kart anymore.


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