Another beginner post

T

Tatergun

Member
I'm looking to get my two oldest into karts next season. They've chose racing over cheer and softball so its a win for ol dad. At this moment I think getting a few older karts would be smart to let them get thier feet wet and learn the fundamentals before going all in with it. My question is how kld is to old? Id still like them to be half way competitive but we don't need a 2018 kart either.
I've found some late 90s early 2000s karts offset chassis, adjustable fronts. And just the stuff I was told to look for. Are these karts worth the time and effort or would I be better off getting something a little newer say 05-12 ?
 
An old kart is sort of OK to learn on/with but don't
expect to win very much if at all and you may be a
permanent back of the pack.
Personal ads on Bob's have some older karts. Used
Karts can be a mixed blessing. Cheap, but lots of
worn out parts to be replaced.
You could post an ISO ad and get some info.
People at the track may know of someone or be
upgrading, so you could buy one local.
Your learning curve on tires is going to be the biggest
thing.
I would look around and buy the newest karts that fit my budget.
 
Go to the track, see who's winning i.e. front row. See who's in the 2nd row and 3rd row. Find out how long they've been in karting, it's a key statistic. I remember an old saying "speed costs, how fast do you want to go"! In karting, with a reasonable expenditure on equipment, the more money you spend on practicing, the faster you go. But more important I think, "is practicing smart". Another thing, volumes have been written on the subject, read as much as you can! It's been said "the early bird gets the worm" but he was there early because he was smart. lol. Another thing "you get out of it what you put into it" on pretty much a one-to-one basis. Keep it in perspective. It was hard for me, but my wife helped me through it.

Few learn to drive a kart their first year. It took me, on a limited budget, 3 or 4 years. Nowhere is the term "practice makes perfect" more appropriate than karting. Good luck.
 
Whatever kart you look at make sure you can get parts for it. If you can get spindles and such it’s good enough to learn and get some seat time. Just understand in a year or two you may need to buy another kart. I recently got back into go kart racing with my 11yr old grandson, after being out since 1996. I bought a 2014 Eclipse for $600. Buy the time I got it track ready I’ve got about $1500 in it. That does include some spare parts though. Just be prepared to spend some money up front.
 
Don't rush into a purchase. Look for "newer" karts that have been well maintained or you will wind up spending more than you expect to make it race ready. Look for karts that have new bearings, tie rods, spindles, etc. Stay away from karts with rusty components such as axles. Also look for two identical karts so spare parts will work on both.
 
Wait until the dirt season is over... A lot of guys sell their current setups to get a brand new chassis for next season...
 
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