Old Kart vs New Kart

S

SNick75

Member
Besides parts availability of having a new kart will I actually benefit running a new kart vs a older one. On the surface they don't seem to have changed much throughout the years. But I would assume as some of the top drivers rotate there karts out every couple years that there is reasons as to why... I'm actually running a 2003 with success and considering buying a newer kart.
 
With a new kart, you know what you’ve got. There is no worrying about it being forced out or bent. You can stick to getting the setup right, not the repairs.
 
Until your laptimes are within .2 of each other for the whole race, I don't think the age of your kart matters much. Buy a used but solid cheapie, practice and get consistent, and then focus on whatever's slowing you down the most and work your way up (down?) the ladder from there. I'd also try to pick a class that has decent numbers so you can learn to navigate traffic, and a class that has good engine tech and stable rules so that the engine equation is minimized. Or if you want to bite off more than you can chew, know you're always legal, and never have to worry about tech, and also learn how to drive with both feet for a win instead of draft and bash, get into RWYB or Unlimited All-Stars (UAS) racing. ;) (*pokes bear.*) I'd say anything newer than 2000 with an adjustable front end is a good starter learning tool, assuming it's not cracked or bent.
 
What class you run I'd say has an effect on decision as well. High HP with a lot of force on the chassis and I'd definitely go newer. Less HP (predator or 206) classes I'd say you're fine with older chassis as things aren't stressed as much. Tires as well....prep vs no prep which causes more stress.
The more the strain the newer I'd get.
 
Mac_49 said:
What class you run I'd say has an effect on decision as well. High HP with a lot of force on the chassis and I'd definitely go newer. Less HP (predator or 206) classes I'd say you're fine with older chassis as things aren't stressed as much. Tires as well....prep vs no prep which causes more stress.
The more the strain the newer I'd get.
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Agree, chassis can come to the end of their cycle.
As they flex they work harden, high HP or heavy drivers speeds this process
 
SNick75 said:
Besides parts availability of having a new kart will I actually benefit running a new kart vs a older one. On the surface they don't seem to have changed much throughout the years. But I would assume as some of the top drivers rotate there karts out every couple years that there is reasons as to why... I'm actually running a 2003 with success and considering buying a newer kart.
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We're running 94' stalkers this year haven't raced them since the early 2000's cleaned them up updated them and went racing. Things have changed alot so it took us some time to get caught up but by the last 4 races of the season we were up front. These old karts have alot less going on. Have somebody help you with a basic setup and learn from there. Don't worry about getting technical just keep it simple learn with what you have buddy.
 
I would want something current or 1 model behind at most. Component availability being the biggest factor. Past that, tires and chassis kind of develop together and/or leap frog each other.
 
@JPMKarting -- can you quantify that difference for me? Is it .5 sec. from 2003-2010 based on chassis alone (not tire development) or closer to .1? Am simply curious. Until the driver is consistent, it's almost useless to deviate from a known semi-good baseline. On the flip side, training your driver's kinesthetic feel for the chassis on a "bad" setup is counterproductive. Get a straight chassis, scale it properly, if possible have a known winning driver take a few laps and confirm setup, then send your driver out to adapt to a known good chassis. Also, there may be more than one "optimum" setup per chassis -- different drivers prefer different lines and different feels -- but there will only be one best setup for theoretical speed. Knowing this, I'll aim for a setup that produces best speed for the driver in question, not a twitchy theoretically faster setup that the driver can't utilize.
 
Well I would concur with JPM .
A 2001 is not going to be as fast as a 2012 . Or potentially as fast .
Now if you want to quantify driver differnces , good luck with that .
Obviously if you have one off track excursion no matter the chassis .
Your behind .
 
Makes sense to me that a newer chassis from the same manufacturer would do better then an older one if raced in the right application with the right size driver.
For example the MineCon should be a tad better then a Triton Jr. But a MineCon might not be the best Kart to run Clone 425 since it has more Chassis flex then a Scythe.
 
Ted Hamilton said:
Until your laptimes are within .2 of each other for the whole race, I don't think the age of your kart matters much. Buy a used but solid cheapie, practice and get consistent, and then focus on whatever's slowing you down the most and work your way up (down?) the ladder from there. I'd also try to pick a class that has decent numbers so you can learn to navigate traffic, and a class that has good engine tech and stable rules so that the engine equation is minimized. Or if you want to bite off more than you can chew, know you're always legal, and never have to worry about tech, and also learn how to drive with both feet for a win instead of draft and bash, get into RWYB or Unlimited All-Stars (UAS) racing. ;) (*pokes bear.*) I'd say anything newer than 2000 with an adjustable front end is a good starter learning tool, assuming it's not cracked or bent.
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This is the most correct answer for the OP question. My suggestion is skip the UAS idea unles you have driven a wingless 410 sprint car with 40 entries and didnt crash!!!
 
Does this mean that I can run a big tube frame long enough, and it'll eventually become the same stiffness as a new small tube kart? I honestly just wouldn't be able to afford new components all the time and buying new frames just cause I think it flexes too much. Surely it cant flex THAT much..it is steel..I thought the tires did all the flexing. And if I had to worry about changed components making that big of a difference I don't think I could handle the extra cost
 
hotelcalifornia said:
Does this mean that I can run a big tube frame long enough, and it'll eventually become the same stiffness as a new small tube kart? I honestly just wouldn't be able to afford new components all the time and buying new frames just cause I think it flexes too much. Surely it cant flex THAT much..it is steel..I thought the tires did all the flexing. And if I had to worry about changed components making that big of a difference I don't think I could handle the extra cost
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Small tube isn't stiffer than a big tube.
Chassis flex way more than you think.
 
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