Golf cart buying advice
- Thread starter Jay Lutz
- Start date
Chris Crisenbery
Well-known member
Club Cars are nice as they have an all aluminum frame. I would just make sure it starts right up, shifts forward and backwards and thats about it. Parts are available, not always cheap, lots of stuff to soup them up. I paid a $1000 for mine but it was nothing to look at, it's now been lifted, painted to match the racecar, cool tires and wheels, etc.
Matt Blehm
Moderator
also make sure it shuts off properly when you stop. a friend of mine has one that just won't shut off. it "diesels" like my dad's old chevy truck used to for about 10 sec after you stop..
don't know what the fix is, but that's no fun when you're in a hurry and the damn thing won't stop running so you can't leave the cart.
don't know what the fix is, but that's no fun when you're in a hurry and the damn thing won't stop running so you can't leave the cart.
CBB
Well-known member
Matt93SE":2cnrd6rb said:
The fix is that you carry a small bungee cord everywhere, and fix the steering on tight lock right when you get out. That way it just circles and circles until you come back to claim it. Frightens some folks, but at least they won't be inclined to sit on it or steal it. And they might look at you funny, too, but that way they won't mess with you out of fear that you might be crazy.
Equally useless is when the cart just...dies. In the middle of some hasty delivery of items to grid after 5 has been called. Like, say, for instance, you're under 5 and you've just remembered that the transponder is still charging in the motor home and you're hauling butt to get back to grid and the damn thing just...dies. In front of someone else's paddock space, and now you've got to apologize (and curse) for ditching the cart like a fool and then run towards grid at the same time. Gosh. Do I sound like the voice of experience?
Chris McNicol
Active member
A friend of mine told me - "a golf cart that is under $1000 and runs is a good deal". I am here to tell you that is false. I have an '86 ParCar (where made close by so mistakenly thought that was useful) that I have replaced an ignition module on twice in a short amount of time. Might put points in and give it one last chance. Might... Newer is better. Yamaha's are nice.
Matt Blehm
Moderator
I got a full blood lab for free one time. both mom and dad had papers and the guy was a poor dude in a trailer park..
Free lab pup? great deal!
.... Then I got him home and found out he had worms, mange, and hip dysplasia in both hips. $6000 later, I have a healthy dog!
So what did I learn?
That great deal may not be so great at the end of the day...
And don't buy anything from a poor dude in a trailer park.
Free lab pup? great deal!
.... Then I got him home and found out he had worms, mange, and hip dysplasia in both hips. $6000 later, I have a healthy dog!
So what did I learn?
That great deal may not be so great at the end of the day...
And don't buy anything from a poor dude in a trailer park.
Jay Lutz
Well-known member
Sound advice Matt but there are occasional exceptions.
When the Y2K bug in late 99 was hot lots of people bought generators.....not sure what they would have done when the gens ran out of gas 24 hours later and the gas station pumps were inoperative. Anyway, at the time I was shopping for my first trailer generator, I told Jan I would wait until after the disaster was averted and scoop up someone's mistake. I believe her exact words...."Oh nobody is that stupid...it'll never happen".
Sure enough 4 months after 1/1/00 I bought a brand new (never had oil in sump, never had gas in tank, box not even opened) $600 generator for $200..........from a poor dude in a trailer park. Honest.
He looked like he was really thristy so I suppose we had a mutually beneficial arrangement.
When the Y2K bug in late 99 was hot lots of people bought generators.....not sure what they would have done when the gens ran out of gas 24 hours later and the gas station pumps were inoperative. Anyway, at the time I was shopping for my first trailer generator, I told Jan I would wait until after the disaster was averted and scoop up someone's mistake. I believe her exact words...."Oh nobody is that stupid...it'll never happen".
Sure enough 4 months after 1/1/00 I bought a brand new (never had oil in sump, never had gas in tank, box not even opened) $600 generator for $200..........from a poor dude in a trailer park. Honest.
He looked like he was really thristy so I suppose we had a mutually beneficial arrangement.
Jay Lutz
Well-known member
Does anyone know if anyone makes a flip-flop kit (aka rear seats that fold over into a flatbed) for a Yamaha G1 cart?
My research says only G2 to current but that doesn't make sense to me unless there is some reason they can't handle one. If not, I'll have to make my own which is EZ but time consuming.
My research says only G2 to current but that doesn't make sense to me unless there is some reason they can't handle one. If not, I'll have to make my own which is EZ but time consuming.
Tom Broring
Well-known member
Jay, we have a G1 2-cycle Yamaha and it works great. Despite being 2-cycle, it pulls well and is pretty fast with a high-tourque clutch kit. We get all our parts from Buggies Unlimited. Unfortunately they have few customizing parts for something that old and are mostly good for hard parts. Ours came with a home built rear flat bed so we did not need to source one.
I have had 3 Yamaha gas carts in the last 6 years and have one now. I always get a aluminum box installed on the rear instead of seats because I bought it to haul things, not people. Yamaha is the prefered cart and there is a dealer near me in Harrisonberg, Va. who I let pick out what he thinks is is best, put the box on it and paint it yellow and also install lights front and back. When you need parts or accessories call Buggies Unlimited at 888.444.9994, they have pretty much anything you want to make repairs or to dress it up. Buggies are located in Jacksonville, FL and ask them to send you a catalog. Don't put race gas in them.
Jay:
If you have time to customize golf carts then you have time to better use your engineering skills tweaking a Prod car! Ditch the SM and pick up a good LP HP car and return to the fold. As I'm sure you know an LP car is much lower maintenance than full prep grenade stuff.....
:mrgreen:
If you have time to customize golf carts then you have time to better use your engineering skills tweaking a Prod car! Ditch the SM and pick up a good LP HP car and return to the fold. As I'm sure you know an LP car is much lower maintenance than full prep grenade stuff.....
:mrgreen:
Jay Lutz
Well-known member
Al, Yeah maybe.
Except for the never ending scaling and alignments, SM's are are breeze to run. Always someone to race with even if you are nowhere near the pointy end of the field.
These days in HP it appears you had better have a tin top(excluding the rare exception like Sargis and maybe Tom Feller) to run competitively. I fear the days of a good LP or full prep sprite (sorry Ron, Dan) are long gone.
Except for the never ending scaling and alignments, SM's are are breeze to run. Always someone to race with even if you are nowhere near the pointy end of the field.
These days in HP it appears you had better have a tin top(excluding the rare exception like Sargis and maybe Tom Feller) to run competitively. I fear the days of a good LP or full prep sprite (sorry Ron, Dan) are long gone.
Depends on the track. You are probably right at Road America, and by extension if seriously running for the National Championship. But on more "average" tracks I think that an L2 or L1/L2 Spridget is very competitive. Probably an L1 also but they are getting rare.
Two weeks ago at Summit Point (MARRS regional) Randy Canfield qualified on the pole (of the entire Prod group!) with a time only a few tenths off the lap record. Which was set in one of the ex GP gen2 CRXes that has since had a lot of weight added. His car is an L1/L2 hybrid with an LP 1275 I think.
And the lap record at VIR was lowered a bunch last year by a Spridget.
I know that H fields in many places are very thin but we've really built it back up in WDCR/MARRS.
Al
Two weeks ago at Summit Point (MARRS regional) Randy Canfield qualified on the pole (of the entire Prod group!) with a time only a few tenths off the lap record. Which was set in one of the ex GP gen2 CRXes that has since had a lot of weight added. His car is an L1/L2 hybrid with an LP 1275 I think.
And the lap record at VIR was lowered a bunch last year by a Spridget.
I know that H fields in many places are very thin but we've really built it back up in WDCR/MARRS.
Al
James Rogerson
Well-known member
Well down here in SOWDiv Bob Weber and the two Trenerys give me hell. I haven't run them since the trip to Sunburg to see the magician, but Weber especially kills me at TWS on top end. They are P1 and P2 respectively. Weber is stink fast every time we hit the track and so are the two Johns.
John, Sr. tells me that they are both going to RA next year. Weber was out of the country most of this year.
James
HP 66 in resthome blue.
John, Sr. tells me that they are both going to RA next year. Weber was out of the country most of this year.
James
HP 66 in resthome blue.
Ron Bartell
Well-known member
Post Removed - Off topic
Matt Blehm
Moderator
It's not easy at 33 and having never run up front and knowing I have no chance to run up front unless I find a winning lottery ticket. so I'm staying home for a few more years. the 3 week old daughter in the next room is also a good reason to stay home in Sept.Ron Bartell":2xjkk8b6 said:
Now that we've thoroughly hijacked a perfectly good golf cart thread...
I think that there are a bunch of issues commingled here:
1. A number of GP cars were dropped into HP, by and large they are heavier, more powerful and faster in a straight line.
2. Runoffs moved to Road America, a very fast track.
Thus I think it is fair to say that - at RA and thus for purposes of the National chamionships - the existing (as of 2008 or so) HP cars are generally disadvantaged compared to the ex GP cars. (This is a generality with exceptions.) This applies to the 1.6L VWs as well as the Spridgets and others.
But - and it is a big but - for the 90% of us HP Prod racers who are realistically never going to be on the Runoffs podium, the Spridget, 1.6L VW and some other cars are very competitive on the more average type tracks that most races happen on. My purpose in belaboring this is to try to make the point that - on most events at most tracks - there are a wide range of HP cars that are fun and competitive.
Too much noise about unfair advantages of a few cars - while valid at the Runoffs level IMO, largely because of the venue - can make the class seem unattractive to outsiders and thus seal its doom. The fact is - IMO - that the 1.6L VWs and 1275LP Sprites make good, practical, fun and competitive race cars at many or even most events. I'm having a blast racing my VW Scirocco at Summit Point, trying to figure out how to beat a Sprite that is nipping at the lap record! And being chased by a couple of other continuously improving Sprites....
I think that there are a bunch of issues commingled here:
1. A number of GP cars were dropped into HP, by and large they are heavier, more powerful and faster in a straight line.
2. Runoffs moved to Road America, a very fast track.
Thus I think it is fair to say that - at RA and thus for purposes of the National chamionships - the existing (as of 2008 or so) HP cars are generally disadvantaged compared to the ex GP cars. (This is a generality with exceptions.) This applies to the 1.6L VWs as well as the Spridgets and others.
But - and it is a big but - for the 90% of us HP Prod racers who are realistically never going to be on the Runoffs podium, the Spridget, 1.6L VW and some other cars are very competitive on the more average type tracks that most races happen on. My purpose in belaboring this is to try to make the point that - on most events at most tracks - there are a wide range of HP cars that are fun and competitive.
Too much noise about unfair advantages of a few cars - while valid at the Runoffs level IMO, largely because of the venue - can make the class seem unattractive to outsiders and thus seal its doom. The fact is - IMO - that the 1.6L VWs and 1275LP Sprites make good, practical, fun and competitive race cars at many or even most events. I'm having a blast racing my VW Scirocco at Summit Point, trying to figure out how to beat a Sprite that is nipping at the lap record! And being chased by a couple of other continuously improving Sprites....
Matt93SE":mk8v8rem said:the 3 week old daughter in the next room is also a good reason to stay home in Sept.
Based on my limited but vividly remembered experience, you may not still think that by September, though your wife probably will......
Gets easier though, and now my 10 y.o. can crew for me! Much more fun than getting up 14 times each night....