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Komet99
Member
- Thursday at 9:59 AM
- #1
Years ago I ran an ole staight rail with a KT100. It was pretty fast for its day. Later on put an open K78 and set the track record mph and lap time. Later on put some CIK bodywork on it. That was the same kart I won the 2008 enduro national championship with. It seemed like a fast kart wherever I took it. Maybe because I spent so much time and effort making it do what I wanted.
Fast forward to current times......
Im considering finding an old straight rail of the late 90s to early 2000s, do a little work to it, maybe put adjustable front end on it. Maybe even some weight jackers!! Get back to my old roots and what i know.
Maybe a Margay before they went metric? Maybe talk to the chassis fabricator to see if we can find another one? Thennnn...put some bodywork on it for the intent to run stock predator/Clone classes. A possibility of switching to the Reedjet once in a while.
Something else to consider...Im not a follower. Maybe thats why i used to win races?? If I do what everyone else does, I go as slow as everyone else.
Thoughts and discussion.
Last edited by a moderator:
Colt sr
Member
- Thursday at 10:39 AM
- #2
Komet99 said:
Years ago I ran an ole staight rail with a KT100. It was pretty fast for its day. Later on put an open K78 and set the track record mph and lap time. Later on put some CIK bodywork on it. That was the same kart I won the 2008 enduro national championship with. It seemed like a fast kart wherever I took it. Maybe because I spent so much time and effort making it do what I wanted.
Fast forward to current times......
Im considering finding an old straight rail of the late 90s to early 2000s, do a little work to it, maybe put adjustable front end on it. Maybe even some weight jackers!! Get back to my old roots and what i know.Maybe a Margay before they went metric? Maybe talk to the chassis fabricator to see if we can find another one? Thennnn...put some bodywork on it for the intent to run stock predator/Clone classes. A possibility of switching to the Reedjet once in a while.
Something else to consider...Im not a follower. Maybe thats why i used to win races?? If I do what everyone else does, I go as slow as everyone else.
Thoughts and discussion.
If you feel like you will be faster or have more fun. Do it!!! I would say you have a lot of options in Ron LaFollette's(sorry if I misspelled) barn sale to start off with. I don't know if it would be super competitive in the stock classes but you may be quite competitive in the 2 stroke class.
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95 shaw
Site Supporter
- Thursday at 10:47 AM
- #3
I think the old karts, ie straight rail, were designed around engines with more hp. Especially for oval racing.
Most 2 strokes make as much hp or more than a modified 4 stroke.
The chassis requirements for very limited hp are to free the chassis as much as possible. As such, setup theory has evolved beyond the capabilities of the old flexible straight rail kart.
It will be competitive with like chassis especially with more power. You'll struggle to find the speed in stock 4 stroke classes.
Just my opinion.
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Komet99
Member
- Thursday at 11:09 AM
- #4
95 shaw said:
...setup theory has evolved beyond the capabilities of the old flexible straight rail kart.
I think this would be a consideration if I chose to go wild with current technology setups. Who knows if I never try it. Thats why I started this thread, to discuss those things.
If I keep the technology of the 90's in the kart it should go as fast as it did back then. The tires are the same...the pookey is more advanced.
Ted Hamilton
Helmet Painter / Racer
- Thursday at 11:30 AM
- #5
Buy my Jaguar roadrace chassis, complete with body and run it on dirt... the body is already setup for the chassis (non-offset) and I can include a large oval seat if desired. I'd let the whole thing go, FWB and all, for $800. It's American, made by an oval kart company called, predictably, Jaguar, in GA. It had a Sudam on it originally. If you want an axle clutch on it also, I'd sell the whole package for $1200. Kelgate superkart brakes on it now, so they'll handle whatever you throw at it. It's the kart in my profile pic. And you can tell people it's a double Daytona winner. 
Shoot, if you're close to NC, I may even deliver it. I'm a fan of unconventional thinking...and my CRG oval kart is product of that... Proceeds will be rolled into the vintage Margay restoration I'm doing to give to my dad...(Shhh....he doesn't know!)
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Komet99
Member
- Thursday at 11:59 AM
- #6
I have a PT-4 built by Phantom/TS. That thing isnt but 35" wide. it would look funny with half of a 12x9 stickin out of the body!!
Colt sr
Member
- Thursday at 12:23 PM
- #7
Komet99 said:
I have a PT-4 built by Phantom/TS. That thing isnt but 35" wide. it would look funny with half of a 12x9 stickin out of the body!!
I think it would look good and you wouldn't have to worry about scuff marks on the body. Lol
Ted Hamilton
Helmet Painter / Racer
- Thursday at 3:48 PM
- #8
Mine's a bit wider, but closer to old American sizing than current Euro...Beside, run a wedge!
sundog
Member
- Thursday at 4:52 PM
- #9
I have traveled much the same path as you. See Profile pic, 98 Top Kart. Had every 2 stroke of the day on that thing. Mounted a Rotax and sold it. Also had a 1990 small tube DAP kart that I refurbished was light and fast but flimsy in the braking zone. Now I've modded an old Margay to accept 4 stroke engines. I can't tell you who is making good chromalloy frames these days but these old karts really hold up over time if you don't bang/scrape them up. One thing I learned over many decades, it comes down to the driver and being very familar with whatever you got.
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 6:39 AM
- #10
Ive told many people many times that if you keep one kart for a loooong time and find out what makes it work and focus on it, it will be fast. In my hay days of being fast in the enduro CIK, there was this old dude and his 2 sons. Every 2 years they were buying brand new karts. I smoked the field one day and hae asked me, "Man I dont know how your beatin everybody with that old thing."
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 6:41 AM
- #11
I have this old something offset at home. Talked to a fella yesterday and convinced myself to make a simple update to the front end and start runnin this thing and make it fast.
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 12:19 PM
- #12
I have a question. Im going to put 10* weld plates on. Are the degreed caster blocks not all 90 degrees? Are they the specified angle, or just for specified angle spindles? Do I make any sense???
If I weld on a 10 degree plate, do I have to get a 10 degree caster block? Why?
Ted Hamilton
Helmet Painter / Racer
- Yesterday at 12:33 PM
- #13
I'd make them match your desired KPI so that your rod-end extensions were as minimal as possible. I'd also use a rod end top and bottom with dual slots so that I could adjust KPI, Caster, and Camber all independantly.
flattop1
Dawg 89
- Yesterday at 12:55 PM
- #14
Komet99 said:
I have a question. Im going to put 10* weld plates on. Are the degreed caster blocks not all 90 degrees? Are they the specified angle, or just for specified angle spindles? Do I make any sense???
If I weld on a 10 degree plate, do I have to get a 10 degree caster block? Why?
They are specified .
I think mostly so the top heim is in a usable range , also to keep the geometry correct.
A 12* L block on a 10* plate would change things . Be hard to diagnose from a mfg's standpoint .
The one thing when adding L-block frt components is the frt gets wider or could depending on chassis.
Keeping king pin center the same as original may be beneficial.
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 2:23 PM
- #15
Wider isnt a horrible thing. ALL race cars are wider in front...except karts for some reason.
The heim isnt any different when the angle of the plate is the same as the angle of the spindle barrel. I can understand to not make those 2 different. Same heim for zero degree plate and spindle as it is for a 12 degree plate and spindle. See image below for 10 degree block vs 0 degree block rotated 10 degrees.
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 2:28 PM
- #16
Why the kingpin inclination if its all adjustable anyway??!!!!
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95 shaw
Site Supporter
- Yesterday at 3:16 PM
- #17
There is a bunch of threads where kpi is discussed.
Al and I debated the merits of kpi in left turn only chassis.
Search kingpin inclination and my username.
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95 shaw
Site Supporter
- Yesterday at 3:17 PM
- #18
Komet99 said:
Wider isnt a horrible thing. ALL race cars are wider in front...except karts for some reason.
The heim isnt any different when the angle of the plate is the same as the angle of the spindle barrel. I can understand to not make those 2 different. Same heim for zero degree plate and spindle as it is for a 12 degree plate and spindle. See image below for 10 degree block vs 0 degree block rotated 10 degrees.
View attachment 34225
I think you have kpi and caster confused.
flattop1
Dawg 89
- Yesterday at 3:31 PM
- #19
Komet99 said:
Wider isnt a horrible thing. ALL race cars are wider in front...except karts for some reason.
The heim isnt any different when the angle of the plate is the same as the angle of the spindle barrel. I can understand to not make those 2 different. Same heim for zero degree plate and spindle as it is for a 12 degree plate and spindle. See image below for 10 degree block vs 0 degree block rotated 10 degrees.
View attachment 34225
Now put it on a 10* back plate . See if the angle changes . There's also camber gain and scrub radius involved .
95 Shaw , Al and others had a good discussion on this , Geometry.
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Komet99
Member
- Yesterday at 5:12 PM
- #20
Scrub radius!! Thats what I was lookin for!!
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