I screwed up big time!

[the_law_man01]

Well, a year and about 4 months ago I bought a Yerf Spiderbox from my neighbor cause it looked like fun. A battery, oil change, and carb clean later it was running like a champ. It was running so good that I soon needed a new rear axle. I bought a BDX axle and got back to terrorizing the yard and county roads.

The wife and daughter took it over so I bought a home built buggy with a Yamaha Warrior 350 engine for myself.

I got a new job in July 2012 and decided to sell the toys to avoid having to haul them on the move. Plus, the new house is in town and didn't know of any place to ride around the new town.

Now, I discovered two places to ride within an hour drive and don't have any toys!

So, where are you guys getting all of your buggies for a few hundred bucks or less?! It nearly P1$$3$ me off to no end when I can't find the same stuff you guys are getting for anything less than a grand!

I'm an addict! Buggies are my crack! I can't find anything!

[Masteryota]

Craigslist for me, although I haven't found a suitable donor engine for the spiderbox that has the right price tag attached. Might get lucky like myself and stumble on a well-to-do seller that just tosses stuff when it don't start the first pull. The spiderbox I got was listed less than 20 minutes before it was sold.

[SLESTAK75]

I'm in the same boat as you as far as finding a deal. When I moved I couldn't part with mine though. I'm using the down time to fix it up the way I'd like it. I like the quote. "Who are these people? Friends of yours? Now this really p1$$3$ me off to no end." One of my favorite movie lines.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4G1O49QY1I

[bear]

Try buggy finders.com or Yakaz.com enter "150 mini buggy for sale" hope this helps you p.s. it took me 9mos. of looking to find the deal I got on my buggy's, so be patient!

[zman007007]

I just looked on my local C/L and there is one on there for $500. it was just listed this afternoon. I dont know what model it is but it is a 2 seater and it has the 150cc engine, they say it runs and drives good, it looks like it could use some tlc but not bad looking. zman

[zman007007]

just saw several more on here.

[zman007007]

go to C/L choose Greenville SC upstate then type in go carts

[bear]

Happy hunting, let us know the outcome!!!

[Masteryota]

I just scored a honda ATC 200s off the 'list' for a donor engine for my Yerf, now to come up with new name, Herf dog? Yerfa? Yerfonda? oh well, lol

[bear]

How 'bout "Hondoga 200" lol

[SLESTAK75]

I be diggin Yerfonda yo.

[SLESTAK75]

The 200cc Yerfondanator.

[zman007007]

Yerfonda sounded sexy, lol Yerfondanator sounds bad to the bone. lol are we the only ones left here? its like a ghost town.

[SLESTAK75]

People are just out there l i v i n I guess.

[Masteryota]

Not deserted, just working on projects, cause its the weekend and all.

[bear]

You can almost smell SPRING!!!! let me at it!!!

[zman007007]

I"m ready for warm weather and longer days. I hate cold weather.

[the_law_man01]

I've been eye raping the 'list'. Are the 250cc buggies very good? Found a couple on there that sound like they might just need minor tuning done. I've seen some 150cc karts for the daughter also.

[bear]

From all the info I've gotten on the 2 forums I check the 250 is awesome because it has the IRS, but alot of people also say, pound for pound the 150 is the better buggy with more power upgrades available for it. I dont' know first hand as I only have 150's & a 110, but if the 250's can go thru the woods better than my 150's already do, I would be blown away!!! anyone else???

[bear]

p.s. I'm 6'3" and weight 260# & my 150's have no problem (at all) taking me just about anywhere I want to go!

[SLESTAK75]

I think the 250's generally "feel" about the same. Because of the greater torque and HP they are geared higher. So you can have higher top speed but acceleration and climbing power feel similar. If you were to gear a 250 the same as your 150 then you would really notice the difference in power. Just my take and 2 cents. I've heard some say that a big bored and stroked 150cc will beat a stock 250cc but as most know you lose some reliability. I feel that if you had the money to build a powerful 150 you could just as easily buy a new 250. For me , I don't have the means to fit an engine that needs different mounting setup. That is why I would stick with my 150 and mildly build it.

[Masteryota]

I have to agree with bear on this one, the 250 sounds good on paper, but you better believe they are heavier than the 150's. I think most of the 250's are also liquid cooled, which can be troublesome if letting kids ride all the time, as they don't know what to look for if something should go awry. I am personally going with an ATC 200s engine just cause I like gear boxes over CVT's in my yerf 150 frame, should be a hoot and still air cooled for simplicity.

[the_law_man01]

I like the idea of a low to mid geared 250. BUT if they are water cooled, I'm not so crazy about the idea. I had a Yerf Spiderbox. I could ride up a fairly steep hill as long as it was not too long and I could get some kind of short run. I haven't driven one with upgrades/mods. Don't really know what to expect for torque gains. I'm 6'4" 255. I would like to take the fam to the mountains as well as dune trips.

[xlint89]

I steered my uncle towards buying a 250cc over the Spiderbox just because it already has everything "beefed up" on it, VS. having to modify the Yerf into what a "real" mini buggy should be. (front end and frame mods, shocks, tires, brakes, reverse, etc..)

I think he came out cheaper ($1300) in the long run VS. me with all mods done to my 150 (more than $1300 by now) HOWEVER, he says his Roketa is wider than my Yerf, so he feels mine would run through the trails a bit easier. And mine can fit into the bed of my truck, not sure if his would??? Mine is much lighter than his too, so 1 man loading into the truck bed is quite easy. Once again, not too sure how his would be to try and load up by yourself.

He really likes the idea of having a liquid cooled engine over the air cooled one for summer riding. I haven't had any problems with heat on mine, but I haven't really pushed mine hard on real hot days either. (that's what PWC are for )

[SLESTAK75]

Pwc...............Pig Whacking Contest?????

[the_law_man01]

:-D Nice. I was wondering what that meant myself.

[bear]

Oh you guys really are a half bubble off center!!! lol

[the_law_man01]

So, seems like everyone thinks there's gold lining the tubing on their buggy frames these days. I've found a couple decent deals but nothing worth ripping my wallet apart for. I'm thinking about just investing in a decent mig welder, tubing bender, and tubing. I can probably do that and build a sweet custom buggy for what some of these cats are wanting for their little 150cc buggies.

[xlint89]

I kinda have to agree with you a bit. Alot of guys are asking way too much $$ for what they are selling. Hell, I've seen guys asking $750 for a Yerf 3203 yard cart. I bought my nephew's for $200!!!!

But, be prepared. There are some good deals out there. You might have to do a little driving though and jump when you see it. Lots of postings are sold within 2-3 days.

[bear]

Take your time Lawman and make sure you get what you want! I think zman just posted a crossfire in the buggy for sale section, also make sure to check buggy finds.com & yakaz for a deal. It's true the price of these buggy's is definitly going up due to there popularity being on the rise!

[the_law_man01]

Yea. I'm not gonna rush it. Just ticks me off that some people are so greedy.

[Masteryota]

I wish I had the room to buy up all the buggy frames I see down here and save them for a rainy day or a friend in need. Also been looking into being a distributor, but so far its looking like more $$$$ than I expected to do so.

[xlint89]

Originally Posted by SLESTAK75

Pwc...............Pig Whacking Contest?????

Originally Posted by the_law_man01

:-D Nice. I was wondering what that meant myself.

Sorry, i just saw this.

Personal Water Craft

Much better on a Hot summer day. (think of all the girlies in their bikinis that want a ride )

[xlint89]

Originally Posted by Masteryota

I wish I had the room to buy up all the buggy frames I see down here and save them for a rainy day or a friend in need. Also been looking into being a distributor, but so far its looking like more $$$$ than I expected to do so.

Buggy frames you say????

Can hardly find anything up here, but what we do have is a bunch of cheap older snowmobiles.

What do you think? Wanna start up a hybrid partnership?

You can be the first dealer to sell "That's snowchit" snow karts.

[Masteryota]

Originally Posted by xlint89

Sorry, i just saw this.

Personal Water Craft

Much better on a Hot summer day. (think of all the girlies in their bikinis that want a ride )

I don't mean to be downer, but I will never ever own a PWC. Salt water does unnatural things to metal, and sand destroys everything in its path. Way too many junk PWC's down here, and most aren't worth hauling in for scrap metal either. All the girlies in bikinis don't replace the loads of $$ dumped into them.

[Masteryota]

Originally Posted by xlint89

Buggy frames you say????

Can hardly find anything up here, but what we do have is a bunch of cheap older snowmobiles.

What do you think? Wanna start up a hybrid partnership?

You can be the first dealer to sell "That's snowchit" snow karts.

Hmm. Sled engines are tempting, 50+ hp and cvt w/reverse. If only they were made to run in anything but sub freezing temps.

Snow Kart? Front half buggy, rear half snow track?

[xlint89]

Originally Posted by Masteryota

I don't mean to be downer, but I will never ever own a PWC. Salt water does unnatural things to metal, and sand destroys everything in its path. Way too many junk PWC's down here, and most aren't worth hauling in for scrap metal either. All the girlies in bikinis don't replace the loads of $$ dumped into them.

I know what you mean if they are neglected. Flush them after every ride and they'll be fine. We have guys that ride in Cali and FLA all year round. And some of those skis are the nicest you'll see. Plus they make stuff like Salt Away to help keep the metal nice.

Originally Posted by Masteryota

Hmm. Sled engines are tempting, 50+ hp and cvt w/reverse. If only they were made to run in anything but sub freezing temps.

Snow Kart? Front half buggy, rear half snow track?

Liquid cooled engine shouldn't be an issue. Hell some of the conversion guys are running air cooled engines and say they haven't experienced problems with heat.

Buggy front, track back WOULD be cool....

[x-bird]

around here they ask 1100 for 3203sand 2k for spiderboxes. very little else comes up for sale except VW based buggys. and those are usually cheaper than the yerfs LOL ...

[bear]

No salt water fears up north!!! lol

[xlint89]

Originally Posted by x-bird

around here they ask 1100 for 3203sand 2k for spiderboxes. very little else comes up for sale except VW based buggys. and those are usually cheaper than the yerfs LOL ...

I just saw a 3203 listed on ebay for $1k and bout crapped myself.

Hey X, I'll ship you some cheaper karts and we can split the profit....

[Masteryota]

Originally Posted by xlint89

I just saw a 3203 listed on ebay for $1k and bout crapped myself.

Hey X, I'll ship you some cheaper karts and we can split the profit....

And the guys wanting $500 for a flat frame kart with a Briggs flat head, what are they thinking?

[xlint89]

Antique pricing

[x-bird]

that's the market around here--backyard go karts. Most view the 3203 as really high-end. 150cc buggies are really scarce, and almost always old spiderboxes in the 2k range no matter what condition. 250s and up i've seen two or 3 for sale within 250 miles in the past 2 years.

[bear]

Coulpe of yerfs, a Helix, and a hh150 on cincy CL, but range from 1200 to 1800, seriously!!!

[SLESTAK75]

Mine was $1899 brand spanking new.

[bear]

This is what I'm saying! some people are just too greedy for there own good!

[SLESTAK75]

Perhaps we should "make them an offer they can't refuse." Al Pacino style.

[bear]

Send 'em some "fish" hehehe

[SLESTAK75]

Five thousand dollars!!!!! And one cadillac!!!!!!! That you owe me !!!!!!

[xlint89]

Originally Posted by x-bird

that's the market around here--backyard go karts. Most view the 3203 as really high-end. 150cc buggies are really scarce, and almost always old spiderboxes in the 2k range no matter what condition. 250s and up i've seen two or 3 for sale within 250 miles in the past 2 years.

What part of Penciltuckey are you in? Closer to the lead or the eraser?

I may have to haul a 250 or 2 down your way if they're getting that much $$$$.

[x-bird]

i'm on the pointy end ))) right on the delaware river border with NJ. NW NJ and NE PA is all about quads, vw woods rails and jeeps/trucks. mini buggies are "oddball" stepping stones for some and backyard karts are for the young years when moms won't trust the dads & kids enough to let the kid have a quad. plus riding areas are non existent. if i had my buggy back in the 70s/80s when i lived jut over the river in nj, the killer trails riding i could have done! Miles and miles of woods and fields trails were right out of my backyard. Nowadays, everyone is just too worried about lawsuits. the woods and trails are still there, just can't touch them.

[xlint89]

Aint that the truth.....

What ever happened to "use at your own risk"?

[Masteryota]

People sued because they underestimated the actual risks involved, kinda like when you get coffee and the cup says HOT! but you still burn your mouth on the first sip. Everyone wants everything handed to them and looking for a free ride at the same time.

[the_law_man01]

Well, I guess I should feel fortunate to be able to find SOME buggies that don't even run for less than $1000. Found a couple 250s that don't run for $1000. This is getting ridiculously discouraging.

[bear]

Seriously Lawman, it could take awhile! as I told you at first it took me 9mos. of looking to find mine and I'm sure others will tell you the same about there searches! It's all worth it the first time you go rippin' up a trail on your new purchase! Hate to keep asking, but have you cheked buggy finds or Yakaz yet? maybe racing junk!

[bear]

P.S. traveled 4hrs. each way to get mine!

[Masteryota]

Holy crap!, I guess I was lucky to find mine locally, and for pocket change no less, but I was looking for something I could repair/rebuild, and I got just that, lol. I recently looked at the new prices for some of the chinese buggies, and was floored at the asking prices, and then looked at some Joyners, and fell off my stool. As my sight returned, I remembered there is an Arctic Cat dealer near me, and looked at those, and then proceeded to defecate a golden brick, I mean come on, $17k for a toy, lets be serious here for a minute.

[bear]

Oh I hear ya! and it just keeps going up! thats why you gotta keep a constant vigil for that one in a million deal! and expect it to take some time! p.s. I got 2 ready to roll buggy's for $900, so it was definitly worth it!!!

[the_law_man01]

Yeah, bear. I'm taking my time and watching. I just have to vent every once in a while so I don't say something to one of these jokers that I'll regret. You never know when today's rip off will come to his senses and be tomorrow's decent deal.

I'm not necessarily ruling out buggies that need a little something done to them. Just watching. I looked on. Buggy find. Couldn't figure out yakaz. Been watching the 10 regional CLs around me also. Probably be willing to drive 4-8 hours 1-way for the right deal.