Is this mini-buggy any good?

[saadzmirza]

http://pennstate.craigslist.org/mcy/3927495407.html



I'm looking for a new go kart/buggy.
Looking for good off road and top speed>45mph.

Looking for info!

[Masteryota]

I can't say that I've seen that one before, but I do like the open-ness of the cockpit. Weird color combos, too.

$800 is too much for a non-running buggy, especially if nobody can identify it. Maybe contact the owner and see if he knows the brand, if he is the original owner, he should still have the Certificate of Origin, which I am finding out is like having the golden ticket if you want to ride on public lands.

[saadzmirza]

Thanks Masteryota. It looks like the engine has no spark. How hard would that be to fix?

[saadzmirza]

Here's a list of all of the buggies I found in the region. Let me know if any of these are worth pursuing:

1) Yerf-Dog 150CC Go Kart
http://buffalo.craigslist.org/rvs/4008222166.html

2)1700CC Homemade Sand Rail



3)CrossFire 150R Go-Kart



4)Baja Dune 150 Go-Kart



5)Homemade 1600CC Sand Rail



6) Unidentifiable Go-Kart (looks small)



7) Hammerhead GTS 150



8) Joyner 650 Dune Buggy (Out of Price Range)

[2SlickNick]

It looks cool, what about this one.
http://rochester.craigslist.org/rvs/3996666553.html

[2SlickNick]

http://rochester.craigslist.org/mcy/3974952150.html

[2SlickNick]

When I search I type in 150cc or 150 cc

[2SlickNick]

http://harrisburg.craigslist.org/sno/4004564407.html looks good

[2SlickNick]

http://williamsport.craigslist.org/mcy/3993133228.html fl400 yeah

[saadzmirza]

Nice. Is there a difference between the two?
I live in Olean, NY BTW.

[2SlickNick]

You could probably talk them down. Hammer heads are a good choice.

[saadzmirza]

Is there anything above 150cc? I was looking more in the range of 250cc-400cc.

[Masteryota]

Looks like you got quite a selection, we don't have much down here. That being said, stay away from home builds, the builders have a value from what they have in it, and its normally way higher than the buyers value. Also, you don't know what has been done to it.

As for brands, like nick said, hammerheads are desirable, as are tomberline crossfires, yerf dogs, and the chinese GK frames. They all seem to have their own weak areas, but the majority are great platforms to start with. Just about any frame you get, chances are the weak points have been spotted, fixed and documented for others.

Now, for the engine. The 150cc buggies are plentiful, and pretty cheap, if you find the right seller, but the 250cc are a little more rare, and usually quite a bit more expensive, but they are bigger frames, and most times, built better then the 150cc frames. If you have access to a welder, sawzall, and various tools, you can transplant dang near any engine you want. Take a look around the frankenbuggy section and see what swaps are being done and then decide of thats the way you want to go. If that isn't how you want to go, then look for joyner, GK, Kandi, BMS, hammerhead, sunL to name a few that have 250cc models. BMS and joyner have bigger platforms than the 250cc, but then the price really starts going up.

[saadzmirza]

Thanks for the excellent info Masteryota!

On the other hand, I was just browsing through reviews, and I came upon the YamaBuggy/HammerHead 400. While they don't make 'em anymore, I think with a 400CC Engine I wouldn't have to do any engine upgrades.

I believe the YamaBuggy retailed for about $5000 maybe 4 years ago. How hard would it be to find one under $2000 now?

[x-bird]

The crossfire and dune both have pretty solid reps--about the best front suspension design for the 150s (pretty much the same between the two). A bit old, parts are kind of scarce, but again a good design and if you can weld, you can repair. The Hammerheads are just as durable, good parts support, front suspension not quite as good as the previous two. The yerf's have a good basic geometry to the front end, they just need going over and beefing up. TONS of info on here on that topic--good performer because of power to weight ratio.

#2 VW homebuilt i'd stay away from--run away fast--just hte gut feelign i get looking at it.

#1 homebuilt is very common here in the NE as a woods/mud/quarry/fireroad buggy. and looks pretty good. Just watch out for really worn out racers that will need everything replaced. Lots of them around for sale, built off the basic Berrien/Acme frame kit or similar. Huge difference in performance and capabilities compared to a 150cc mini buggy. they'll need wider trails and won't have as tight of a turning radius. much faster and more capable of steep hill climbing etc. Plus side is, they use basic VW suspension and driveline. Parts, upgrades and mod information are more available than any other buggy type --they've been developed out for off-roading for probably 40 plus years. If you start really looking, you'll see them peeking out from tarps, carports, trailers and backyards all around you.

[saadzmirza]

[saadzmirza]

Sorry 2SlickNick. I forgot to thank you.

[2SlickNick]

No problem. Good luck in your search. Keep us updated.