Ultimate Pit Vehicle Project - Update 1: Yee-ha! We finally found a good deal on a gas powered Taylor Dunn BG-150 "Burden Carrier". Here's how this model is described...
The G-150 gas burden carrier is perfectly built to get the job done. An overhead valve, four-stroke engine with 18 hp will give you the strength needed for any job, indoors or out.
Jason's buddy, who is a Taylor Dunn fanatic, found this green machine in an ad on CraigsList and sent it to us (he only wants electrics). I drove out last Thursday to take a look, found most of the problems and issues it had, made a deal, and left a deposit. Biggest problem is a broken axle shaft in one of the rear stub axles... I asked the owner to bolt it back together so it could roll and set up a time Sunday to pick it up.
Pictures from the guy's shop where this thing was being stored - it was a mess. The broken axle shaft is shown
After a beating of a day at a rain soaked track event last Saturday, Sunday's weather was beautiful. So I borrowed a buddy's flat bed trailer (sold my 38' enclosed a month ago and haven't purchased the replacement yet), grabbed McCall, and drove an hour to go pick up the TD. The unit I bought was a "Great deal" so of course it doesn't drive, but the engine starts and runs well. Because of the pending repairs the PO finally bailed on (hence why I got it for so cheap) the hydraulic brakes were disconnected. And so was the e-brake. Long story. Anyway, it rolls fine, so we just planned to just push it onto the trailer. Because the track width is narrower than the fixed width of the trailer's ramps (its even narrower than a golf cart), I had to go buy some ATV ramps... (cue the banjos)...
Going onto the trailer wasn't so bad, but the angle of the top of the "tailgate" ramps was too steep, and when we tried to roll it off the trailer, we had PROBLEMS. The momentum of the back rear tire pushed one ramp off the trailer deck and the entire unit almost went ass over tea kettle. McCall caught the back and stopped it from rolling back more, and I was hanging off the front left corner like sail boat rigging, and we were stuck with it teetering on 2 wheels! Luckily I had planned ahead, tossed McCall a wheel chock I had in the front seat, and we managed to get it stopped, jacked up, re-installed the ramp, and lined back up on both ramps. I then hopped in, McCall yanked out the chock, and I rolled it off the trailer, backwards and blind, with no brakes. So, the typical BS you don't want to happen, but no damage done. We had a good laugh.
Left: This is a great pit vehicle. Right: This is a TERRIBLE pit vehicle!
This little thing is pretty cool, and we've already started fixing, updating, and modifying this unit for track-side use. It should easily fit in the front of the 36' enclosed Goosneck trailer I'm getting (hopefully this week), with plenty of room for any car we need to tow to the track. The Kawasaki KZ550 powered blue "Death Buggy" (see above), that I hate with unbridled passion, is almost ready to sell ($1200 and its yours... your funeral). We have had a few tire kickers, but keep finding little problems to fix; we've now got it 99% perfect. Perfect for some crazy ass redneck to buy for their own offroad antics. "Hold my beer!"
First thing we're changing on the TD is we're going to remove and sell the rear box....
This is a factory built TD rear box in excellent shape - I think it is worth something around $500-800 bucks used. We're going to toss an ad up on CraigsList tomorrow and hope for a quick sale. If you know anyone that has a flat bed TD that wants a factory box that will bolt right onto the back deck, please send them my way. Once the back box is sold off we'll start building sort of a rear cage structure, diamond plate the rear deck, and make a 2nd row of seats that can fold flat when not needed. And install the ice chest below the front passenger seat. Cold drinks are a must.
More soon,
The G-150 gas burden carrier is perfectly built to get the job done. An overhead valve, four-stroke engine with 18 hp will give you the strength needed for any job, indoors or out.
Jason's buddy, who is a Taylor Dunn fanatic, found this green machine in an ad on CraigsList and sent it to us (he only wants electrics). I drove out last Thursday to take a look, found most of the problems and issues it had, made a deal, and left a deposit. Biggest problem is a broken axle shaft in one of the rear stub axles... I asked the owner to bolt it back together so it could roll and set up a time Sunday to pick it up.
Pictures from the guy's shop where this thing was being stored - it was a mess. The broken axle shaft is shown
After a beating of a day at a rain soaked track event last Saturday, Sunday's weather was beautiful. So I borrowed a buddy's flat bed trailer (sold my 38' enclosed a month ago and haven't purchased the replacement yet), grabbed McCall, and drove an hour to go pick up the TD. The unit I bought was a "Great deal" so of course it doesn't drive, but the engine starts and runs well. Because of the pending repairs the PO finally bailed on (hence why I got it for so cheap) the hydraulic brakes were disconnected. And so was the e-brake. Long story. Anyway, it rolls fine, so we just planned to just push it onto the trailer. Because the track width is narrower than the fixed width of the trailer's ramps (its even narrower than a golf cart), I had to go buy some ATV ramps... (cue the banjos)...
Going onto the trailer wasn't so bad, but the angle of the top of the "tailgate" ramps was too steep, and when we tried to roll it off the trailer, we had PROBLEMS. The momentum of the back rear tire pushed one ramp off the trailer deck and the entire unit almost went ass over tea kettle. McCall caught the back and stopped it from rolling back more, and I was hanging off the front left corner like sail boat rigging, and we were stuck with it teetering on 2 wheels! Luckily I had planned ahead, tossed McCall a wheel chock I had in the front seat, and we managed to get it stopped, jacked up, re-installed the ramp, and lined back up on both ramps. I then hopped in, McCall yanked out the chock, and I rolled it off the trailer, backwards and blind, with no brakes. So, the typical BS you don't want to happen, but no damage done. We had a good laugh.
Left: This is a great pit vehicle. Right: This is a TERRIBLE pit vehicle!
This little thing is pretty cool, and we've already started fixing, updating, and modifying this unit for track-side use. It should easily fit in the front of the 36' enclosed Goosneck trailer I'm getting (hopefully this week), with plenty of room for any car we need to tow to the track. The Kawasaki KZ550 powered blue "Death Buggy" (see above), that I hate with unbridled passion, is almost ready to sell ($1200 and its yours... your funeral). We have had a few tire kickers, but keep finding little problems to fix; we've now got it 99% perfect. Perfect for some crazy ass redneck to buy for their own offroad antics. "Hold my beer!"
First thing we're changing on the TD is we're going to remove and sell the rear box....
This is a factory built TD rear box in excellent shape - I think it is worth something around $500-800 bucks used. We're going to toss an ad up on CraigsList tomorrow and hope for a quick sale. If you know anyone that has a flat bed TD that wants a factory box that will bolt right onto the back deck, please send them my way. Once the back box is sold off we'll start building sort of a rear cage structure, diamond plate the rear deck, and make a 2nd row of seats that can fold flat when not needed. And install the ice chest below the front passenger seat. Cold drinks are a must.
More soon,
Comment