Ultimate Go-Kart

I Love It When a Plan Comes Together


Soon, work began in earnest at tearing the engine/transmissions out of the two vehicles and swapping them. Upon reinstalling things into the Maverick, the RATS soon developed the three-quarters rule (which later became the 75% rule), which stated that only 75% of the fastening devices originally intended to be used, had to be used. This was formulated while adding in an oversized pink bench seat that was supposed to be held down with 4 bolts, but only 3 holes lined up. It was also used to justify holding up the skid plate with only 3 bolts. The original shift linkage in the Maverick was homemade and one of the ugliest things Ben had ever run across. Since the new transmission was made different, it would no longer work, leading Ben to chunk it into the bushes. Ben's new shift linkage involved a metal plate Ben found laying around that had slotted holes drilled in it. It worked... kind of. Also, the 6 cylinder motor mounts from the ‘67 Mustang wouldn't fit the holes in the ‘74 Maverick, so Ben threw together some superbly weak mounts. The alternator was never hooked up to the battery, though it was still belted to the engine, stealing horsepower. The solenoid was never hooked up to the ignition switch, meaning the car had to be hot-wired every time a RAT wanted to start it. (They got very proficient at hot-wiring old Fords). The word of the day was "good enough" whenever it came to Go-Kart. Speed was emphasized above all else.

Once Ultimate Go-Kart was up and running, the RATS began scouting for a place to bring it offloading. Driving around in circles in Ben's backyard, while entertaining, was starting to get repetitious. Close to Ben's house was a patch of wooded land that was often used by giant 4x4's and ATV's. There's a large brick chimney in the middle of the place, standing several hundred feet in the air. According to ancient legend (Ben's dad), the chimney belonged to a milk processing plant decades ago. This patch of land garnered the title of "Cow Factory," and the RATS decided that Ultimate Go-Kart's maiden voyage would be there.



Part 3: Maiden Voyage



Back to Go-Kart Home