Learn me DIY kids gokarts?

My nephews have been itching to do some "racing" so I'm thinking about building a gokart.

I was thinking about just doing some kind of predator 212, solid axle, no suspension front.

Building would be part of the fun, I think - that and them learning how to fix it/make it.

I've just started researching how these fit together, i.e. are all axles for the front rear tires standard? When I go on the DIY kart sites there is a dizzying amount of options so I'm trying to boil it down a bit.

Any advice from the collective?

Carl knows all: How to turn a lawnmower into a yard kart.

Like ... all these options, I've scratch built cars and I'm still scratching my head trying to sort out gokart things.

https://gokartsusa.com/spindlesetsandcomponents.aspx

The YouTube show guys Build Break Repeat designed a bolt-together kart that's designed to work with Predator engines. Check out Go Powersports' webpage, and you can put together a whole kit, including this chassis, if you want to put it together that way.

Another YouTube show, Cars and Cameras, bought and assembled one of these things for themselves. They painted it like the Harlequin VWs, and it looks the part. Then they put a humungous (and cheap) diesel on it and took it to the track and had hilarious fun rolling coal.

Harbor Freight sells a race version of the Predator 212, and it's sick. High RPM, no governor, and probably like 10+ hp. But you can buy a regular 212 and get it there with mods as your nephew develops his skills. 

Here's the BBR kart. You can put slicks on it if you want. https://www.gopowersports.com/bolt-go-kart-kit/?srsltid=AfmBOoqu2yfZ5ZieZEplu6vDI_mxWVja5KcQADdru2Bau0sPX2c1Qg5f

In reply to confuZion3 :

There's a guy out there on social media that strips down those HF motors and shows you how to hi-performance build them up.  It's pretty cool. 

This is the channel you need.

https://www.youtube.com/@GrindHardPlumbingCo

Red Beard's Garage, on YouTube, does it from time to time. His show is great because he'll mix in a little bit of "here's how you upgrade your HF motor" with "now I'll build a 100 horsepower off-road monster". Is that who you're thinking of?

In reply to theruleslawyer :

Oh yeah, those guys are great. Wow, there's a huge gokart community on YouTube now, isn't there? I used to feel silly being drawn to it all, but really, it's been fun to watch that grow.

Cars and Cameras put on a heck of a good show. They went to Bonneville this year on a stretched 120 mph mini bike.

Red Beard's Garage (as stated above) = really good.

Rather B Welding builds insane things inside a shed. He's efficient with his editing and filming, and he's got a format down that I think makes it easier for him to put out a regular show. It works really well.

GoPowersports are based in Texas, they love what they do, and with those YouTube shows and their sponsorship of them, they've all grown really well together. It was fun to watch it all play out over the last decade.

Karting by LeRoi Tex Smith is a great read if you want to get a feel for the sport in the early days.

Before you start, decide where you are going to run the thing. It might affect what you build. Parking lots that let you run the thing on the weekend are getting scarce. Tracks are not friendly to diy. Dad used to take us to the stadium parking lot where we ran our contraptions when there were no events. 

Go Karts are like project cars: cheaper to buy a usable used one than build from scratch.  Even if you end up using it as a parts source for your own design, a used cart can provide a big head start and save time and $$$. The value proposition for building your own is the stuff you learn to do along the way.

Yeah, I'm not talking race track karting/dirt karting whatever - just a fun yard kart for them to dip into with.

We may "upgrade" a bit as we go, but we'll have to see. I suspect when they're old enough they'll come racing with me in the big boy cars.

A lot of the 'tubes I need to watch apparently!

I make midget karts, powered by Toyota starter motors (super-short-video-linky).

Plans (more of a guide, really) can be found here: www.gwellwood.com/subjects/metalwork way down in "Level 3"

"Cycle Karts" intrigue me a whole lot more, to be honest!