My parents weren’t even married yet in 1959, so I was a long way off, but that’s when McCulloch’s legendary chainsaw engine, the Super 55A, evolved into the MC-10 and was reportedly first used on a go-kart. Where else would this happen but Southern California? This 1961 McCulloch R1 Twin-Engine Go-Kart is posted here on eBay in The Biggest Little City in the World: Reno, Nevada. The seller is asking $9,500, or you can make an offer.
Don’t laugh at that asking price, these go-karts are red hot and have sold for 50 to 100% above that asking price in recent years. Growing up in Northern Minnesota, we knew McCullouch chainsaws and just about every other make of chainsaw, but I never would have thought to make one power a go-kart. Or better yet, two of them! It’s even cooler to see the original boxes of McCullouch oil and a NOS piston that comes with the sale. Original Tristar magnesium wheels wearing original Goodyear “Super Rib” slicks are here, and this could really be a fun project to clean up and get working again. Yes, it costs as much or more than a lot of vintage vehicles that you can use on the street, but that doesn’t make it any less desirable a project.
The seller bought this kart from the original owner, who bought it new in 1961, and says that it has been sitting in storage for 40+ years. A lot of us have things hidden away that have been sitting for three or four decades or more. I have a couple of motorcycles that haven’t been out in the sun for 39 years now; there’s no excuse for that nonsense. Our own Josh wrote about one of these twin-engine McCulloch go-karts five years ago here on Barn Finds. I thought we had seen others, but I can’t dig them up on the search bar. This one is original down to the seatback fuel tank, which could use a good cleaning due to sitting for decades. The little wheeled thing on the back is a combination stand and dolly. Very, very cool.
As mentioned in the first paragraph, McCulloch got into the go-kart biz in 1959. A lot of companies were using their incredible chainsaw engines, after modifying them a bit, or a lot in some cases. The controls are simple: a go pedal, a stop pedal, and a steering wheel. That’s it. I hope this one gets cleaned up but preserved rather than taken apart and restored. It looks great in the photos, I bet it would look almost like new just by cleaning and detailing the heck out of it. Yes, that’s the original McCulloch rubber floor mat, and the original seat is said to be in perfect condition.
The twin engines are McCulloch two-stroke, single-cylinder MC-6 models with approximately 6 to 7 hp each. The MC-6 was a new hot entry for McCulloch, a company that made thousands of chainsaw engines every month in the late 50s and early ’60s, with just a fraction of them being used for go-karts. This engine, I believe, came out in 1960. These engines were $99.50 new, which is $1,080.60 today! Times two engines – this was not an inexpensive go-kart in its day. The seller says they appear to be all original and have good compression. Even at the seller’s asking price, this appears to be a candidate for refurbishment rather than restoration to keep it as original as possible. About the only way this go-kart would flip is for the buyer to clean it up, get it running, and flip it for a profit.
You find great stuff Scotty! Talk about a forgotten page of our yesteryear, this is classic and a hoot besides.
Seems every kid on every block-urban and rural-had a homemade go kart or a 2 wheeled version. Some kids found a way to buy one of this kind and they were always the talk of the block!
What do want to bet that this was at the swap meet yesterday for the Hot August Nights event this week?
More, Scotty, please.
Our buddy Howard probably ran across a few McCullough saws in Wisconsin. I remember using one in the late 80s, along with a Sachs. Both were powerful and heavy. Didn’t touch another saw for many yrs until the mid 90s in a logging camp, got some time on a Husqvarna. I remember being amazed at how smooth it was, and easy to start👍
This is just phenomenal!!! I love it!! Ever saw one of these in person but heard of them. Two of those little two stokes working their hearts out behind you has got to be an amazing sound and experience. Its hard not to tell in person, but I’m wondering if that original paint can be carefully cleaned up and preserved. And those extra parts IN THE ORIGINAL BOXES!!!! Wow!!! If I displayed this, those boxes would be right with this at all times. This is just a treasure. Love it Scotty!!! This I’m imagining was an easier write up for you…… You didn’t have to create a convertible…… But a 4 door crew cab would have been kind of neat lol. Thank you so much for writing this up. Its great!!!
Sure don’t see these every day. When I was young and stupid I drove a 3 engine version out on the local highway. Had a support car behind me and got up to almost 90 when the wind got behind my sun glasses and teared up my eyes to where I couldn’t see anything. Owner told me after the run he was too scared of the cart at speed so let me do it. Not sure how I took that but did promise myself I’d wear goggles next time. Later on in life we lived next door to a couple who raced 150 mph enduro road race carts. Thought about my previous kart experience and thought it was a good thing for them to do, not me. Either way, they are a lot of fun.
Yeah, Stan, a chainsaw in Wisconsin is better than a good woman,,,for some. If we do the math, in 1959 Scotty apparently was NOT far away, but back to the go-kart. In the late 50s, and 60s, go-karting was huge. Every amusement park had a track, and some places, that’s all they did, go-karts. We must remember, big HP single motors were what was years away, and the only logical solutionn for more speed, yep, another motor. My old man had an old chain saw, we called it the “widow maker”. It wasn’t the saw itself that made them dangerous, but the blade design was prone to kickbacks. Dropping a tree wasn’t for a wuss with an old widow maker. I’m not sure how fast this one is, I read a twin engine kart with 2 12hp motors, could do 75 mph. This is more like 50, but still a handful. The 2 engines are just for show, and a modern motorcycle motor puts out way more, but we just didn’t have that yet, and this was the hottest stick out there. Don’t let the disc brake fool you, it did little and common sense was your guide here.
Built a pit cart to use at the race tracks out of old cart platform that had rear only brakes. Put a 18 hp motor on it and got 32 mph out of it and the brake worked fine. Sold it for a bigger 3 wheeled unit with a 18 hp engine that would only go 14 mph. Reverse progress?
As a teenager we built a go cart by bolting a 5 hp B&S to half a sheet of scrap plywood and connected the power to an old soap box derby cart wheel using a cast off fan belt and pulley bolted to the wheel. Steering was with your feet. Braking was provided by Chuck Conner Converse, dual shoes. No go pedal, just a string tied to the throttle linkage. We used to run it on the parking lot behind the stores on a Sunday afternoon. We were in Motorsport heaven or so we thought until one Sunday afternoon we heard the sweetest sound coming from “our race track”. It was this exact same go cart. We were to embarrassed to bring our homemade cart out in the presence of this beauty. We just watched it lap after lap wondering how many papers we would have to deliver before we could afford to buy our own.
You perfectly described the gocart I built as a kid except mine had a Mercury Hillclimber clutch. Mine was way too fast for the build. The end came when at full speed I hit a center delineator at speed and out of control swerved in front of a car, scaring the crap out of myself and the driver. Who unfortunately turned out to be my MOM!!! I never saw her so mad and she insisted my Dad dismantle it. Which he did, bummer.
Anyways, these Mac karts were for rich kids, but I don’t think you would get a bigger thrill than a foot steered piece of plywood with no brakes at 40mph!!
Chuck Taylor?
Chuck Conner? Thank you. Yes! Chuck Taylor!
Wow! Talk about getting old! I had a Rupp Go Kart in the mid 70’s and then another kid a couple of streets over showed up with one of these and made us look like we were all standing still as we circled around the shopping center parking lot. Sleek, fast and totally in a different class! Glad to see at least one survived!
Looks like most of us have a Go Kart story-Here’s mine-
The rental kart tracks became hot in the late 50’s and I couldn’t get enough of those 50 cent 5 lap rides. Won a lot of races by reaching down and pulling up on the throttle rod and bypassing the rudimentary governor/throttle stop. The addiction led me to find a Caretta kart which was built by Art Ingles, the inventor of karting. It was old by then and had a Briggs lawn mower engine, dead axle and a scrub brake operating on the drive sprocket. Ran it at the local kart track while mowing and cleaning a thousand yards until I had enough to buy a new Bug Stinger. Now I needed a real motor to be competitive and serendipitously my parents decided I was responsible enough to stay at home alone while they took a short trip. As their car rounded the corner and out of sight I was already in the garage stripping down my dad’s McCulloch chainsaw to get the engine. Got it mounted and my buddy push started me down the alley ( in those days it was direct drive and you had to have someone lift up the rear of the kart and run along and drop you to fire the motor). That Mac motor fired off and away I went like a rocket with a grin like the Cheshire cat- until the rod exited the block. Then it was a mad scramble to scrape up enough money to get a motor to re-assemble my dad’s chainsaw. Was deep into karting for a couple years eventually having twin Mac 10’s on my kart before I approached 16 and cars infected my remaining brain cells.
My Dad was great with engines, all kinds of engines, auto, boat, chainsaw, etc. I rebuilt a 307 Chevy at 14 with my Dad.
People would bring their issues to my Dad who was only too happy to help.
When I was around 12, a work friend had a go cart with McCulloch engine on it. Of course the old man got it going, and he needed a test driver!
We went to the large parking lot at hockey arena by my house, and started it up. Gas, steering wheel, and brakes were all I could control.
Just after I took off, the throttle stuck wide open, the brakes were useful if you weren’t on the throttle. So no help there.
It was an overly thrilling ride, until the chain jumped the sprocket.
After, my Dad said that if I would have reached behind and closed the choke I could have killed the engine.
Thanks for the insight, after it happened.
For me it was kartland in Phoenix have a lot of great memories going there with a bunch of buddies and racing. Reaching around and bypassing the governor was a must.
The Holy Grail of go karts. The yellow frame and engines were the coolest thing out there, and I, of course, lusted after them. My buddy’s dad bought him a used McCulloch kart, but it had only one engine. I did get to drive it a few times. They sold it, I couldn’t afford it, to buy a quarter midget for my buddy to drive. Wow, what a great blast from the past.
Why I love Barn finds!
This cart looks like so much fun, good thing I’m too big to fit in it!
I bought one of those karts in 1970. It was scuffed metallic red so I stripped it to bare metal, refinished it in gloss black and had the trim redone in dark red and white. A friend owned a chrome-plating business so the fuel tank and all the other steel parts were plated. It had a McCulloch 49 engine when I bought it which I ran for a while.
My father-in-law to-be was a farmer. He built two dirt tracks, one oval and one road course with elevation changes. He then bought several used karts of different brands for himself and my wife-to-be’s nephews. We held races every weekend.
I soon replaced the 49 with a 91 and later a 101. The only engine manufacturer we knew was McCulloch and they were purpose-built for karts, not saws. The 101s had chrome covers and other steel trim. They required frequent re-ringing as their compression rings were paper-thin and even with intake air filtered with old pantyhose, they wore quickly so I honed the cylinders, replaced the rings and occasionally the pistons as the bores grew from honing.
All their bearings were needle and I replaced them every time. There was a kart shop in Strinestown, Pennsylvania where I bought everything for the karts. One of my wheels had a chunk out of the rim and I wasn’t able to find a replacement – just now learning they were magnesium probably explains that – but it worked well as it was.
That kart was a lot of fun and it’s cool to learn at age 78 that I once owned something classic beside old muscle cars.
These things sell for $10 grand? Much more than I thought.
No, not laughing at the price.
Started racing Karts in 59 on a kart bought at Fresno Ag Hardware (I Think) in Fresno, Ca. Had a Deco motor, Band Brake (not disc), and recap slick tires from Jack McCoy in Modesto. Big, heavy and slow but had fun. I still have it mostly. Soon moved up to a Go Kart 800 with Westbend motor. Had fun at River Kart Club, Northfork, Willow Springs, and others. At 78 yo guess I should decide to do something with it. My Foster dad and I had a lot of fun in those days and good memories.
My cousin lived in a small town in Texas. When was I around 10 I would visit him and stay with my grandparents 3 weeks every summer.They were well off and my cousin usually go what he wanted. Around 1960 when I showed up he had one of these with 2 motors. I can still picture a cloud of dust coming at me then he appearing. His Dad took us up to the High School for us to ride in the parking lot then left us. The highway in front was 70mph speed limit. In Texas the shoulder is wide so after a while we would come out of on entrance go on the shoulder and come back in the far entrance.Well he passed his Dad going faster than 70. The next year when I came it had one engine the next year gone altogether. A lot of fun…
Nice my parents both raced carts late 50 -60s my mother hit a snow bank when she was pregnant with me. Could be the issue. But Dad had a fox cart with same motors mc -10 11 horse each no centrifugal clutch,gear was bolted to crank , started on blocks pushed it off , reach around and choke other carb to fire 2nd motor . I drove it when I got older it did about 80 mph . They used to remove front wheels and install skates on front spiked back tires and ice race.
In 1972 my family built and opened a go kart track in San Fernando, CA. Was huge on 5 acres paved track. These were big all over So Cal. I was 12. We had 35 5hp go karts that you would pay $1.00 for 10 laps. Karts were made by Bug mfg in Irwindale, CA. In 73 a guy came to our track and asked my dad if he wanted to buy a kart that he had that was “too fast” for him. It was a twin engine McCull. Had chrome expansion chamber pipes that rose vertically about 2′ up. Engines were started with a electric motor and 12 volt car battery mounted on a trash can dolly. With a fan belt . The belt would go around a pully on engine and pully on motor, you would tip the dolly back tension the belt, push button to electric motor and fire the engine. Then repeat to second engine. Was incredibly loud. Ran on a mixture of something my dad would buy at a speed shop. I raced this on our track but it was way too fast, needed more room. We ran it on the San Fernando Airport runway a few times, since our track was next door. Then to Ontario Motor Speedway where they were racing 150mph enduro karts. I was running 120mph. We had to re-ring these engines after appox 30 mins of running because the rings would just desinagrate.
We sold the track in 1976. Go Karting was fading away . I was 16 and onto cars and girls.
The last couple of years it has seemed these twin engine karts have really taken off. Some of the Rupp ones have hit this kind of money and more. I don’t think its a crazy asking price at all.
had a Dart cart.new a guy that raced carts. his son; sold us? wornout McCulloch engs. we had em’ running on starting fluid! never powered the cart. surprised the basement didn’t blow up from the fumes? young and dumb.
I also had a stuck throttle experience and tried to spin the cart out to avoid a substantial dirt pile at the end of a gravel road. I ended up flipping the cart and sliding down the road. Fast forward to college, and I had a sore on my arm that wouldn’t heal. The cancer biopsy came back as the final piece of that gravel road!
What does two engines add to the elapsed time? Do they gear them the same or one for fast starts and one for high speed? (It would take a good clutch being used to make it work.) How are corners with two engines? Can you cut one for a quick turn?
Never thought about this before. Anyone with experience?
Hey Joe
I don’t remember them having anything other than a live/solid axle with all engines having the same size sprockets. They hopped a bit in tight turns at low speed and didn’t make them easier to push. My racecar with the old Halibrand V8 quickchange with spool is much harder to push and turn.
That’s funny to hear Westbend , my mother’s cart had a Westbend power bee it was 6 hp it did a round 50 the sprocket was huge on the posi axle and the gas tanks on their carts were 1/2 round polished stainless very cool and they had kill switches on steering dadmade a cool trailer you could stack the carts over each other like a bunk bed. He gave them to my stupid nephew who had know idea what he had and he traded them for a dirt bike. They would have looked so cool at cruise nite being towed behind my ’35 Ford hot rod truck. :( no it would jump a little in the tight corners like a hotrod with a spool rear end . And the ran the same like a boat with 2 motors . Screaming Mimi!
I had a yellow jacket go cart frame with twin homelite engines on it !! Always was a great race with these carts!!
Wow memory lane I was 9 in 1961 in Chattanooga TN and karting was booming! I had dead axel kart with a Clinton engine! Dad got the fever bought a used kart no engine he went to Sears and bought 2 Power Products engines on time pay I am sure! It was fast but the Macs were faster! So Dad tried adding Nitro to the 100 octane Amico white gas only a couple of drops per gallon well that ended the Power Products duo was fast for a couple of laps and granaded! Time for the twin Macs on credit too!! Mom and Dad both worked at local cotton mill and we lived in a trailer in a park! I don’t know how they did it! I had no clue that we were poor! But alcohol was the new fuel and dual carbs on each motor this kart was a rocket I still have the trophies to prove it!!
This was great to remember thanks!!!🏁
I raced this exact set-up (with the advanced swivel frame) in my early teens. It would top out around 95 – 105 mph and had a very quick response, not many 12 – 14 year old’s would push this cart hard enough to be competitive
1955 started learning car control in a gravel driveway on a homemade kart with a Lauson 4 stroke.
Come winter followed the homemade (trans and narrowed rear end from Grandma’s Studebaker) garden tractor
with tow rope not towing me the few blocks to the mill pond for ice driving.
1956-57 raced the same kart at the county shed (now an ambulance place) with other karts from around the
county on Sundays.
1958 Father worked part time at Feldman Eng.and they had started building gokarts. My father built mine
and I started racing at the Karting Kettle in Elkhart Lake. I had a single Power Producrs 2 stroke.
Others had West Bend, McCulloch and other engines and some had double and even a triple engine class.
My helmet was a fiberglass bowl with ear flaps and a snap strap. I wore goggles. Sometimes Firestone slicks
made my face black around the goggles. My number was on the side of the helmet with black tape.
I was in the first race at the karting kettle and my grandson was in the last. It’s condos and assisted living now.
Road America started their kart track when the KK ended.
I have the Comet kart that he raced in storage at a friend’s place that has a small track.
If you like these stories you can go to any large hospital with large rehabilitation centers and talk to people that weren’t as Lucky as you. You can also go to the vegetable ward and find many more (cannot talk to them)A number of years ago one of the guys in our group said he got us all test rides in race karts at a local track. We could get a great deal if we bought them and then we could all race together. That test drive was a real wake up call, I then talked to several pro racers and they told me they never drove one and NEVER would! I made the decision to opt out!
Joe – I think you are a little over dramatic with some of your comments. My family owns and operates a local kart track (strictly racing karts – not a rental track) 1/4 mile, paved road course, that has been in continuous operation for almost 70 years. Attendance on most summer weekends runs from 50, to sometimes close to 100 racing karts, with drivers ranging in age from 4 years old to mid 70s. In all those years, we have never had an accident that put someone in a rehabilitation center – worst being several broken legs, or maybe an arm or two. Hell, you can do worse falling off of a bicycle! You might want to consider tempering your comments just a little! By the way, I don’t know what “Pro Racers” you had a conversation with, but the majority of current pros started their careers in karts!
Ken,
you’re correct. I don’t recall the last time there was an F1 driver that didn’t start in karts. I know many in other motorsports that also started in karts.
I don’t recall injuries when I raced karts or my grandson. I haven’t heard anything about Andrew Hobbs currently racing. He raced against my grandson. Many a Tuesday night and Satudays for practice, David Hobbs was there.
I can’t see me racing karts in the future. I did talk to my friend earlier today about some time at his storage farm and putting some miles on our karts.
I think I’d drive a rally car on stages if it was handed to me.
I require a 10 point roll cage to drive my ass off on road courses.
I had the pleasure of having lunch with Jimmie Yamane and Faye “Ladybug” Pierson a few years ago. At the first “nationals” in 1959, Jimmie won his class with Ladybug a close second on points. Ladybug did set the lap record in that class, but a broken chain in one of the heats cost her too many points. Jimmie went on to drive for McCulloch. Of course, Ladybug with her husband, Tom were the creators of the Bug line of karts. Jimmie is a real gentleman, and Ladybug is appropriately named. Both were serious competitors, but still were out there to have fun.
This might be of interest:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/improve-driving-fundamentals-with-karting/
In about ’60 my dad bought a very sad ’35 caddy rag top. What does that have to do with this posting? The caddy was a custom order by McColloch himself. The title then transferred to his wife, then son. It was retrieved from a barn. The kid evidently had no respect for cars. After around 8 years of a complete restoration, it came in first place with a perfect 100 point score. in the Senior Division of The Classic Car Club of America. Cover car on their publication. My dad never entered it after that judging. His theory was the only direction from the top was down. He sold it to a collector from CA when I came back from the Army in’72 after immense pressure from my mom. Too many toys, I guess.