You may be surprised to learn that there’s a strong market for vintage go-carts and other pint-sized versions of the real thing. I know I was, when I saw some of the sale prices on auction sites for kid-friendly replicas of popular sports cars. While a replica Peterbilt isn’t in the same category as a vintage Porsche 911 go-cart, you’re still not going to pay for it with the spare change in your cup holders. This intriguing truck project is listed here on Facebook Marketplace with a trailer for $3,750.
These gas-powered carts really aren’t meant for kids of a certain size, since many adults can actually fit inside to operate them. This one is more of a mystery, however, as to who will operate it, since there’s usually a hole in the roof in case an adult needs extra room to see where he’s going. This Peterbilt is large enough to allow most individuals who aren’t at NBA player height to slide in and live out their big rig fantasies without the need to get a CDL. There’s even a CB radio and diamond stitch-style door panels.
I’m curious if the shifter actually shifts or if it’s just a prop. When it was new, the finish quality must have been quite decent, as it looks like a lot of work went into producing this truck clone. While it looks somewhat messy now, I’m guessing a weekend spent just giving it a proper detailing would make it present much better. The seller reports that it is powered by a “snow mobile engine”, which could mean so many things. It’s not uncommon to find truck carts like these with a 5 horsepower Tecumseh engine.
Now, here’s the big mystery: did this at one time have a proper tractor trailer setup attached to it? It must have, with the remnants of the trailer frame still attached. You could create something truly eye-popping in terms of detail if you were able to fabricate the box and then paint it to match, or strip down the cab as well and go with a corporate “theme” like Food Lion, 7-11, or even a racing team-style tribute. If you’ve got the time and the desire to own a tractor trailer in miniature when all the work is done, I’m guessing the seller would love to have this out of his storage building. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Jack M for the find.
Never drove a Pete… here’s a chance. 😲
Tis’ no Peterbilt,,, :D
A Piggly Wiggly motif would be nice!
Remember going into those grocers in the states Primo lol. Spent some time around beautiful Sarasota area..Are they Florida only ? Or did I catch one in SC also… was a long time ago. 🌴
I’m from Ontario 🇨🇦 Stan. The only Piggly Wiggly that I have been to was in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I bought a t-shirt and a pink rubber pig, when I was there!
I’m surprised they didn’t go with a Condo Cab!! ( just kidding) Its a neat idea. And I’m with Jeff, a lot of work went into this build.
That interior is mighty rough!!
I think the inside would clean up in a weekend. More importantly, how does it power the double cassette deck Magnavox boom box under the seat? And, does it include some Conway Twitty tapes?
Red Sovine and Dave Dudley tapes.
Make the trailer into a car hauler and load it with pedal cars or go-kart specialty cars. What a hoot!
Well,,,after a lengthy unannounced power disruption, who wants soggy waffles? 44 hours,,,nobody thought what would Howard think? Thanks, um, friends, ahem, what a,,,1st I was going to say POS, but it really required a lot of work to make this. Kudos to the mechanic that worked nights and weekends. Cost them the marriage, but the boss was happy,,,. They may have started butchering, that’s right BUTCHERED, a 359 cab, that hood is homemade and the inside looks like Fidos home for a spell. I’m very familiar with these types of ,,,rigs, typically, they are made in a trucking companies shop for the boss, and driven in parades and new Jiffy Lube openings, usually pulling the HS band in parades, although that suspension looks a bit odd. That’s not a snowmobile motor either, I’d say a 70s Asian twin motorcyle 4 stroke, maybe 350, and who knows how it drives the darn thing. I know some may think I’d be impressed by this, but am not. I only hope the “boss” didn’t skimp on his drivers pay to make this, it wasn’t cheap. I’m sure a lot of the “parts” were “lying around”, nobody uses a “turbo wing” anymore, just the coolest thing in the 80s, the cab and the wing appear to be cut, and probably was pretty cool initially, did a lot of parades, but the steer tires on dollies tells me, this is pretty shot. And another thing( still crabby from power outage), I think of all the cool trucks that have been submitted, and THIS is what makes the cut? Sorry, big middle finger to the Howmeister and truck nuts.
And now you know the rest of the story,,,,good day.
Well, it is different and fills up the comment section.
This could make a fun toy snowmobile engine it can probably get up and go makes me wonder how it stops
Nice Paul Harvey reference howard lol. My dad and I used to listen to him on the radio. I would change it from a goose neck style hook up to a 5th wheel style hook up for the trailer.
Cab over Pete with a refer on and a smokey on my tail
It’s begging for a Tesla motor swap to make that wing useful again
Hey! That’s pretty cool! We opened for Dave Dudley back in
’75. And let me tell you, that man was tall and very stocky. As for
this go cart and trailer, put a 5th
wheel on it, and build the trailer to
look like one of those Schmidt Beer trailers that I used to see a lot when we played the Midwest
Tour that went to places like Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana
in the ’70s. Or, you use it for Door
Dash to deliver food or whatever
else they carry. Gee, I wonder if
Publix Supermarket would want
this thing as some kind of exhibit.
I’ll have to ask my other SIL that
drives for them.