Oddly enough, I’ve done seven out of the 10 Rupp machines shown here on Barn Finds over the last decade or so. Maybe that isn’t surprising, given my love of anything unusual, small, and somewhat inexpensive. Oh yeah, and fun. This 1965 Rupp Grand Prix Go-Kart is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in New Carlisle, Ohio, and the seller is asking $3,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for the tip!
$3,500?! Yes, prices have gone up a bit since the 1980s and 90s, when you had one, or remember your neighbor or friend having gotten a Rupp go-kart for $400. Several restored examples have sold for $12,000 to $17,000 in the last year or so, and if you have the skill to bring this one back to how it would have looked – and maybe add an engine (it’s set up to use two), you could theoretically make $5,000+ on flipping this go-kart. That’s maybe the only way you’ll flip it as they’re known to be pretty stable, otherwise.
Most of us know Rupp Industries out of Ohio for being a maker of fantastic go-karts, minibikes, and other outdoor leisure vehicles, with two, three, or four wheels. Heck, they even made snowmobiles, so they covered just about every vehicle type a kid, or kid at heart, could have wanted in the 1960s through the late 1970s. The company went out of business in 1978, and I have never owned anything made by Rupp, but I know a lot of you have. I hope you’ll tell us about it in the comments.
Rupp offered several “Dart Kart” go-karts in 1965, including two Grand Prix models. There was another version known as the Grand Prix Enduro with a bigger seat and beefier sides on it. It’s hard to tell the condition of this Grand Prix kart, but it looks pretty nice, or at least mostly complete and original. I’m not sure if the steering wheel is original, but it looks great.
Set up for two engines if a person wanted that feature, this one is fitted with just one 5-hp Briggs & Stratton single, which the seller says runs well. I could see this being a really fun winter restoration project, and I’d have to try to track down another similar 5-hp B&S to bring it to its full potential. Would you restore this one or just use it as is?
This is a really neat find. And I have a sinking suspicion that there’s going to be a good number of responses on this one. I can only imagine what this would be like with 2 motors hanging on the back. If it were me, I’d run it around and enjoy it but maybe one day try to restore it to original.
Cool find T.J. thank you for writing this up Scotty too, I enjoyed it. I remember the Rupp name from when I was a kid, but like you, didn’t have one. I looked at the other write ups on Rupps, thanks for posting that link Scotty and I really liked that Vega. I remember Vega bodied go carts when I was a kid and would have loved to have had one. Thanks Scotty!!!
Thanks, Dave! A couple of years ago, I would have really thought $3,500 was so unrealistic, but seeing a few restored ones that have sold for several times that (with two engines, though), and this isn’t exactly the hardest restoration on the planet, maybe it isn’t that bad? Having grown up out in the boonies with a gravel road, a go-kart like this wouldn’t have worked for us.
This, as outdated as it may seem, was every kids dream, their own go-kart. We’ve discussed before, go-karting was HUGE in the 60s. Why, Milwaukee had several tracks alone, and any amusement park had to have one. The karts were usually pretty tame, top speed of maybe 15 mph, it was important to while waiting, see which kart went the fastest, and sprint to that one. For us, it was the 1st taste of actually driving something with 4 wheels and not up and down a driveway. The rides were always too short, and lucky was the kid that had their own. Believe it or not, many driving skills used later with real cars, were learned right here.
Modern safety advocates shudder in horror at the lack of such, but we never thought of it that way. Not even a helmet, ( wuss), and we took many a lump, fun seemed to somehow overshadow the dangers, but we were a lot tougher then,,,These just didn’t go fast enough to cause any real harm, until the hooligans strapped another mill, usually grandpas “widow maker” chainsaw motor on the back, is when things got interesting. Reports of front ends becoming light on straightaways were common.
Biggest question, where to ride it? Unless you have access to a vacant parking lot, or a long drive, I suppose. I don’t know if private tracks even exist anymore. Liability insurance must be incredible.
Cool find, and some may remember, “Rupp, Rupp, Chevoom”, a mid engine ’66 hemi powered Chevelle, raced by Maynard Rupp, no relation to Mickey, apparently. Mickey Rupp died in 2023 at 87, and was considered the father of off road vehicles. RIP Mickey, we loved your creations.
My parents bought me a go-kart in the early ’60’s with a Clinton 4 HP engine. We lived in a rural area and I would drive it on the road that accessed the neighborhood and make loops on the lawn around the house. Trying to be a “nice guy,” I let other kids drive it and there were a few minor accidents (one not so minor which broke the front axle) and there were also complaints from the other kids’ parents and threats to call the police. My parents ended up selling it when I was away visiting relatives and it took me a long time to forgive them.
Love that STP logo up front 👑
When we were kids (60’s to early 70’s) the STP sticker was the coolest things you put on your bike, minibikes, lunchboxes, anything you owned!
In HS it was considered a ritual to have your notebooks covered with stickers. You could write the company and they would send you a couple, or car shows, and auto parts stores usually had them. I bet the company that made STP stickers, put their kids through college.
STP is the racers edge.