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Supercar Go Kart: 1987 Oldsmobile Aerotech Quad 4

I thought my go kart days were behind me. After a short dalliance with one as a project  I chose not to pursue, I felt a sense of relief when it found a new owner; you can read about this failed attempt at go kart restoration here on Barn Finds. The tricky thing is, like any other restoration project, go karts need the full assortment of new engine components, fiberglass body work, and rust repair to the chassis, turning it into a pricey proposition without even trying. But when clean examples of a go kart like this one turn up – a replica of the supremely exotic Oldsmobile Aerotech Quad 4 supercar – it’s hard not to feel the pangs of the past, as I would love to have this awesome piece of garage art in my automobilia collection. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $1,200.

Now, that price makes it unlikely that this kid-sized supercar will find a new home anytime soon. I thought my go kart might be worth $1,000 as there had been some instances of truly nice examples of desirable models going for that kind of money. Mine being a replica of a generic Chevy G20 or Dodge B30 van didn’t have the same sort of eyeball appeal as something like this does, so I settled for a far lower sale price than expected. This example wearing a fairly rare body may command a higher price among go kart collectors, but let me tell you something: the market for collectors willing to spend big money on a go kart is fairly small, so holding out for a top dollar price requires patience to find the right buyer (more than I had, at the time).

The Oldsmobile Aerotech Quad 4 concept was perhaps one of the absolute sexiest concept cars ever made, and certainly one of the top 10 productions of the 80s. The clamshell hood and reverse clamshell engine cover, along with that incredibly slippery silhouette and flat-face wheels, were subtle clues as to just how bananas this thing was: it ran the quarter mile in a hair over eight seconds while pulling 180 miles per hour. Just, wow. While the three horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine is a far cry from what the production version came with, the seller claims the cart is still a blast to drive. I never got mine running, so I can’t attest to whether that sort of output will put a smile on your face when exercised in go kart form.

No matter what happens to this one, I can tell you there’s a very active community behind this era of go kart building that featured detailed replica bodies atop a conventional go kart frame. While not the biggest group of enthusiasts you’ll find, I came away impressed at how hard they worked to keep these old adult toys on the road, and their commitment to finding new owners for an remaining examples still worthy of revival. The bodies themselves can be extremely hard to find, and I can’t recall ever seeing an Aerotech replica prior to this one being listed for sale. The listing reveals that the price has been dropped once already, and I think somewhere in the $700-$800 range should represent a fair price for buyer and seller.

Comments

  1. Avatar Scotty Gilbertson Staff

    Bummer, I didn’t know that you got rid of your van go-kart, Jeff! I may have jumped on that one even though I never would have fit into it.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Pat L Member

      Maybe if you had a pair of them. One for each foot!
      Happy New Year 🥳

      Like 7
  2. Avatar Mark

    These were made by Bird as promos for Olds dealerships to promote the Quad four. I know less than 100 were made.

    Like 11
  3. Avatar Mark

    These were made by Bird for Olds dealers to promote the Quad-four. I know there were fewer than 100 made.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar Mitchell Gildea Member

    But will it be worthy of a land-speed record?

    Like 2
  5. Avatar James Martin

    Dang could of bought this for grandkids for Christmas

    Like 2
  6. Avatar vintagehotrods

    Here’s another one that’s not nearly as nice with some more history on them. It says that 70 were built not many of the karts sold, with some remaining in stock before eventually being sent back to Oldsmobile and destroyed. What a shame, they were probably too pricey but anything will sell if the price is right. That would be better than destroying them.

    https://www.thedrive.com/news/37580/an-ultra-rare-go-kart-version-of-oldsmobiles-267-mph-land-speed-record-car-just-resurfaced

    Like 2
  7. Avatar heather

    there is one for sale i believe running in bend oregon $1k
    his father won in 1983

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Luch Delry

    We have one for sale hear in Ontario Canada. This one is in Mint shape ALL ORIGINAL with all decals in place including the factory Bird manufactory sticker and seat cover. Extremely low hours on the original 3 hp engine. The paint is still showing on the muffler. No rust anywhere on frame or components. If anyone is interested for more info email me.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Mortensen Staff

      @Luch – Why don’t you send it in so we can feature it on the site?

      Like 0
      • Avatar Jesse Mortensen Staff

        @Luch – email us at mail@barnfinds.com

        Like 0
      • Avatar Luch Delry

        Jesse I have sent some pics of the Kart to your email you provided but it bounced back. May have timed out. Is there another email?

        Like 0

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