Ok, so i have been karting in the rentals a few times to say, i love it, its in my blood you could say, my dad used to race karts the same time as nigel mansell, he often at the same race meetings as mansell. His kart is still in my uncles shed, though i doubt it could be raced in ANY event these days due to how old it is!

anyway, down to the point. I want to get into karting properly, but funds are limited due to my dad being basically disabled and not being able to get as much money through work as he used to. Is there a series in the midlands that is for budget karts?

and secondly how would i go about this? and chassis, engine etc do you recommend?

I would say you have to make the best use of the kart you already have. I am sure your dad will know how to help you get it upto speed and upto standard. You might be able to add some modern parts to it aswell to get it closer to modern specs. Other Karters will know more im sure.

However, the reason I say this is - you are asking about a cheap kart as you are on a budget....BUT you already have a Kart! Sure it might be old, but if it works and is close enough it will at least give you a start. If it is dead as a dodo then fair enough you can chuck it.

tbh if the kart is very old the class will probably not exist anymore. If you want to take part in MSA run meetings you will need a kart that matches a class, best thing you can do is head to your local club or where you plan to race most. See what the most popular class is that suits your needs. No point buying a kart if your going to be the only one in the class.

Depending what class you go into I still reckon your going to be £2000+ for a second hand chassis, engine and some other small gear just to get you running.

Keiran

Quote :

I want to get into karting properly, but funds are limited due

I would recommend finding a rental based series, some of them are hugely competetive. Buying a kart is hugely expensive and you get far less racing for the money. There is definately a difference in quality in the mid/low order, but the high finishing drivers tend to be just as good as owner driver series, and it is an aweful lot cheaper.

Dont be fooled by the price tag on the kart, it's a whole lot more expensive than the setup cost. Hugely so.

Quote from Becky Rose :

I would recommend finding a rental based series, some of them are hugely competetive. Buying a kart is hugely expensive and you get far less racing for the money. There is definately a difference in quality in the mid/low order, but the high finishing drivers tend to be just as good as owner driver series, and it is an aweful lot cheaper.

Dont be fooled by the price tag on the kart, it's a whole lot more expensive than the setup cost. Hugely so.

Yea but you'll never get the same thrill as putting your foot down in something like a Rotax Max and racing wheel to wheel at them speeds. Or a gearbox, me dreams of the day I can get a shot of one of them things Pro-karts are alright for a laugh imo, even with rotax max tyres on the thing it still just doesn't feel great. Just doesn't have the same kick as a 2 stroke.

@evosports
It really depends on what your looking for. As Becky says running costs are high and you have to cover costs of damage not just to the kart but the engine. Engines need rebuilt etc so it really does depend whether you have the money and time to do the work.

I can guarantee you though, if you can afford to get running yourself in a half decent class you'll just be blown away by the speed and acceleration of the thing compared to what your probably used to.

Keiran

thanks for the advice guys I did read about a series that allows karts from 2003 and earlier, ill try see if i can find more about it some time.

The engine on the kart at my uncles needs a bit of TLC and running in again, and also, the brakes need attending to. Ill call round my uncles sometime, and see exactly what needs doing.

Try find out the make of the engine and that will help you see if the class is still on the go.

If it has been sitting for a long time with no work then it will probably need a lot of work. Even over winter we used to fire up the karts every week for a minute or two.

Keiran

well ill try and check it out asap, but over the weekend im away, so i cant