3 Wheel Golf Cart Build, The "Tri -X- Side", Here Goes Nothing!

[coolpool]

This build will most likely be done over a few months; my son and I hope to have it ready for trikefest at the latest:naughty:

I got this 1965 Marketeer 425 from a co-worker for free last month and decided it needed to be re-born as a "Tri-X-Side":twisted:. I purchased a 1986 Honda TRX250 for $700 that's solid and runs/shifts well. Rear diff is great and all brakes/lights work. I was going to cut off the original rear diff from the cart and attach the quad frame to the cart swing arm keeping the stock cart suspension. The original swingarm is a beast and would have handled the load. Matt, (thankfully) talked me out of that idea and we removed the stock diff/swingarm. With the help of a saws-all, Matt trimmed the quad frame which fit it in easier than I imagined keeping it as one integral package. There's a lot of steel bracing on this old cart to work with! This will be a roller by the end of the week I hope. I'll be installing 2 1/2" wheel spacers on the rear and using a trike front wheel and axle. Not sure which one yet, but leaning toward a 200X configuration. I might even try to rig up front brakes:p There'll be lots of fabrication in store as I work out shifters, brakes, throttle, gas tank and electrical. A couple of black tractor seats should keep us comfortable and the whole thing will be sprayed in olive drab with black rims. I'll keep updating as we move along.

[MRSOUND]

Do you think you will have any trouble keeping the motor cool enough with it enclosed in the body like that?

[coolpool]

Do you think you will have any trouble keeping the motor cool enough with it enclosed in the body like that?

We put some thought into that scenario. There will be grating in the front and a cooling fan installed. Matt's thinking of some side scoops too. Hopefully that will handle it.

[kaymo]

that rear axle looks beefy. got any more pics of that? and what kind of motor did it have?

[coolpool]

that rear axle looks beefy. got any more pics of that? and what kind of motor did it have?

The original rear axle must have been from a car or something. There's a double roller chain attaching the spool to the original 36V DC motor. Any pics in mind that you'd like to see? The wheel stud spacing is 3 3/4" which is oddball even for golf cart standards. The brake linings are attached to the rims and the metal shoes are on the axle, weird.

[hoosierlogger]

This is gonna be cool.

[6speedthumper]

I ha similar aspirations when I was a kid!

[blue27]

Your hauling the beer at TF!!! This should be a cool build

[kaymo]

I have wanted to do this (i have two lifted golf carts but crappy electric) but i have feared the side to side stress on the swingarm mounts would be too great. your golf cart looks fairly narrow and light though, so you might be ok. i was going to use a big red too but decided to fix it instead wouldnt mind sacrificing a TRX. single a arm sucks a bit...


looks good cant wait to see more!

[coolpool]

I have wanted to do this (i have two lifted golf carts but crappy electric) but i have feared the side to side stress on the swingarm mounts would be too great. your golf cart looks fairly narrow and light though, so you might be ok. i was going to use a big red too but decided to fix it instead wouldnt mind sacrificing a TRX. single a arm sucks a bit...


looks good cant wait to see more!

Kaymo I did research some custom carts and seen the same scenario with aluminum frames, wish bone swingers etc. I am very lucky to have an all steel body which as you stated is light enough for one guy to lift and lower onto the quad chassis. I think the cart is 44" across at the rear.

[danbur55]

really interested in this one!! this idea is how i wound up getting into atv/atc about 3 yrs ago was wanting to do something like this for in-laws to get around at lake, now 8 quads and 3 trikes later i still havent done it looking good

[Motorgidd]

Very cool Pete! I have been pondering something similar but you have taken it to the next level compared to what I was thinking. I see old electric golf carts for sale cheap here all the time on Craigslist. Can’t wait for the end result!

[Samjp22]

It's basically a roller now! coolpool will most likely upload the pics sometime today

[coolpool]

And Sam is correct! Now that I finally have gas hooked up to the MIG, ran a 20A circuit, combined with Sam's welding skills it's coming along nicely. No more sloppy welds. Hopefully we'll have brakes and throttle done by the end of the weekend. If your wondering about the bolts, we're designing it so that we can lift the body off at any time to service the drivetrain. So far it's been easy while retaining it's strength. And the kick start will still be available! Once it's fully mocked up we'll tear it down to make it pretty.

[coolpool]

Finally got the rear brakes, throttle and shifter hooked up. Fairly easy to do IMO. We can even use the original park brake pedal. Sam had a great idea to use the top motor mount for a shifter fulcrum; I said giver. Final result, finger push forward to grab gears, pull back for reverse, easy! Bravo! Took it for a rip up the street past trick or treaters last night; got lots of weird looks lol. That's the bull work done; now to hook up the choke, reverse interlock cable and wiring/lights. I must say we were able to use a ton of parts off the old quad which helped out immensely. Speed will not be a friend but it does ride fairly comfy.

[6speedthumper]

Fabrication is a blast! Welding is so relaxing :D Can't wait to see a picture of what she looks like completed.

[coolpool]

Here's a few more pics. It's had quite a few runs up and down the back lane way so we're pretty confident nothing will fall off for now. Everyone who stops by needs to go for a rip! I'm thinking the hard steering is caused by a lack of rake on the steering neck. Might be a future transplant project? We got a surprise when I removed the trailer hitch and 5 unfired .22 shells came out with the dirt. Still working on putting a 125m rim/hub/brake combo on the front.

[Samjp22]

quite a bit of progress on this recently, coolpool did up all the wiring and i built the bed structure yesterday and today, ill get some pictures of the current dash in a bit 205548

[Samjp22]

205571 just needs some cup holders cut in it and cosmetics

[coolpool]

I'll add a few pics of how I mounted the electrical components. I'm still amazed how everything seems to fit in place. The dashboard will be painted black and will sit on diamond plate aluminum. The headlight duct taped into place is only temporary. Plans are for a large chrome bullet shaped light to take it's place. A big shout out to Mattdragontamer for wiring up the starter button and to Sam for continuing on the fab work.

[coolpool]

It's been awhile but I put quite a few hours into fab work over Christmas; enough to post a few more pics anyways. 10L replica gas can is my fuel tank with a shutoff under the bed, just need to install the mounting strap. The dash came out decent, but I'm still hunting for slip in drink holders that are around 3". The open holes are fugly. I think the replica grenade shifter is neat and the two metal levers are for choke and reverse inter-lock. They kind of remind me of the t-case levers in the old 5-tons I used to drive. The floor is 1/2" treated plywood covered by diamond plate rubber matting; same as the rear bed. I still need to install the diamond plate sill plates and re-cover the console and seats. My last major hurdle will be the front wheel. Sam talked me into using a 250R front hub and axle. He has a spare so why not try it? The chrome front light is on order and I still need to order a cooling fan.

[90guy]

Defiantly pretty sweet! Looks way better then the one we built while I was in highschool. Was working at the golf course and scored an three wheel ezgo. Slammed a 440 snowmobile motor into it. Talk about sketchy!

[tripledog]

I really like the diamond plate matting! Where did you ever find that?

[fabiodriven]

Totally diggin this thing CoolPool. You guys ever put a fan in it? My air cooled Buell has a fan that comes on automatically, it's thermostatically controlled. That would be trick if you guys did something similar.

[Samjp22]

I think thats our plan fabio, some sort of fan that can have a thermostat on an engine fin and it'll run off the 12v aux power supply

[coolpool]

I really like the diamond plate matting! Where did you ever find that?

The matting came from a discount parts store called Princess Auto. I think it's like your Harborfreight store.

[onformula1]

For the cup holders we used to use white PVC tubing with a bottom cap, many sizes available or ABS black plastic pipe with a cap.
cut to length, sand and bevel the top edges, glue the cap on, slip in from the bottom and attach with 3 screws.

[MattDragontamer]

The tri-x-side is looking pretty sweet. Looks like you got the diamond plating to curb around nicely. Next time i'm up I may have to sneak it out the shop for a test drive... :)

[coolpool]

Totally diggin this thing CoolPool. You guys ever put a fan in it? My air cooled Buell has a fan that comes on automatically, it's thermostatically controlled. That would be trick if you guys did something similar.

Having a thermostatically controlled fan would be awesome. Can you see where your sensor is located fabio? I'm curious as to what it looks like. The only ones I've been able to find are designed for liquid cooled applications where you stick the probe in the rad fins. I think they activate around 180F. Air cooled motor temps are way above that I'm guessing. I thought about mounting it in the air space between the head and the carb; reaching a bit here:wondering There was a fan kit offered for the 86 TRX back in the day but it's not available. Any suggestions? I'd really hate to have to either a) run it all the time, or b) guess when I need it.

[jakep53]

I would look into using a thermostat and fan setup off a trx 300...I think you could make it work?

[coolpool]

I would look into using a thermostat and fan setup off a trx 300...I think you could make it work?

I contemplated that jake but the fan isn't available anymore; that's not a show stopper as any 12V fan would work. And when I looked for all the components on servicehonda, I don't see a thermostat. Do you know where it is on the parts list? That's really the only OEM part I'd like to find.

[fabiodriven]

I've always wondered where the sensor is on my bike as well so I'll have to take a peek. It's pretty tight in there so I can't make any promises, but I'd really like to know.

[fabiodriven]

I just read up on it, far too much digging to see it on my bike. There's some good info here- http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=912517

I attempted to download the pic but for whatever reason it wouldn't work. I then tried to copy the guy's link from Photobucket, but that wouldn't work either. You'll see the pics when you scroll down CoolPool. For the record I do not own a Ulysses, I own a 2009 XB12S Lightning.

[coolpool]

I just read up on it, far too much digging to see it on my bike. There's some good info here- http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=912517

I attempted to download the pic but for whatever reason it wouldn't work. I then tried to copy the guy's link from Photobucket, but that wouldn't work either. You'll see the pics when you scroll down CoolPool. For the record I do not own a Ulysses, I own a 2009 XB12S Lightning.

Good info fabio, thanks! That does look like a pain to get at. It appears that the cooling fan kits available on 85-87 TRX 250's had a handlebar mounted rider controlled fan. The fans were thermosatically controlled from 88 on for the 300's. Sam and I are going to scour our 1998 300's tonight and see if we can find where they they get their temp signal from. Next problem will be finding the same sensor and seeing if we can make it work. This may turn into a simple switch with a rad fan.

[onformula1]

Here you go, it can attach to a head bolt..Easy.
Its adjustable too. You can even use a 2 stage fan set-up from a Ford Taurus (Old hot rod tip they work on almost any project, very universal) $20.00 bucks at a junkyard. Small size too.

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS-Performance-Products/555/52126/10002/-1?parentProductId=1557724

Click on instructions on this page.

[andersonee4]

Would you be willing sell and ship that rear end? To Iowa?

[coolpool]

Would you be willing sell and ship that rear end? To Iowa?

I am but it is going to cost large! It will have to go by pallet due to the weight. You can have it for cheap, cheap, cheap too. PM me if you want me to start getting a quote. If you're patient, I have all intentions of hitting Trikefest and could bring it with me. Maybe we could get fellow members to get it closer to you after that? Probably weighs in around 80-100lbs.

[danbur55]

you might check boat supply places for cupholder i believe they have them in 3" diameter

[coolpool]

I had her out for over two hours on the lake today. Everything worked as it should for the most part. The front wheel bearings started to squeal at the end of the run. I should of expected as such after 50 years. I installed the tail lights and started fixing up the console. Got quite a few "wtf" stares as I rolled by the fishermen. What.........never seen a golf cart cruise past on the ice at 30mph? Time to start upgrading the front end to a 250R one.

[jakep53]

That is awesome nice work!

[Dave8338]

More likely to carry seal clubs in that than golf clubs. :twisted:

[El Camexican]

Does it have a beer heater on it?

[redsox]

its awesome, man. followed the build and thats nice work!! really cool and unique. as far as the cup holders, did you ever consider going to a junkyard and poke around? where you're rig is so custom, something might be easily converted and look nice. Get yourself a wood trim, fold down unit like the Yukon Denali rear seat setup. or whatever else. there are thousands of options. just a thought. if you do go the PVC pipe route, get a larger 5 inch pipe and glue in the standard foam koozie. it will provide a more secure fit for the beverage and keep it cool in the summer and un-froze on the ice. Drill a slightly larger hole in the bottom for drainage and reduced vacuum.

[onformula1]

How about a simple roll bar? just in case...

Add a couple of LED lights to it.

[Samjp22]

Haha don't get him started with LEDs, father hates LEDs :lol: :lol:

[jakep53]

I contemplated that jake but the fan isn't available anymore; that's not a show stopper as any 12V fan would work. And when I looked for all the components on servicehonda, I don't see a thermostat. Do you know where it is on the parts list? That's really the only OEM part I'd like to find.

Sorry I missed this post! now im not certain but im pretty sure that it is controlled by the oil light sensor near your neutral wire? and then that runs into the cdi (later model 300s or alarm box earlier models) I have never changed one because they go out like every 5 years so I just hook it up to a switch much simpler! all 300's come standard from the dealer with a fan in Australia.

[onformula1]

Haha don't get him started with LEDs, father hates LEDs :lol: :lol:

Me too, but they have pretty good lumins for the power they require and they seem to hold up to a beating & vibrations.

[coolpool]

Lots of fabbing going on. Installed the army shovel mount on the rear grab bar. Ended up lifting the rear 1 1/2" with a homemade lift kit courtesy of Sam and installing a 22" tire up front using a ATC 250R front wheel and hub. The old 1986 TRX 250 shocks came in handy also. Picking the seats bottoms up on Friday then it will be a function test on the lake this weekend. I'm going to put a metal fender over the front wheel that rides with the swingarm; like a tractor front fender. After that, tear down for body & paint. One problem, Sam is intent on fabbing up a side stack to boost the cool factor, kids!

[fabiodriven]

That's turning out nice man! Got a closeup of the front end? That looks kinda trick man, I wanna see what's what with that. The stack would certainly be in order I'd say, yes.

[Samjp22]

I'll post up some picks in a bit of the front end, have to go get some longer bolts to finish bolting up the shocks

[Samjp22]

Okay more detailed pictures for all of you...
210154210155 To fit the bigger front tire we had to extend our front "swinger" about 5 inches and had the old original axle milled down to fit the 250r hub.

The next order of business was addressing the front suspension, we had hoped to be able to use the front original coils but with the extra leverage and taller tire we were bottoming out with those. Luckily the old trx front shocks were still in good working order and we just decided to build out own shock mounts. The upper shock mounts we cut off the trx front end and welded them on 210156 the lower shock mounts were going to have to be fabbed up.

210157 As you can see in this picture we welded the upper shock mounts to where the original shocks were bolted. The lower mounts were cut off and the new shock mounts were going to be welded right where the old original axle was.

210158210159 Lower shock mounts were made out of two pieces of angle iron as we didn't have any access to rectangular tubing with a big enough inside width to fit the shock, they're not the prettiest but definitely functional.

210160 Using the original spacers on the 250r hub we had gaps on either sides of them, we took a piece of cylindrical metal with a hole in it, drilled it out to fit the axle and welded it onto the swinger. This will actually give the axle more surface area to ride on now instead of just the flat bar making it a lot stronger.

Here's some pictures of how it sits now and just to give you an idea of how high this thing is really off the ground! 210161210162

Something else you guys may be wondering is what we did for the choke and reverse button. Well we want to keep this thing looking army so we came up with the idea of using levers on our centre console for them and they work perfectly, just pull forward on them for choke and reverse! 210166

And finally the shovel mount and tail lights. The tail lights we cut off the trx rear rack and welded them on. The shovel mount we wanted to be actually functional and secure so no one goes stealing this 1953 korean war army shovel. It was made from a piece of pipe cut in half with a hinge on one side and two tabs on the other side, one for a bolt and wing nut and the other for a small lock. We laid a piece of excess rubber in there to "grip" the shovel better and to keep it from rattling around. 210163210164210165

The last thing to do while were tearing it apart is to fix the steering. Back in 1965 this thing definitely wasn't built to perfection and our steering is off by about an inch. The only way we can fix this is by either cutting our front end off and repositioning it on the steering bar, which would be an absolute pain in the ass so we've decided instead of doing that we're just going to cut the steering bar in half, rotate it to where it needs to be and weld it back on. 210153

[Samjp22]

Im not too sure why the pictures are just showing up as "Attachment xxxxxx"

Fixed it

[thcowboy]

Top Tier Builds candidate here!!:lol:

[coolpool]

How about a simple roll bar? just in case...

Add a couple of LED lights to it.

We discussed the roll bar, but without actually being secured inside the machine with belts and webbing it might be one more thing to squish me if I turn over! Thanks for the jegs thermostat link BTW. Still working that one through. Sam put a similar set up on his R to track temps made by Jose or something like that.

No LED's for me thanks ;-)

[Samjp22]

Koso* lol.

[coolpool]

Ok on to plan 'B' for the front end. I think we've all been there. The set up pictured above was an absolute bear to steer. Seems I needed to get the axle directly under the steering stem to prevent the wheel from wanting to spin around and trail. Kind of like the front wheel of a shopping cart always wanting to correct itself. I shortened up the swing arm quite a bit and moved the pivot points back. Had it out today and it's effortless to keep straight. I still need to cut off the rear of the front swing arm, bend a 3/4" piece of round stock 1" off centre and re-weld it in place. Currently at full right turn my brake pedal hits the swing arm. I got the seats done finally with a total bill of $280.00 for everything, not bad for our neck of the woods.

[coolpool]

Here's an issue someone may be able to help with. The throttle response is great when in Neutral, revs up and down as it should and there's no air leaks. When in gear and driving, the throttle does not want to rev down between shifts. It's like the clutch is permanently mated to the tranny and won't release the engine to allow a smooth shift. A bit hard to explain. Pretty much have to power shift through the gears. I'm going to perform a clutch adjustment and see if that helps.

[coolpool]

The clutch adjustment seemed to have worked. Shifts nice now. Should've done that prior to asking for help...noooob move!

[fabiodriven]

You're starting in the right place with the clutch adjustment.

[coolpool]

I built the first draft of the golf bag holders. I'm thinking a piece of 1/2" x 3/16" steel bar on edge running up both spines will give it better rigidity. I need to wrap the steel bands in foam and rivet some straps on to keep the bags in place. These are the knobbies I plan to "bald" and the original front wheel I'm going to fit to the axle so I can attempt to use this on the links. I gotta try! As you can see, we've been playing in the mud a bit, it works well for what it is.

[dman10]

Can't believe you cut a nice trax250...

[coolpool]

Can't believe you cut a nice trax250...


It will be more comfortable for me and the wife camping to put our boat in and out, not to mention it will turn more heads than that quad ever would. It still lives in spirit and I used the ATV VIN to register and insure it.

[dman10]

I understand why you did, and it's cool. It's just the quad I have a soft spot for. Shoulda used a fugly 90s quad. Lol

[coolpool]

Were down to prepping for body and paint now. Pretty easy to tear down with 12 bolts holding it together and the electrical disconnecting in one large umbilical. I'm going to sand blast the undercarriage and work on the upper parts this weekend. The atv muffler has some holes in it that will be patched up and a fresh coat of paint on the atv frame should help. Im a little concerned about painting the aluminum rim up front, any special prep for that? I'll dismount all three tires to get a good covering. It might be tough to see but the tiller bar is off center slightly to the right. I'll cut it off and center it soon.

[jfaulkner02]

This thing is looking pretty cool. Cant wait to see it complete. I wish I had your talent.

[coolpool]

This thing is looking pretty cool. Cant wait to see it complete. I wish I had your talent.

Thanks j but I can't take all the credit. Without the help of mattdragontamer and samjp22 this thing would never of come to life. I estimate over 200 hours of labour on this now.

[jfaulkner02]

Yeah, I should have mentioned them as well. You may have mentioned this, but what color scheme are you going with?

[coolpool]

Since we opted for a one step paint process in a solid color, choices were not huge. I chose Coniston Green which is what 90's era Land Rover are painted. Should work for the military theme.

[coolpool]

Frick do I hate body work :-( The painting of the body is finally done! Thanks to a good friend who's done this a few times, his skills and knowledge paid off huge! Friday nights progress ended up with some runs and tiger stripes. Could've been rushing or too many brews, hard to tell. Sunday seen lots of wet sanding and a few more coats. It's got a few imperfections but so do I, we'll make a good team;-) My friend did say this was the hardest thing he's ever painted with all the rounded surfaces and piping. Next step is to pretty up the drivetrain and put her together.

[coolpool]

Had a massive brain wave and got to thinking what a set of shark teeth and eyes on the front like a WWII Flying Tiger would look like. Might have to mock it up.

[MattDragontamer]

Looks like it's coming along nicely. :) Time's-a-tick'n!

[coolpool]

I wasn't going to post until it's all back together but I'm looking for your opinion. I like the gold rim but am wondering about the hub. Black, green or bare aluminum with clear coat? Or scrap all that and go all black like the rears? Thoughts?

[200xman]

Go with a black front rim and do the teeth! Here is a picture of my old boat for motivation.

[coolpool]

Well it's been a ride for sure. I don't want to count the hours on it but I do like the finished product. I have the golf course tires just about done which I'll post pics when I'm at our company golf tournament on June 11th. Here's a huge THANKYOU to Matt (Mattdragontamer) and Sam (Samjp22) for their ideas and contributions.

[Samjp22]

Time for the next build!

[redsox]

super cool man. it came out great. i admire a man who doesn't let sanity or reason get in the way of an awesome build! its a one of a kind work of art!

[danbur55]

great job guys looks awesome

[coolpool]

Time for the next build!

Not any time soon, lol.

[Howdy]

Nice cart!! I have had a 3 wheeler tire on my one cart for at least 10 years ( it was at TF in 2006 ).
A few years before that I put a 250sx motor into a 3 wheeled ez go golf cart about 10-12 years ago. I put the motor in the back where the clubs would go. I custom built a drive train that connected to the front of the original electric motor. I machined the shaft drive to take a sprocket. This allowed me to gear up or gear down the motor for speed or power. I never clocked the cart at top speed ( it was pretty fast ), I do know 1st gear and reverse was slow and tons of pulling power!! I put my 350x spider trac tires and rims on the back ( still have the hub adapters I made ). I could pull a truck rear end side ways in gravel and not spin a tire. It was built for a reason and they outlawed such machines the next year, and closed down 2 years later. I sold the motor and parted the cart. While I still have some things I sure miss that machine.
Howdy

[coolpool]

Nice cart!! I have had a 3 wheeler tire on my one cart for at least 10 years ( it was at TF in 2006 ).
A few years before that I put a 250sx motor into a 3 wheeled ez go golf cart about 10-12 years ago. I put the motor in the back where the clubs would go. I custom built a drive train that connected to the front of the original electric motor. I machined the shaft drive to take a sprocket. This allowed me to gear up or gear down the motor for speed or power. I never clocked the cart at top speed ( it was pretty fast ), I do know 1st gear and reverse was slow and tons of pulling power!! I put my 350x spider trac tires and rims on the back ( still have the hub adapters I made ). I could pull a truck rear end side ways in gravel and not spin a tire. It was built for a reason and they outlawed such machines the next year, and closed down 2 years later. I sold the motor and parted the cart. While I still have some things I sure miss that machine.
Howdy

That would be a cool rig Howdy. No pics? The electrics are geared somewhere around 13:1. No wonder you could pull a house down. I must say this works really good for now. hope I didn't jinx myself. I could have sold it 10x when it was on display for one day at a Honda dealer.

[MRSOUND]

I'm putting in my request for a taxi ride at TF if it's making the trip. Looking good!!

[coolpool]

I'm putting in my request for a taxi ride at TF if it's making the trip. Looking good!!

Rides will be offered for a good beer. Does good beer exist in the US, lol.

[tripledog]

I would like it more if it were mine. You do nice work, cp! I think it would look awesome with a white star on it (like on an old Army Jeep), but it looks great as is.

[coolpool]

A quick pic of the cart doing what we built it for, camp chores. Still working good!

[onformula1]

Great job, so cool I am jealous!