There are things that pop up on eBay for sale that can be considered bad ideas. There are things that pop up on eBay that can be considered horrible ideas. Then there are things that pop up on eBay that seem like such horribly bad ideas that we beg you to indulge yourself in them and this is one of those things. For sale here are 37(!) Lola 506 go karts that came from a place called Action Park in New Jersey. Action Park is a legendary place because it is largely considered to be the most off the wall, dangerous, and full throttle amusement/water park in the history of such venues. These karts were likely one of the more tame attractions at the joint and even they are pretty wild. Manufactured by Lola (yes, THAT Lola) in the 1970s and again for a stint in the 1980s they were originally powered by Wankel rotary engines and although speed limited, could easily be “turned up” to really haul the mail. They are built like little formula cars with coil overs on the corners, independent suspension, slick tires, and chassis of welded square tubing. They had a retail price of about $6,000 a piece when new and they weighed 650lbs a piece.
The person selling these things must have bought the entire stock from Action Park when it closed down and now they are trying to off-load them. We dug up some stuff from a couple of years ago when the stuff was already for sale and at that point the seller had like 20 of them that were complete runners. He is now down to seven running karts and thirty chassis that are in different levels of completion along with bodies and all of the other stuff. We mentioned above that the karts were originally powered by Wankel rotary engines. That is important to note because when the rotary engines died, many of the karts had two stroke snowmobile engines installed. Even with that swap we bet these things are stupid fast. Those snowmobile engines likely produce at least 30hp maybe more than that. When combined with the rest of the equation you have something that could be really, and we mean, REALLY fun to drive.
So what would you do with all this stuff? You’d instantly become the largest volume owner of Lola 506 go karts in the world for one thing. That’s a claim that could be worth the $20,000 asking price. Are we right? Probably not. Other than someone with a ton of money and the want to create some sort of hilarious personal go karting terror dome we’re not sure how else you would make heads or tails out of all this stuff. The seller’s original intentions were likely to take them and make them into some sort of attraction but obviously that never happened.
We have included a video documentary about Action Park below the photos of the karts and you need to watch it. This place was beyond description and frankly anything we write would be immediately disbelieved. The proof is in the stories of those who were there, video of the rides that you won’t believe and the tales of workers sucking beers and living it up while sending kids into incalculably dangerous situations. This place was the anthesis of the bubble wrap world we live in today and these hauling ass go karts? They were a small piece of that legend.
CHECK THE PHOTOS AND THEN SEE THE ACTION PARK VIDEO AND THE EBAY AD
eBay Link: BUY THIS OLD LOLA 506 GO KARTS – ACTION PARK HISTORY
I used to live an hour from Action Park and never knew about the Lola race cars! That sucks!
Action Park was in the news for all the wrong reasons, mostly because people crashing down the mountain in the luge.
I remember seeing those in the commercial on tv. That place was a little nuts. Its reopened now I believe but with a new name.
It’s called Mountain Creek now.
They actually renamed it from Mountain Creek back to Action Park. (Either last year or the year before.)
Originally rotary powered, eh? Time to up the bet and put in a 13B with a Weber carb.
I live in North Jersey and I remember Action Park…Crazy! They recently (under new management, I think) opened the worlds longest ‘Slip and Slide’ over there…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8L00b2GbEs
WANT! I’m predicting in less than a year we’ll be seeing these things on youtube doing crazy things.
Those things were a frigging blast to drive! They weren’t shifter-kart quick, but they had a car feel and you could get your ass in a sling if you weren’t paying attention. We would go every year and we’d try to get the same car and run times for bragging rights. Damn, talk about a flashback! Now, if only I could find the time, money and space!
The eBay link is hosed. Eveything “Lola” but the karts. Did someone scarf ’em up already?
Yeah, I don’t see it anywhere, not even in completed or sold listings. Something is hinky.
They look like the same karts from Malibu Grand Prix in Orlando FL.
I would refit them all with identical drivetrains and lease them to individuals by they year for a yearly race series at road tracks. Bet you could come out, if you had a few bucks to invest and a willing sanctioning body!
Holt shit, how did I miss this place growing up! I want to buy those karts! The ebay link does not get me to the auction.
There was a Grand Prix park near my home with these Lola cars … Wankel and all … and unfortunately the seats were narrow (on those) for my posterior. But when I squeezed in a drove, they were a BLAST!
Executed the prefectest 4-wheel drift ..in one drift .. around the last 3 turns last time I was there. Never went back as I was NEVER gonna do it THAT good again.
LOVED action park and couldn’t wait to get my drivers license to drive these carts. Believe it or not, you had to have one to drive them. I did get mine and I Loved driving these cars along with the speed boats. Wish the place was still opened with most of the same rides.
I totally forgot about the Spead Boats!!! Thank you for the trip down memory lane. Action Park rocked!!!!
In the pics without the body’s they are still rotary powered , rotary snow mobile engines likely from arctic cat.they would not be big enough for automotive rotary engines.
I’m never going to have to sell mine. I used to work the Lola track when I was a kid for two summers ,87′ and 88′ looking back it was probably the funniest job I ever had! I ended up with one of the cars when action park shut down the Lola track.
There’s an alpine slide in Park City, Utah. So fun. I actually did lose control one time and got friction burns. It’s so dang fun.