Racing go-karts are nothing new. Karting has been a popular motorsport for more than 50 years now. While karts are an awesome starting point for youngsters looking to someday advance into the ranks of professional racing, shifter karts that can achieve speeds well over 100mph provide awesome, serious, action for adults. Back in the early 1960s twin engine karts were big stuff and represented the heaviest duty tier of karting.
While very crude in comparison to today’s advanced machines, this McCulloch R1 racing kart was hot stuff about 50 years ago! The twn two-stroke McCulloch engines engines displace 6ci a piece. We’re not sure what their horsepower rating was but a ballpark guess would be somewhere in the 3-5hp zone. Incidentally, this is the same McCulloch that produced superchargers.
This kart has been meticulously restored into what could probably be described as better than new condition. We spend a little time at the local karting facility and have lots of fun on the butt scrapers of today. It would be hella fun to beat the tar our of an old timer like this one, although this thing is probably too nice to thrash!
Don’t be fooled, this twin-engine screamer will have you grinning from ear to ear!
Thanks for the tip LS7GTO!
Source — eBayMotors.com — 1962 McCulloch Racing Go-Kart
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When I was a kid I raced my cart against one like this except I had twin powerproducts 7.5 hp each and the kid I raced against had a single mc Coulgh engine if I recall I think the mac at the time was rated at closer to 9 hp or more depending on the carb set up,( some had two carbs per engine) I remember I could not catch him when running only one engine but when I switched to two engines I had no problem beating him around the trac , since I know my power products was pushing 7 I know his mac must have been makeing 9 he would leave me in the dust in a straight up heads to heads comparison, the McCoulgh was the engine to have back in the day, they were fast. But my power products pushed my cart over 75 mph on a long straight, not bad for the time, of course not any big deal by todays standards but still a lot of fun when the wind is hitting you in the face , eyes watering, and sitting 4 inchs off the ground seamed like twice as fast.
I was actually a McCulloch engine and Kart dealer back in the late 1950s an early 1960s. I can’t tell from the photo the model number of these Mac engines, but the look like perhaps Mc-20s.
These engines produced WAY more than 3-5 HP. More like 9-10 HP, and I modified them to produce even more (porting, modifying the carburetors to run on alcohol fuel, and installing a VanTech intake manifold.).
No other engine of the day could hang with a Mac. Prower Products were pretty decent engines, but even they could not beat a Mac. Nothing could.
I actually had a Kart just like the one above (but with black upholstery) with twin Mac-9s. I was drafted in 1965 and sold the Kart for $75.00 just before I left for basic training. There have been many time I wish I had just stored it.
Im in my middle 60’s. In about 1962 i had a brochure of the mcCulloch race carts, I’ve always wanted one. I’ve never race but always wanted to in my early years. Was wondering if it is possiable to find a McCulloch go cart. I went to a race at the Minneapoils armory way back when and at that time I thought that was what I could do, there were carts with 3 engines across the back, all McCulloch.