Bug kart ID

[Terry Schmitz]

anyone know what model this is? thanks terry

3n63ma3l15Pb5Sa5R7996a914f8e25418181c[1].jpg

(8.11 KiB) Downloaded 754 times

3k43me3o65O45Rc5Se996821f7e18753b14f7[1].jpg

(10.46 KiB) Downloaded 753 times

[Dan Flanders]

Hey Terry-
It looks very much like an early Wasp or Stinger...Probably '60 -'61

[ted johnson]

Wow, Terry! Not sure. It's a Bug product all right, and probably a '61 or '62, as it has the mechanical disc brake mount and a swing mount. Stingers had dual rail frames, Cool Carts had double loop rear frame hoops and narrow steering hoop, Cad Cart had the wide steering hoop. Looks like a Wasp, but '61 Wasps didn't have the squared off seat hoop. Maybe a later '62 Wasp? The later Cools had the square seat hoop, but still had the dual frame rear bumper loop. We were Bug dealers, and I drove Wasps and Stingers, but I'm not sure! Nice find! TJ

[Dan Flanders]

Hey TJ!
Congrats on the back to back Biggies! You do nice work, and I am sorry I missed seeing you and Charlie debut the Swoopsters after 2+ years of headaches and hard work.

I agree with everything you said and was also vexed by the squared seat back. Terry, we've got both the '61 and '62 Bug catalogs posted over at the Archives if you are interested.

I've got a '63 Bug Wasp with the same seat back shape, this kart could very well be a transitional design, a one off or who knows what, but it is definitely a Bug.

[ted johnson]

Thanks, Dan! Charlie and I sure missed you this year. That's one of the best things about TBO - meeting new friends and greeting old friends! Terry's Bug sure stumps me! I remember a few later Cool Carts with the square seat, but no Wasps of that vintage. Oh, well, that was Bug all over. You never knew what was coming next! Ted

[John Miller]

Hmmm... Looks like that Kart has all the cool upgrades that you guys appreciate the most. A healthy fire breathing 4-stroke out back & those off-road tires are awesome!

Y'all be careful that beast doesn't throw you now, ya hear.

PS. Maybe those balloon tires are a blessing in disguise & were able to absorb enough shock to help preserve the integrity of the original structure. Hopefully it wasn't previously driven (Flown) by a Dukes of Hazzard fan.

[Dan Flanders]

Hey TJ-
Next year for sure....I am currently working on an interesting '63 or '64 Hornet variant that 'should' be ready in time.
Attached is a pic of the '63 Wasp I picked up a couple years back. As you can see, it has a very similar squared seat back with the first iteration of the wide seat seen in the later Bug sprint. The upholstery was still fastened with screws rather than snaps, a hold over from the earlier karts.

Dan

[Tom Smith]

Bug Lightning.

[ted johnson]

Nice Wasp, Danno! By the way, is the picture reversed? You'd better be darn coordinated to drive that one. We'd stopped being dealers before the wide seat came out.
Hell, Tom, I completely forgot about the Lightning! Oh, well, I'll be 65 in 9 days... I'm lucky to remember what I had for breakfast this morning.. TJ