I have just been 'given' a Rupp Grand Prix chassis (Bare) I need help with identifying the exact year. It came from its original owner who tells me that it is a '63 and the first 'Dart' imported to Australia. The front nerf bar was added later during a front end rebuild after meeting a tyre wall !. What I can't figure out is the engine mount method as there are /were no brackets on the rear cross member behind the seat.I have a fairly comprehensive history of the kart but what you see is all that is left.
Did Rupp have records of chassis numbers/date produced.
All help welcome
Phil Parkinson
Australia
Help with Rupp GP identification
Moderator: Rob Voska
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Phil Parkinson
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:19 pm
- Vintage Karting items owned: 1967 ANS Mac 91b
1983 Ardillkart
1963 Rupp Grand Prix - User Agreement: Yes
- Location: Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Help with Rupp GP identification
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Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
Rick Brown has one of these. I don't know the chassis number. It has no front bumper and a aluminum pan. If I remember right it has the long and shor tie rods.
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Steve Vannatta
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:42 pm
- Vintage Karting items owned: Go kart 1200, Bug Wasp, Dart Grand Prix, Hornet Marauder II, Big Bear Scrambler, Taco 22
Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
It should have tabs on the crossmember behind the seat- swing mounts or Uni-Mounts ride on bearings on the axle, and attach to these tabs- see pictures- I believe my Kart is same model as yours- hope the pictures get uploaded!
Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
Near as I can remmber, swing mount tabs were raised and in front of the crossmember, like Steves. For Unimounts the tabs were centered on and behind the the crossmember. Sing mounts came on earlier models (Dart Karts (61), A-Bones (62) and maybe early GPs (63?) like yours) Unimounts came on later GPs (64?), Chaparrals (66-67), Model J (68) and Series K (69) Americans.
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Phil Parkinson
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2007 11:19 pm
- Vintage Karting items owned: 1967 ANS Mac 91b
1983 Ardillkart
1963 Rupp Grand Prix - User Agreement: Yes
- Location: Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
Thanks for you help guys. I received some photos today from the original owner one being 'as delivered'. so they will be a good reference.It seems from other photos that even after the nerf bar addition it retained the unequal tie rods so will return it to that configuration. Are the Robron stub axle ( spindle) repops the same? Also any source of Bendix brakes other than the Chinese copy? Virg. It appears that it had the steel engine mount as you suggested.
Cheers
Phil
Cheers
Phil
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Scott Kneisel
- Posts: 477
- Joined: Mon Mar 24, 2008 7:48 pm
- Vintage Karting items owned: '63 Rupp Grand Prix, 66 Rupp Chappy, Mc6's, Mc8, Mc10's, Mc20's
Lotsa' other Macs - User Agreement: Yes
- Location: Farmington, NY
Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
Hi,
This is unusual because it looks like a 63 but has a front bumper which I believe was added on later 2 piece models. Maybe it was special for Aussy or maybe it was added later because your serial number is very early. I had an early 63GP that I raced as a kid with a swing mount that my dad bought new, no front bumper and un-equal tie rods. Attached are a couple pics of the 63GP I own now which is almost identical to the kart I had as a kid. This one has the engine mount tab behind the cross rail for the unimount so I made an adapter for a swing mount which has the anti-rotation tabs in front of the cross brace because I like the flexibility of the swing mount for various engines. I just drove it last Monday for the first time and love the way it handles, just like I remember. Great sprint kart.
Good luck with the restoration and have a ball with it.
Scott
This is unusual because it looks like a 63 but has a front bumper which I believe was added on later 2 piece models. Maybe it was special for Aussy or maybe it was added later because your serial number is very early. I had an early 63GP that I raced as a kid with a swing mount that my dad bought new, no front bumper and un-equal tie rods. Attached are a couple pics of the 63GP I own now which is almost identical to the kart I had as a kid. This one has the engine mount tab behind the cross rail for the unimount so I made an adapter for a swing mount which has the anti-rotation tabs in front of the cross brace because I like the flexibility of the swing mount for various engines. I just drove it last Monday for the first time and love the way it handles, just like I remember. Great sprint kart.
Good luck with the restoration and have a ball with it.
Scott
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Tom Smith
- Posts: 388
- Joined: Wed Jun 20, 2007 12:23 am
- Vintage Karting items owned: 1960/61 Go Kart 800 Konig FA
1961 Max-Torque Special triple
1962 Max-Torque Special dual - User Agreement: Yes
- Location: earth
Re: Help with Rupp GP identification
63 Dart Kart ad.
Phil, Rupp spindles are slightly different for SOME years, mainly in the steering arm details and the length of the axle. The bushes are all the same. 63 GP steering arms had one 90 degree turned flange, later years the steering arm had two flanges, one turned up and one down and are shorter since they used two short tie rods in the same plane. 63 spindles had two tie rod bolt holes in the steering arm on both the LH and RH spindle, one hole gets left unused, the rear hole on the RH spindle. I think I may have some spindles for a 63 GP. I don't know offhand what year spindles Robron has or uses.
Later Dart Karts used two short tie rods and the steering arms only had one tie rod bolt hole.
Someone had a like new 63 GP with a direct drive Dyna-Drive gear box and a 100cc Mac at a kart event I attended, it looked like it was just removed from the original Rupp shipping box.
The Dart Kart in the ad is almost a GP, it doesn't have the aluminum floor pan or GP badge but other than those details they looked the same.
The tie rods, steering shaft, and spindles on most Rupp Karts actually need to be assembled in a certain fashion
in order to prevent the tie rod ends from binding at full turning or to keep the throttle from interfering with the RH tie rod.
63 Dart Kart pedals were the first to be dipped in some kind of black (urethane?) stuff.
Phil, Rupp spindles are slightly different for SOME years, mainly in the steering arm details and the length of the axle. The bushes are all the same. 63 GP steering arms had one 90 degree turned flange, later years the steering arm had two flanges, one turned up and one down and are shorter since they used two short tie rods in the same plane. 63 spindles had two tie rod bolt holes in the steering arm on both the LH and RH spindle, one hole gets left unused, the rear hole on the RH spindle. I think I may have some spindles for a 63 GP. I don't know offhand what year spindles Robron has or uses.
Later Dart Karts used two short tie rods and the steering arms only had one tie rod bolt hole.
Someone had a like new 63 GP with a direct drive Dyna-Drive gear box and a 100cc Mac at a kart event I attended, it looked like it was just removed from the original Rupp shipping box.
The Dart Kart in the ad is almost a GP, it doesn't have the aluminum floor pan or GP badge but other than those details they looked the same.
The tie rods, steering shaft, and spindles on most Rupp Karts actually need to be assembled in a certain fashion
in order to prevent the tie rod ends from binding at full turning or to keep the throttle from interfering with the RH tie rod.
63 Dart Kart pedals were the first to be dipped in some kind of black (urethane?) stuff.