Dart Kart by SEARS ?????

[REAR]

Got a copy of a page out of 1963 SEARS Catalog and it looks like they were in on the kart craze that was sweeping the country and had Rupp make them a kart. See photos below.

Interesting kart they were selling. It appears the photo is a artist rendition like we discussed before and thats very evident by the 2 left pedals. The thing about the SEARS kart is its a narrow hoop with a metal number panal. The 63 A-Bone was a wide hoop plus it was $70.00 more at $299.00 for a single as reported in the May 63 Karting World magazine.

Kind of cool that you could go down to your local Sears outlet and pick up a few clothing items and then walk to a different department and get yourself a complete racing kart package as it looks like they sold motors also.

R.E.A.R.

[Dominic Salvato]

You left out the best part "CHARGE IT!"

[REAR]

Hmmm..... 'charging it' would be a good way to hide your kart purchase from the wife as say "something we needed for the house" but $229.oo was nothing to sneeze at in 1963 so it would probably be best that you got the charge statement before she did. LOL!

Don't believe that credit cards were as popular as they are today either. Whole different mentality back in the sixties.

R.E.A.R.

[ted johnson]

Yeah. People could trust one another, and there was an actual HUMAN BEING in the Oval Office... Almost every kart I ordered for people back then without a deposit was picked up and paid for by the buyer. We only got screwed on one dual Bug, and Pop just made it his own chassis, and I put the engines on the Mac rack and sold them. Different "feel" back then. A lot better world. Young people today say to me: "Better world?" What about "the Bomb?" We didn't really worry about the bomb. We just did our jobs and had fun karting. No AIDS, no Alzheimers, no Hillary, no computers to keep kids indoors, no worries walking down to the local drug store, Mom didn't have to sit in the car while her kid waited for the bus to school.... And you could buy a Dart (or a Sears Kart) on credit at Sears! TJ

[Gene Luzader]

Ted
Well said. Back in the 60s and early 70s it was like the movie AMERICAN GRAFFITI.
We had are HIPO engines and diners with CAR HOPS. Things will never be the same.
We are lucky to still have are karts and I am lucky to still have my 65 HIPO Temptest
plus my 70 Chevy pickup.
Gene Luzader

[Scott Kneisel]

I am confused,
Rupp didn't make a narrow hoop nor did they have a front bumper in 1963.
Maybe this was a special kart for Sears???

[REAR]

Scott,

The ad appears to a artist rendition so that might explain the hoop appearing narrow.

Though its hard to read the SEARS ad says 4 inch front wheels also.

October 1963 Karting World had a ad for the introduction of the Model X-15 Brand X. Photo shows a front bumper and the same pedals as in the SEARS ad. Who knows...

R.E.A.R.

[ted johnson]

OOOH, Gene-CAR HOPS! We raced at our local Rockledge, FL track on Saturday night, then went to Ft Pierce, 55 miles South on Sunday. Coming home, we ALWAYS stopped at the A & W South of Vero Beach. THEY had car hops, I can tell you. Fond memories of short white shorts... Oh, yeah, the burgers were good as well.
As far as the Dart Sears was selling being different, that's not surprising. Dart was trying out a number of changes/enhancements about that time, why not sell them at a huge outlet like Sears was in those days? Remember the Fox they made for Homelite, and ended up selling through Monkey Ward's when Homelite quit karting? It was WAAAY different from the standard Fox kart. Ted

[Gary Wlodarsky]

Scott...

agree with Bob,,,

63 Brand X had a narrow hoop and welded number panel,,,same fox pedals????
same steering as Brand X...

gw

[Rob Voska]

Petals are Fox style. Look at the hole size they show correctly.