1958 Bug

[Russ Smith]

With the state of the current market, you're going to have to decide to either reduce your asking price or wait until things improve.

[Bob Lapke]

The first karts I ever saw were 1958 Bugs and GoKart 400s in September 1958. My Dad's model airplane buddies, Paul Swensen and Dick Swindel, were the Bug dealer for the Chicago area. I am looking at a photo my Dad took from that first day of a Bug which likely has the bellcrank type brake which Ted describes. It is, however, actuated with a pull lever on the left side like an old Kurtis midget. I am also looking at 1958 and 1959 brochures. The 1958 brochure describes the "foot operated internal band brake" and shows the brake pedal. The 1959 brochure shows "dual internal band brakes on all models" and that is the arrangement that is on my own 1959 Bug standard which also has Hands wheels instead of steel wheels. Side rails were not yet standard in 1959, but they were the hot tip in September 1958 as people learned how much work it was to stay in the seat. GoKart went thru similar updates with brakes, starting with a single bellcrank, first lever actuated, then pedal actuated, ending up with dual bellcrank brakes as an option by the end of 1958. GoKarts dual option used articulated rather than fixed pads for better alignment with the sprockets.

[ted johnson]

Hey, Bob! I guess the prototypes that Tom Pierson built had the lever operated brake like Art Ingles had on the "First Kart". The first two production 1958 Bugs we got had the "scrub-on-sprocket" brake operated by a wedge pulled by a rod from a brake pedal. Those were mine, and "the kid across the field's". His was unpainted, but had the cheaper upholstery. Mine was painted black and had the better seat cushions. By the time pop got his dual A400 Bug in late '58, Tom had switched to the dual internal expanding band brakes like Dwain has on his kart. They didn't stop much better than the "scrub-on-sprocket" brake did. Bug never had working brakes until they went with the Palmini juice brake on the Wasp. Our two single A400's had 4" stamped steel wheels with General Jumbo Jr. knobby tires. Pop's dual had 6" stamped steel rears with 12" General Jumbo Jr. knobbies, and the 4" steel fronts.
Wish I could see you at TBO. Are you going to Brodhead? I'm trying to make it there. TJ