This May will be five years since Dad passed. And four years since I raced the Red Devil, which this blog was dedicated to document. What started as a project to learn how to rebuild the Mac engine, and to spend time together, turned into a full-fledged restoration. I raced it at a Grattan event, and Mid-Ohio for three events... and had a BLAST!!! Arguably, I was always the slowest guy of the event, but that was fine with me since I was just learning.
Now it is time to put the Red Devil, and the Mac engines, on the wall. Rick Chapman had been suggesting that every summer, especially last year. Then I saw some video of me being passed by two other Piston Port karts... I was a moving chicane!! In one race I was able to draft behind a modern kart for a few laps which the most competition I had ever seen.
The Red Devil has been a wonderful project. Fridays in the barn with Dad will always be precious.
NOW IT'S TIME TO JOIN THE BIG GUYS!!!
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This post initiates a new project: The restoration of the 1979 Hartman enduro which I received free from Colm Higgins via Rick Chapman in 2013.
It has several important pieces missing, but thankfully the hard-to-find parts were included. I am especially blessed to have the complete front brake/hub/wheel assemblies and tanks.
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| On the way home in Dad's truck - July 2013 |
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| ID# on steering hump: SD79 SD=Steve Derkson who welded all the enduro frames 79=the year-1979 |
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| Along with the frame and tanks came a couple motor mounts, a vintage Digitron and a box of loose bolts |
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| and the Rear brake disk with bolts and springs |
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| Ready for disassembly |
I am getting great help from Rick, but have also received Hartman help from Greg O'Dell, who has been racing for decades and owns a couple Hartmans. We are working on getting an engine, clutch and pipe from him. Here's one he ran at Mid-Ohio:
I have also reached out to the karting legend Steve O'Hara for help. Here is his Hartman:
That's what I am shooting for! The Hartman karts all left the factory with polished, bare metal frames. Mine has been powder coated. I will be stripping the paint and trying to polish it up, though I doubt it will anywhere close to the original. SteveO has recommended chemically removing the paint with Aircraft Stripper (insert humor here) sealing the metal with SharkHide.
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| Aircraft stripper on tank for just a few minutes. It is heavy duty stuff! |
Just as I found out with the Red Devil, this kart is also just bent metal tubing with pieces of metal and plastic added to it. BUT the design and technology comparison is huge. The Hartman demonstrates the summit of 1979 kart design.
- The frame tubes are larger
- The axle bearings are industrial with locking collars and steel pins assuring the axle will not slip
- The fuel tanks are linked together with fuel line to allow fuel levels to remain the same over a stint
- All joints use Hyme joints
- Front brakes which feature tiny springs to control the brake disk floats
- Brake linkages designed scientifically for front/rear bias
- Two piece wheels without tubes and only THREE bolts
- Pressed in splined kingpins
- Floorpan is thick steel, heavy enough to stand on
- Floorpan bolts every four-to-six inches
- Everything is bigger, thicker, and more rugged
- Everything is safety wired!!
It's NOT IndyCar, but I will take it.
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| Right rear axle bearing without axle or collar. Double fuel/air tubes can be seen |
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| The rear bearings were designed for industrial housings with lube zerks. This is a detail of the small hole for adding lube. |
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| What next? 😀😀😀 |
