I've got my head up a my past … and my little rear engine American racer  came a long way, from Hollywood, California USA  to Doorn, Utrecht in EUROPE.

In 1960, growing up in a small town in the Netherlands, as a boy of 13  I managed to built a self made kart with an old Austrian moped Puch engine .After a few rounds around the block it fell apart and my Dad took over and  looking in a 1959 edition of "THE NEW COMPLETE KARTING HANDBOOK"(Trendbook 185, 75 cent ) and with the help of  a friend who could do some welding, we made our own home built kart .

It was very solid and weighed a ton .. For an engine we used a STIHL chainsaw-engine. It was unbelievable that such a small amount of power could propel so much weight at a speed as close to 25 miles an hour .For a while it was ok, but the fun was gone fast when  in '61 "demo-kartraces" were held in the streets and a bunch of American airforce men, stationed at a nearby US-airbase (Soesterberg), wiped us "locals" of the track with their Go-Karts, Simplex, Bug's or whatever they brought,  with West Bend, Clinton,Homelite or Power Product engines .One guy even had a Mc-10. It was the first Mac Culloch kart-engine  we saw over here and I'll never forget that typical whining sound.

In 1962 most of those American jet-pilots or crewmen had discovered that there was a magnificent Dutch kart "Landia", made by Evert Bos, who is often compared with Colin Chapman, because of the beautiful designed karts he built. Some guy's, for example a many times Dutch champion Bill Scoville took their Landia's with them when they went back to the US.

Back in 62  I could not afford to buy a Landia or any other  kart until………

In the early summer of 62  in front of a local "garage" there they stood: 10  yellow LEECART's, freshly imported from the Leerak company, 11323 Vanowen Street, North Hollywood .

My heart stood still, this must be a dream. A sign said "The best American kart in Europe" and I was hopelessly lost: no matter what,  I had to have one of these little yellow beauties ! But they were quite expensive; $ 250 without engine. Some had duo engines (Mc-6) and some had only one Mc-20. Such engines did cost $100 or more at that time

To make a long story short, a week later all of them were sold to American GI's in Holland and Germany, only one ugly duckling was left because the front end was heavily damaged during transport and  the "salesman" told me it was probably some prototype because the rear axle was different from the others.  I could buy it cheap, without engine that is .

"How my ugly duckling turned into a not so good flying Swan ?"

So far, not good. With a lot of hard work the front axle and the steering of my damaged Lee was mended, but it took a considerable amount of time to find others who had the skills and tools to do so and were willing to do it for almost nothing, because I still was a 15 year old kid with not much money to spent .In the process the magnesium Go-Power wheels went missing(?) Meanwhile  I had traded my Stihl chainsaw-engine for a second hand   STIHL kart-engine: a  SK 110, 98 cc/ 8 H.P/ 7500 rpm/ made in Germany.

When all was done and  this true racing kart was on new wheels again  I didn't drive it much because it did not steer that well  Cornering was hard work and I seldom enjoyed the thrill of a four wheel drift. Much later (about 30 years or so) I discovered that in our attempt to reconstruct the front end geometry we had the king pin inclination all wrong. In order to accomplish "light steering" the guy's with the skills had mounted the front axle and thus the degree of inclination of the king pins at almost 0 degrees. Factory specifications said that it should have been 10 degrees.

"BEST HANDLING KART EVER ?

In 1964 I lost interest in karting and all the developments in this "scene" passed me by.

That's how life goes. I managed to get a college degree, got married, had kids, bought several British motorbikes and French cars (Citroen DS) and was planning to built an ultra-light airplane….

Ten years ago I picked up what they called "vintage karting". My Leecart was still hanging in the garage of my parents, exactly the way I'd left it 30 years ago. Time had come for a second restoration. Things I couldn't afford in the sixties I could compensate now. We did cut of the front axle again and  precisely correct welded it back, so the front end geometry is perfect now. This kart steers after this "make-over" like it runs on rails.

The floorpan and the metal of the seat ( original one piece) were rusted beyond repair, so I partly replaced it with aluminum .Of course I refreshened the paint.

At last I traced a good running Mc Culloch engine, a 91-B, and  in an attempt to come close to what it original should look like  "disguised" it as a Mc-8, for the simple reason that in  search for a Mac engine I found a worn down Mac-8 too, so I  could use the small 'flat back'  Mc carb  or a Tillotson, because that big bore carb of a 91 with it's damn duckbill gave me severe headaches.(my troubles are over now, so it seems?)

When I drive it I feel I'm 15 years old again, only now it goes like the wind. This kart must be at least 44 years old and indeed ; that  ugly duckling is transformed into a beautiful swan, still yellow, but it looks smart…...

And this was not a fairy-tale.

"EPILOGUE"

I already mentioned that "modern" karting didn't interest me and it still doesn't .

In the years that I discovered my old kart again it became clear to me how I loved that old stuff. Since the introduction of the sidewinder by the Italians Tecno or Birel in 1965 or so, all karts look the same to me. I must admit I'm a rear engine adapt, so be it!

In 1995 we founded HISTOKART, a circle of friends who love to restore karts that are at least 25 years old and sometimes seek opportunity to drive them. We run them at regular outdoor tracks("indoor-karting" is booming business nowadays, but no way !!)in Holland, Belgium and  in Shenington U.K coming june.  Because most track owners love that vintage stuff and on a special  event the presence of our historic karts attracts more spectators, we race for free . A serious problem however is liability insurance and some track owners make it obligatory and we have to pay quite an amount per day. Latent problems  are local or national environmental- and public nuisance rules. We do make too much noise and we pollute the air with our 2-cycle engines .What to do if emission zero is required ?Is only benchracing our future? I may hope not.

We definitely stopped demo-racing on the public road or parkinglots etc, since it's impossible to be insured .We did experience a "worst case scenario" with, lucky enough no casualties and payable damage to a third party. It's sad to conclude that it's becoming much more difficult for the "oldies" to race. High time for someone to invent a handy catalysator for 2-cycle kart/motorcycle-engines?(I think Stihl-yeah again!- already has one on their 'eco-chainsaw', it's bloody expensive)

If you're interested in Dutch Vintage Karting don't be afraid to visit our website; www.histokart.tk . 

Too bad it's in Dutch, but  you can click in the menu on HISTOKART IN ENGLISH and you can  also see FOTO'S (particularly LANDIA-pictures) .

Wim Jepsen

former president of the Dutch HISTOKART.