Readers' Karts

Geoff & Barbara Neiley's GoKart 800




Geoff and Barbara Neiley of North Reading MA have owned this GoKart 800 since late 1960. They purchased it from the original owner who had radec it one season then moved on to another kart. The Neileys raced it one season on a marked-off race course at Bedford (MA) Air Base until those races were terminated for insurance reasons. The kart has since sat unused in their barn. Except for a little dust, minor rust and a few battle scars, it remains an excellent unrestored example of an important "GoKart".

The Neileys graciously allowed me to visit and photograph this kart.

It is unclear how the kart got to be black in color. This was probably a repaint or special order by the original owner, as all my historical references list "Candy Apple Racing Red" as the sole factory-supplied color. Inspecting the kart at the nicks, however, did not reveal any red beneath the black. The black theme is carried over into the painted-over  shroud of the MC10.Wheels are Go Power cast aluminum, a very hot new item in 1960. The king pins were recreated (by the original owner) using a higher grade steel.

Front view of Neiley kart and a 1960 race photo from a GoKart ad.

Some additional views of the kart:

    Front 3/4 view
    Mechanicals
    Top View
    Side View

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