There has certainly been a lull in activity on this beastie for a a time. Chalk it up to cold/snow/weather, another project, and indecision. More on that in a bit.
Yesterday I got The Word on how to get this thing titled and plated to be used on the streets here in town. There are three items that must be completed:
1. Must have a signed Bill of Sale w/ the VIN/serial number, purchase price, & signature of the seller. GOT IT.
2. Inspection verification. This one is easy; a person certified to do so merely signs off on a little form that the VIN/serial number on the frame is the same as what's shown on the Bill of Sale. No Problem
3. Inspection by the local PD to confirm that it's in compliance w/ applicable state and local laws for this type of vehicle; windshield, headlight, tail light, brake light, turn signals, brakes, horn, seat belts, Not yet and a long way off.
Here's the problem. My Title Office contact confirms that ALL of the above three steps have to be completed before it can be titled and plated. So far I've only rebuilt the carb and done lots of research because I didn't want to invest any money or time into it w/o knowing I'd be able to actually plate it and use it on the streets. We could really put the thing to good use for three months here in town; Mrs Ridesolo enjoys her yard work and gardening and has an almost constant flow of things for the city compost collection area and we'd enjoy loading us and the dog onboard for evening cruising.
If I were doing a motorcycle or some other standard motor vehicle I would only have to go through the first two steps above to be able to get title for the thing and then proceed to the build knowing that I wasn't wasting time and money. The first two steps are no problem but there's a long way to go to get it to the third step and then there's no guarantee, after a full-on project, that the thing will meet the local PD's requirements. I guess I need to have a conversation w/ somebody at the PD to find out if things are cut and dried "fill the squares" or if there is any subjectivity involved.
As noted above there have been some factors; Weather: Ha! Nothing unique there, seems like the whole country has had a tough winter! Let's face it, what a great way to cap off a truly sucking 2020. It's been bad here for sure, worse than some places and far better than some other places. What a terrible year to stay in Ohio rather than escaping to Dixie, though. Next, a major project: I'm just finishing up a gut job kitchen renovation on my sister in law's kitchen. Tile floors, design, procurement, electrical, cabinets, etc. Somebody else is going to do the countertops then I'll do the tile backsplash and be finished. Ok, time to get back to projects in my shop! And finally the aforementioned indecision. Do I really want to do this thing? Almost everything needs blasted. It isn't really rusty just weathered and needing attention. The engine will need split for new crank bearings. Body work prep and paint. Design the required electrical from scratch and implement. Achieve 99.9% reliability from a 53 year old two-smoker because Mrs will want to climb onboard and go and know she won''t be stranded somewhere.
So... what to do???? Suck it up and proceed with the previous plan? Find a running example and swap out the unique metal non-golf cart body parts? [This may or may not be difficult as I'm not sure the wheelbase is the same. If they are all the same it would involve swapping out the rear 'glass golf body for the metal utility body. If this one has a longer wheelbase because of the utility body I'd still have to swap the functional running gear into the chassis I have, perhaps a better situation because it's at least be starting w/ an already functional drive train.] Or would it be best to just drop the whole idea and unload the thing to somebody who wants a project?
