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Old 09-24-2016, 03:59 PM   #1
slowfozzy
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Default 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Hello!


A couple months ago I picked up this '87 Marathon locally for $300 delivered. It's my first golf cart. After getting it home to my wife, we quickly named her Penny, and imagined her long life [presumptuously] as a carnival worker, traveling the country from small town to small town until she was too tired to continue on. She seemed wise beyond her years, yet at the end of that chapter of life.

About three weeks ago I wrapped up a motor build for my Subaru and have since had time to get to work building Penny into something we can use to cruise from our house to the nearby schools, restaurants, park, library, etc.

This is Penny's build journal!

IMG_3002_zpsb15dikau.jpg~original.jpg

IMG_2991 1_zpsbg3exoqo.jpg~original.jpg
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Old 10-07-2016, 02:08 PM   #2
RODNEY HUTCHINS
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Got any new pics of penny yet ? Doing a 1992 marathon myself.
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:11 PM   #3
slowfozzy
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Thumbs up Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Post #2.

The cart had been sitting for some time outdoors and hadn't been running. The brakes were completely locked and had to be hit with a hammer/rocked free to push onto the trailer. When I got it home, I charged it overnight out of curiosity and the next morning the cart didn't even attempt to move. I didn't meter the batteries but they're mismatched and old. I put the cart on blocks and depressed the gas with the charger plugged in, wheels spun. That seemed like good news.

These photos are from the teardown/inspection process:


Serial plate. Confirmed the cart is a 1987. I don't think I'll ever upgrade the motor, but I would be interested to know the specifics on the axle for my records. I understand that there was some sort of strike at Dana around that time and some of those Marathons have different axles from the factory (correct me if I'm wrong).


Mismatched, old batteries. One was totally bulged out when I pulled them. I'll be replacing them all.


After pulling the batteries. There are areas of the frame with some pitting/buildup, probably from leaky batteries. The battery trays were replaced at some point with aluminum though


Closer view of battery bay.


Opening up and first cleaning of the rear of the cart.


Here I've removed the driver's side rear body panel. Notice I had already done some work wire wheeling and painting the frame with Rust Reformer. I'll be doing the same for underneath the cart as well as some bedliner.

This is a very labor-intensive project. In the end, I'd like to have something that is easy on the eyes, reliable and fun for my family. I plan to finish the rust mitigation, straighten the sheetmetal pieces as best I can, make any necessary repairs, paint the body and then begin with some cool modifications... in no particular order.
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:19 PM   #4
jakesnake27
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Great progress! Wow, you win the 'mismatched pack of the year' award. It is certainly work, but at the end of the day the feeling that you did it is hard to beat.
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:23 PM   #5
slowfozzy
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Post #3.

This is a (somewhat) budget build. It's my first cart, so I don't feel I need to go crazy. I'd like to have it lifted, but don't feel I really need the added clearance/stability of something like a Jakes product. I bought this 5" lift on eBay for under $100 shipped and couldn't resist the urge to put it on. While I was at it, I also wire wheeled and painted.


Here is one of the lifting blocks after I pulled it out of the box.


Disconnecting shocks and leaf springs.


After a little rust battle, painting, and the install! I do plan to replace those bushings and probably the leaf springs as well for some heavy duty ones. I did have to invert the steering linkage as there was interference when turning the wheel to the right.


Here's the front all lifted up. I'm planning on 22" tires and possibly some spacers as well. Notice the dents in that cowl. I really want to straighten it out, but not sure how I'll be able to get it done. Perhaps I can bend it straight and weld a piece of flat stock on the back to brace it. The corners I will probably try to hammer out.


Okay, so I couldn't finish the rear install yet. All four U-bolts snapped while trying to remove the nuts, despite a thorough multi-treatment with PB. THEN I couldn't get the nuts off the top of the shocks. I need to rig something up to hold the top of the shock body in place while I force the nut off with a breaker bar. I'm applying PB every so often in the meantime to help.
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:36 PM   #6
slowfozzy
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Post #4.

I'm a shade tree mechanic/DIYer to the core and new projects are always the best excuse to learn a skill/buy tools. I've always wanted to learn to weld, have been doing some reading and finally decided to dive in. I bought this very basic flux-core wire welder from HF and an auto-dimming helmet. Great value and has been fun to play with and begin learning.


If you are interested in this welder, make sure you pick up a good helmet separately. The included 'face shield' isn't auto-dimming and it has a handle, that you would apparently use to hold it in front of your face while you weld one-handed. What could go wrong...


After laying down many, many sh*tty welds over the weekend (and running out of scrap metal objects to weld on), I finally got to this point. This is my best weld yet, and the only way to get better is to keep practicing. Flux-core wire welds are never going to look super pretty, like a roll of dimes or whatever that you get from other methods, but I can live with that.
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Old 10-12-2016, 10:44 PM   #7
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Post #5.

More Penny progress. I was feeling very inspired to build a new top. My plan was to weld some 3/4" EMT and rig some canvas to it, sort of like a fishing boat center console canopy. However, I'm doing everything I can to stretch the budget, which for today means making every effort to salvage the existing top. I really want a long top, like 80", that will cover the planned back seat, but that will happen later. This project involved the use of a $15 soldering iron to "weld" the plastic cracks together. Later, I'll sand and paint the top with Krylon Fusion. I welded probably 30 cracks on the top, but here's an example of the most involved portion. There was one hole in the top which required some donor plastic to fill.


Notice the cracks all around the hole as well.


Here I've begun to 'weld' the cracks, and have test-fit the 'plug.' The plug is a piece of plastic from a gas jug that I use to wash tools and parts in. I cut and shaped on this piece of plastic for an hour to get it to fit like this.


Here I've welded the plug into place, and can begin to do the same on the opposite side.


Under-side of the plug, with the cracks already welded.


Hole repaired! All I need to do now is sand the repaired areas and paint the top.
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Old 10-12-2016, 11:22 PM   #8
slowfozzy
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Quote:
Originally Posted by jakesnake27 View Post
Great progress! Wow, you win the 'mismatched pack of the year' award. It is certainly work, but at the end of the day the feeling that you did it is hard to beat.
Thanks for the reply! I was surprised to find no matching batteries, but not surprised that they all seemed to need replaced.

I know the feeling well! Perhaps I'll be chasing it forever. Cheers.
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Old 10-13-2016, 10:14 AM   #9
jakesnake27
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Excellent progress. I picked up that same welder about a year ago. I too had never welded in my life. I've had a lot of fun with mine. Mine didn't come with a cat though...
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Old 10-13-2016, 10:26 AM   #10
scottyb
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Default Re: 1987 EZGO Marathon (Electric) - "Penny"

Looking good. We make a conversion to solid state speed control for this cart.
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