My new project/toy, 1980 Marathon

sapperxl

Hi I'm new to the forum this is my first cart. I've already been doing alot of reading on here and it has been very helpful. I got it off craigslist, traded a junky ATV for a junky golf cart. It's a 1980 Ez-go Marathon. I got it mainly for hunting. My hunting property is only 52 acres with similar size lots around it so the deer spook really easy. This should be quiet enough that I don't spook the deer and don't have to walk half a mile in the dark to get to the stand. I've already installed a 5" block lift and 22x11x8 tires and replaced a battery that was shot. I got the tires & wheels used from a local shop for $235, looks like they barely had any wear. I also got one of those Stanley GBCPRO automatic chargers. I read some bad stuff on them but they gotta be better then the timer charger the cart came with and I got an extended warranty through Sams. The goal with this project is to have a cart I can use for hunting, filling up feeders, etc but also that I can cruise around the neighborhood with my family so I'm going to be doing some cosmetic work as well. My plans are:

1. Upgrade to solid state and 48V, already got an Alltrax 500A programmable controller from a local golf cart shop for $200 (the customer's wife was scared to drive the cart, too much torque, his loss, my gain). I was amazed at the loss of torque going to 22" tires and the area I hunt near Del Rio, TX is rocky and hilly so I need more torque. I still have to get a PB-6 throttle, two more batteries, solenoid, FNR switch and upgrade to 2ga wires.

2. Body work and paint. I got a bed liner kit already, just need to bang out the dents, bondo and paint. I still gotta figure out the rubber strips around the body, the ones on it look like crap but I haven't seen replacements anywhere. I'm also gonna make up some camo vinyl accents with my wife's sillhoutte cutter and maybe fab up some diamond plate stuff.

3. Bed & "roll cage". I have a harbor freight pipe bender and a notcher and a welder so I'm going to fab up a "roll cage" with some 1" schedule 40 pipe and build a bed with some pipe and expanded metal. I'm also planning on putting a safari rack and top on it.

4. Recover the seats. I ordered some new seat covers already but they came in the wrong color, still waiting on the replacements.

5. Redo the brakes. I don't hear any grinding but I gotta go all the way to the floor with the brake pedal to get it to stop so something is off, maybe just adjustment? Also gotta come up with some clamps for the brake cables they just hang right now if it weren't for the lift they'd be dragging.

6. Fab a dashboard. Maybe out of diamond plate. I'd like to have something with doors, things tend to bounce out of vehicles in Del Rio if they aren't strapped down or inside something.

7. Lights/electronics. I'm gonna install some LED lights, maybe a light bar, tail lights, a state of charge gauge, an ammeter and a marine radio. Also a dc-dc converter.

8. Solar charger. My cabin in Del Rio has a 400W solar array and 12V batteries, the power company wanted $28,000 to run lines so it is completely off grid. I'm still debating if I should get a 12-48V DC-DC converter/charge controller or just get 4 12V charge controllers and wire each one up to two batteries. The 12V controllers would be more effecient but be more of a PITA.

I think that's all I have planned right now. It'll probably take me a year to get all that done. I work offshore two weeks on two weeks off so I can get alot done while I'm off and the wife and kids are away. Maybe in a year or so I'll do the 4WD, I just hate paying that much for silverwolf's hub motors. You can get hub motors and controllers for e-bikes for nothing. I guess silverwolf doesn't have the economy of scale to sell them that cheap plus they're not direct from China. I may just weld the rear diff gears.

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Unforgiven

Not a bad score there. Seems like you have a good game plan. And welcome to BGW

Ghall

If your looking for the rubber strips http://www.everythingcarts.com/p-105...y-molding.aspx

sapperxl

Cool thanks, looking at my cart the rubber has rivets every 6" or so, is that normal or is that something someone modified to keep it from falling off?

Ghall

I would say someone modified it.

sapperxl

I guess I'm gonna go ahead and reinstall the rivets when I replace the rubber, probably wouldn't look bad, I'm gonna be driving through the woods in 120 degree Del Rio heat so they'll prolly help keep it secure.

I ordered a reversing contactor today, got a 400A solenoid, 2 ga wires & 0-5K throttle already in the mail. I just gotta get a RS-232 cable and two more batteries and if everything gets there timely I should be able to upgrade all that during my two weeks off. That's if I can keep my wife from working me to death. I got a flight back to the beach tomorrow, I'm ready for some dry land, beer and tinkering.

sapperxl

Got my seat recovered today. I had to replace the foam on the bottom, when I took the cover off it had decided it didn't want to be in one piece anymore. I got some "Smart Foam" at Hobby Lobby that is supposed to be good for outdoor furniture. FYI my wife informed me that Hobby Lobby has a 40% off one item coupon on their website at all times and you can show it to them on your phone, worked for me. I sat on it for a bit at the store seemed pretty comfy and it didn't smoosh all the way down. I'm still looking at options to replace the plastic caps on the back of the seatbacks. Mine are all cracked and all the parts houses want an arm and a leg for replacements. If I'm gonna spend that much I want em in diamond plate or camo or something, $40+ for two pieces of plastic seems unreasonable to me. I may just make my own. I also finally got most of my parts to upgrade to solid state in the mail today. Only thing I'm missing is the welding cable. I think since I gotta rip out a bunch of stuff and fab some mounts I'm gonna go ahead and fix some dents and holes in the body, paint it and the battery compartment all at the same time, may have to wait till my next 2 weeks off to get that finished.

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