'87 EZ GO: Keep or dump?!

[scubajoe]

OK, I "scored" this cart for $200 about 2 years ago, hoping at the time to clean it, tune it up, freshen the paint, put it back to stock height, and drive it around. Here is what it looked like when I got it:


Here it is after some cleaning and a fresh coat of primer to make it all one color:



OK, fast forward 2 years, and I've patched up the starter after burning out a wire in it when the clutch locked up, and I've taken apart the clutch 'cause it locked up, cleaned it, and reinstalled. It's working now, for zero dollars put into it.

I checked the compression today, and it's about 90 psi, forward and reverse. Not great, but I guess not terrible either. I figured somewhere down the road, if I got everything else done, I might consider tackling an engine rebuilt.

Here's part of the dilemma. The buy had lowered this thing, and I think I know now, that he basically did it by removing all of the suspension components. Problem is, I'm not sure of what is exactly missing.

Here's the front:



Here 's the back:





Seems like it would cost a lot to replace everything that is missing. I've got two carts now, both of which need some work. This one starts and runs, first time, every time, but doesn't have much power (can't climb hills well). The Par Car has good compression, and is in better shape, but doesn't stay running.

Decisions, decisions. Any ideas on the suspension parts?

[SP-Electronics]

Looks like on front it's missing a couple of the leafs from the leaf springs, and he MAY have flipped the remaining springs (hard to tell from pictures), and of course the one shock is missing and the other is not connected. In the rear it's missing coil springs for sure (the bump stop is bottomed out in the pictures, and there is supposed to be a coil spring there). Not sure what else is missing... I don't have a stock gasser here to take pics of, but I have an electric, plus a couple melex electric carts (basically the same), and can take pics of those if you need.

I'm sure others will have more input on what else is missing though.

[SP-Electronics]

Oh, and as far as opinion on keep it or dump it goes, that all depends on what you want/need. If it runs good, and you feel up to putting parts back on it and putting it to use, then keep it. If it is more than you want to spend money on to put it back to stock, and you have no real interest in it, sell it for whatever profit you can get, and move on. You could probably piece it back together pretty cheap from used parts from the For Sale section here.

I'm sure others, especially the old timers, will tell you to dump it and buy something newer and better though. I'm more of a tinkerer myself, and I've got a "hoarder" disorder, so I tend to keep everything... HAHA

[scottyb]

Sell them both. buy something that hasn't been hacked from one of the 3 major makers Ezgo, Club Car, or Yamaha... get it as new as you can afford

[dock98]

Originally Posted by scottyb

Sell them both. buy something that hasn't been hacked from one of the 3 major makers Ezgo, Club Car, or Yamaha... get it as new as you can afford

ditto

[Gphox]

Here is my 85, look what you can do!




I also have "hoarder Disorder" if she'll run have fun!

G-man

[scubajoe]

Yeah, it really comes down to how cheap I could get it to stock, before I dump too much into fixing it up. I like the idea of selling BOTH and getting something slightly better, but that's easier said than done, but I'm always watching for a "can't pass up" deal. I also feel like I need to get the PAR CAR running reliably before I dump it. The nice part about it is that it's 1) in better shape, and 2) complete. It also has good compression, so the engine is good. If it were running well, it would probably serve it's purpose for us, but would also be worth a lot more.

[sccowboy]

I would square the par car away and sell them to upgrade to a newer 4 stroke ezgo.

[Goat53]

if it were me i'd dump the par car and use that $ to fix the ezgo , have an 83 /86/89 myself and need the same stuff on the back of the 86 that you do , someone raised mine 14 inches and just used a square tube for shocks ,no springs . there is one sitting somewhere with a bad motor that you can get dirt cheap because of the age , just keep looking , and remember that nothing is useless unless the use changes .

[scubajoe]

Thanks for the comments. I might do a little looking for used parts for the EZ GO, finish (hopefully) getting the Par running better (some parts are on order), and keep an eye out for a newer one.