The first thing that you need when building any sort of go kart, is a solid frame. You have a few options…
OPTION 1- Building a Frame from Scratch
If you have access to a welder, metal cutting saw, and various other tools, and some metalworking experience, then this option is probably best. Since I have never constructed my own frame, I cant offer specific plans at the moment, but most frames are pretty simple and can be built from plans around the web. This plan seen in Popular Mechanics is free and seems easy enough to build. Just remember; for an electric kart you wont need the motor or the clutch, and wait on the chain for now…
OPTION 2- Buying a New or Used Frame
This is the option that I used when building my cart, and I would suggest it to the beginner. First off, search craigslist and other classified sites for go karts. I was lucky enough to find a used, rusty go kart (that surprisingly already had an electric motor!) for $50. Now I might consider that lucky, but you never know what you’ll find on craigslist!
Your donor go kart may have a gas motor on it, which if you’ve come to this site, you probably just want to rip it off, but hold up on that because there are a few things you need to figure out first. Another option- if you have a bit of money set aside for your kart, then you can purchase a frame complete with wheels like the one shown below at http://gokartsusa.com/azusa3557gokart.aspx
If you don’t mind spending a bit of cash, this is an excellent start for a go kart!
This is the go kart I scored on craigslist. It definitely needs some work and the batteries and motor are dead.
Here is the cart I bought. Ill be posting info as I work on it and restore it.
DIY Electric Go Karts 