Even though a Harley-Davidson golf cart may seem only natural to diehard fans of the Milwaukee manufacturer, other people will certainly frown and then smile when they see one for the first time. At least this was out reaction when we laid eyes on this beautifully restored H-D... golf cart.
We spotted the cart is up for grabs in an auction held by Barrett-Jackson at Palm Springs, Florida, this very weekend. It may be a tad too late for some who maybe wanted to take this cart home, but at least now you know there's at least one fully-restored piece that might show up in other auctions later on.
We did a little research for these carts and it looks like they were rather popular back in the '60s and '70s. The one we are showing to you was made in 1971, but still belongs to the early generations, as it only has three wheels. Harley went 4-wheel before the cart division was sold to Columbia Par Car in 1982.
The engine is a 2-stroke air-cooled single with electric starter and easy-to-use throttle-and-go operation. It is noisy and makes a lot of smoke, obviously, but apparently it does the job pretty well. The bench of the cart is also a lift-top cover for the engine and tank compartment.
A 2-stroke Harley machine that has to be shut off before putting it in reverse or vice-versa
One of the funny details of these Harley-Davidson golf carts is that choosing forward or reverse required the driver to shut the engine off. That is because the direction the engine was rotating was dictated by the direction the electric started was spinning.
A small lever under the seat was used to revert the polarity of the starter, therefore spinning the engine in the desired direction. And making always running with a battery in good health mandatory.
The H-D golf cart Barrett-Jackson is selling this weekend has been restored to awesome looks, in classic Harley orange/black livery, chromed wheel hub covers, painted grab rails and steering, polished tray and all. The ride is impeccable from all points of view, including a completely rebuilt engine, charging system, and uphostery.
The restoration took over 1,000 hours and the result is, as advertised, "high-end, concours-quality." No reserve and no price have been mentioned. Below you can watch a short video description of these retro machines.
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