The History of Wild Thang
Greetings folks and thanks for tuning into our blog. This is by far the most exciting blog we’ve done. Today I want to talk about a little project called WILD THANG. It’s been in the works for 10 years. Craziest project we’ve ever done. Let’s just say………you will not believe this thing when it’s done. It’s slated for completion by mid-June 2019.
WILD THANG started as a dream in 2009. I wanted to build something to put Carts Gone Wild on the map. Put the “Wild” into Carts Gone Wild. It would look somewhat like a golf cart and feature some stock components from the original golf cart. However, it would perform like a full-blown race buggy. I started researching the internet in 2009 and didn’t find much. Guys had taken carts and chopped them up Frankenstein style. They put high horsepower engines in them. These were a dime a dozen, but boring and ugly. I had different thoughts. I wanted a jaw dropper!
I had a good friend in Engineering at Toyota named Brandon Haight. Brandon was one of the guys who helped me from the beginning, and I owe him dearly. He helped in the evenings when we got off work at Toyota. Great friend who spent countless hours helping us build Carts Gone Wild. I’ve met some truly talented people in my lifetime, but Brandon is at the top of that list. The dude can do anything when it comes to metal fabrication, welding, and vehicle structure. I met with Brandon and explained my ideas on this project. We called it the Monster Cart at the time. Brandon loved the idea and wanted to do the fabrication work. Neither of us really understood the time needed to make it happen. We met many times and mapped out a list of parts and supplies needed.
So, the project began. We started out with a bone-stock 2003 Yamaha G Series Gas golf cart. We used 2 major components from the Yamaha. The body and the frame. Everything else was put to the side. I wanted to use a crotch rocket engine & transmission, so I purchased the drivetrain and wiring harnesses from a 2007 Honda CBR1000RR on EBAY. The Honda CBR is a race inspired motorcycle capable of speeds near 200mph. It outputs about 190hp without the emissions. This is a far cry from the original 11hp Yamaha golf cart engine. LOL. Brandon went to work. Fabricating every little component each by each in the evenings. I definitely need to apologize to Brandon’s wife, because he spent months in the shop. MONTHS! We got more help from another talented friend of ours named Jason Southwood. Brandon and Jason probably spent well over 500hrs in the shop. I want to say thanks to these guys! They are true friends. I’ll never forget the time and dedication they put into this project.
Our business was growing out of control from 2009-2011. We were dumping every penny into Carts Gone Wild. I was determined to grow it out of control, so that we could do this full time and leave our jobs. We finally had WILD THANG into a semi-finished rolling chassis somewhere in 2011. I could clearly see that we were really about half way done. It was going to take a ton of money and dedication to complete. At the same time, we had a great deal of stress in our life trying to work full time and run a business. Very difficult time. I couldn’t let the project get in the way of growing Carts Gone Wild. I put the project on hold indefinitely.
WILD THANG sat in storage from 2011 to 2017. I’ll be honest. It’s always been lingering in the back of my mind. On one hand, I wanted nothing more than to get it completed. On the other hand, there were bigger fish to fry. I wanted to have everything in order before getting it out again. This happened in 2017. I got some help from a long-time friend named Matt Gilles. Matt owns Kings Custom Machine & Fabrication. Matt did most of the finished fabrication and welding. Thanks Matt!
Next, I got the team at Carts Gone Wild involved with the project. I told them the story, and we actually had a contest to name my creation. We had a ton of suggestions, from The Hulk to Wild Dreams and The Frankencart. Ironically, several employees actually came up with the name WILD THANG. This name represents not only what I envision this cart to be, but it also ties into the heart of Carts Gone Wild. From that moment on, this dream has been referred to as WILD THANG.
WILD THANG recently got disassembled and final welded. We took the frame and all the components to Nix Coatings in Poseyville, Indiana. Nix Coatings put a beautiful pearl powder coat finish on the entire cart. It’s called Sour Apple Illusion Candy. Kudos to Nix Coatings, because it looks freaking amazing. They did a fantastic job on a very difficult project.
We will begin to assemble WILD THANG again on Monday, April 15th. We are excited to provide updates until completion, which is slated for mid-June. My goal has always been to debut the cart at our home town Sommerfest Parade on June 22. I’m sticking to this plan. We can’t wait to show the finished product! You will not believe it!
Well folks that’s a wrap on another CGW blog. I hope you enjoyed today’s topic. We will be providing exciting updates on WILD THANG over the next couple months on social media. Please don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, etc.