Where was this when we were kids?!

Want to just shoot the breeze? Forum 42 is the place!

Moderator: Moderators

bicostp
Moderator
Posts: 10491
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:47 pm
Steam ID: bicostp
Location: Spamalot
Contact:

Where was this when we were kids?!

Post by bicostp »

Remember Power Wheels? The little Jeeps and sports cars and ATVs that ran off a 12v 12 amp/hour lead-acid battery? They could only go 3 to 5 MPH and hold 90 pounds of stuff or less. (Newer models apparently can support 120 pounds...) Well, some people apparently have made a hobby out of upgrading, customizing, or tuning these fun toys.

http://www.modifiedpowerwheels.com/

They do stuff like add lights and a horn, to boosting the electrical system to 18 or even 24 volts, and even disabling the stock brake mechanism so it can coast.

There's a ton of videos there, too. Most are tutorials, but there's a couple videos of a 24v red PW Wrangler with lights and traction bands on the tires.

About the most customization I ever did on my old PW Jeep CJ was add stickers (who didn't?), add a backup signal beeper (just a buzzer from rat shack and a diode) and use a car battery after the original batteries died. Of course various other parts were replaced Rat Shack parts (both switches for speed and direction, and the pedal switch).

There's all kinds of stuff you could do with these things! Could do ground effect lights with a cold cathrode tube for PCs, put in a portable CD player and some cheap speakers, or if you feel ambitious you could completely re-work the drivetrain to give it a better transmission system to get up hills or pull a wagon or something. Maybe even a trailer hitch (Why? I don't know. :P) It's possible to make a miniature body kit for a sports car, or just an entirely new body. I'll come up with a wiring diagram of what I always wanted in mine and post it later.

Maybe this whole thread is just nostalgia kicking in, but I think this makes sense because it's similar to making a car all fancy except it's easier, smaller, and cheaper. Anyone else have these when they were a kid?
Gamelver
Moderator
Posts: 3352
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 9:03 pm
Location: in my basement, to forever work on portables ;)

Post by Gamelver »

I got one for christmas once, I remember. It was pretty fun, driving that thing around :). I still have the battery, actually. It's currently used to hold the door on our old refrigerator closed :P.
Without games my life would have no meaning.
Well, I guess it would, but it would be a lot less fun!!!!!!!

Image
Sword_Gun
Posts: 1008
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Somewhere rapping with DeTsL
Contact:

Post by Sword_Gun »

Heh, I was in one of those last weekend, my freind modded it so people may age could fit in it :D, he drove it to graduation :D:D
Image

Official Beta Quest Hunter
Official Alpha Quest Hunter

NES NOW!!: DONE!
HomicidalBarber
Posts: 445
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 9:23 pm
Location: Oregon

Post by HomicidalBarber »

DUDE! that 24 volt upgrade makes that kid fly. I could have completely torn up the neighborhood if I had one of those when I was little.
Sword_Gun
Posts: 1008
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Somewhere rapping with DeTsL
Contact:

Post by Sword_Gun »

Who says you cant tear up it now? :D
I wanna get one of these, drive around town.

1 question, is 10 MPH to fast for the sidewalk?

:D:D
Image

Official Beta Quest Hunter
Official Alpha Quest Hunter

NES NOW!!: DONE!
vskid
Senior Member
Posts: 6314
Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2005 8:25 am
Steam ID: vskid3

Post by vskid »

I never had one of those. :cry: I didn't really care, since they cost a ton and I could walk faster. Maybe I could get one with dead batteries or something and put a lawnmower engine in instead of the electric motor. :twisted:
Image
NES_fanatic
Posts: 1321
Joined: Tue Oct 11, 2005 2:46 pm
Location: Funkytown, USA

Post by NES_fanatic »

Sword_Gun wrote:Who says you cant tear up it now? :D
I wanna get one of these, drive around town.

1 question, is 10 MPH to fast for the sidewalk?

:D:D
Last time I checked, 10 MPH is a bit over a sprint for normal people.
ganonbanned
Senior Member
Posts: 2211
Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:58 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Post by ganonbanned »

Damn, i wish i had one. i had 3 of them and my parents gave them a way less then 2 weeks ago.
psychotic_mechanic
Posts: 346
Joined: Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:06 pm

Post by psychotic_mechanic »

The best part is that if you visit your local landfill/dump on a regular basis you will find powerwheels for free. They're usually a little sun bleached and missing the battery/charger, but since that stuff will be replaced anyway...

The best Christmas present I got for my kids when I was dirt poor was a free "barbie" jeep found at the dump. A little bit of spray painting later it was perfect boys toy, black with a flame job. It got a 12V lawn tractor battery that would provide hours upon hours of run time and recharge with a standard car battery charger.
American gamer stationed in Japan, PM with your import gaming desires.

Now with dancing boobies as my avatar!
Sir Games-A-Lot
Posts: 710
Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2005 7:25 am
Location: Sitting around a table wishing the king would get IBM Consultants

Post by Sir Games-A-Lot »

Man, my friend had one of these when I was real little. I only got to drive it once because the first time I tried, my 5 year old attention span kinda maxed out and I accidentally ran it into the house's natural gas tank of all things :shock:. :lol:
<a href="http://www.nerdtests.com/ft_cg.php?im">
<img src="http://www.nerdtests.com/images/ft/cg.php?val=5780" alt="My computer geek score is greater than 83% of all people in the world! How do you compare? Click here to find out!"> </a>
Sword_Gun
Posts: 1008
Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:31 pm
Location: Somewhere rapping with DeTsL
Contact:

Post by Sword_Gun »

I can run 11 mph :D Thank you treadmil :D
Image

Official Beta Quest Hunter
Official Alpha Quest Hunter

NES NOW!!: DONE!
Sparkfist
Forum Administrator
Posts: 6754
Joined: Tue Apr 20, 2004 7:12 am
Location: Michigan

Post by Sparkfist »

Bicostp you'll laugh at this. I was watching "Invent Tech" (over a year ago) and the guy who made the uni-cycle you ride inside (the wheel) of. They showed his daugher driving a modified Barbie jeep, though it was only the top shell sitting on a Go-Kart body. They showed this little girl going as fast as 35mph though the neighborhood.
vskid wrote:Nerd = likes school, does all their homework, dies if they don't get 100% on every assignment
Geek = likes technology, dies if the power goes out and his UPS dies too

I am a geek.
SavageLych
Posts: 246
Joined: Sun Jan 01, 2006 9:06 pm

Post by SavageLych »

hehehe I saw that! It was awsome!
Image
kidw/32+systems
Posts: 708
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:20 pm
Location: Clevelandish,OH

Post by kidw/32+systems »

I had one then I got a go cart and now I'm selling that and I have a real car.
PlayChoice games 50/54 37 toppers
SpongeBuell
Senior Member
Posts: 5190
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2004 10:52 am
Location: Colorado
Contact:

Post by SpongeBuell »

My gocart pwns any powerwheels :P

http://www.atariage.com/features/contes ... _thumb.jpg

Yes, the picture sucks... I'll try to do better later, if I feel like it :P
Life of Brian wrote:
RYW wrote:RYW:

Rare
Yellow
Weasel
I'll be honest with you - I would have never guessed that.
Post Reply