Read the build story: DIY Drift Kart — How I Built It →

Plans, CAD and drawings

Drift kart plans you can actually build from

Most go kart plans online are a sketch and a parts list. These are the working files from a petrol drift kart I designed in CAD, built in a home garage, broke, fixed, and drift tested. Everything in the pack is what I used, corrected where the first version was wrong.

What is in the pack

File	What it is for
Full assembly CAD, STEP, IGES and OBJ	Opens in Fusion, SolidWorks, Onshape, FreeCAD. Every part, 229 of them, in position. Modify it, check clearances, make it yours.
Dimensioned drawings, PDF	Every tube length, cut angle and hole position. For the workshop, not the screen.
Laser and CNC ready files, STEP and DXF	Knuckles, brackets, hubs, pedal parts, foot and mid trays. Upload to a cutting service and order.
Jig and coping templates	Print, wrap, mark, cut. Gets tube joints right without a notcher.
Bill of materials, XLSX and PDF	70 line items, supplier, quantity, AUD and USD, purchase links. Total $2,027 USD for new parts. The US$149 plans, freight, consumables, tools and any hired assembly or welding labour are additional.
Build notes	What went wrong in V1 and what changed. The stance mistake, the axle sourcing, the things the video skipped.

The kart these plans build

• Frame: 31.8mm x 2.0mm wall steel tube, 930mm wheelbase, bent tube frame
• Engine: 6.5hp petrol with centrifugal clutch, 420 chain, rear axle drive
• Rear: 30mm solid axle on flange bearings, 5 inch rims, 11x7.1-5 tyres with PVC drift sleeves
• Front: 5 inch rims, laser cut knuckles with flange bearings, CNC hubs
• Brakes: hydraulic disc, rear, with a hand lever option
• Seat: full size, adult fit. This is not a kids kart, though mine has driven it

What you need to build it

A MIG or TIG welder, an angle grinder, a drill and a 1-1/4 inch hole saw. A vice and suitable tube bending equipment, or access to an outsourced bending service. The original frame uses bent tube. To reproduce it, use a suitable tube bender or have a fabrication shop make the bends. Mitred or pie-cut welded alternatives require extra fabrication work and assessment of the joints and geometry; they are not a simple vice-bending substitute. Check the drawings and your fabrication approach before buying. The laser cut and CNC parts are designed to be ordered from a service, so you do not need a plasma table or a mill. If you have one, the files work there too.

Skill level: if you can lay a decent bead on 2mm wall tube and read a drawing, you can build this. The jig templates do the hard part of the tube fit-up. Budget a few weekends of actual work plus waiting on parts.

Schools and STEM programs

Explore teaching activities, planning questions and classroom project options →

I’m in touch with teachers planning classroom builds, including ideas spanning engineering, business and media classes. The files open in Onshape, which matters if Fusion is locked down on your network, and the drawings work for students who are in the workshop rather than at a screen. If you are planning a class build, email me before you buy and we can work out what your program needs.

Questions people ask before buying

Is this a full step-by-step guide?

No. It is the engineering package: CAD, drawings, cut files, BOM and notes. The build process is in the three-part video series on YouTube, free. The pack is what the videos cannot give you: the dimensions.

Can I change the design?

Yes, that is why the STEP file is in there. Stretch the wheelbase, swap the engine, add a roll hoop. The assembly is fully editable.

What if I am not in Australia?

Purchase links point at Australian suppliers because that is where it was built, but every part is specified by dimension and standard. Source locally. The BOM shows AUD and USD side by side.

Do I get updates?

Yes. Every buyer gets the new version when it is released. V1.7 corrected a BOM error from earlier versions; everyone who had bought got it the same day.

What if I get stuck?

Email me. I built the thing, so I can usually tell you what went wrong from a photo.