The Fast and The Curious

Most teens can’t wait to get behind the wheel, but few do so with one they made themselves by hand. Mason Bosco ’26 recently took on the task of building an off-road go-cart of his own design and creation.

 

“My dad and I had been working every weekend for eight years on a car restoration,” Bosco said. “Once that was finished, I felt I had to occupy my time with another project. I wanted to challenge myself since most go-carts do not have suspension or off-roading capabilities.”

 

Bosco decided to make the vehicle without referencing ‘how-to’ guides or tutorials. He also limited how many pre-made materials he used, handcrafting as much of the vehicle as possible. The sophomore reached out to Makerspace Director Stewart Mayer for some support.

 

“The Makerspace has a ton of equipment that I used to my advantage, one being the laser cutter,” Bosco said. “I mocked up the go-cart on a miniature scale and used the 3D printers for the parts that were 3D and the giant CNC machine to cut out the final parts. Mr. Mayer helped me with the CNC machine’s software.”

 

The hands-on project provided Bosco with plenty of opportunities to learn mechanics. The suspension proved particularly challenging. Finding the right combination of comfort and performance was not easy.

 

“When I first put the front shocks on, I used springs that were so stiff that they did not move at all, and the ride was incredibly uncomfortable off-road,” Bosco said. “When I got the new springs on, I had some difficulties with the fact that the springs were not stiff enough. After a while, I got it all working, drove it in the same spot that was so uncomfortable last time, and found that the ride was noticeably more comfortable. When something finally works after so much trial and error is what I find to be my favorite part.”

 

He plans to continue to test the vehicle, constantly fine-tuning and learning along the way.