Unless you’ve been living under a rock or born after the year 2000, you may know that bumper cars are great fun. For a small fee, you can punt your friends into oblivion without worrying about filing an insurance claim. One family took the idea a step further and modified a selection of classic bumper cars to be fully road legal.
The man behind the project, Tom Wright, initially wanted to restore them to their former glory, but upped the anty and made them road legal. Each car is fitted with a 500cc engine from a Kawasaki Ninja, mated to a six-speed transmission. Along with substantial power, each model also has everything you’d expect from a road car ranging from independent rear-suspension to headlights and indicators.
When Wright initially came across the bumper cars, they were in very rough condition – the oldest example was around 80 years old. Being the legend that he is, Wright taught himself all of the necessary welding skills in order to build a custom subframe and restore the rusty bodywork. In total, he mentioned that 18 square inches of sheet metal had to be removed and replaced.
In the end, the project took roughly a year to complete, and the final result is absolutely tremendous. With each vehicle fitted with a trophy as a hood ornament, it’s clear that these machines were built for fun. Thanks to such a surplus of classic bumper cars, Wright built an entire fleet for his family and friends to use.
“The smiles, waves, and the honks make the hobby worth doing,” said Wright. As much as these things turn heads, it’s clear that they were built to make lasting memories rather than impress fellow motorists.