In times past it was easy to find men tinkering under the hood of their vehicles adjusting belts, carburetors, spark plugs and any of a number of other engine parts in an effort to extend the life and usefulness of their vehicle. With the advent of home repair and vehicle repair television and radio shows the idea of taking something well-used and making it useful again has suddenly become en vogue once more. The movement today is called Repowering and it is a method of reintroducing the notion that remanufactured and rebuilt small engines are a cost effective way to add life to gas powered vehicles. While it may be true that many country clubs have decided an electric cart is a better fit for their needs and less labor intensive the truth is a gas powered cart is a sturdier long term solution to the rigorous demands of most golf courses. It may be important to note that a new gas powered golf cart can cost as much as $20,000 while repower kits for gas powered golf carts can be purchased for as little as $1,500. It’s true, you might suffer a little down time, but for savings of potentially thousands of dollars, the inconvenience may well be worth it. The basics design of a golf cart is relatively simple so repowering them simply makes sense. According to the Engine Repower Council, “Rebuilt engines get better gas mileage than a worn engine, and emit fewer pollutants. Engine repowering also saves the tremendous amount of energy used in processing discarded engines and vehicles.” In the long run, a golf cart with more power, fewer emissions and a cost that still remains below that of a new electric unit may be a solution that is hard to ignore. Let me reemphasize… • If you have a Honda small engine a repower solution is available. • If you have a Kohler engine, a repower solution is available. • If you have a Cushman Truckster, a repower solution is available. • If you have a Cushman Haulster, a repower solution is available. • If you have a Briggs & Stratton engine, a repower solution is available. In the end, a repower solution is a means of bringing common sense solutions to the issues affecting your golf course. It remains an environmentally friendly way to manage both your ongoing needs as well as reducing the short term need for additional disposal of a metal waste product. Benefit Recap: • Cost effective solution to the long term care of your golf cart fleet. • Environmentally friendly solution due to fewer emissions and a reduction in the energy cost of cart disposal. • Extends the life of otherwise useful golf carts. • Completely avoids hidden costs associated with new purchase. • Provides proof that common sense is alive and well in America. Take the time to investigate the possibilities and you may come to the conclusion that the best reason to repower is because it’s one of the few things that just make sense. -2007 Ben Anton