He Rides In Style On Oliver Golf Cart

He Rides In Style On Oliver Golf Cart ATV S ATV S Why would someone cut the front off a perfectly good tractor and put it on a golf cart? That s what George Weyhrich wondered as he watched his son-in-law daughter and grandkids drive toward him on Father s Day     Though it looked like an Oliver tractor front Weyhrich learned that son-in-law Gary Berchtold a machinist had built it from scratch with precision CNC machining      He s never seen an Oliver tractor in his life Weyhrich says He had a toy and a picture and he went from there     The tractor mechanic said he and his wife enjoy going to farm shows but after years of being on his feet at work all day it was getting difficult to walk around He purchased a used golf cart to take to shows     Weyhrich s wife Millie asked Berchtold if he could add some Oliver features to the cart similar to the Oliver 88 Weyhrich s father owned Berchtold took it much farther      I hand-wrote all the CNC programs based off a toy tractor and scaled it by eye Berchtold says The most challenging part was the hood which he cut out of an old aluminum highway sign Because it had been painted it was difficult to weld      He even made the exhaust pipe Weyhrich says proudly The umbrella says Papa s LIL 88 He and Millie take it to farm shows and drive in parades      It takes a long time to get through a show because every 20 ft or so we have to stop and get our picture taken Weyhrich laughs     The 9 hp Kawasaki gas engine goes a long way on a couple of gallons of gas and the cart travels at speeds up to 22 mph There s lockable storage space under the hood for a cooler jackets and other items The back folds down so the cart can be used to haul tools for yard work     As a businessman mayor and road commissioner of San Jose Ill pop 670 Weyhrich has plenty of opportunities to ride his Oliver golf cart at events This year he plans to commute the nine blocks to his shop every day Last fall his village passed an ordinance allowing licensed insured ATV s and motorized carts on city streets     Besides being handy the Oliver cart brings back good memories      When my Dad retired and sold out I wasn t able to get the old Oliver Super 88 at the sale and have regretted it ever since Weyhrich says Papa s LIL 88 lessens that regret      I m glad he s proud of it Berchtold says He has the plans he used for his CNC Haas machine and is willing to talk to anyone interested in a similar project Contact him by email or through his website www digenterprises net     Contact: FARM SHOW Followup George Weyhrich 119 Payne St San Jose Ill 62682 ph 309 247-3502; gary digent@verizon net

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