Having built several drivable
props for
stage before here's some thinking points...
A couple of issues with the golf cart motor idea just to think about...
Weight - In addition to the weight of the motor (if you go with an
electric one) also calculate the battery weight which will be 30-50+ lbs per battery. Most golf carts use a 36 or 48v
system which consists of 6v batteries wired in series to achieve required
voltage (6 batts for 36 8 for 48...
etc). Assuming the bathtub car doesn't have to travel very far you could get away with using 12v car batteries which are about the same size as the 6v ones but double the
voltage (essentially halving the range). Since a golf cart is designed to travel several rounds of golf on a single charge the range issue shouldn't be a problem.
If you reduce the
voltage (fewer batteries) you will find that the range is significantly reduced - a 36v cart running on a single 12v battery will only travel 50 or 100 yards before it quits.
building a frame to carry such a
system would require welding (of aluminum if you want to keep weight down) so if you don't have access or experience for that it might not be a good option. (a golf cart frame would be extremely wide and high off the
ground...difficult to make an asthetically pleasing driving bathtub)
Also, i don't know your budget...but finding a working
electric golf cart for a decent price is very difficult (beware of buying one that needs batteries ...batteries can easily set you back a few hundred dollars)
A better choice would be to get one of those mobility scooters (you know the ones on the commercial where the old folks go to the grand canyon)...and use the axle/motor/battery setup to
power your bathtub (that setup should be powerful enough to carry a modern tub with a person in it on a lightweight frame (aluminum or even schedule 80
pvc pipe)
You should be able to get a used one for just a couple of hundred bucks(check ebay but beware of shipping something that big...it can get expensive)...or maybe even find an old one that someone will give you
Personally, the idea of
whipping around in a bathtub at 20mph would influence me to
build the golf cart model but the mobile scooter obtion will be a lot cheaper...
If you need help with plans or decide to go a different route let me know...i'll try to help.