5 Things to Know Before Buying Classic Golf Car

When my parents decided they&#;d aged out of Florida and wanted to move from the sunny, gated happiness that is Margaritaville back to the frigid Northeast after just one year of living here, I choked out two sentences:

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• &#;It took me 20 years to get you to move here &#; please don&#;t go!&#; and
• &#;Can I have your golf cart?&#;

They certainly wouldn&#;t need it in upstate New York, and I could put it to good use. The kids&#; schools, the grocery store and the post office are all nearby. My sons wouldn&#;t need to save for a car if they could use the golf cart! I could add them to the golf cart policy for $10 per month and never have to pay that crazy car insurance for teenagers everyone talks about. A great idea, right?

We rented a trailer and picked up the golf cart on a Friday. For two days, we drove our shiny new-to-us golf cart all over the neighborhood &#; blissfully unaware of the Great Golf Cart Embargo.

That Sunday, we drove our golf cart to church. After the service, I chatted with an old friend who happens to be a local commissioner. (He shall remain nameless, but we&#;ll call him Stuart Roberts.) He asked how my weekend was.

I held up the tiny key and said, &#;It&#;s been great! We got a golf cart!&#;

&#;Does it have a license plate?&#;

&#;I don&#;t need one because we aren&#;t driving on any streets where the speed limit&#;s over 35.&#;

&#;That doesn&#;t matter,&#; he said.

&#;But I Googled it!&#;

Right there in church, he pulled a flyer about golf carts out of his bag.

&#;You carry that around with you!?&#; was my way of saying, &#;Thank you for this helpful information.&#;

I gathered the serial number, user manual, golf cart insurance papers and my cable bill (to prove my address), and I headed downtown to register my golf cart. I felt overprepared. I was not.

The downtown DMV was closed. Its temporary home on the 16th floor of 200 South Orange Ave. is nowhere remotely close to 425 North Orange Ave., the Orange County Courthouse, which would have been a logical location. Nor is at 250 N. Orange Ave., my second educated guess. Defeated, I scrolled to the notification I received the day before with the correct address (the equivalent of asking for directions).

I was a half-mile to the south. My car was a half-mile to the north. So I ran, user manual under one arm and coffee in-hand. I arrived only 20 minutes late but covered in coffee splashes.

They did not accept my user manual and golf cart insurance.

Turns out, Florida is unique (who knew?!) and has lots of rules. If you&#;re thinking of getting a golf cart and want to drive it in on the street, here&#;s what you absolutely must know:

1. Most importantly, don&#;t call it a &#;golf cart.&#; It must be a legally converted low speed vehicle, and all forms must say &#;low speed vehicle.&#;
2. That incredibly affordable golf cart insurance you have? Useless. Your low speed vehicle requires a regular auto policy.
3. You need a title. (Golf carts don&#;t have them.) You can purchase a low speed vehicle that already has a title and register it like a normal person. Or you can have it converted yourself (adding required seatbelts, wipers, lights, etc.) and head to your county&#;s regional office with proof that the vehicle has been properly converted, applications for title and registration, proof of sale, certificate of origin, proof of residency, $800 converted to Norwegian krones, and a vial of blood from a purple unicorn. (We&#;ll call this &#;Lindsay&#;s way.&#;)
4. It&#;s a vehicle. On the street. It can only be driven by licensed, insured drivers.

Separate trips to the DMV, hours of research, one big investment in a conversion (almost like singing &#;The Twelve Days of Christmas&#; but with more crying), we are now driving our low speed vehicle to school even when it&#;s 45 degrees outside &#; &#;Put a sweater on!&#; &#; because I didn&#;t do all of that for nothing.

Happy New Year!

Buying a Golf Cart is a great way to add an affordable and fun to drive vehicle to your driving options. In this article we&#;ll go over the &#;12 Things to Know When Buying a Golf Cart.&#;

Buying a Golf Cart, or &#;EV Cart&#; is a great way to add an affordable, fun and eco-friendly vehicle to your garage and driving options.

Golf Carts are now used for many more excursions than going for a round of Golf on the Golf Cart. Golf Carts have become hugely popular with couples, families and seniors as an alternative option to their bigger and more expensive to drive gas guzzling cars.

Golf Carts have become a great option for running around town, going to the store or out to grab a meal.

In this latest Golf Cart Blog article, &#;12 Things to Know When Buying a Golf Cart&#;, we&#;ll provide you with insight, ideas and tips on what to look out for when buying your new or next Golf Cart.

1. Should you buy a New or Used Golf Cart:

As with anything, &#;You get what you pay for.&#; That is not to say that you should skip the option of buying a used Golf Cart and go directly to a new Golf Cart. On the contrary, you can find great value in purchasing a used Golf Cart, but you do need to be careful in your assessment of the wear and tear on the used vehicle.

The same, &#;you get what you pay for&#; adage can be said about &#;Buying a Golf Cart&#; as well. With the massive growth in popularity of the Golf Cart industry, there has been massive, and quick growth in the manufacturing of Golf Carts. As with all complex vehicle manufacturing you can expect &#;growing pains&#; which result in some &#;bugs&#; or mistakes in the build process.

Another consideration, and perhaps the first and most important initial consideration is the cost of a new Golf Cart compared to a used Golf Cart. A new Golf Cart can have a list price of $7,000 to $13,000 with some fully customized new Golf Carts exceeding $25,000 to $30,000+.

If you can imagine it, it can be added to or adapted to your Golf Cart. But let&#;s leave the review of radically customized Golf Carts for another article. For now, let&#;s consider the option of a well-cared for used Golf Cart and top of the line new Golf Cart.

Some may see the process of buying a Golf Cart as a mind-numbing process, it really does not have to be. As with buying a car or motorcycle or other higher priced ticket item, information will make the buying process enjoyable and ultimately you will have a high level of confidence that you have purchased the best Golf Cart for your budget.

Golf Carts, or &#;EV Carts&#; have become hugely popular with couples, families and seniors as an alternative option to their bigger and more expensive to drive gas guzzling cars.

2. New vs. Used Golf Carts:

This is an easy one really. What is your budget? If you have the budget to purchase a new Golf Cart, then there are a number of pains you can avoid by purchasing a new Golf Cart. This includes having brand new batteries (this is important), few to no miles on the drivetrain and you can typically have your choice of colors and other options on your Golf Cart.

For more information, please visit Shenzhen Bak Power Battery.

On the other hand, if you have a lower budget, then there are certainly great deals to be found for good used Golf Carts to be found. Just do your research and know what you are looking at and looking for. Test drive, check the batteries, how much time, if any is left on the Manufacturer&#;s Warranty, etc.

Obviously, you will expect to &#;give in&#; a bit on expectations of a used Golf Cart, or EV Cart. The paint may be a bit faded, there may be a bit more wear on the upholstery, there may be a crack in the windshield or headlights may be a bit fogged up and the tires may have some wear and tear on them &#; but all these things and more are easily replaced and even upgraded.

3. Ask a Friend:

Perhaps one of the best steps to take when buying a Golf Cart is ask a friend or a friend of a friend who owns or who has owned a Golf Cart, or EV Cart. Talk to them about their experience. If they live in the same town as you, ask who they purchased their Golf Cart from and ask if they would buy from them again and if not, why?

If they are willing, bring them with you when you look at a new or used Golf Cart and listen to them asking questions about the Golf Cart you are looking at. Chances are, they will ask a lot of great questions that you can repeat in the next Golf Cart you look at &#; it&#;s not likely the friend will be willing to accompany you on every Golf Cart inspection &#; no one is that good of a friend.

4. Don&#;t have a friend? You can rent one:

It is a great option to consider hiring a professional inspector when you feel you have found the perfect used Golf Cart. Obviously, you would not hire a professional Golf Cart Inspector for every unit you consider, but once you have worked the list down to 1 or 2 options, a professional Golf Cart Inspector could be one of your best investments in your purchasing process.

5. Buying a New or Used Golf Cart? Ask for References:

If you are set on buying a new or used Golf Cart, or EV Cart from a dealership &#; always ask for referrals from past or current customers. If the dealership is reputable, they&#;ll be happy to have you contact a customer.

6. Get the Specifications on a Used Golf Cart:

With the aid of the Internet, you can get a copy of the manufacture&#;s details and specifications of just about any used Golf Cart model sold in the past 10+ years. You should always get a printout of the manufacture&#;s details and specifications of the Golf Cart you are considering for purchase. Study the details and understand what was included and offered as aftermarket items. Once you review these specifications of a couple of models you will become very familiar with what is likely to be included on other Golf Carts in your budget.

7. Go to a Golf Cart Dealership:

Even if you are not in the market for purchasing a brand-new Golf Cart one of your first stops should be at 1 or 2 your local Golf Cart Dealerships. Often, they will have both new and used Golf Carts that will allow you to do a side-by-side comparison, experience a test drive and what will likely be the most important, you will find out what you don&#;t like and what you can and cannot afford.

8. Golf Courses for Information:

As you can imagine, a Golf Course is a great place to find Golf Carts&#;as such, a Golf Course is a great place to get insight on what people like and dislike about their Golf Carts and a visit to the maintenance department to speak to the mechanics could provide a gold mine of information. Questions and answers are your best ammunition.

9. Batteries are the lifeblood of your Golf Cart:

Batteries are the biggest concern, whether they are Lithium or Lead Acid Batteries.  Traditional Lead Batteries need to be maintained properly to ensure peak performance and longevity, and if the owner failed to care for the batteries, you may be in for a disappointment later.

If you&#;re buying a used Golf Cart, or EV Cart, you should expect to be told how long the batteries have been in the cart, how long it takes to charge them, how many hours do they last and if you&#;re lucky, get an actual record of past battery maintenance and service work.

It is not uncommon to have to replace the batteries on a used Golf Cart and frankly, while this can be costly, you will know that your batteries are new and in great shape.

10. Information is Power:

Golf Carts do not have an odometer like a car, so you will need to ask the seller to verify the number of hours or &#;cycles&#; on the Golf Cart. If you are considering a Golf Cart manufactured after , there should be a way to check the controller to see how many hours the Golf Cart has been in use, but this is not in every case.

If you can&#;t determine that number of hours or &#;cycles&#;, you may be at risk for spending more money on new batteries or a new controller down the road. That&#;s why, no matter how much you may trust the seller, a professional inspection can save you a lot of headaches later.

11. Where can you go:

Driving your Golf Cart is the best part of owning one. Before making your investment, it is a great idea to learn the Golf Cart (Low Speed) Driving laws of your city and state.

12. Buying from a Dealership &#; New or Used:

Obviously, if you are buying a new Golf Cart, or EV Cart, and dealership is the only way to go. If you are buying a used Golf Cart you have the option to buy from a dealership or an individual. While you may likely pay a bit more for a used Golf Cart from a dealership, you tend to get a lot more for your money with a dealership.

Often a dealership will fully service the Golf Carts they sell, replace broken parts, upgrade or replace batteries, and in some cases the dealership may offer an extended warranty. Sure, purchasing your Golf Cart from an individual may save you a few dollars, but it comes with the original warning, &#;You get what you pay for.&#;

We hope you find value in our latest Golf Cart Blog article, &#;12 Things to Know When Buying a Golf Cart.&#; We invite you to visit our Golf Cart Blog for more tips & recommendations for all there is to experience when owning a Golf Cart.

You may be interested in our Golf Cart Blog article; &#;5 Top Golf Cart Accessories for .&#;

For more information on purchasing a new or used Golf Cart, or to learn about favorable financing options, reach one of our experienced Customer Service Team Members at: 888.260. or us.

About Bright Electric Vehicles:

Bright Electric Vehicles (&#;BEV&#;) is a multi-brand, multi-state Golf Cart Dealership representing top Golf Cart Brands including, ICON Golf Carts and Evolution Golf Carts, with other brands coming soon.

Our commitment to providing each Customer with the very best prices and outstanding personalized service that has earned Bright EV a Top 5-Star Rating from our loyal Customers.

With our strategic locations situated throughout the Southwest, Hawaii and new locations coming soon, Bright EV has the buying power and locations to serve our Customers and deliver Golf Carts throughout the U.S. at the most competitive pricing possible.

For more information, please visit Classic Golf Car.