Four-Month Build Turns $100 Pepsi Vending Machine Into a Rolling Go-Kart Attraction

Most people have sat in a go-kart at some point. The seat sits low, the steering feels direct, and the whole thing skitters around with a kind of playful urgency. Very few have ever climbed into one that still carries the shape and branding of a soda machine. A maker known as Mixed Bag set out to close that gap. He bought a used Pepsi vending machine for a hundred dollars on Facebook Marketplace, then spent four months turning it into something that could actually drive.

Initially, the goal was rather straightforward. He saw an advertisement for a local car show in the Dallas area and decided he’d want to enter something, even though a typical project was far out of his price range. The vending machine stood out as a potential contender, and it eventually became his project of choice. Removing all the extra weight the previous machine was lugging around was the first step, as it had a reinforced cabinet and all sorts of internal components that made it way too heavy for battery power and basic mobility. So he removed as much of that as he could, making the endeavor more attainable.

Then came the question of transforming the machine into something that could move. He created a go-kart-style frame that fit inside the cabinet and served as the structural backbone of the item. Battery-powered motors handled propulsion, with two of them driving the rear wheels and providing differential steering, allowing the machine to turn by adjusting speed or direction on either side. Some reused elements from a pair of Razor scooters were utilized for front steering; with the handlebars removed, the steering was joined together for good synchronized movement. Brakes were a must-have, so he installed them. It actually rolled on its own power, though its greatest speed was just about 5 mph. That suited us perfectly, considering the weight and our need to keep it under control during testing and public appearances.

Inside the machine, he installed a real seat, a small AC unit to keep things cool during long runs, and a full set of live cameras on either side. A computer was responsible for monitoring the feeds. He also installed a PA system with an external speaker on the roof, allowing the driver to communicate with anyone close. All of the power came from a set of batteries, one large pack under the item and a few others elsewhere. Fresh Pepsi decals restored its luster, a “mystery flavor” slot at the bottom looked terrific, a rear access hole was cleaned up, and a fresh paint job completed the look.

Testing took place in stages, beginning with night trips and casual cruises about the neighborhood to ensure reliability. It completed a couple of laps on a half-mile track with four bars remaining on the battery, which is equivalent to at least a mile of range on a single charge. Neighbors were more astonished and amused by the gadget than anything else, which was a positive thing because it meant the design seemed friendly rather than frightening. Of course, steering was more difficult on the sidewalk than on the roadway, but it held together relatively well with only a few small failures.

So the real test came at the Rowlett car show, when the organizers allowed it into the custom-built category (with the caveat that it was not street legal, of course). It was parked amid the historic vehicles, lifted trucks, supercars, and insane custom machines, in the ideal location. No trophy was brought home, since Best of Show went to a 1961 Porsche. Mixed Bag stated that the original trophy goal changed once the machine began making strangers laugh, making that outcome more fulfilling than hardware on a shelf.