Jon B Interview, Part 1: Intro and the Go-4

REVolution: Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from and what do you do for a living?

Jon B: My name is Jon and I moved to Northeast PA from Morris County, NJ a little over 8 years ago. I have a lovely wife and a brilliant 6 year old son. I am currently the Director of Information Technologies for a communications construction contractor firm, but in my spare time I'm what many would consider a Maker or a Tinkerer. I have a small machine shop in my garage equipped with a lathe, Bridgeport Mill and other rapid prototyping equipment, i.e. metal casting furnace, a small kiln I use to burn out patterns, 3D printer and a laser cutter. I also dabble in programming and love to tinker with small, inexpensive microprocessors.

Photos and Video: Jon B

REVolution: What sort of cars have you had in the past and what got you into cars in general?

Jon B: When I was younger and just starting to drive, I owned quite an array of high school kid budget beaters. I had an old 78 Monte Carlo, I owned an old Buick Regal…a couple of Honda's and a Mazda GLC that was actually thrown in to sweeten up a tire sale. I basically knocked on the door and asked if they were selling the car that was parked on the side of the house. I suppose the owner couldn’t value the vehicle but did say he'd sell me the tires for $75 if I took the car away with them. In my adult years my most recent brand of choice is Jeep. My wife has a new 2015 Cherokee and I have a 2012 JK Wrangler. Just before these two, we had a Compass for the family to run around in and I drove my 03 Wrangler when it was too cold to run my canvas-topped 78 CJ (converted to 4.0L EFI, TeraLow 4:1 Dana 300, NP435 and 60s). My infatuation with cars began as a youngster when I was trying to find myself. I had many jobs up and down the main drag and the most enjoyable was the work I put in at the tire shop. Next runner up was my job as a porter at a drug store. I got to clear the outdated candy from the shelves. Needless to say, I was young and that candy never made the dumpster.

REVolution: You dentist must love you. How about the rest of your current fleet?

Jon B: Haha; I didn't eat the candy, I'm not a fan of sweets, but I did have the trunk candy market cornered. Recently, the paddock has just become a little more spacious because I just sold my 1969 Subaru 360 Deluxe to a collector that has a museum and wanted it to add to his collection. That leaves an empty garage bay on the left, and in the right bay resides my 2008 Go-4 Interceptor 3. If you're not familiar with what a Go-4 is, it's basically a retired 3 wheeled meter maid vehicle. It’s very similar to a Cushman in function but that's where the similarities end. The Cushman vehicles have 2 cyl 20hp engines where the Go-4 has a full sized 1.1L Hyundai engine with a 4 speed auto transmission.

REVolution: You drive your Go-4 daily; what's that like?

Jon B: Driving my Go-4 is a little like riding a motorcycle, a little like driving a car, and a lot like driving a parade float.

REVolution: Do you own a fez?

Jon B: I don’t own a fez but I would sport it.

REVolution: How did you end up with your Go-4?

Jon B: I was actually looking for a Cushman Vanster on Craigslist; entertaining the idea of building a tiny ice cream truck. That's when I saw the ad for two Go-4 interceptors for sale in Brooklyn NY. I did some research and realized that these things were totally streetable and were street legal! Unlike a Cushman, they can travel with traffic and on faster roads without being run down. I spoke with the owner (a security firm) and with a fist full of money and a 12' trailer in tow, I made my way into the city. Between tolls and traffic and parking…yeah, pulling a trailer in the city is an insane proposition. People that see my Go-4 fall into two categories; those that are curious what it is and those that are terrified with the possibility that it may be an official vehicle ready to ticket them.

REVolution: What's the top speed?

Jon B: From the factory they are governed down to 40 MPH. with a simple snip of a wire they are opened back up to full capability. I personally have had mine up to 75 but if any evasive maneuver was performed at that speed I'd imagine the outcome wouldn't have been all that good. I run it regularly around 60-65 mph, tops. It'll cruise confidently at 60 all day. If one was suicidal, I'd imagine the Go-4 would run as fast as the 1.1L would hurl it.

REVolution: What sort of mpg do you get?

Jon B: Last time I checked, I was getting around 30 mpg. Bear in mind that it still weighs in at over 2285 pounds.

REVolution: I'm surprised. I would have thought much less. Why is it so heavy?

Jon B: Besides the weight of the Hyundai G4HG engine and Jatco JF405e transmission, the donor vehicle is a Hyundai Atos, the entire frame and substructure of the vehicle is made of 2.5 inch steel tubing. It's built originally as a municipal service vehicle and I suppose they wanted it to be strong and protective. I also assume municipalities don't really care much about things like fuel economy on a vehicle that doesn't really go anywhere and spends most of its life idling or bebopping around the block chalking tires.

REVolution: What sort of things do owners do to them other than removing the governor?

Jon B: Recently, I have seen a few owners do some minor body modifications; some change the rear wheels for wider stance tires. As far as mechanically, the owners in the Facebook group I administer have a hard enough time getting or keeping them running. So most of the chat in the group is, “Where can I find this?” or “How does that work?” Some of us are fortunate enough to have the tools to repair or rebuild our rigs but some of them go a long time without being able to enjoy the benefits of Go-4 freedom. I think that's slowly changing though, now that there is a Facebook group available to make these questions easier to find answers for. In just a month we have added 25 people to the group and it grows almost daily. It’s amazing how many people are into using these things in a civilian role.

REVolution: How many members are in the Go-4 Facebook group?

Jon B: 27 members as of today. Yeah, it seems like a small number but we haven't advertised at all. People are just finding us. I just set the group up to try to find some information about mine and BAM! We’ve got a community.

REVolution: How long have you had it and are you the only admin?

Jon B: It's only been up since October 14, 2015 and no there are two administrators. Well, there really isn't much to administer right now. I set up a files section and other than clicking approve to new members the duties are pretty light. So only three months; wow. My, how time flies. It wasn't until late December that membership started to roll in. I guess people are looking for winter hobbies?

REVolution: Probably! What were the different options on the Go-4s? Were there other engines available?

Jon B: There have been a few different generations of this vehicle. I believe the first generation, which was just called a GO-4, used the Mazda B3 1.3 liter engine from a Ford Aspire. The same power plant was installed in the next generation of the Go-4 called "Interceptor". This model designation was BT52. When the evolution moved forward with the next, the Interceptor II, it got the 1.0 liter Hyundai G4HC Epsilon Series engine. Then the Interceptor III found a 1.1 liter Hyundai G4HG pushing it around. I don't know why Westward Industries chose to ditch the Ford/Mazda drive lines for Hyundai, it’s much easier to get parts for the Ford based vehicles because they are available at any parts store. The Hyundai machines, although more refined, are tougher to get parts for because the Atos was never imported to the States and therefore there’s no parts chain in place to support it. All needed components must be ordered from a Westward dealer or overseas from manufacturers in Korea where the engines are manufactured. Some of the members of the group are pretty resourceful though. We are slowly examining the parts that wear and are trying to match them up with other more obtainable sources. Basically trying to cross over things that may not originally had been crossed over, such as brake pads and muffler.

REVolution: Are there any owners experimenting with engine swaps?

Jon B: Not that I know of. There would need to be quite a bit of customization to swap out for anything else. The engine/transmission and rear suspension are all attached to a cradle that keeps it all together. It would need some heavy modifications to use anything other than factory installed components. There has however, been mention of a random turbo idea here and there but nobody is brave enough to actually do it as of yet. I suppose going fast is fine in these little buggies, as long as you don't try to turn.

REVolution: Anybody out there with a NOS?

Jon B: Hah. Not that I know of. Not yet, at least.

REVolution: I'm surprised nobody's put a 'Busa in one....yet.

Jon B: They aren't too common a vehicle. New, they sell for $30K. They are hard to find, hard to register, and usually roached.

REVolution: What’s the current value range?

Jon B: They range from $2500 to $6000 depending on year, condition, and want factor. Of course, the new ones are more costly.

REVolution: What years were they produced?

Jon B: The Go-4 began production in 1991 and is still being produced.

REVolution: What's the hot ticket with enthusiasts?

Jon B: Any one that runs I guess. The most common ones in the group are the BT-57s and Interceptor 2s.  Interceptor 3s are mostly still in service. There are only a few model year 2008+ models.

REVolution: Are they comfortable to drive? How are they in the rain and snow?

Jon B: They are really comfortable to drive, plenty of head and legroom. Suspension is good and the largest fleet of Interceptors are used by the NYPD and they are in service all year round in the snow and rain. I've never had it out in the snow yet myself but I have been out in some very heavy rain with strong wind gusts. The Interceptor is really sure footed and I've never hydroplaned either.

REVolution: Are the tires easily obtained or are they an odd size?

Jon B: They are regular 13 inch DOT approved car tires. You can get them pretty much anywhere.

REVolution: Nobody's made an electric version yet? What's the history of the company that makes them?

Jon B: Actually the company shut down in 2002(?), then bought and retooled by a couple of brothers. They do have an electric version coming out now but I don't know much about it. The website probably has thatinfo.

REVolution: Does yours have a/c and any other options? I assume it has wipers and a defroster?

Jon B: It has a pantograph wiper and heat with a defroster. My unit doesn't have air conditioning but it is an option from the factory. I do however have a sliding rear window.

REVolution: Any other wildly extravagant amenities? Does your Go-4 seat just one?

Jon B: Seats one person. I do have the highly sought after AM/FM/CD radio. They mount it in the ceiling panel. There are 4 speakers in this unit but two were clearly added after the thought. Oh, and they left the siren installed!

REVolution: Score! That's awesome. What is the single best thing about your Go-4?

Jon B: That's a good question, I think the best thing about my Go-4 or just owning a Go-4 is the uniqueness of it. It's a riot to drive; the looks, stares, and conversations it strikes are an additional value that no typical mode of transportation can offer. Tolls and parking are also a lot cheaper, so that doesn't stink either.

REVolution: Tolls are cheaper?

Jon B: It’s registered as a motorcycle, so you pay bike rates.

REVolution: Interesting! What is the worst thing about the Go-4; parts availability?

Jon B: Definitely the lack of factory support for civilian owners, where parts are concerned.

REVolution: What would you like to eventually do with yours? Keep it as is? Modify it?

Jon B: Since mine is still fairly young, I'd probably leave it stock. I may look into wider back tires and wheels and maybe a paint job one day but for now, it suites me fine the way it is.

Click here for part two of our interview with Jon B...