The Westward Go-4 Interceptor has been produced since the early 1990s. It’s used by municipalities across the United States and Canada, predominantly as a parking patrol or security vehicle. This particular example is a former NYPD Traffic Enforcement vehicle, as you can tell by the poorly removed markings. The question is: where’s it going now?
The Canadian-built Go-4 uses a fuel-injected, overhead-cam 1.0 three-cylinder engine, producing 66 hp and mated to a four-speed automatic. The powertrain is sourced from Hyundai; older Go-4s used a 1.3 four-cylinder and three-speed automatic from Ford. The 1.0 is good for around 45 mpg, according to Westward Industries.
The cabin appears relatively comfortable for its sole occupant, the Go-4’s cab measuring 72 inches. The single chair slides and adjusts and the steering wheel can be tilted. Access to the cabin is through sliding doors which allow, for example, parking enforcement officers to leave a ticket on your car without having to get out of their vehicle.
Around two feet shorter than a Mitsubishi Mirage, the Go-4 blurs the lines somewhat between trike and tiny car – air-conditioning is optional, for example. I can’t tell if this example has A/C fitted but I’d hope the NYPD would’ve sprung for it, considering how hot and muggy summers can be in NYC (and I say this as someone who lives in a sub-tropical climate now!)
The Go-4 has recently been joined by the Go-4 EV, which has a 20.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can get anywhere between 55 and 100 miles on a full charge. Considering electric vehicles of this size – for example, golf carts and forklifts – have been available with electric power for decades, it’s somewhat surprising Westward Industries has only recently introduced an electric model.
Rest assured, whatever this Go-4 owner is doing with this ex-parking enforcement vehicle, they won’t be going on the highway. Well, I’d hope not. These are speed-limited to 45 mph from the factory although some owners have been known to remove the governor. That opens up a can of works regarding legal registration of this vehicle which, according to some owners, can already present challenges if you’re a private owner.
Buying an ex-fleet Go-4 is a novel idea if you have a small security company. Is there a market outside of this, however, for a used example of this little trike? What would you use a Go-4 for?
I always thought the “Interceptor” tag on these was hilarious, being around at the same time as the Crown Vic Interceptor on the streets of San Francisco when I still worked there.
Other than that, the sight of one always puts me in a slight panic as to trying to recall how many hours I’ve left my car parked on the street, even if I’m not even street parked that day….
When will there be a spec racing series for these?
You do occasionally see these (or similar 3 wheelers) repurposed as ice cream trucks. There is also a guy that drives one locally as his daily driver that has been adorned with every sort of double stick tape-on upgrade you can think off.
A perfect city vehicle – if you have no need to drive fast, have no need to carry anything and have no friends. 🙂
And driving the meter maid’s car you’ll never get any friends either… 🙂
I miss the days when the Cushman predecessors of these parking enforcement vehicles only had a door on one side. You and a friend could tip them onto the door side with the revenuer trapped inside and then stroll away at a casual pace to the cheers of onlookers.
Having left NY in 1986, I only remember the Cushman version. Turns out the brand still exists, as a subsidiary of Textron. Mostly what they make anymore are golf carts, UTVs based on golf carts, and electric carts for use inside warehouses, factories, etc.
Well, here’s one use from the the streets of Riverdale a few years back. Never saw the driver, but it might have been commercial.
https://www.instagram.com/p/sD7npFjpm3/?igshid=1jatxquf27r77
https://www.instagram.com/p/sD8h74Dpor/?igshid=1au17w3pyg2io
Reminds me of the British built AC Invacar.
Re: removing the governor, the golf course my family operated, and my cousins still do, used gas-powered, 3 whenHarley-Davidson golf carts from the early 60s through the 70s, finally replacing them with Yamaha electrics. The “ranger” cart, used to check there were no non-paying customers on the course, was an old Harley with red front fenders and the governor removed. It could motor, but the handling encouraged some prudence.
And speaking of electrics, I remember my uncle telling me when they brought in the Yamahas, they had to tech golfers to go full throttle when they were moving – they used a resister control, and if you feathered the peddle, you simply burned off the unused energy.
I’m looking for a wiring schematic for a westward ind. Go-4 model -35 1991 with a ford motor. Especially the ignition circuit because I have no spark. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks Jeff Richter
Westward Go-4 are not sold in Canada. Canada does not see them as motorcycles
I cant get the state of Texas to register my interceptor 4 go , they say its a golf cart and I cant drive it on the road has anyone else had this problem my number is 682-667-1650 any suggestions would help
Look at the local laws. My Go-4 registers as a motorcycle since it has 3 wheels. The “enclosed cab” is what throws off insurance companies. State Farm helped me out since my insurance is with them. I think they had to find someone to write the policy. Nonetheless, I am on the west coast and having grown up in the south, I will tell you that it is all in who you know so don’t give up. One person may say no, but another may find a way to register it. Be nice and you will succeed. It took me a long time at the DMV for them to figure out a way to register mine. I love it by the way and advise you to stick with it.
Look at the local laws. My Go-4 registers as a motorcycle since it has 3 wheels. The “enclosed cab” is what throws off insurance companies. State Farm helped me out since my insurance is with them. I think they had to find someone to write the policy. Nonetheless, I am on the west coast and having grown up in the south, I will tell you that it is all in who you know so don’t give up. One person may say no, but another may find a way to register it. Be nice and you will succeed. It took me a long time at the DMV for them to figure out a way to register mine. I love it by the way and advise you to stick with it.
I’ll tell you what I use mine for:
Threw a 150 pound desk ‘top down’ on the back and drove it on back highways over 50 miles… no problem. My governor has been bypassed and it runs 65 with ease.
Load my boat on it for trips to the river and use it on the ramp to pull my boat, with wheels down, out of the water to the parking lot for unloading my motor (which fits in the cargo space in the back) then throw my boat on top and off I go.
Can park in any spot around town that others can’t.
I’ve moved a lot of furniture strapped down on the back and the extra weight only makes the Go-4 ride better!
I’ve had more chats with people about this little thing, than any vehicle I’ve ever driven, and they all ask where they can got one.
Only wish there was mass production on this vehicle to bring down the NEW price; as well as, laws in the US which allow for enclosed 3 wheel vehicles to be registered and easily insured in all states.
Hello! I am looking to buy 1 or maybe 2 Interceptors if anyone has one for sale? I live in British Columbia so the closer you are the better. I’m not sure if I should post my contact info here?
My buddy and I just completed a 1200 mile trip in our 2004 Go-4s. Starting in San Diego we drove to Lone Pine, Ca. and spent the night in a tiny home VRBO. From there we drove to June Lake, Ca. and stayed in a relatives condo. The next day my buddy and I drove up to Virginia City, Nv. for lunch and sightseeing. My wife followed us in her car as ground support. It’s a good thing she did since my buddy had a heater line coupler break and he lost all of his coolant. I had a couple of small issues with mine. First was the starter solenoid is starting to fail. A good whack with a screwdriver handle got me started and back on the highway. The other issue didn’t arise until we had to climb some steep grades. I was trying to keep the speed up and I think I over revved the engine. I never had any problems but after we got to our destination I saw an oil spot on the ground.
We jacked it up, pulled the wheels and worked on it for a few hours looking for the leak. I was fearing the dreaded rear main crank seal falling out again. We already had to replace them on both machines when we first bought them. If you pull the starter you can see the main seal using an inspection mirror. You can also get your fingers in there and feel the seal to see if it’s in place. Lucky for me the seal was still in place. I had peened around the the seal with a center punch when I replaced it a year ago. That kept it from falling out again. They aren’t even a press fit. You can use a finger to install it and remove it. That’s Not normal!
With the bell housing inspection cover removed neither one of use could find the leak so we wiped it down and reassembled it. There wasn’t a lot of oil loss. It was down appx 1/4 from the full mark on the stick in 400 miles. By the time I got home it is down about half way between the marks on the dipstick. Not dangerous for 1200 miles.
I think it’s created a leak in the oil pan gasket at the rear of the engine. All of the pan gaskets are tight and I had just replaced the rocker cover gasket since it was leaking a bit. I know it isn’t leaking. I’m going to drop the oil pan and reseal it at the same time I replace the starter solenoid.
Mine is a 2004 and has 31k miles on it now. It had 23k when I bought in a non running condition.
We are really surprised how well they performed. The outside temps ranged from 100 degrees in the desert to 32 degrees in the mountains and it performed great. Even at over 8000 feet of elevation. We cruised the highway between 55 to 65 mph most of the way and at times hit 75 mph. I know mine will do 78 but I don’t want to take it faster than that.
On a side note, the Interceptor 3 seems to overheat easily. We had a couple of those that we sold and just cruising the highway at 65 they had a tendency to overheat. I’m not sure why other than it’s a bit higher horsepower. Someone else I know has had the same thing happen. I’m wondering if the radiator fan is smaller than the 04’. Not sure why they overheat.
All in all it was a fun trip. We had fun with all the people taking pics, pointing and laughing at us. When stopped we had to answer a lot of questions from curious people. One bar owner even gave us a “The first round is on the house” when I told him we drove them from San Diego. Most of the people didn’t believe us when we told them how far we had driven them.
I don’t think I’ll do another long trip like that. After several hours your throttle leg knee starts to hurt. Actually both start to hurt after awhile but the right one really hurts. I quickly learned that I could open the right side door and stick my right leg out the door to straighten it out for a few miles while using the left leg on the gas. Kind of like riding side saddle.
My buddy had the same issue. Neither he nor I are particularly young. I’m 62 and he’s 58.
That’s probably part of the problem.
So, in the end, these are capable little machines. You need to respect what they can do and try not to push them to hard. They are a lot of fun.
Near Mammoth Lakes, Ca.
I guess Pics don’t show up.
Try reducing the image size. If the picture is no bigger than 1,200 pixels in the bigger dimension, it’ll usually post here.
hey guys.
i’m considering bidding on a non-runner Go-4.
What engine is in em? Is it a Hyundai? What type? i need to know if i can find parts….
It depends upon the year of the Gopher. Early models used a Mazda engine and parts are available locally. After that, around 2k Hyundai made the engine. The model is a G4HC. Parts are not readily available in the US. Parts are not hard to source but typically come from overseas or some can be found in Mexico. Ebay, amazon and SpareKorea are your best bet. Late model Gophers utilized a 3 cylinder Ford engine.
I don’t know much about them other than users complain they lack power.
The Gophers are a fun vehicle to drive. I own a 2004. Later plastic bodied versions are subject to Crack. They also switched the front suspension which a lot of people don’t seem to like. I believe that was around 2008.
Good luck in your purchase.