Although the big three golf cart manufacturers remain the most popular and successful on the market, there are still many producers who create great carts.
For example, Poland’s Melex is known for high-quality carts throughout Europe and parts of America.
And while their carts are not as popular in America as they were in the 1970s and 80s, they still have a presence here.
Therefore, it is important to know how to age these golf carts to figure out when they were manufactured and their value.
A Brief History of Melex Golf Carts
Melex is a golf cart manufacturer that isn’t seen a lot in the US market these days.
However, they are very popular in Europe and still produce golf carts for international trade.
You can find these carts throughout many American markets, particularly in the used and aftermarket fields.
But who exactly is Melex and what kind of golf carts do they produce?
Melex started producing golf carts in Mielec, Poland, in 1970 and pushed in the US market in the middle of the next year.
They were mostly an EZGO clone early in their existence, creating carts that looked and drove exactly like those models in those concurrent years.
However, they started to expand their production and create different styles as the years passed and their success grew.
As they created new carts, Melex mostly focused on three-wheel and four-wheel models.
These options were upgraded at various types throughout the years, including adding a seat brake and metal bodies onto later models.
Eventually, they also started producing electrical options and, like most golf cart manufacturers, moved to producing only four-wheel models for the market.
Eventually, all-plastic models came out in the 1990s, as did those with larger 18-cubic-inch engines, those with Dana differentials, and much more.
And while they never achieved the widespread popularity that Yamaha, EZGO, and other carts have throughout America, they do maintain a presence.
They are often heralded for their inexpensive, but sturdy, designs and their no-frills interiors.
That said, most buyers are likely to find used models throughout America because these are the most common.
As a result, it is important to understand how to gauge the year of these carts.
However, there are a few complications here.
Understanding this problem can make this process easier, as we’ll later give you some tips and advice on how to get around the problem we’re about to discuss.
Melex Serial Numbers Remain Something of a Mystery
For whatever reason, there is very little information about Melex serial numbers.
That said, you aren’t completely out of luck in this scenario.
That’s because there are many other ways that you can figure out the age of your cart.
We collected as many of these tips as we could to make it easier for you and others to find out the age of their cart without any difficulty.
You may have to do some inspection of your cart’s interior and exterior, though, so be prepared for these steps.
Ways to Figure Out Melex Golf Cart Ages
Without a serial number, it may seem like it would be impossible to age a Melex golf cart.
As a result, trying to figure out the precise age of your golf cart is going to create a major challenge that may seem impossible to overcome.
That’s because we did find some ways that you can figure out a pretty good estimate of your cart’s general age.
In some cases, we may be able to identify the exact year of your cart.
In other instances, only the decade it may have been produced in at the time.
So make sure to watch for these items when aging your golf cart:
- The Model Number – The 102 three-wheel model and the 202 four-wheel models of Melex golf carts were the first types produced by this company. They were produced from 1970 to 1974. In 1975, the nearly identical 112 three-wheel and 212 four-wheel carts replaced them. Likewise, model numbers like the 512E started in 1992 and the 152 and 252 models started in 1985 and lasted until 1990.
- Engine Size – For most of Melex’s production run, their carts were well under 18-cubic-inches, which made them fairly underpowered compared to other options. However, they introduced the 18-cubic-inch-engine cart in 1996 and kept manufacturing these for years. Later on, they upgraded these to 625E and 625G – electric and gas models, respectively – and continually changed their carts, as needed, to keep them popular and accessible to the public.
- Engine Type – Gasoline models were the only type Melex produced for a very long time. That’s because their market was primarily for these carts, and they were what they build their reputation upon at first. However, they eventually released electrical models late in their career. For example, they manufactured a 512E in 1992 – not their first electric model, but one that made an impact on the market. Typically, their electric models can be traced to starting in the early 1980s and come into popularity in the 1990s.
- Body Style – Melex produced mostly metal-based carts for a majority of their production career. For example, their all-metal 152 and 252 modes came out as late as 1985 and were, in many ways, the guide for other Melex carts. However, they eventually transitioned to plastic options, particularly in 1985. This model was the 412 and was the first Melex cart that had all-plastic bodies. Earlier carts had plastic just on their fenders and dash. Later models mixed metal and plastic to varying degrees.
- Differential Types – Open up your golf cart and check the differentials. Find the manufacturer names on these parts and look for the name “Data.” By 1992, Melex was using these differentials n some, but not all, of their carts. By 1994, all of their carts were using these differentials. Any cart without them was produced before 1992 – use any of the other factors here to get a more precise idea of your cart’s age, if such information is useful for you here.
- Motor Speed Controller – In 1986, Melex made golf cart history by being the first golf cart manufacturer to use a modern solid state motor speed controller. If you find one of these items in your cart, you can know that they were manufactured after 1986. Carts without them were obviously produced before – the exact year or decade will vary but should be easy to find if you are careful and seek out the information listed throughout this section.
- Company Name – For a majority of its production career, Melex’s US assets were controlled directly by the manufacturer. However, Nagy Golf & Turf of Mesa, Arizona, purchased these assets in 2000. And they include their name and logo on the carts manufactured under this name. As a result, any cart you see produced with this name or logo is made after 2000. We realize that this is a 20-year span or so but more details about these later models were not available online.
- Tag Number Combo – On some Melex golf carts, you may be able to find a tag attached to the motor. This tag is metal and can be cleaned with a wire bristle brush. Look for a number combination that indicates the month and year of manufacture. For example, you may find a combo of 03/84, which means it was produced in March of 1984. Not all Melex carts may have this tag, so make sure to keep this fact in mind before aging your cart.
By following these steps, you should have no difficulty figuring out how old your cart is, at least generally.
Though you may not be able to find the exact year, you can get a good estimate of when it was manufactured.
However, there is always one last option if you don’t want to do all of this work: getting a hold of Melex experts at their home office in Poland.
Contacting Melex May Be a Wise Choice
If for any reason the tips above don’t apply to your cart, you can always reach out to Melex for more information.
This company is still in production and is very reliable when answering queries about their carts.
There are several ways to contact them.
For example, you can mail them a letter asking about your cart’s year.
Expect some delays, however, due to the snail-mail nature of this communication.
Their mailing address is:
Melex Ltd.
ul. Inwestorów 25,
39-300 MIELEC
POLAND
However, you can also call their management office at +48 17 773 81 00 or fax them at +48 17 773 81 01 to get faster answers.
This option is a wise choice if you want to talk to somebody directly and get an answer right away.
However, you can also e-mail them at [email protected] if you don’t have a fax or would rather not talk on the phone.
Likewise, you can reach out to their sales department at these two numbers: +48 17 773 81 19 or +48 17 773 81 08.
Call the first number and then move to the second if you cannot get a hold of them at first.
You can also e-mail at [email protected] if necessary.
They are usually quite good about getting back with people in a day or even a few hours after sending.
Other departments you can contact include the spare parts department – phone number +48 17 773 81 10 or e-mail [email protected] – and their service department – phone number +48 17 773 81 13 or e-mail [email protected]. Between these individual segments of the company, you should be able to find somebody who can help.
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