EZGO MARATHON BLACK HOLE

[EDWIN DIRNBECK]

Hello eveyone .I am a new member in St louis. I THINK that I have a 1992 ezygo Marathon. The ID tag says724917 and 19m92. I am very frustrated. The only reason that I THINK THAT I HAVE A MARATHON is when I look at parts for sale and compare them to my cart the venders call them MARATHON PARTS.The Ezygo company did not put a Marathon decal on their carts. The Ezgo company does not have an owners manual or a service manual for my cart. Any online manuals that show a cart like mine do NOT SAY MARATHON. SOO my questions are do I have a Marathon ? and where did this name come from? This seems to be a great forum ,with many helpful members. Thanks to anyone in advance that could help

[golfcartg]

Welcome! Mostly everything from 1988-1994.5 was considered a Marathon, here are a couple pics that could help clear it up

[Michael Eddie]

[EDWIN DIRNBECK]

Welcome! Mostly everything from 1988-1994.5 was considered a Marathon, here are a couple pics that could help clear it up

GOLFCARTG, Thank you for your fast reply.I am still puzzled up as to why there is no ezgo company owner manuals or service manuals that mention the name Marathon. Thanks again,Edwin Dirnbeck

[Michael Eddie]

Let me try to help clear up the confusion. The "Marathon" name was more of an industry and community label rather than a company designation. E-Z-GO especially around that time tended to use model numbers instead of marketing names. In your case, for the four wheeled versions, the models were referred to as "X-444" in the electric variants. The Marathon model line started in the 70s and carried through the early 90s. Before the Marathon, E-Z-GO golf carts from the 1950s and early 1960s were identified by model numbers such as the 300D and later the 400B, which were used until around 1964. Overall, when you see vendors selling parts as "Marathon," they’re referring to the X-444 model line. So while your cart may not have a "Marathon" badge, it fits within that family of carts that owners and vendors commonly call Marathon.

The X-444 specifically was the 4 wheeled electric Marathon with variants like the X-444F for the "Marathon Freedom" models which featured headlights and the X-444J for the "Marathon Spirit" line. They even had the GX-444 for the gasoline Marathon version. This model ran strong in the late 80s and early 90s, before E-Z-GO transitioned into newer designs like the Medalist and TXT series. The Marathon designation really stuck because it marked a significant era of their design and manufacturing. E-Z-GO was transitioning from their early models like the X-440, which was a 3 wheeled model, into the 4 wheel platform which is what you're looking at with your cart.

In the early 1990s E-Z-GO was moving on from their long standing Marathon series to newer models like the Medalist and TXT. Under Textron's ownership they were refining their carts for golf and industrial use while experimenting with new designs. Facing stiff competition from Club Car, especially after one of E-Z-GO's founders acquired it in 1978, the company mainly focused on improving performance and reliability.

Your frustration is understandable! The company’s lack of clarity in naming the Marathon specifically in their manuals adds to the confusion, but you do indeed have a Marathon cart based on its features and time period. Hopefully that helps clear things up and makes it all make sense. You’ve got a solid machine with a lot of history behind it! Oh, and here is your service manual along with a 70's brochure example:

[Michael Eddie]

Some more magazine ads from over the years

[EDWIN DIRNBECK]

Let me try to help clear up the confusion. The "Marathon" name was more of an industry and community label rather than a company designation. E-Z-GO especially around that time tended to use model numbers instead of marketing names. In your case, for the four wheeled versions, the models were referred to as "X-444" in the electric variants. The Marathon model line started in the 70s and carried through the early 90s. Before the Marathon, E-Z-GO golf carts from the 1950s and early 1960s were identified by model numbers such as the 300D and later the 400B, which were used until around 1964. Overall, when you see vendors selling parts as "Marathon," they’re referring to the X-444 model line. So while your cart may not have a "Marathon" badge, it fits within that family of carts that owners and vendors commonly call Marathon.

The X-444 specifically was the 4 wheeled electric Marathon with variants like the X-444F for the "Marathon Freedom" models which featured headlights and the X-444J for the "Marathon Spirit" line. They even had the GX-444 for the gasoline Marathon version. This model ran strong in the late 80s and early 90s, before E-Z-GO transitioned into newer designs like the Medalist and TXT series. The Marathon designation really stuck because it marked a significant era of their design and manufacturing. E-Z-GO was transitioning from their early models like the X-440, which was a 3 wheeled model, into the 4 wheel platform which is what you're looking at with your cart.

In the early 1990s E-Z-GO was moving on from their long standing Marathon series to newer models like the Medalist and TXT. Under Textron's ownership they were refining their carts for golf and industrial use while experimenting with new designs. Facing stiff competition from Club Car, especially after one of E-Z-GO's founders acquired it in 1978, the company mainly focused on improving performance and reliability.

Your frustration is understandable! The company’s lack of clarity in naming the Marathon specifically in their manuals adds to the confusion, but you do indeed have a Marathon cart based on its features and time period. Hopefully that helps clear things up and makes it all make sense. You’ve got a solid machine with a lot of history behind it! Oh, and here is your service manual along with a 70's brochure example:

Michael Eddie,Thank you,thank you. This explains it all. It seems like all vehicle manufacturers WORLDWIDE are being run by number crunchers. Cars used to be Mustang ,Stingray. Imperial. Now it is C8 zo6,I7xp and such . They spend so much time and money creating new models and cant even think of a distinctive name or any name. Drives me nuts. By the way I am an 83 year old tool and die maker and try to do all of my own repair and maintenance on everything. I dont like to repair things by using a parts cannon.This forum and the people of it are the best.Thanks again Edwin Dirnbeck

[Michael Eddie]

Edwin, I couldn’t agree more! You’ve hit the nail on the head, it seems like everything these days is driven by numbers and efficiency, while the character and soul that once defined has taken a back seat. Now, it’s all alphanumeric jargon that just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Drives me nuts too!

Love to hear you’re still doing your own repairs and maintenance and it sounds like you understand the importance of fixing things the right way, not just throwing parts at a problem. I couldn’t agree more! The people here really do make it feel like a community of folks who just get it. Looking forward to sharing more conversations with you

[golfcartg]

Michael Eddie,Thank you,thank you. This explains it all. It seems like all vehicle manufacturers WORLDWIDE are being run by number crunchers. Cars used to be Mustang ,Stingray. Imperial. Now it is C8 zo6,I7xp and such . They spend so much time and money creating new models and cant even think of a distinctive name or any name. Drives me nuts. By the way I am an 83 year old tool and die maker and try to do all of my own repair and maintenance on everything. I dont like to repair things by using a parts cannon.This forum and the people of it are the best.Thanks again Edwin Dirnbeck

For sure, that’s the way it goes these days