Secrets to best Pinewood derby car?

[classylady]

What's your secret or idea for the fastest Pinewood Derby car? My grandson has his Pinewood derby this week, and I would like him to have a great experience. He is ten years old and this is the first year he has been able to join Cub Scouts. He has always attended church with us, but he lived with his dad (who is inactive) and so was never enrolled in Scouts. Currently, my grandson and his dad are living with us, so he finally gets to participate in a Pinewood Derby. Yeah!

[Lakumi]

call it something fun like The Mormon Stinger or something lol

[MarginOfError]

Get as close to the 5 oz weight limit as possible.

Get the wheels on straight (if they aren't straight, they'll create more friction)

lubricate the wheels (legally) carefully. If they don't turn freely, the car will be slow

Most importantly, let your grandson do most of the work.

[pam]

Hobby Lobby also has an entire section just for pinewood derby cars.

[Just_A_Guy]

Incidentally, our elders quorum once did a "no rules pinewood derby". Boy, the things people come up with . . .

[Traveler]

As a scientist and engineer I spent a lot of time with my sons and pinewood derby building. We always did very well but the most memorable experience was one year and son #2's car. As it turns out I was out of town on business when the time came for the pinewood derby. Son #2 never told anyone about the pinewood derby until the day before. Mom seemed busy and I was out of town so son #2 decided to build his car himself (in one day) - without telling anyone. There were no extra weights - no amazing paint job or design. It looked like crap and Mom was embarrassed - it looked so bad and son #2 was teased by the other kids.

But the car won every race and went on to region and district - it never lost but it was made fun of a lot. To this day that car is in a glass case with all the little trophies and metals it won. None of the other cars built with Dad have been saved and the one car build exclusively by the scout and the object of the most ridicule has become a family legend. Who would have known. I actually think that the fact that it won anything is not as meaningful as son #2 telling everybody that he built it himself without supervision.

You never know what kids will do with an opportunity if we let them.

The Traveler

[mirkwood]

One of my friends Pinewood Derby cars was made out of lead. Entire car body was lead. He won the first and only race he was allowed to participate in...

[lds2]

Put the wheel on the nail, if it rattles or is off balance it can slow the car down so you might buy more than one box and make sure there are at least 4 "good ones" in those two boxes. Also sand the ridges off of the nails. Keep the weights as even as you can as if it heads off to one side or the other it will slow it down. Like other's have said, for "professional" instructions you can find them online but you will usually need some drills and special stuff that our family seldom had. I celebrated when my last son "graduated" from cub scouts, no more derbys, reading this article it still makes me happy! Good luck!!!

[classylady]

Put the wheel on the nail, if it rattles or is off balance it can slow the car down so you might buy more than one box and make sure there are at least 4 "good ones" in those two boxes. Also sand the ridges off of the nails. Keep the weights as even as you can as if it heads off to one side or the other it will slow it down. Like other's have said, for "professional" instructions you can find them online but you will usually need some drills and special stuff that our family seldom had. I celebrated when my last son "graduated" from cub scouts, no more derbys, reading this article it still makes me happy! Good luck!!!

I know what you mean, lds2. It was a relief to have cub scouts over with after my four sons "graduated" on into Boy Scouts. And, I was under a lot less stress when they finished with Boy Scouts too. Not because I don't appreciate the Scouting program, but because it can be a lot of work. I know the boys are supposed to learn leadership skills, and do the merit badges on their own, but, it seems like I had to nag them to get them to do anything even though they enjoyed the scouting program.

This will be my grandson's one and only Pinewood Derby. I want it to be a good/fun experience for him.

Edited September 16, 2013 by classylady

[Guest]

My son wanted a semi truck. My husband tried explaining to him the merits of aerodynamics on Pinewood Derby racers. He said he didn't care. He wanted a semi truck. So my husband helped him build one. And won every race. Unfortunately, he was only 7 then and was not officially in Cub Scouts yet so he didn't get to "place". But, it gave my husband some food for thought. Anyway, he's had 2 derbies since joining Cubs but he has 3 cars on his derby shelf. The semi truck is on top. :)

[bytebear]

Go for style or speed. Speed, you just want it to be a wedge of cheese shape. Style, go for spoilers, white wall rims, and an awesome paint job with lots of decals.

[Vort]

Definitely go for style. My boys did a Mario Kart, a Speed Racer Mach 5, a skateboard, and lots of other very cool things. Everyone always loved their derby racers. Plus, they actually performed very well; a couple of times, they won the contest. The secret there is in polishing the axles very carefully with increasingly fine-grit sandpaper and then pumice, and using powdered graphite for lubrication.

[classylady]

Hobby Lobby also has an entire section just for pinewood derby cars.

Pam, I took my grandson into Hobby Lobby in American Fork today. We found some cool stuff. Thanks for the suggestion. The derby is on Wednesday, so we need to get the car painted tonight, and it gets weighed tomorrow. Looking forward to this.

[classylady]

Definitely go for style. My boys did a Mario Kart, a Speed Racer Mach 5, a skateboard, and lots of other very cool things. Everyone always loved their derby racers. Plus, they actually performed very well; a couple of times, they won the contest. The secret there is in polishing the axles very carefully with increasingly fine-grit sandpaper and then pumice, and using powdered graphite for lubrication.

Yep. We are going for style. Hopefully, it will have some speed.

BTW, good to hear from you again, Vort.

[Just_A_Guy]

BTW, good to hear from you again, Vort.

Hear, hear.

[Wingnut]

When I was a stake YSA rep, we once had a "veggie derby" for a stake activity. We had to put together cars made from potatoes, carrots, squash, toothpicks, etc. and race them. One person peeled their potato and did nothing else to it -- it just rolled right down the ramp...lol.

[bigcreek]

My boys car from 2 years ago won the tourney and it was in the shape of a school bus. It looked dog ugly! The carving work was terrible, rough, and the paint job was quite "unprofessional" shall we say? But my boy made it and next to the others it did look pretty bad. I helped him graphite the wheels/axles but other than that it was pretty much his baby. He even raced it across the floor for 15 min before the games began. I was going to stop him but thought what the heck, let him have his fun. Well despite the ugliness and the abuse it took prior to the race it won it all. Everyone got schooled by the bus. lol it was a great night for my boy. And for me. I dont think the shape matters much. You can argue aerodynamics but I have not seen the shape of the vehicle make much of a difference. Get as close to the max weight as you can, straight wheels, lubed wheels/axles. Thats about all I know.