My Sons Pine Wood Derby car

[J. Abbott]

My oldest son is 6 years old and this was his first pinewood derby. We started on the car later than what we should and I really felt bad about it. We had a Test and Tune on the Friday night before the race so I wanted to make sure we could get there and the car would be somewhat competitive. My nephew painted it Synergy Green. The car was supposed to look like a Daytona Prototype, but I should have spent more time on it. I started Tuesday evening and got it back on Thursday from my nephew. I spent about 4 hours on it Thursday night, I did not want him to be disappointed in the car and I felt bad that I had not had much time with him to work on it.
******Well watch the video and you will see how our weekend turned out. Needless to say I have allot of people gunning for us next year. The video is of one of the practice races, it was pretty much the same thing for all of the races. We had to leave Friday night because all of the other Dads were trying to look at the car and see what we did. It obviously was a short wheelbase compared to everything else but we didn't want prying eyes. He ended up winning and we go to districts sometime this month. His His car was the green one in the center.

 

[GT6Steve]

Well you clearly did something right! I started reading the post and remembering all the tricks my dad put into our car. Clearly I don't have to post any of that nostalgia.:hi:

 

[TimAT]

WOW!! :thumbs:

It's one thing to edge someone out, but second wasn't even CLOSE!!!!:surrender:

 

[bobs77vet]

good for you .....i did this with my oldest son we got the kit for spinning the wheel pins and polishing them...spent alot of time making it perfect and at race day some schmoe father comes and is assembling his car on the table in front of us pushing it down to makes the wheels level ....it was kind of embarassing watching this and felt bad for his kid.....UNTIL they smoked everybody i think we had the slowest car....go figure

 

[J. Abbott]

Thank you everyone. There are some tricks but really more about just understanding what makes the cars move and what slows them down. I tried to take care of the friction and minimize it as much as possible. I polished those axles also but not with the kit you purchase from the hobby store. I used real metal polish on. The weight is what makes the car move and you have to have it in the right spot. I tell you I felt like the spot light was on us, the father and son that won the event last year was the second place car to us in that video an it pretty much started a shit storm of Dad's watching and asking about everything I was doing to the car. It got to the point we had to leave, we were getting allot of "advice" also but it is all appreciated. Hopefully he will do well in the districts, I had planned on building a new car but we have not had time so the DP car is going to districts. Some of the father really get into it, I found out at the event that one of them actually has his own test track. The good thing is that my son is really really into this now. He is a Tiger Cub and their den is really small and it seems like they get pushed to the side allot with the rest of the pack stuff, so it was nice to see a Tiger Cub get put the older boys in their place.
Justin

 

[J. Abbott]

good for you .....i did this with my oldest son we got the kit for spinning the wheel pins and polishing them...spent alot of time making it perfect and at race day some schmoe father comes and is assembling his car on the table in front of us pushing it down to makes the wheels level ....it was kind of embarassing watching this and felt bad for his kid.....UNTIL they smoked everybody i think we had the slowest car....go figure

Believe it or not there is something to that. It was probably a fluke on his part, but aero has nothing to do with slowing these little cars down, the weight of the block though really helps. I doubt his wheels were all level which also helps. I made mine with all the weight in the back of the car and on the front wheels I made one where it was about ten thousands higher then the other 3 wheels so it would not touch the track, less friction. Where I went overboard was drilling the axle holes on a bridgeport so that they were perfectly straight. It sounds like allot but it was not difficult and I wanted it to be right for my son. I was scared to show up and get beat in the first race, but I didn't plan on him winning the thing either. I prepared him to lose and so that he would not get upset and congratulate the other scouts. It was a huge surprise to him and I on the outcome though. My father in law is still giving my crap about, he calls me Chad now, like in Chad Knaus.(Father in law is a big Nascar fan)

 

[68L71]

I thought Boy Scouts was for little boys who don't have fathers.

 

[J. Abbott]

No not at all. It is all about family, they encourage family values and allot of the things they do require a parent working with them. Your thinking of Boys club or something like that, Big Brothers, there are several of them out there and there are I am sure plenty of Boy Scouts and Cub scouts that don't have fathers, so it is good for the parents to help out also. I know when my son goes to his den meetings not including myself there are at least 5 dads there along with the den leaders helping out. I have fun watching my son learn new stuff.

 

[mrvette]

I tell of this story every once in a while....I upsets the living crap outta me....but here goes....

Boy Scouts, my son was one of the youngsters in the van...8 pass window van, with plenty of cargo space in the rear for maybe 9 kids one down lo in the back....as I recall, at any rate the kids are having a fun trip from DC to Norfolk Navy base to tour a aircraft carrier and a Fast Attack Nukey sub....

USS America, just before her last deployment, and the USS Oklahoma City.....

so we greeted at the gate by a Marine just back from Iraq I, so he has his gun and of course pistol on belt.....so Marine gets on the radio to figger just where on base we are supposed to sleep in which barracks....typical SNAFU.....

so we are driving around checking with various personnel, and he is waiting for instructions on his radio.....

one of the PIA older kids....as the Marine is standing next to my lowered driver's door window.....shouts out to the Marine.....hey buddy, you ever KILL anyone?? I about froze, some giggles for maybe 5 microseconds from the back...keep in mind my son was one of the younger in the group...maybe age 12 or so....

So the Marine replies.....'Sir, Yes Sir, As a matter of fact I have'.....

about 5 seconds later, we could hear a pin drop in that van.....stone silence...

I look at the Marine, and say.....sometimes it takes a second....

he looks at me, and says, Yes, Sir, Sometimes it does'.....

the rest of the trip was very cool though....saw some neat stuff....

:smash::thumbs: