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Brad Lyon
03-10-2002, 07:52 PM
Well it's that time of year again. The time that all dad's look forward to, right!!!! Here it the entry for my nine year old.

http://www.donzi.net/photos/blyon519.jpg

http://www.donzi.net/photos/blyon520.jpg

now it is time to start on a car for the seven year old.

Brad

http://www.donzi.net/photos/eagleflag.gif

mattyboy
03-11-2002, 07:55 AM
cool design, how does it run? with all the material removed is it heavy enough? I miss those days had a blast with my son building ours,
good luck in the derby

Matt

Steven Cohn
03-11-2002, 09:41 AM
I agree, cool design! I remember my father and I building those cars in Cub Scouts. We even won a trophy one year. The axles and wheels look different - I remember indy style axles (polishing nails to hold the skinny plastic wheels and using graphite as lube). Finally, we would go to the Post Ofice for an accurate wieght.
Thanks Dad. I miss you.

Formula Jr
03-11-2002, 04:11 PM
That is one very cool design! Got to get those wheels perfectly set, aligned and round so there is no wooble, max out the length and pre heat the car to 90 degrees so the air is thinned about the body for less drag. :D

Brad Lyon
03-11-2002, 06:17 PM
Mattyboy, yes it is heavy enough. It weighs 4.974 ounces, the limit is 5.0 ounces. There is alot of lead added to the body in the rear of the car. This was carved from the block that comes with the kit supplied by our pack.

Steven, they are very strict with the axles and wheels. You MUST use the wheels and axles that come with the official pinewood derby kit. The wheels are alot wider than they used to be.

Brad

http://www.donzi.net/photos/eagleflag.gif

ToonaFish
03-11-2002, 06:26 PM
What, no lift eye rings?

Bunches,

Celene 'wondering how you'll top this for the seven year old'

Formula Jr
03-11-2002, 06:45 PM
It really does need the lifting rings. I second Toonafish's idea. But you don't have to chrome them. :D

Brad Lyon
03-11-2002, 09:29 PM
You sold me... I will have to see what I can come up with for lifting rings. I do have some room to play with on weight. The closer to 5.0 ounces the better.

Brad

http://donzi.net/photos/eagleflag.gif

Ranman
03-11-2002, 09:30 PM
My uncle used to invest literally thousands into my cousins derby cars. He would have the wheels radius ground around the outside (so the profile was like a "U", He'd have his buddies at Ford press in the axles by machine. Then they would use special instruments to make sure the alignment was perfect. They would spare no expense at testing and development. Not sure if true or not, but rumors ran that they would lighten the car up and hide a long vile of mercury above a thin layer of lead so when the car hit the bottom of the hill the mercury would slide forward slingshotting the car down the straight. Sad part is I don't think they ever won. Oh well, someone's always got more loot than you.

BigGrizzly
03-12-2002, 07:04 PM
Raman All you say is illeagle in the pinewood class except for the manufactures class among the auto makers that have privatly American Honda had wone them 7 years in a row from 1982 to 1989. maby more but I quit auto in 1989.

Now brad what you can do is lighten the wheels and get the weight up- high to the rear not low. The track isn't long enough to take advantage of the airo stuff. It is all in the wheels. My son Andy won his division twice( than quit scouts for boats)and we only did wheels and axels.You are required to use wheels in the kit. I do have say the car looks fantastick. I still do have several sets of wheels I worked on. ne mor thing go to the maximum wheel base, this makes the car run true down the track. Andy and I had so much fun. me showing him how to use the lathe to do the wheels. Great father and son stuff

CDMA
03-12-2002, 07:20 PM
Man I remember those things. What a blast. Feels like a couple years ago...oh man it was a couple years ago. My eagle project for Boy scouts was to build a new track for the cars. Don't forget the Graphite the axles...

Chris

marcdups
03-12-2002, 08:45 PM
Cn some one clue in this foreign git what you are all talking about, It all sounds pretty cool, I have two sons and would like to have an idea if they ever post the question about these derby's??

Cool looking land Donzi Brad :D :D

Towel Boy!! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Brad Lyon
03-12-2002, 09:15 PM
Marc,

Pinewood derby is a event that is held each year in cub scouts. In our "Pack" we give our boys the kit for Christmas. The kit contains a block of pine wood (hence the name pinewood) that measures 1-1/4" x 1-3/4" x 7". The kit also comes with (4) nails and (4) plastic wheels.

From that you are to design, shape and finish the body of the car and put the wheels on. The kit will always be under 5 ounces so you can add weight to bring the car up to but not to exceed 5 ounces. The block of wood will have two slots in it where you will mount the wheels, because all of the cars must have the same wheel base.

There are lots of ideas of what will make the car faster and such but it is fun just to make the cars with your son(s) and race them against the other cub scouts.

There are a certain number of cars from each Pack that will go on to race other packs and so on all the way up to a national race. Not that I will ever see that.

Hope this answers your questions.

Brad

http://www.donzi.net/photos/eagleflag.gif

marcdups
03-13-2002, 06:18 PM
Thanks for clearing this up for me Brad, sounds way cool and competitive, I am looking to enroll the eldest one in the Scouts, he is 4 1/2 and is into all types of projects with his Dad, so this will be something different and fun to look forward to.

Son, I say son is that thing gonna fly or what!! eek! eek!

smoothie
03-14-2002, 08:23 PM
Heres a couple of cars that my son and I made,well
I made,he will be old enough to run the saws and sanders next year,We took best of show and 2nd place overall with the first car and 2nd overall last year with the 2nd car(we were beat by 1/4 of an inch both times for 1st place) :mad:

http://www.donzi.net/photos/speed1.jpg.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/speed2.jpg.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/purple1.jpg.jpg
http://www.donzi.net/photos/purple2.jpg.jpg

We had about 50 cars enter for both years and had a track with an electronic finish line and digital read outs for 1st,2nd and 3rd place.The kids really have alot of fun with it as so do the dads,they are even thinking about having a seperate race of the dads.Good Luck at the big race Brad and DRY GRAPHITE RULES wink wink

Formula Jr
03-14-2002, 09:18 PM
Its the Mach 5 AND Racer X. Speed's Secret Older Brother's car!!!!!!

Steven Cohn
03-16-2002, 10:13 PM
Woa, Smoothie, that's some fine wood carvin'! You must carve a mean turkey during the holidays.
My Dad and I never made anything even close to those cars.
Steven

smoothie
03-18-2002, 02:13 PM
Steven,
Yea!I must admit I do carve a pretty mean turkey!And next year we are doing speed racers "FASTEST CAR" with the SRX engine :cool: .
Rick

Steven Cohn
03-18-2002, 02:41 PM
Smoothie,
PS-You've got a handsome young man there too. I'm sure your proud of him.
Steven

Brad Lyon
03-20-2002, 08:03 PM
Hey!!!!

Were going to the districts! :D :D

We just got back from the Pinewood Derby race. My 7 year old came in 4th. place and my 9 year old came in 6th. place out of 39 cars.

Much better than last year, they came in last and second from last :mad: .

Brad

http://www.donzi.net/photos/eagleflag.gif

smoothie
03-20-2002, 08:17 PM
Way to go Brad :) Good luck at your next race,I bet your kids are proud of good ol dad this year wink Man you just cant beat those damn Donzi's land or sea!

Rick

harbormaster
03-20-2002, 08:56 PM
Congrats Brad. I bet you are really proud of your boys..

Formula Jr
03-20-2002, 11:47 PM
You mean the one they dug up and forced Speedie to drive with the drug in the spray can!!!!
OOOOOHHHH!!! Watch out SPEED!!!! :D

Steven Cohn
03-21-2002, 09:49 AM
Congatulations Brad and Crew,
I remember that now the competition gets serious. Good luck.
Steven