Derby Talk

I thought he wanted to build a track where he could reach a certain elapsed time so he could win on the aluminum track he races on at District. He has taken 1st place at his pack his 1st year of racing. If he can get some elapsed times at his District, or the winning car, he can figure out how much ...

Perhaps cut pieces off a 2x6 and put a screw eye on each side. Hold the car in place with a rubber band. Run 2 screws through the bottom of the storage bin into each piece. Cover the screw heads with duct tape so nothing gets scratched. The under the bed storage bins I have came with a cover that sn...

I think it is not SUPER common but it does happen. I suspect it is axle and bore prep. Obviously, having a track like the one you will be racing on is the best. However, probably doing something is better then doing nothing.
Best of Luck.

Good answers from birddog and FS. Set the timer the distance your car will run on the Pack or District track. Record the time. Then move the timer to the 20' mark and record the time. It would be nice if you have a winning car or are able to acquire one to see how it performs at the two distances. I...

That's a Good Point, Whoda. I am now wondering how much protection you get from a hat that costs $6.50.

Because of the speed of Pinewood Derby cars today all of our track operators are required to wear Hardhats. OK, I'm kidding. I've been wearing a hardhat for many years because it makes people laugh. The scouts ask me why I carry my car on my head. I tell them I can't remember where I put things so t...

Not my fault. Thejep started it.

I'm an inspector. Does a magnet stick to these axles? Does the round point match the round point on some Chinese made axles? One District I will be inspecting does not require slots and axles be visible. How am I going to catch a cheater?

This gentleman needs to attend a seminar on "How to Cheat". If you're going to cheat you NEVER, NEVER put a fancy paint job on the car. That's an insult to the inspectors. OK, kidding aside. Were these cars allowed to race and won their races? Did they dominate their races? Were they runni...

Nice looking car 5 oz and Welcome to DT. The problem many folks run into, if not all of us, is dust. The longer the paint stays tacky the more dust it will collect. The more coats that have to be applied makes the dust problem worse. The beauty of automotive clear urethane is that it is heavy bodied...

Any store that services body shops for refinishing. You can take your time looking at colors and asking questions.
Good Luck.

newbie, here is our experience. In our 2013 race our car first raced at District on a 35' Best track where the car traveled 29' 10" from start pin to timer. It was recording 2.60 and barely got beat by only one other car. It was fast enough to be one of the 8 fastest cars to move to a 40' Freed...

That is TOO COOL ! ! !
What speed do you think your machine reached? How far did the cars travel from start to finish?

Does the Champ timer record Elapsed Time?

Automotive Basecoat/Clearcoat paint is available in spray cans. Here is some info on cost and product in our area. For colors, the can cost $8.50 and colors range from $6.00 to $12.00. Color is added to the can and is enough to usually paint a fender on a mid-size car. All colors are available such ...