Lost to a child in pinewood derby. 

by "Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
Published 03/29/2017 at 12:13

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(our car was actually extremely fast, undefeated until the final.)

however, “Frank the Beaver” was dominant.

Replies (34)

"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
03/29/2017 at 12:16, STARS: 0

Dude .. always go with the beaver.

"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
03/29/2017 at 12:21, STARS: 2

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/29/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 1

My Pinewood Derby story: When I was 9 years old, my mom was dating an electrical engineer. He figured he could use his superior intellect to design and build the fastest wooden car on the planet. He used a belt sander to make it aerodynamic (looked a bit like a 1930s Indy car, actually), and he devised an intricate system whereby weight could be added or subtracted in order to get the car right up to the weight limit (because screw Leonardo da Vinci). My mom painted it, and my sole contribution to the project was installing a Fisher Price figure with a bent pot on his head as the driver. After all, ya gotta wear a helmet.

I came in last in every single race, and won the Square Wheel Award.

"ceanderson920" (ceanderson9290)
03/29/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0

I remember doing this when I was in boy scouts. One of the fastest cars I saw was shaped and painted to look like a thing of toothpaste.

"Ash78, voting early and often" (ash78)
03/29/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 2

My son lost our den race by a couple thousandths of a second — to a kid whose older brother won the regionals. There is no way their dad helped at all. Nope. Your car wins on style point, though. That ’ s like bowling ball livery.

"Azrek" (azrek)
03/29/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0

I remember this being super cut throat when I was a kid. I spent hours on mine and got 2nd in every race I was in through the years.
I just remember watching it go down the ramp and then it was quickly handed back to me in less time it took down to go down the ramp. I was told I was done and thanks for my time.
Not always the best experience.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:29, STARS: 1

They let the kid race the hell out of em, even invite the little ones with their “beaver buggies” did distance and straight tracking events too. the kids had a good time.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:30, STARS: 1

I remember the fisher-price pothead figure.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:31, STARS: 1

thanks, I just had it coloured with a sharpie

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:31, STARS: 0

I made up our own award for “used the most paint” which we win every year.

"Jerry Harding" (jerrylh3)
03/29/2017 at 12:33, STARS: 0

I think I still have my Pinewood Derby car somewhere. This probably would have been around 27 years ago. My dad and I painted it day-glo orange and used a decal sheet from a 1/24 Darrell Waltrip #17 Tide car to decorate it. The thing was slow as could be, but we won best looking car.

"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
03/29/2017 at 12:33, STARS: 1

I made tour buses. I did not cut the block. I painted it black & silver windows.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:34, STARS: 0

cool, ours are less crude versions of the one my dad made for me in the 80's.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0

back in the day, my buddy’s dad built him a car that was basically a leaden duckbilled toothpick, it still lost to a kid built one.

"My bird IS the word" (mybirdistheword)
03/29/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0

I won the propeller rocket race or whatever they are called, built mine shaped like a torpedo, but only because the kid’s who built his like a wedge exploded on the last run.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/29/2017 at 12:36, STARS: 0

Really, he made the perfect driver. Should have painted a Cub Scout uniform on him.

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
03/29/2017 at 12:37, STARS: 0

You don’t mess with frank the beaver.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:41, STARS: 0

I’ve also done that to two of our family rides

it’s hard to photograph.

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 12:43, STARS: 3

Here’s charlie taking frank of some sweet jumps.

"diplodicus" (diplodicus)
03/29/2017 at 13:00, STARS: 1

Apparently the key is to put all your weights as far back as possible. Effectively increasing the distance the weight falls which increases the speed.

"Stapleface" (patrickgruden)
03/29/2017 at 13:01, STARS: 2

I don’t have children, but I really want to do a pinewood derby. We should get some Oppos together and have our own racing league.

When I was a kid I was in the Indian Guides. I won first place the first year we did it. My dad and I built the car and it was the most haphazard thing in the world. The weight was done by adding washers to a bolt through the top of the car. It amused me that we had this pretty janky looking car that beat all of the ones that were clearly not designed at all by a child.

"MrDakka" (mrdakka)
03/29/2017 at 13:01, STARS: 1

Rookie mistake; aerodynamics don’t matter as much as wheel alignment. Those damn nails they package as the axles along with those loose wheels move all over place, increasing friction everywhere. If only they allowed some bearings and proper axles

"MrDakka" (mrdakka)
03/29/2017 at 13:03, STARS: 0

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Two beavers are better than one

"Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer" (dash-doorhandle-and-bondo)
03/29/2017 at 13:05, STARS: 1

our final design has 60 grams of stick-on wheel weights.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/29/2017 at 13:20, STARS: 0

Exactly. The EE never even considered the wheels. He was all into weight and aero. If you had the right wheel configuration, you’d probably win with the uncarved block.

Is it against the rules to upgrade the axles? Or do you have to go with what’s in the kit? That was more than 40 years ago for me.....

"Spaceball-Two" (spaceball-two)
03/29/2017 at 13:21, STARS: 0

I love me some Robin Sparkles.

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
03/29/2017 at 13:49, STARS: 1

He was a mechanical engineer. And the car that won looked like a turd painted green.

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
03/29/2017 at 13:51, STARS: 1

People grind off the wheels and leave just a disc. And they spin the axle nails with a drill and polish them extra-smooth. So to your question, yes.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/29/2017 at 14:08, STARS: 0

Really? I thought he was in electronics.

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura)
03/29/2017 at 14:33, STARS: 1

Nope. Definitely mechanical, and he lied about his qualifications to get the job at CTS Knights in Sandwich, and got sacked from there as a direct result. At least this is my understanding from his ex-wife.

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
03/29/2017 at 14:37, STARS: 0

Sounds like par for the course.

"Master Cylinder" (mastercylinder28)
03/29/2017 at 15:20, STARS: 0

I always sucked at Pinewood Derby. I was, however, two time champion of the little sailboat race thing, the name of which now escapes me.

"ThePenguin" (ThatOtherGuy7)
03/29/2017 at 17:54, STARS: 0

Put some negative camber on the wheels so it only rolls on the inside edge. Less friction and more speed.

"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
03/29/2017 at 20:23, STARS: 0

perfectly centered and aligned wheels. also smooth down the nails