Pinewood Derby car designs come in all shapes and sizes. From the sleek, aerodynamic design of the Pinewood Derby car to anything you and your son can imagine, the design of your Pinewood Derby car is really only limited by your imagination.
Pinewood Derby Car Design Tips
To keep your Pinewood Derby car looking its best, be sure to follow a few simple rules:
1. Take your time
Don’t wait until the last minute to build your car. It’s time to paint dry, especially during the cold winter months. Give yourself time to build up and do it right – you’ll know come race day.
2. This is your son’s car
Resist the temptation to do everything yourself. Trust me, I know it can be tough. My son’s compromise was worked out in the construction of the end of the car (inserting the nail heads, true and aligning the wheels, etc.) and my son’s design of the car. Sometimes I will make suggestions, but the look of the car belongs to my son. A great part of this system is that while I do the more detailed work of what the car will do on the track, the actual car was designed and built by my son. I saw the boys winning the Pinewood-derby, and when they got the trophies, they seemed to care less. You could say dad does everything, and winning the Pinewood Derby seemed like a hollow boy’s victory.
3. Paint and finish
Use several light coats to contrast one heavy coat. This also save you time. I prefer spray paint because my son can also get a nice coat with little practice. Use a gloss coat to give your car a real shine.
Remember to give your time to allow the paint to dry before handling the car. Remember that paint also adds a bit of weight.
4. Consider Your Car from All English
Don’t just design a car in two dimensions. Look at the car from every angle. As if you are thinking of a real car. Think about how it should look from the top, side, front and back.
5. The car is difficult to carve
It is easier to use shaped wood than to carve a design from the original wood.
6. Make sure your Pinewood Derby Car Conforms to the Rules
There is nothing worse than having your car repossessed because it doesn’t pass inspection. Make sure your car is in compliance with local or regional regulations.
Pinewood Derby Car Design Pictures
Most of my children’s Pinewood Derby car designs start with the Hot Wheels box. With the time to think about this year’s Pinewood Derby car plan, my son and I start by going through a wide Looking for a Hot Wheels collection to design ideas. Sometimes color or just shape is more important than we can work with. But that’s usually where planning begins.
Another way to come up with Pinewood Derby car designs is to look at other Pinewood Derby cars and use them as templates for your own design. With that in mind, here are some Pinewood Derby Car Pictures for you to peruse.
Batmobile Pinewood Derby Car
Check out this all wooden Batmobile by clicking HERE.
Wedge Thoughts
Elegant and simple, wedge designs are a perennial favorite. The key to making a unique wedge is to put your own little twist on the design type.
Click here to see the round wedge.
THIS is a wedge design with a vertical fin on the back.
Here are some modified wedge designs.
Pinewood Derby Cars arranged after another weekend
Many Pinewood Derby cars are designed after other vehicles.
Click here to view a space shuttle.
Click here to see the car pool.
Classic Pinewood Derby Car Design
Click here to view a nice collection of original Pinewood Derby car designs.
Click here for more Pinewood Car images
Unusual Pinewood Derby Car Design
Click HERE to see a huge collection of unusual Pinewood Derby car designs. Although many of these cars are not allowed in the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby race, the craftsmanship that went into these cars is awesome.
To read more about how to design your Pinewood Derby car for maximum speed, click HERE.
