Over 21 Pinewood Derby

[Lunajammer]

Seems to be growing in popularity. Face it, dads bite their knuckles trying to keep their hands off their kid's Pinewood Derby car, craving to make it a kick-a$$ dominator. Enter the 21-and-over (bar league?) derbies where anything goes as long as it's within the basic Boy Scouts of America rules. What I found was a phenomenal fundraiser and a sport that brings models to life.

Last Saturday our local VFW (#762) hosted its 3rd adult Pinewood Derby and raised over $10-thousand with 100-percent of proceeds going to the VA. I first heard of it Tuesday and made my $15 donation that day. The annual event included a silent auction and door prizes. Local dignitaries and press attended. About 67 cars raced with entries almost doubling each year.

My donation included a kit consisting of a wood block, wheels, axles and rules. Wednesday I shaped the wood with a jigsaw. Thursday I sealed it with Bondo, sanded and primed. Friday eve into the wee morn of Sat. I painted. Saturday morning I polished the axles, mounted the wheels and headed downtown for a 1pm start.

This was my entry, completely made up on the fly. Included some spark plug blister pack jet engines. I called it "4th Grade Revenge" in reference to my heartbreaking and embarrassing last place finish during Cub Scouts 1972... the last time I raced.

A little online research made it fast and it joined a table of almost 70 of the most imaginative Pinewood Derby cars that grown men and yes, women too, could come up with.

Since it was an over 21 crowd, I guess I should have expected the static best of show winner was, um... a male genitalia on wheels. All puns and innuendo allowed. I was in awe of the staggering crafting of this one. It had some go too, finishing in the middle of the pack.

The creativity and execution crossed all skill and humor levels.

A local artist put the afternoon on canvas which was auctioned off at the end of the day. The races were electronically timed and computer tabulated. Cameras, including two at the finish line, brought the race to all the VFW TVs. Each car raced 4 times, once in each lane. I finished about 20th.

I only post this here because our local VFW is hoping to expand this event as far as it can. There is a national competition in Omaha, but it's different, more technical than BSA rules and I'm not sure there's a named beneficiary. This was a blast and I can't think of a better way to bring life to modeling, enjoy some action, let out your inner child, have a beer and a laugh and help our veterans. Look into it for your area.

[Snake45]

Very cool! If this were going on in my area, I'd be participating.

[cobraman]

Some good looking cars there. Including yours !

[Lunajammer]

A few more...

And the first and second place, husband and wife winners.

[Lunajammer]

Some good looking cars there. Including yours !

Thanks Ray, it's about the fastest project I've ever done, didn't have time to think. Even cutting the wood, I just drew some curves and started cutting... like total freeform art. The spark plug packaging I'd been saving for something unknown. I guess this was it.

[High octane]

I still have my pinewood derby car from when I was a Cub Scout leader, and we held an adult class for the dads.

[ChrisBcritter]

From the "crude but effective" file.

I was never a Scout, but when my youngest brother was in the Cub Scouts (and I was 15), I snagged a kit and built a sort of Model T lakester:

At that time there were no rules against drilling out wheels to lighten them. My brother won the troop races that night, beating every other car there.

Except mine.

"WINNER -

UNOFFICIAL

PINEWOOD

DERBY

MARCH 12, 1976"

[1930fordpickup]

What a great idea for a fundraiser.

When my oldest brother was in they had an Adults only class. It was to keep the dads hands off the kids cars. Yeah right. When I was in they no longer had that class. When my brother was involved with the cub scouts as an Adult he had that class again. The only rules were it had to fit in the same box as the kids did, standard weight and you had to use the wheels from the kit. He made his body out of Clear plastic.

[1930fordpickup]

So lets see you started this on Wednesday and it looks this good , now you have a whole year.

[Lunajammer]

Well I appreciate that Andy. Fun story about your brother. I don't really have a place to make a dusty mess so I'd like to try another one in the summer when I can work outdoors and take some time. I'd like to try one for pure speed and one for looks.

From the "crude but effective" file.

I was never a Scout, but when my youngest brother was in the Cub Scouts (and I was 15), I snagged a kit and built a sort of Model T lakester:

A pinewood rat rod? Now that's the spirit of rodding, crude but fast. Actually that's shaped pretty nice.

[ProStreetOnTheStrip]

Man, those were the days... heres my funny car from way back when, won 2nd place out of like a good 135 something cars. I wanted first really bad! Darn you spaceships!!!

[vintagedragcrazy]

That is crazy I wished that it was going on where I am too it wouldn't take long to have the wood chips flying.

Vince

[Lunajammer]

Man, those were the days... heres my funny car from way back when, won 2nd place out of like a good 135 something cars. I wanted first really bad! Darn you spaceships!!!

I get what you're saying but 2nd is something to be proud of. It's hard to place 1st. Fond childhood memories though.

That is crazy I wished that it was going on where I am too it wouldn't take long to have the wood chips flying.

Vince

I looked into the cost of a good 4 lane setup with electronic timers and it's just under $2-thousand. That's expensive, but not out of reach for many organizations; commercial, fraternal or non-profit. For the kind of attention it generates, the interest and commitment of entrants and fundraising potential, it seems completely doable. If it wasn't already in my community, I think it wouldn't be too difficult to drum up interest in getting one going.

[Lunajammer]

Well, it's a year later and the local VFW had another Pinewood Derby for grown-ups fundraiser which brought in $22,000 for the local VA hospital. There were 107 entries. I entered two, shown below. My copper car place 7th overall and the blue car 10th. The 1st and 3rd place cars were entered by a table of men and women who even wore some zany team t-shirts.

The pinewood builds are so much like modeling with the added challenge of function. But it's very creative and the time commitment is only a few evenings. Plus, being an over-21 race, there are no impressionable young mind we need to protect from crackin' beers and talking smack.

BTW, these two cars were cut from the same regulation block. The blue car is just the negative cut of the copper car, I just lowered the profile at the back.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Lunajammer

[Sixties Sam]

Here's my winning car from 1960. It's still intact, along with the plaster trophy plaque I received. I write newspaper stories on local Pinewood Derbies, and I take the old car with me to give the kids a history lesson. The kits were different back then. Axles were on separate pieces of wood, and wheels were narrow. I ran it down a track last year against the three winners in our town - came in last!

Sam

 

Edited February 29, 2016 by Sixties Sam

[Lunajammer]

Sam, these are easily my favorites for the reasons you mentioned. Some guys bring their vintage builds just to see them run again and surprisingly, they still keep up with the pack pretty well. Not winners but pretty respectable. No dremels back then so the craftsmanship was true hand work. My first derby car looks pretty similar to yours, just a lot uglier.

[Old Buckaroo]

This just looks like way too much fun. I might have to go to Fargo next year. 

I always enjoyed the PWD when my son was in the Cub Scouts. 

Mike that copper car looks like it is going fast sitting still.

Sam - I really like your car, especially since it is in the old Cub Scout colors of Blue and Yellow. I am impressed that you still have it and the plaque.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Pretty cool. Love the whole idea. Those are some good looking jets on there too, man. Very creative.

[unclescott58]

You know, when I first opened this thread a few minutes ago, I didn't really know what to expect. Except I didn't expect it to be as interesting to read as it is. This actually very cool! I like it.

[Snake45]

It would be interesting if this could get going with actual 1/24-25 SCALE models. Wouldn't THAT be cool!

[Lunajammer]

You know, when I first opened this thread a few minutes ago, I didn't really know what to expect. Except I didn't expect it to be as interesting to read as it is. This actually very cool! I like it.

Scott, there was a couple from Minneapolis who came up for it, so if you hear of anything like this down there, please post it here. My GF and I go there several times a year, I'd bring my cars.

A few more pics... Classic from the late 60s ran good and a new police car with lit, flashing LED strobes.

The crazy cut one was awarded most unique design.

 

[Harry P.]

This is just cool, no matter how you look at it!

[Joe Handley]

That looks like it was a blast!  Some years back I had a dad tell me he was looking to build himself a car after his kid's troop put together a "Dad" Class...........which was realisticly, more of an Outlaw Class, as the only thing not allowed was supplimenting Gravity with motorization or thrust.

[Jantrix]

What a fantastic idea. Congrats.

[Lownslow]

Theres a group that meets up once a week around here that Drag race RCs after seeing pics im thinking about building a Drag RC