Pine-wood derby tips?

My brother is entering the pine-wood derby and i want to help him win. (By the way the pine-wood derby is a cub-scouts event) Anybody have any tips on how to make the car faster and more durable??


*thanks

Pine-wood derby tips?
I took 4th out of about 265 cars back in my day so listen (or read) very closely.





Normally there is a weight limit for these cars. The most common weight limit is 5 ounces but whatever you do get as close to the weight limit as possible. If you're going with your brother to the event you want to bring a electric drill and some small screws with you. If your car registers under the weight limit, put screws in until it gets to just below the weight limit so that you can't put in any more screws. You can also do some calculation to figure out how many screws you can put in if they're all the same by weighing the screws and then taking the weight limit, subtract the car's weight without screws, divide the weight left by the weight of the screws and there's how many screws you can put in the car. You also want a ratio of weight from front to back to be about 3:5 respectively (3 weights in front for every 5 in back). Some Packs will allow you to put things like rebar in the cars (such as in the back) but some also won't let you.





Graphite is usually the only lubricant allowed on the wheels but it's some absolutely great stuff. It's a white powder and is sold at many Scout stores across the nation. Use lots of it and buy a lot of bottles of it. Whenever you or your brother have free time when you're not doing anything put some of the graphite on the nails/axels of the car. Squirt out some of the powder onto the axel (the pin usually) and roll this around until it's worked in good. This combined with the weight limit idea can be your two best points for racing.





The next this is make sure that if there are slots for the wheel pins on the car USE THEM!! They've been pre-aligned and are guarenteed accurate. Do NOT sand these off the bottom! If you try to make your own axels or pins your car may fall apart on the track which would be a nightmare; one kid did this and his car couldn't even finish the race. The kit should come with pins for the wheel axels and also make sure you use those as well; it's all supposed to fit together well. Also make sure you put the wheels on straight and they all line up. Some people may also tell you that the 3-wheels-touching thing works great but in reality it's a complete myth that is not real. My almost-champion car had all 4 wheels touching the track when it raced.





Also, if your Pack offers it there is also a design competition for cars. I remember my old Pack did this and I also did pretty good in that one year but that wasn't the car that almost won the racing. But anyways, some good ideas would be a theme for the car obviously, something that would really attract people to it. Make sure it has a good paint job and is very detailed, you may also want to try to have a focal point on your car (a point to which a person's eye is naturally attracted). I'd suggest a spiral design like the ones that hypnotists use, I've never seen it but it might work really well. The design that was good for me was like a bar of gold that had a theme of the James Bond movie "Goldeneye". Just a few suggestions in case there is a design competition.





The last thing: GO FAST!!
Reply:Go to Hobby Lobby they have all the weights and everything you need to make the car go fast. They have the pins for the wheels also skins to win the best looking derby car too. Guarantee results if done right!