Pinewood Derby Car Designs: Tips and More

Winning Designs for Scouts and Enthusiasts

Pinewood Derby car designs come in all shapes and sizes. From sleek, aerodynamic Pinewood Derby car designs 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 get 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 takes time for paint to dry, especially in the cold winter months. Give yourself the time to build and do it right - you'll appreciate it come race day.

2. This is Your Son's Car
Resist the temptation to do all the work yourself. Believe me, I know this can be tough. The compromise my sons and I have worked out is that I work on the construction end of the car (filing nail heads, truing and aligning the wheels, etc...) and my sons design the car. Occasionally I will make suggestions, but the look of the car belongs to my son. The great part about this system is that while I do the precision work that will make the car speed down the track, the car itself is designed and built by my son. I've seen boys win the Pinewood Derby, and when they received their trophies, they seemed to care less. You could tell the dad did all the work, and winning the Pinewood Derby seemed to be a hollow victory for the boy.

3. Painting and Finish
Use several light coats as opposed to one heavy coat of paint. This will actually save you time. I prefer spray paint because my son can get a nice even coat with a little practice. Use a glossy clear coat to provide the luster of a real car.

Remember to give your self time to allow the paint to dry before handling the car. Also remember that the paint does add a tiny amount of weight as well.

4. Consider Your Car From All Angles
Don't just design the car in two dimensions. Look at the car from every angle. Pretend you're designing a real car. Think how it should look from the top, side, front and rear.

5. Carving a Car is Difficult
It's easier to apply shaped pieces of wood than carve the design out of the original block of wood.