Who here's dad was really cool with your friends?

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

Anybody ever carve out a Pinewood Derby car with their Pop?

Didn't do a Pinewood Derby car, but a Soap Box Derby car, circa 1971. This was back when Chevrolet sponsored The Soap Box Derby, got 3rd in local event, qualified for regional in Des Moines where I went 1-2.

Picture is when my brother and Father took it out out of basement storage in 2006.

Still have it, hanging in my garage.

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by Frankie the Fink

Ha! A teacher told my parents that I might have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and some pharmaceuticals might help, the ole man called it "daydreaming in class" and cured it that same evening with his old Marine Corps belt in a single application.

A medical miracle.

My mother used the belt. Most of the time when needed and the rest was for the next time. That damn thing was so limber that as it crossed the back of my ass, parts of it went in and out of my butt crack to get good coverage.

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Didn't do a Pinewood Derby car, but a Soap Box Derby car, circa 1971. This was back when Chevrolet sponsored The Soap Box Derby, got 3rd in local event, qualified for regional in Des Moines where I went 1-2.

Picture is when my brother and Father took it out out of basement storage in 2006.

Still have it, hanging in my garage.

That is so cool! Great picture, great story. Little Rascals?

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by slewfoot

My mother used the belt. Most of the time when needed and the rest was for the next time. That damn thing was so limber that as it crossed the back of my ass, parts of it went in and out of my butt crack to get good coverage.

I hope it was a disposable belt.

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Didn't do a Pinewood Derby car, but a Soap Box Derby car, circa 1971. This was back when Chevrolet sponsored The Soap Box Derby, got 3rd in local event, qualified for regional in Des Moines where I went 1-2.

Picture is when my brother and Father took it out out of basement storage in 2006.

Still have it, hanging in my garage.

Me in the Blue 1970. I beat that kid but lost in the next round. Did it again in 1971

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

That is so cool! Great picture, great story. Little Rascals?

Back then, you signed up at the Chevy dealership I believe, paid a fee. They give you the build dimensions, regulations, wheelbase, etc. They give you the axles and wheels, that's it. Give you a date and location where the local race is going to be, and be there.

I rememeber building it in the basement with my Father, maybe took a couple months? Only 3 kids entered from our town, I knew the other two and we were all friends. We had to commute to a nearby town for the local qualification race. There were probably 40 cars there? One car was completely built out of a single log, beautiful, of course the family were commercial loggers.

Anyway, this was the first or second year where the lay down car became the aero cool thing to do, and they won. One of my friends built his as a lay down car, by the end of summer, he had gained weight and had to tear the car apart and widen the floor board so he could get in it. He also qualified for the Regional in Des Moines. My father borrowed a race car flat bed stake bed truck and transported us and our cars to the Des Moines track, we were big time, lol. If you won at the Regional, you advanced to the Nationals in Akron OH.

I beleive that year the Akron, OH winner was disqualified, they found an electro-magnetic set up in the nose of the car. As the metal nose car stop dropped, the magnet pulled the car down the ramp.











My buddys Scott's lay down Soap Box;

[TheHammer]

Originally Posted by slewfoot

Me in the Blue 1970. I beat that kid but lost in the next round. Did it again in 1971

love the recliner back seat, haha
was the brake under your ass?

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by slewfoot

Me in the Blue 1970. I beat that kid but lost in the next round. Did it again in 1971

What?! No sidepipes?
Vintage picture, groovy!

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

Back then, you signed up at the Chevy dealership I believe, paid a fee. They give you the build dimensions, regulations, wheelbase, etc. They give you the axles and wheels, that's it. Give you a date and location where the local race is going to be, and be there.

I rememeber building it in the basement with my Father, maybe took a couple months? Only 3 kids entered from our town, I knew the other two and we were all friends. We had to commute to a nearby town for the local qualification race. There were probably 40 cars there? One car was completely built out of a single log, beautiful, of course the family were commercial loggers.

Anyway, this was the first or second year where the lay down car became the aero cool thing to do, and they won. One of my friends built his as a lay down car, by the end of summer, he had gained weight and had to tear the car apart and widen the floor board so he could get in it. He also qualified for the Regional in Des Moines. My father borrowed a race car flat bed stake bed truck and transported us and our cars to the Des Moines track, we were big time, lol. If you won at the Regional, you advanced to the Nationals in Akron OH.

I beleive that year the Akron, OH winner was disqualified, they found an electro-magnetic set up in the nose of the car. As the metal nose car stop dropped, the magnet pulled the car down the ramp.











My buddys Scott's lay down Soap Box;

Good Stuff, Maynard! You were a junior Craig Breedlove.

[Yadkin]

When I did Pinewood Derby, my Dad gave me the kit and that was that. The kid who won it, his dad built it entirely. I lost badly, but learned several lessons.

When my son did the Derby, we studied designs then came up with our own. All the weight on the rear axle, just enough on the front so it stays in contact with the track. Drill in the axles with a press so they are true. We did very well.

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

love the recliner back seat, haha
was the brake under your ass?

It was the standard design behind me under that dome thing

[Red Baron]

Originally Posted by Yadkin

When I did Pinewood Derby, my Dad gave me the kit and that was that. The kid who won it, his dad built it entirely. I lost badly, but learned several lessons.

When my son did the Derby, we studied designs then came up with our own. All the weight on the rear axle, just enough on the front so it stays in contact with the track. Drill in the axles with a press so they are true. We did very well.

There was always the kid whose Dad did everything-funny you say that! Lol.
Nice, now your boy knows things that will help him or has helped him in life. Is he now an engineer?

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

There was always the kid whose Dad did everything-funny you say that! Lol.
Nice, now your boy knows things that will help him or has helped him in life. Is he now an engineer?

Very true. There was one kid in our derby who had a car similar to that pic in Hammers. His dad owned a bodyshop. There is no way that. kid built that car himself without 99% supervision and help.

Mine had an oak floor something like an inch or so thick. Wood frame bulkheads with chicken wire and cover in fiberglass.

[Yadkin]

Originally Posted by Red Baron

There was always the kid whose Dad did everything-funny you say that! Lol.
Nice, now your boy knows things that will help him or has helped him in life. Is he now an engineer?

He's a chemical engineer, has 10 or 11 patents. I lose track.

He still has several of the Derby cars. One we call The Shoe, because that's what it looks like.

[TheHammer]

https://hooniverse.com/the-soap-box-...andal-in-1973/

at 16:15 is the start of the whole electro-magnet disqualification

[slewfoot]

Originally Posted by TheHammer

https://hooniverse.com/the-soap-box-...andal-in-1973/

at 16:15 is the start of the whole electro-magnet disqualification

Good video.

[96 Vette CE]

My old man was a tough, mean drunk. Our house wasn't the one you wanted to hang around

[BADRACR1]

Both my parents were considered pretty cool. I was lucky.

[Aerovette]

My dad was a tough dude. Took no shit from anyone...big or small. My friends looked up to him. He was a funny guy which made him easy to get along with.

[PLRX]

My father hated everyone, and everyone disliked him, even his family.


Oh no, my father was not the problem...