Dumb Questions for Wednesday...

[mike clem]

Hi - We are finally ready to work on my son's car for the PACK race this weekend .We hosted 3 PWD builds at my shop , had blast and are really behind!
I have a few questions that might save time :
1. Lightning the car - We are going to do just a basic wedge . 1/2" in back an 1/4" in front . We limited by our weight size in the back .
b. We are 5g over weight ,before shaping , with only 3.1 oz. in the car.
c. My Question : Should we drill 1" lighting holes in the car ? Or will the aerodynamic disadvantage outweigh the weight distribution gain ?
D. Can we cover up the holes with say Monokote or will this be a rattle trap?
E. Paint : Someone mentioned using Felt tipped Markers ? Do you take it out the pin and thin it ? If so , with what type of solvent ? Do you clear coat it afterward ? We have to use Graphite .
F. Now to show my 'real inexperience' at this . We run on a wooden Piandorsi (?) track . The starting gate is mechanical and very crude .
My question : Should we take the time to build a 'Quick Start ' on the front end ? I think it might hurt us aerodynamically and look weird between the fenders . Thanks for your help !!

 

[W racing]

You can cover with monokote or 1/64" plywood.

 

[mike clem]

Thanks W racing - I have a piece of chrome monokote I was thinking of covering with .

 

[DerbyDad4Hire]

You could taper the nose instead of leaving it 1/4". Not sure about the quick start. They have to start it really slow for it to help enough.

 

[Kinser Racing]

If you're only 5g over before shaping, I wouldn't consider drilling holes until you get it shaped. I'd get the wedge down a little thinner than you stated. Wedge the nose down to a slightly blunt 1/32" point, but keep it the full body width. I only use sharpie's on my cars. Sand it to 320 grit. Sharpie the car the color you want, by the way the blue comes out like a fluorescent slight purple, really cool. Once it's totally colored put some 91% isoprophyl alcohol on a rag and gently wipe the car down, it evens out the sharpie stroke marks. Then it looks just like you stained it, which you did, just with a cheap alcohol based stain. Set it to dry for about 10-15 minutes. Use the rag to wipe the sharpie off of your hands.(lol) I don't clear coat or anything else.

 

[Pinewood Garage]

You can cover with monokote or 1/64" plywood.

Never thought of using monokote

 

[derby freak]

The wedge design is an awesome design, simple and fast. I would start with a block that is no more than 5/16" thick, route out your weight pockets (one behind the rear axle that will hold at least 2 rows of 5 cubes) then route out at least 1 1/4" in front of the axle. After your weight pockets are routed start just in front of your weight pocket and slope the car to about 1/32" in the front. This will be a fast design. Do not drill holes in the body unless they are covered with something, top and bottom. Best alternitive would be to cut out a section from the sides leaving a beam conecting the front and the back. Rather than drilling holes in the car. Hope this helps.

 

[mike clem]

Thanks Derby Freak - If we qualify for District tomorrow , We will definitely build those cars that way . The Pack and District in their infinite wisdom run different rules ....
Today 's Question :
1. What 's the best cleaner to use to clean a aluminum of with ? It has a ton of graphite on it .

 

[Quicktimederby]

Thanks Derby Freak - If we qualify for District tomorrow , We will definitely build those cars that way . The Pack and District in their infinite wisdom run different rules ....
Today 's Question :
1. What 's the best cleaner to use to clean a aluminum of with ? It has a ton of graphite on it .

I use a aerosol window cleaner. If you have alot on the track that means you have build up on the outer diameter of the wheel, make sure you get that cleaned off good.

 

[ZZ Racing]

Simple Green works good to clean with but some say that it will dull the aluminum. I like to use pledge furniture polish on my best track it cleans good and once it dries the dust doesn't seem to stick to the track near as bad.

 

[mike clem]

Thanks Guys - My brother is coming over to set -it up . I guess I 'd better run to the store ...
I hope it's not a long nite...
All this time and effort for a two -bit trophy ...
Reminds me of my days in SCCA ...

 

[ZZ Racing]

Mike the trophy is nothing to most but the look on the faces of the kids when they have fast cars is the best part.

 

[mike clem]

I completely agree ....

 

[mike clem]

Just finished testing ...
I think we at least be competitive ...
Made every mistake in the book tonite ...
My favorite was baking the cars in the oven to dry the paint . Ruined one car and got the other so warm the weight came out ... Man I'm such a rookie at this !!!

 

[W racing]

You want to also not bake the block of wood as recomended on some sites...

 

[Chief]

[font="times new roman, times, serif"]What happens if you do bake the block...reason I ask is because the paint booth I use has a bake cycle to cure the paint and guess what...yep I baked it??? 140 degrees for 10 minutes[/font]

 

[DNA RACING]

140 should not hurt the car, there have been references to baking the car for an extended time to cook out all the moisture in the wood. a quick bake at a low 140 for a few mins is not going to be hot enough or for a long enough time to warp the body.
some guys were hitting 180 for a few hours, that may warp a body.

 

[derby freak]

I don't really recommend baking the wood or the paint. If the pine has any sap left in it the sap will ooze out and make a terrible mess on parts of the car body. Also it may bubble the paint if you bake the paint.

 

[heidi]

Oh snap, really? We baked all our cars this year.