Open Class ideas????

[Go Bubba Go]

Getting ready to start building my third try at an open class entry. The car is going to be 9in+ long and weigh 1 1/2 + pounds , does it realy matter if the COG is set realy far rearward or is good alignment and a lot weight enough? We will be racing on a 42ft best track.

Not to be trite, but it depends on who your competition is.

You would lose (at least on paper) to a similar setup with similar alignment and similar weight if they had their COG further back.

[scoutfrog]

I realy do not think that there will be much compition in the open. I'm the one that encuraged the addation of an open class and it has not got any billing along with the district race. It's not even on the registeration form or flyers. Plus the listing on the district site has not been updated since november!! And after I showed up this last Saturday for a planning meeting and no one else showed, after calling the distrect commissioner who had to miss the meeting because he was at our spring camporee ,I called the chair and was told an e-mail had been sent out reschulding it to this week. I know my units(i'm a unit commissioner for 2ea cub scouts,boy scouts & ventour crews) will have a good showing at the district race but i'm not sure the word is getting out to everyone.

That being said,back on subject,....the level of compition,
I'm trying to pull out all the stops. I'm a letter carrier with the post office and there at a couple machine shops on my route. Each is giving me some help, larger axles to handle the extra weight, milled out BSA wheels to except bearings and one young guy who said he could CNC cut me a set if BSA looking wheels! I gave him a handful and he said he would true-up some to use as a pattern for the others. I'm even getting the bearings donated(called in a favor) from a friend of my dads.

Anyway, i'll keep everyone posted as the the progress, or lack of it!

[Smell of pine]

Scoutfrog,

What size bearings and axles are you using?

[scoutfrog]

Have not seen the finished wheels, but was told by the guy machining them that the inside was to be 7mm and the stuff they were cutting the axles from was 5/32, 3/16 and 3/32(bsa axle size).

I have not been back to the shop boreing out the stock BSA wheels, so don't have any idea what they will be. My under standing was that they were going to remove the entire center so a bearing could be installed flush from the outside. That wound make the outside about 9/32.

When everything is finished(maybe this week), i'll take everything to a local supplier,Dixie Bearing, and match everything up.Plan on getting unsealed type so i can lube myself.

On a different note, Worked up a new design in my head last night. This morning put it on paper and then in wood and lead. Big problem, TOO HEAVY FOR MY SCALES!!!
my findings
1. I realy need heavy duty wheels, axles, and bearings.
2. I have began to take this WAY TOOO SERIOUSLY!!!

[scoutfrog]

Well I had another idea for an open class car. After i posted pics of my modified first design (hollow rail car poured full of lead) someone said i should cover the lead with a thin piece of wood to hide the lead.Making it look like a all wood car. Well, a couple days ago i was going thru my pinewood junkyard and found some of the plastic bodies from the 50 year derby cars. I bought them on clearence and just used the bodies. And it hit me, build a sleeper. so here it is.



Still have to cut the body so the wheels will fit and trim the under body so the "cover" will fit better. Oh, did I say sleeper, THIS THINK IS GOING TO BE IN A COMA!!!! Here is a peek under the cover.



As it sits before i make room for the wheels, it weighs 6lbs 13ozs!!! I plan on giving it a test run this friday at the setup for a local pack derby (they will be using the track for district) and i'll be bringing a few pillows to put at the end if the track. I plan on working up to a full run so i don't break anything. Mainly the stop section of the track!!

I told everyone i was taking the WAY TOO SERIOUS!

[GimpyPaw]

scoutfrog - I say drill some axle holes in that lead body, slap some paint on it, and run it as is. Dang that's a load of lead

[Smell of pine]

I thought I'd give a little update on our outlaw car. We won!! the second place car was actually heavier by 1.5 ozs. If I were to build it again, I would have gone to bigger axles and bearings. I built razor wheels which turned out very well.

My son (tiger cub) got third place and is heading to districts in a few weeks. He built the car, I know of a few parents in our pack that build the cars for their kid's, but my son built his own car. I only offered guidance and support. He got tired of polishing the axles and sanding the body while his two other brothers were playing ouside. Otherwise he could have gotten 1st or 2nd possibly.