1958 Vanwall (Pinewood Derby Car Shell)

thingiverse

[I created a more accurate model of the 1958 Vanwall and posted it [here](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5554465).] This is a pinewood derby race car inspired by the 1958 Vanwall Formula 1 car. It's not a perfect likeness, but it looks pretty good and should be pretty fast with weights judiciously added, although I haven't raced it yet. The body has hidden pockets for tungsten weights in the back, so it should be possible to max out the weight to 5 oz. and get a near-ideal balance. **What is a "pinewood derby car shell"?** A [pinewood derby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinewood_derby) is an event created by the Boy Scouts many years ago. Each scout is given a pinewood derby kit typically consisting of a block of wood with slots for axles, 4 wheels, and 4 nails to be used as axles. The scout (and his dad, usually) will then carve the block of wood into the shape of a car, paint it and apply stickers, install the wheels on the axles, and then race it at the "derby", which involves a sloped track with a timekeeping apparatus. An official scout derby will usually require that the parts in the kit be used for cars entered in the derby. Other organizations (including workplaces) often hold derbies, too, and some of them require the use of the parts in the box, including the block of wood. These "pinewood derby car shells" are intended to be used with an official derby wood block, cut down to size, along with the axles and wheels included in the kit. A printable model of the shaped wood block is provided. You can either use the printed model or use it to accurately cut an official wood block down to size.