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The 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster is a one-of-a-kind car designed by Edsel Ford, who was known for his artistic and cultural tastes, and Eugene T. Gregorie, who was Ford’s first design chief. The 2,400-pound Speedster was powered by a stock 75-horsepower Ford Model 40 V8 engine, with straight exhausts that ran through a section of the frame. More details here.

The wheels and tires provided are for show only. They are not legal for competition, and would not perform very well because of increased friction. The standard wheels that come with the Pinewood Derby kit look just fine, anyway.

What is a "pinewood derby car shell"?

A 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.

Printing and Assembly Notes

Printing

Car body: Supports are required. The front fenders are fragile, but have added support that make them reasonably easy to print.

Wheels: Print face up, supports will be needed.

Tires: There is a slightly offset face that can be used to “paint” the black tires with white sidewalls.

Everything else is pretty easy to print, no supports.

Smoothing

This car was smoothed with 3d printing resin and baby powder. You can find videos and guides online that describe the process, but here it is in a nutshell:

• Mix 1 part resin and 2-3 parts baby powder in an opaque container (so that it can be stored without hardening due to UV exposure).
• Using a paintbrush or cotton swab, spread a thin layer of the resin/baby powder mix over the body, wherever you want to smooth print lines and gaps.
• Use a UV flashlight (a cheap one--like the kind used to harden resin finger nail polish, which you can order from Amazon or buy in the pharmacy department of Walmart) to harden the resin.
• Sand the body smooth until there are no thick layers left.
• Repeat over any areas that are still rough.

Weights

You can add tungsten weights to the holes in the rear of the body. If you plan well, and use enough infill, you can maximize the weights and end up right at 5 oz.