Anyone that has attended the annual Nazareth adult soapbox races knows Rob Leiser's cars. They are among the most professionally built cars in the race. Anyone that has raced in the derbies also knows that they are among the fastest cars in the race. Rob was kind enough to share a story about his 2010 car which is a sick looking yellow bullet. Of the car, Rob says:"This is the 4th car I built for the Nazareth Adult Soap Box Derby. The 2010 race should be Saturday May 1 2010. In 2008 I finished second, in 2009 our team of 3 cars finished first, second and "all in one piece but last". My cars [were] fast but were not easy to control. When we took the cars to the Sharon, Ct race in July the turns and the crown of the road gave us problems. [editor's note, Rob raced in a derby in Sharon, CT over the Summer. Click Here for details]
Version 4 was built with an actual steering gear. I adjusted the center of gravity and added castor to improve handling. The aerodynamics were improved by tucking the rear wheels under the body and putting smaller diameter wheels on the front. The frame is 1" angle iron. The body is wood paneling, The wheel covers are Aluminum roofing material. The shape of the body is from a rocket car and the nose is a cut out of a 2 x 10 and covered in
fiberglass.The car hasn’t been named it yet. A name needs to be earned; just ask 2 of my employees, Sparky and Wheezer. The "4.0," "Yellow Submarine," or "The E-bay car" contains a lot of [parts from] E-bay. The Wheels are Spinergy seconds, the steering gear, spindles and rear shock were found under the heading Go Cart. The rear tires are from an E-bay friend David, The rare 110 psi 20” front tires was a lucky e-bay find. The nose and plywood seams are covered with E-bay fiberglass cloth and resin. Total cost in parts le
ss then $200.00 Time spent on construction: I have no idea but since I mostly work on it evenings it was just time I would have been sleeping in front of the TV.Other changes in Sawfish Racing for 2010 season: Peggy’s car the X-15 had the brakes removed and faster wheels added. Barbara had her shoulder fixed (so it will be less painful for her to hold her wine glass) The first car, the U-17, will get real steering for 2010 and the 2.0 Andretti car had Mario's signature covered in clear coat."
Check out Rob's Flickr set at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rentalbarn/sets/72157622722201150/
If you plan on entering the 2010 race, consider this post a warning. The engineering talent in the Nazareth area is impressive. However, as my own 2008 car can atest, some cars are lovers and not fighters. So do not be intimidated. Anyone can enter & have fun.
If you would like to submit one of your projects for us to highlight in the Maker Diaries please e-mail us at weirdnazareth@hotmail.com
If you would like to submit one of your projects for us to highlight in the Maker Diaries please e-mail us at weirdnazareth@hotmail.com
