Homemade Soap Box Cars

Soap Box Car Construction

• Not all soap box cars are the same, and before you begin assembling a vehicle, you must decide which one is right for you. Younger first-time racers should choose a Stock car. These vehicles can hold children weighing up to 125 pounds and feature forward-leaning seating. The Super Stock car, also with forward-leaning seating, is ideal for older racers up to 150 pounds. The Scottie car, with lay-down seating, is suitable for experienced racers of all ages.

  Once you decide which car is best for you, purchase an officially sanctioned kit, which includes most sanctioned parts and hardware. You must purchase the appropriate kit, as well as wheels and weights.

  Even though you must use an official kit and follow league sanctioned plans to create your car, you do have some creative freedom. For example, you can decide how to distribute extra weight in the vehicle. Weight distribution is an important factor in determining how well your soap box car will perform in a race. Also, with the exception of stock cars, you can give your racer a custom paint job. All American Soap Box Derby suggests setting aside between four and six hours to complete construction on your vehicle.

  Attend any construction clinics held in your local area. These clinics will arm you with all you need to know in order to build a safe and competitive race car.

Rules and Regulations

• If you want to enter a homemade soap box car into an official derby event, you must build your car in compliance with the international soap box derby rule book. To qualify for racing events, participants must build their own vehicles with assistance from an adult mentor only when absolutely necessary. Additionally, participants must assemble cars according to the most up-to-date construction plans available through International Soap Box Derby Inc.

  All soap box derby cars must have officially sanctioned Z-Glas wheels, which participants may not alter. Other official car parts that participants may not tamper with include axles, floorboard, shell and other hardware used to construct the vehicle.