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How to Build a Tinkertoy Car

Tinkertoys are a collection of construction toys in the shapes of rods and circles that you can piece together to create buildings, robots, toys and cars. You can create a car with Tinkertoys that features spinning wheels so you can run it across any flat surface or use it to race against other Tinkertoy cars. The most important elements of the car are the frame and wheels, which can be built upon to create a customized car.

Things You'll Need

Four 7-inch rods
Six 5.5-inch rods
Six 6-inch rods
Eight spools
Four wheels
Four caps

Instructions

- 1
  Insert a red, 5.5-inch rod into the center hole of a wooden spool. Insert the other end of the rod into the center of another spool. Repeat with another rod and two spools.
- 2
  Insert a green, 7-inch rod into the hole on the side of one of the spools so that that green and red rods form a right triangle. Insert a second rod on the opposite spool.
- 3
  Attach the open ends of the two green rods to the spools of the second red-rod spool piece. This will form a square with spools on each corner. The spools will not rotate.
- 4
  Insert yellow, 3-inch rods into the open center holes on each spool. Theses holes are opposite where the red rods were inserted.
- 5
  Slide a wheel piece over the yellow rods in each corner. Place a cap onto the end of each rod to hold the wheels in place. This will complete the frame for the car.
- 6
  Insert two red, 5.5-inch rods into the top hole of the rear wooden spools of the car. Insert two yellow, 3-inch rods into the top holes of the front spools. Place a spool on the top of each rod so the spool is parallel to the ground.
- 7
  Connect the two spools on the rear of the car together with a red, 5.5-inch rod. Connect the spools on the front of the car with a red, 5.5-inch rod.
- 8
  Connect the two left spools together with a 7-inch rod. The rod will angle down towards the front of the car. Repeat with the right spools to finish the car.

Construction Toys