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How to Build a Riding Toy Car

Riding toy pedal cars give children a prop for their imagination while providing instant exercise. Outdoor play and large muscle use are very important to a child's development. Vigorous outdoor play with riding toys stimulates the immune system, oxygenates the brain and activates creativity. Riding toy cars can be pedal cars, gravity-driven soapbox derby cars or pushed with both feet, Fred Flintstone style. Body profiles range from angular racer bodies to the rounded contours of a Volkswagen Beetle.

Things You'll Need

3 1/4-inch by 24-inch by 48-inch sheets of plywood
2 1/4-inch by 24-inch by 24-inch sheets of plywood
1/4-inch by 12-inch by 24-inch sheet of plywood
Chalk line
Pedal car wheel assembly kit with hardware
Carpenter's pencil
Jigsaw
Power drill with 1/16-inch bit
Countersink bit
1/2-inch long, 1/8-inch diameter wood screws
Belt sander
Coarse, medium, fine and extra fine sanding belts
Acrylic paint in bright colors
Large number stencils
Clear acrylic wood treatment

Instructions

- 1
  
  Sand all wood pieces using coarse and medium sanding belts in that order. Mark a hole in a 1/4-inch by 24-inch by 48-inch sheet of plywood as shown in the diagram, to make the car base plate. Use a jigsaw to cut out the floor hole.
- 2
  
  Attach the steering wheel and wheel assemblies to the underside of the car base plate according to the manufacturer's directions, using the hardware supplied.
- 3
  
  Use a carpenter's pencil to lay out the car profile on the remaining two 1/4-inch by 24-inch by 48-inch sheets of plywood for the car sides. Snap a chalk line across each board from the high point at the rear to the low point at the front to get the correct cutting angle.
- 4
  
  Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes in the car profiles as shown in the diagram that accompanies this step. Drill matching holes in the front bumper, rear bumper and hood plate. Attach the side panels to the riding toy pedal car base plate with 1/2-inch long, 1/8-inch diameter wood screws.
- 5
  Fit the two 1/4-inch by 24-inch by 24-inch sheets of plywood for the rear bumper and hood plate between the two car profile side panels. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes to correspond to the ones you drilled in the side panels in Step 3. Screw the panels into place using wood screws. Refer to the diagram in Step 4 for correct positioning of the rear bumper and the hood plate.
- 6
  Position the 1/4-inch by 12-inch by 24-inch sheet of plywood for the front bumper between the two car profile side panels. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes to correspond to the ones you drilled in the side panels in Step 3. Screw the panels into place. Refer to the diagram in Step 4 for correct positioning of the front bumper.
- 7
  Sand your entire car using fine and extra fine sanding belts, in that order, to give it a smooth finish. Paint your car as desired, using bright acrylic colors. Allow the paint to dry overnight. Stencil numbers on the hood of your car, and paint them. Again, allow the paint to dry overnight. Apply several coats of clear acrylic wood treatment, allowing it to dry completely between coats.
- 8
  Test the pedals to be sure that your child can turn them. If she has trouble, adjust the positioning of the wheel assemblies.

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