quote Originally posted by theBDub: How much are your kids doing on these? .

Most shown are actually adult class.

quote Originally posted by 2.5: Most shown are actually adult class.

Ahh.

I don't think our pack had that.

quote Originally posted by theBDub: How much are your kids doing on these? Man, I did everything myself with my dad watching over me teaching me. I'd design it on paper without a word from my dad then we'd start. My cars didn't look the coolest, but I knew how to make them fast. Really fast. I always won, and my dad hardly touched the car. Almost none of these looked like there was much kid input. Kinda disappointing to see if you ask me. Impressive if they had a lot of input. I beat out dads all the time in cub scouts, but I shouldn't have had to race them in the first place.

Everything yourself, at age 8? When I was 8 and had just joined, I wasn't old enough to be using power tools, heck even a hack saw was difficult for me to use let alone a sharp carving knife. My father roughed out the shape and I helped with the sanding and painting. My son is autistic. Loud noise, such as that from power tools, causes him to scream and cry. There is no way I would give him a sharp knife to carve with. He can do and did do as much sanding as I could get him to do. I set up a stand for it to be painted on and he sprayed the paint. I applied the removeable tattoos for the graphics and he sprayed the clear. I outlined the windows and he painted them in. I will install the wheels for him and adjust the weight. As I said before, my father helped me the most my first year then as each year passed I did more and more of it on my own until I was doing it all (except the weight, my father always did that part). What could my son do without help? He could bring the kit in the box with a block of wood he drew all over. He couldn't put the wheels on by himself. He couldn't cut the wood by himself. He wouldn't have the attnetion span or patience to do the sanding if I wasn't right there with him helping. If he wasn't autistic, maybe it would be different but then he would also be in a mainstream classroom at school and not a self contained learning center. His scout leaders are fully aware he is autistic and of his limitations but thankfully they aren't so cruel as to exclude him because of it.

quote Originally posted by Khw: Everything yourself, at age 8? When I was 8 and had just joined, I wasn't old enough to be using power tools, heck even a hack saw was difficult for me to use let alone a sharp carving knife. My father roughed out the shape and I helped with the sanding and painting. My son is autistic. Loud noise, such as that from power tools, causes him to scream and cry. There is no way I would give him a sharp knife to carve with. He can do and did do as much sanding as I could get him to do. I set up a stand for it to be painted on and he sprayed the paint. I applied the removeable tattoos for the graphics and he sprayed the clear. I outlined the windows and he painted them in. I will install the wheels for him and adjust the weight. As I said before, my father helped me the most my first year then as each year passed I did more and more of it on my own until I was doing it all (except the weight, my father always did that part). What could my son do without help? He could bring the kit in the box with a block of wood he drew all over. He couldn't put the wheels on by himself. He couldn't cut the wood by himself. He wouldn't have the attnetion span or patience to do the sanding if I wasn't right there with him helping. If he wasn't autistic, maybe it would be different but then he would also be in a mainstream classroom at school and not a self contained learning center. His scout leaders are fully aware he is autistic and of his limitations but thankfully they aren't so cruel as to exclude him because of it.

Yeah, but I don't recollect any power tools. I used a bow saw and sandpaper for the most part.

I'm not saying I would have excluded anyone. But it's still unfair for the kids who actually built the cars and have to look at their simple colors and design next to these awesome cars and have their dads try to explain to them why their cars don't look as cool. Because I did it myself and didn't understand until later that I was one of few who actually did. Hell, my first car that didn't win (before I understood the real concept) was literally a triangle with wheels. But at least I made it.

Yeah, I get it that your kid is autistic and I think that's cool.