Everything you need for this challenging but doable DIY wooden puzzle project comes right in the box: high quality plywood boards with precision laser-cut pieces that you snap out then snap together without need of glue or special tools, a metal spring that powers the mechanism, and of course a set of detailed, illustrated instructions in 11 languages.
This model is wound by means of a ratchet knob under the chassis. Before winding your 3-D wooden Drift Cobra model racing car, move the air filter that protrudes from the hood toward the windshield, and flip the switch in front of the passenger-side seat into the Lock position (parallel to the door). Now twist the ratchet underneath the car's body. After 6 to 6.5 turns of the knob the spring is fully loaded, and — vroom! vroom! — your racer is ready to roar! Set the gear shift lever, located between the driver and passenger seats, to the desired position (Reverse, Neutral, Drive). To start the model, set it down on a flat surface, slide the air filter forward, and watch your Cobra lay rubber in a spin out (start with the wheels turned to one side), do circles, or speed down the track in a straight line.
This wooden car's moving parts include turning front wheels, doors that open, and a hood and trunk that can be raised. Instead of a rubber band motor we've used a powerful spring mechanism to provide the "muscle" in this racer and extend the model's usable life. The ratchet mechanism means you don't have to hold the knob the entire time you're winding the model—potential energy is stored with each twist, without slippage, until the strong internal spring is fully loaded.
To put the model in "drift mode," turn the front wheels fully to one side or the other, set it down on a smooth surface such as tile, and watch as the model peels out in a sideways skid (ideally, your model should make a half to a full revolution before continuing forward, depending on the driving surface and turn angle of the wheels). When the wheels are set in their straight position, the model covers a lot of ground—8 meters or more! Set the wheels in a gentler turn, or put the racer down on a less slippery surface, and watch your Drift Cobra complete two or three full circles.
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